Methods and apparatus for prompted activation of an inactive control element in graphical user interface, and context-based help therefor

• US 20040268267A1
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Moravcsik, Julia E.
• Application Number:
  US10/606,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268267A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/821
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host

Abstract

A graphical user interface includes control element or other designation portion for selection of a respective control function. The control element includes a designated appearance, graphical indicator, or other representation that indicates the current status of the control element, such as a status condition of inactivity or for interoperability due to one or more secondary settings or conditions. Invocation of the functionality of the control element causes a context-based help dialog to be presented to the user, which informs the user of the basis for the current status condition and which includes a prompt for automated modification or resolution of the secondary settings, so as to change the current status condition of the control element to a new status condition that offers the desired control function.

Claims

1. A method for control of an operator-controlled system by a user, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical user interface in a first mode of operation, wherein a first control element is shown;

receiving an invocation by the user representative of a request for the functionality of the first control element;

determining the current status condition of the control element;

in response to an invocation of the functionality of a control element when the current status of the control element is a respective first status condition among a predetermined plurality of status conditions, changing the graphical user interface to a second mode of operation, wherein context-sensitive help information is provided in the graphical user interface;

providing a prompt to a second control element, the second control element being operable to enable the user to select an automated procedure so as to change the current status of the control element to a second status in the predetermined set of status conditions;

in response to receiving invocation of the automated procedure, performing the automated procedure so as to cause the status of the control element to be changed to a second status condition; and

in response to completion of the automated procedure, changing the graphical user interface to a third mode of operation, wherein the requested functionality of the first control element is made available to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first status condition is an inactive control element condition and the second status is an active control element condition.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of graphically representing the current status condition of the control element in the graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of providing a change in the appearance of the control element corresponding to the change from the first status condition to the second status condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of altering the appearance of at least a portion of the control element to reflect the status currently set for the control element relative to the available functionality of the control element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the appearance of at least a portion of the control element is grayed-out during a status condition for the control element of inactive functionality.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-sensitive help indicates a basis for the first status condition of the control element.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a third control element operable by the user for rejecting the prompt and for causing the graphical user interface to return to the first mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the invocation of the functionality of the control element is performed by operation of a cursor-based input system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the invocation of the functionality of the control element is performed by operation of a touchscreen input system.