FOOD PRODUCT SCALE

• US 20150074581A1
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: James E. Highley, Jr., Randy L. Blankley Jr
• Inventors: Dyer, Debra L., Davis, Robert S., Highley, James E. Jr., Broering, Jill M., Knoop, Fredrick D., Blankley, Randy L. Jr., Dusing, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,810,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/36 Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3721 with particular representation of the result, e.g. graphic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A scale includes a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations and a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information. The operator interface may be in the form of a touch-screen display that is used to facilitate ease of use and scale adjustment.

Claims

1-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A scale, comprising:

a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed;

an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations, the operator interface comprising a touch-sensitive display;

a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information thereon, the controller configured to vary brightness of the touch-sensitive display in order to extend operating life of the touch-sensitive display,

wherein the controller is configured to effect a normal brightness setting during operator interaction with the touch-sensitive display and a dimmed brightness setting that is implemented after a set time period without operator interaction with the touch-sensitive display,

wherein, during the dimmed brightness setting, one or more selectable icons or fields on the touch-sensitive display remain live and ready for operator selection.

58. The scale of claim 57 wherein the controller is configured such that, during the dimmed brightness setting and upon operator selection of the selectable icon or field, the selection of the selectable icon is automatically captured and a transition to the normal brightness setting is automatically effected.

59. The scale of claim 57 wherein the controller is configured such that, during the dimmed brightness setting and upon detection of item placement on the weighing station, a transition to the normal brightness setting is automatically effected.

60. The scale of claim 59 wherein the controller is configured to detect item placement on the weighing station by an output change of a load cell associated with the weighing station.

61. The scale of claim 57, wherein the dimmed brightness setting is a first dimmed brightness setting and the set time period is a first set time period, the controller is configured to effect a second dimmed brightness setting that is implemented after a second set time period without any operator interaction with the touch screen display, the second dimmed brightness setting being less bright than the first dimmed brightness setting, the second set time period being longer than the first set time period.

62. The scale of claim 57, wherein the controller is configured to effect a multi-tier dimming operation that includes transition to the dimmed brightness setting after the set time period and shut down of the display after a further time period, upon shutdown of the display no selectable icons are live.

63. The scale of claim 57 wherein the controller is configured to permit adjustment, via the operator interface, of one or more of the normal brightness setting, the dimmed brightness setting or the set time period.

64. A method of operating a scale including a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations, the operator interface including a touch-sensitive display, the method comprising the steps of

utilizing a first brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display;

automatically transitioning to utilization of a second brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display, the second brightness setting being lower than the first brightness setting for improving operating life of the touch-sensitive display;

during utilization of the second brightness setting, continuing to monitor a touch-sensitive surface of the touch-sensitive display for operator selection of one or more displayed icons or fields and, upon operator selection of a given displayed icon or field, capturing the selection.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the step of automatically transitioning to utilization of the second brightness setting is effected by monitoring for one or both of (i) a lack of operator interaction with the touch-sensitive display or (ii) a lack of item weighing by the weighing station, for a set time period.

66. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

upon operator selection of the given displayed icon, automatically transitioning back to the first brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display.

67. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

during utilization of the second brightness setting, and upon detection of item placement on the weighing station, automatically transitioning back to the first brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display.

68. The method of claim 64 wherein the scale further includes a customer facing display, and the controller is operably coupled to the customer facing display for operation thereof, and:

(i) if the customer facing display is being used in a mode to display customer information videos, a brightness of the customer facing display is not changed upon automatically transitioning to utilization of the second brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display and (ii) alternatively, if the customer facing display is not being used in a mode to display customer information videos, a brightness of the customer facing display is automatically dimmed upon automatically transitioning to utilization of the second brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display.

69. A method of operating a scale including a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations, the operator interface including a touch-sensitive display, the method comprising the steps of

utilizing a first brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display;

automatically transitioning to utilization a second brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display, the second brightness setting being lower than the first brightness setting for improving operating life of the touch-sensitive display;

during utilization of the second brightness setting, automatically transitioning back to the first brightness setting for operation of the touch-sensitive display upon the occurrence of either (i) operator contact with a touch-sensitive surface of the touch-sensitive display or (ii) a load cell of the weighing station outputting a weight signal indicative of item placement on the weighing station for weighing.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein the step of automatically transitioning to utilization of the second brightness setting is effected by monitoring for one or both of (i) a lack of operator interaction with the touch-sensitive display or (ii) a lack of item weighing by the weighing station, for a set time period.

71-103. -103. (canceled)