APPLIANCE INTERFACE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An appliance, comprising:
- a user interface comprising a plurality of selector buttons, wherein each selector button respectively comprises;
a display that renders an image thereupon for the selector button, the display of the selector button being separate from disparate displays of disparate selector buttons in the plurality of selector buttons of the user interface of the appliance;
a touch sensitive input area operable to receive an input selection that corresponds to the image rendered by the display of the selector button, wherein the input selection received by the touch sensitive input area causes one or more of the display to change the image rendered thereupon or at least one of the disparate displays to change corresponding respective images rendered thereupon; and
the appliance further comprising a controller that respectively chooses images rendered upon a plurality of displays of the plurality of selector buttons and controls operation of the appliance in response to the input selection.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An appliance includes a user interface and a controller. The user interface comprises a plurality of selector buttons. Each selector button respectively comprises a display and a touch sensitive input area. The display can render an image thereupon for the selector button. Further, the display of the selector button can be separate from disparate displays of disparate selector buttons of the user interface. Moreover, the touch sensitive input area can be operable to receive an input selection that corresponds to the image rendered by the display of the selector button. The input selection received by the touch sensitive input area can cause the display of the selector button to change the image rendered thereupon and/or the disparate displays to change corresponding respective images rendered thereupon. The controller can respectively choose images rendered upon a plurality of displays and control operation of the appliance in response to the input selection.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An appliance, comprising:
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a user interface comprising a plurality of selector buttons, wherein each selector button respectively comprises; a display that renders an image thereupon for the selector button, the display of the selector button being separate from disparate displays of disparate selector buttons in the plurality of selector buttons of the user interface of the appliance; a touch sensitive input area operable to receive an input selection that corresponds to the image rendered by the display of the selector button, wherein the input selection received by the touch sensitive input area causes one or more of the display to change the image rendered thereupon or at least one of the disparate displays to change corresponding respective images rendered thereupon; and the appliance further comprising a controller that respectively chooses images rendered upon a plurality of displays of the plurality of selector buttons and controls operation of the appliance in response to the input selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of operating an appliance, comprising:
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choosing a first set of images, wherein each image is representative of a corresponding function selectable for effectuation by the appliance; rendering the first set of images upon a plurality of displays included in a user interface of the appliance, the plurality of displays being separate from each other; receiving an input via one of a plurality of touch sensitive input areas respectively associated with the plurality of displays; changing at least one image in the first set of images to yield a second set of images based upon the input; controlling operation of the appliance based upon the input; and rendering the second set of images upon the plurality of displays. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification