Rotor selection interface and method

• US 20050120142A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific Asheville LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kendro Laboratory Products LP (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hall, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 13/00 Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges; Programme control of centrifuges control arrangements for feed, charge, or discharge B04B11/00

Abstract

In a user interface to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors corresponding to compatible rotors for use in a centrifuge device, a home menu is utilized to access a previously selected rotor and an add menu is utilized to add the desired rotor in response to the desired rotor being absent from the home menu. In addition, the add menu includes the set of rotors.

Claims

1. A user interface to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors corresponding to compatible rotors for use in a centrifuge device, the user interface comprising:

a home menu to access a previously selected rotor; and

an add menu to add the desired rotor in response to the desired rotor being absent from the home menu, wherein the add menu includes the set of rotors.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display to present the home menu and the add menu, the home menu including a plurality of home options, the home options including the previously selected rotor and an add function.

3. The user interface according to claim 2, further comprising:

a key to navigate the home menu and the add menu, the key being configured to generate a signal in response to being engaged.

4. The user interface according to claim 3, further comprising:

a memory to store a run parameter; and

a processor to control the display and receive the signals from the key, the processor being configured to;

control the display to initially present the home menu;

store the previously selected rotor to the run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

control the display to present the add menu in response to the add function being selected; and

move a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu and store the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

5. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of home options while the display is presenting the home menu and in response to the signal.

6. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of type options while the display is presenting the add menu and in response to the signal.

7. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the key is a down key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a forward manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

8. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the key is an up key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a reverse manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

9. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selection event has occurred.

10. The user interface according to claim 9, further comprising a select key configured to generate a select signal in response to being engaged, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to the select signal.

11. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since last receiving the signal.

12. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

13. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the key includes a down key and an up key and the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving the signal from the down key and the up key at essentially the same time.

14. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the add menu further comprises a plurality of type menus to subdivide the set of rotors into a plurality of respective type options, the processor the configured to control the display to present the plurality of type menus.

15. An apparatus to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use in a centrifuge device, the apparatus comprising:

a display to present a home menu and an add menu, the home menu including a plurality of home menu options, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor and an add function, the add menu including a plurality of add menu options, the plurality of add menu option including the set of rotors;

a key to navigate the home menu and the add menu, the key being configured to generate a signal in response to being engaged;

a memory to store a run parameter; and

a processor to control the display and receive the signals from the key, the processor being configured to;

control the display to initially present the home menu;

store the previously selected rotor to the run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

control the display to present the add menu in response to the add function being selected; and

move a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu and store the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of home menu options while the display is presenting the home menu and in response to the signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of add menu options while the display is presenting the add menu and in response to the signal.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the key is a down key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a forward manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the key is an up key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a reverse manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selection event has occurred.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a select key configured to generate a select signal in response to being engaged, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to the select signal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since last receiving the signal.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the key includes a down key and an up key and the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving the signal from the down key and the up key at essentially the same time.

25. An apparatus for providing a user interface to a user for the user to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use in a centrifuge device, the apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a home menu option of a plurality of home menu options in a home menu, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor and an add function;

means for storing the previously selected rotor to a run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

means for displaying an add menu option of a plurality of add menu options in an add menu in response to a selection event while the add function is being displayed; and

means for moving a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu and means for storing the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for scrolling through the plurality of home menu options while displaying the home menu in response to the selection event.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for scrolling through the plurality of add menu options while displaying the add menu in response to the selection event.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for determining the selection event has occurred.

29. An apparatus for selecting an option from a set of options, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing a first subset of options from which to select the option, the first subset of options configured to include at least one option of the set of options;

means for interfacing configured to provide a scrolling means for scrolling through the first subset of options and a selecting means for selecting the option; and

means for providing a second subset of options configured to include a remainder of option corresponding to the set of options minus the first subset of option, wherein the interfacing means is further configured to provide a capability of scrolling through the second subset of options and moving an option from the second subset of options to the first subset of options.

30. A method of providing a user interface to a user for the user to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use in a centrifuge device, the method comprising:

displaying a home menu option of a plurality of home menu options in a home menu, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor and an add function;

storing the previously selected rotor to a run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

displaying an add menu option of a plurality of add menu options in an add menu in response to a selection event while the add function is being displayed; and

moving a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu and storing the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising scrolling through the plurality of home menu options while displaying the home menu in response to the selection event.

32. The method according to claim 30, further comprising scrolling through the plurality of add menu options while displaying the add menu in response to the selection event.

33. The method according to claim 30, further comprising determining the selection event has occurred.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to a select signal.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to in response to a predetermined amount of time having elapsed since last receiving a signal.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to receiving a signal from a down key and an up key at essentially the same time.

38. A method of selecting an option from a set of options, the method comprising:

providing a first subset of options from which to select the option, the first subset of options configured to include at least one option of the set of options;

providing an interface configured to provide a capability of scrolling through the first subset of options and selecting the option; and

providing a second subset of options configured to include a remainder of option corresponding to the set of options minus the first subset of option, wherein the interface is further configured to provide a capability of scrolling through the second subset of options and moving an option from the second subset of options to the first subset of options.