Method and system for displaying annotated information associated with a settable variable value feature

• US 20050210373A1
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Litwiller, Debora Margaret Hejza
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A method and user interface which enables the setting of a variable value feature, having a plurality of values associated therewith, wherein the plurality of values include a default value and a plurality of non-default values. The method and user interface displays a first value associated with a user selected variable value feature and changes the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount so as to display a second value associated with the selected variable value feature by a user engaging a user activatable area associated with the selected variable value feature. The method and user interface determines if an annotated message is associated with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature and displays the annotated message associated with the selected variable value feature along with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature has an associated annotation message.

Claims

1. A method of setting a variable value feature, having a plurality of values associated therewith wherein the plurality of values include a default value and a plurality of non-default values, on a user interface, the user interface having user activatable areas enabling a selection and changing of the variable value feature, comprising:

(a) displaying, on the user interface, a first value associated with a user selected variable value feature;

(b) changing the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount so as to display a second value associated with the selected variable value feature by a user engaging a user activatable area of the user interface associated with the selected variable value feature;

(c) determining if an annotated message is associated with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature; and

(d) displaying the annotated message associated with the selected variable value feature along with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature has an associated annotation message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected variable value feature is a magnification function.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected variable value feature is a facsimile transmission function.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected variable value feature is a contrast function.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

(e) disabling the user activatable area of the user interface associated with the selected variable value feature for a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature has an associated annotation message so as to allow the user to become aware of the displayed annotated message.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

(e) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

(f) disabling a user activatable area of the user interface associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be decremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

(g) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature; and

(h) disabling a user activatable area of the user interface associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be incremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature.

7. A user interface for selecting and setting a variable value feature, having a plurality of values associated therewith wherein the plurality of values include a default value and a plurality of non-default values, comprising:

a display area to display a first value associated with a user selected variable value feature;

a user activatable area to change the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount so as to display a second value associated with the selected variable value feature;

a memory for storing a number of annotated messages, each annotated message being associated a non-default value of the variable value feature;

a controller to determine if a stored annotated message is associated with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature;

said controller causing said display area to display the annotated message associated with the selected variable value feature along with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature has an associated annotation message.

8. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein said user activatable area includes an up user activatable area to increment the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount and a down user activatable area to decrement the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount.

9. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein said controller disables the user activatable area of the user interface associated with the selected variable value feature for a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature has an associated annotation message so as to allow the user to become aware of the displayed annotated message.

10. The user interface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said up user activatable area is a first push button and said down user activatable area is a second push button.

11. The user interface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said up user activatable area is a first area on a touch screen and said down user activatable area is a second area on a touch screen.

12. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein said controller determines whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

disables a user activatable area of the user interface associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be decremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

determines whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature; and

disables a user activatable area of the user interface associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be incremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value.

13. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein the selected variable value feature is a magnification function.

14. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein the selected variable value feature is a facsimile transmission function.

15. The user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein the selected variable value feature is a contrast function.

16. A method of setting a variable value feature on a control panel, the variable value feature having a plurality of values associated therewith, wherein the plurality of values include a default value, at least one industry accepted standard value, and a plurality of non-default values, the control panel having user activatable areas enabling a selection and changing of the variable value feature, comprising:

(a) displaying, on a display device, a first value associated with a user selected variable value feature;

(b) changing the displayed first value associated with the selected variable value feature by a predetermined amount so as to display a second value associated with the selected variable value feature by a user engaging one of the user activatable areas of the control panel associated with the selected variable value feature;

(c) determining if the displayed second value is an industry accepted standard value associated with the selected variable value feature; and

(d) displaying an annotated message corresponding to the industry accepted standard value and associated with the selected variable value feature along with the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature when it is determined that the displayed second value is an industry accepted standard value associated with the selected variable value feature.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

(e) disabling the user activatable areas of the control panel associated with the selected variable value feature for a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the displayed second value is an industry accepted standard value associated with the selected variable value feature so as to allow the user to become aware of the displayed annotated message.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

(e) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

(f) disabling a user activatable area of the control panel associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be decremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

(e) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature; and

(f) disabling a user activatable area of the control panel associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be incremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

(e) disabling the user activatable areas of the control panel associated with the selected variable value feature for a predetermined period of time when it is determined that the displayed second value is an industry accepted standard value associated with the selected variable value feature so as to allow the user to become aware of the displayed annotated message;

(f) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature;

(g) disabling a user activatable area of the control panel associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be decremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a minimum value for the selected variable value feature.

(h) determining whether the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature; and

(i) disabling a user activatable area of the control panel associated selected variable value feature that enables the value of the selected variable value feature to be incremented when it is determined that the displayed second value associated with the selected variable value feature is a maximum value for the selected variable value feature.