Contextual Touch Panel

• US 20080218486A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haseyama, Todd, Whittall, Christopher L.
• Application Number:
  US11/684,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

In one embodiment, a touch panel for an electronic device includes: an electronic display; a frame bordering the display, the frame including a plurality of icons each representing a device control and wherein any icon representing a control that is available for a device function appearing on the display is highlighted and any icon representing a control that is not available for a device function appearing on the display is not highlighted; and a touch sensitive material for selectively activating device controls appearing on the display and for selectively activating highlighted icons.

Claims

1. A touch panel for an electronic device, comprising:

an electronic display;

a frame bordering the display, the frame including a plurality of icons each representing a device control and wherein any icon representing a control that is available for a device function appearing on the display is highlighted and any icon representing a control that is not available for a device function appearing on the display is not highlighted; and

a touch sensitive material for selectively activating device controls appearing on the display and for selectively activating highlighted icons.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises an opaque frame and each icon comprises a transparency in the frame and the touch panel further comprises a plurality of lamps each located near an icon to illuminate and thereby highlight the icon when the lamp is energized.

3. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive material comprises a touch sensitive material overlaying the display and the frame.

4. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the frame surrounds the display.

5. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a colored opaque frame having transparent icons formed therein and the touch panel further comprises:

a colored background behind the icons, the background having the same color as the frame; and

a plurality of lamps each located within the background near an icon to illuminate and thereby highlight the icon when the lamp is energized.

6. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein the illumination of any icon representing a variable control will vary according to the variation in the control.

7. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein the illumination of any icon representing a variable control will vary in intensity and/or color according to the variation in the control.

8. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein the frame also includes an error icon representing an error condition in the device, the error icon being highlighted when the device experiences the error condition.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein the frame comprises an opaque frame and the error icon comprises a transparency in the frame and the touch panel further comprises a lamp located near the error icon to illuminate and thereby highlight the error icon when the lamp is energized.

10. The touch panel of claim 9, wherein the lamp blinks to highlight the error icon.

11. A touch panel for an electronic device, comprising:

an electronic display;

a plurality of icons bordering the display, each icon representing a device control;

a plurality of lamps each located near a corresponding icon to illuminate the icon when the lamp is energized, each lamp operative to illuminate the corresponding icon only when the device control represented by that icon is active; and

a touch screen overlaying the display and the icons for selecting a device control appearing on the display and for selecting a device control represented by an illuminated icon.

12. The touch panel of claim 11, further comprising a background to the icons, the background configured to hide an icon when the icon is not illuminated.

13. The touch panel of claim 11, further comprising a frame bordering the display, each icon comprising a transparency in the frame.

14. The touch panel of claim 13, further comprising a background to the icons, each lamp disposed within the background and the background and the frame having the same color.

15. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein the frame comprises a black frame and the background comprises a black background.

16. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein a lamp is operative to vary the intensity, the color, and/or the duration of illumination of the icon corresponding the lamp based on a duration that a user touches a part of the touch screen active for the icon.

18. The printer of claim 16, wherein the frame comprises an opaque frame and each icon comprises a transparency in the frame and the touch panel also includes a plurality of lamps each located near an icon, the controller operative to illuminate and thereby highlight an icon by energizing the corresponding lamp.

21. The printer of claim 16, wherein the frame also includes an error icon representing an error condition in the printer, the error icon being highlighted when the printer experiences the error condition.

17. A printer, comprising:

a touch panel including an electronic display, a frame bordering the display, the frame having a plurality of icons each representing a printer control, and a touch sensitive material overlaying the display and the frame;

a print engine;

an input/output device; and

an electronic controller operatively connected to the touch panel, the print engine and the input/output device for controlling operation of the touch panel, print engine and input/output device, the controller operative to highlight any icon representing a control that is available for a printer function appearing on the display and to not highlight any icon representing a control that is not available for a printer function appearing on the display.

19. The printer of claim 17, wherein the frame comprises a colored opaque frame having transparent icons formed therein and the touch panel also includes a colored background behind the icons, the background having the same color as the frame and each lamp located within the background.

20. The printer of claim 17, wherein the illumination of any icon representing a variable control will vary according to the variation in the control.