Digital radio transceiver programmer with advanced user interface
First Claim
1. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into an internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
- connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory;
user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys;
processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means, said processor means including means for dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions, and for dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status;
storage means connected to said processor means for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats, said plural display formats being organized in a hierarchical tree structure; and
display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections, said display means also including means for selectively displaying one of said display formats superimposed on another display format.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digital radio communications transceiver programming apparatus and method are used to load personality defining information in a non-volatile EEPROM memory within a portable or mobile digital radio transceiver. A user interface defines display formats organized in a hierarchial tree structure with more general tasks nearer the "root" of the structure and more specific tasks existing at the "leaf" portions of the structure. The tasks are organized in a hierarchial fashion to simplify operation. Pop-up display formats filling only a portion of the display are used to display help text and for specific user selection tasks. Help text is provided on a field level and on a display format level. Error and range checking are also provided on a field-by-field basis. A changing prompt is displayed on a field-by-field basis to guide the user in filling in input fields, and different operative function key assignments are made on a display format basis.
46 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into an internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means, said processor means including means for dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions, and for dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status; storage means connected to said processor means for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats, said plural display formats being organized in a hierarchical tree structure; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections, said display means also including means for selectively displaying one of said display formats superimposed on another display format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into an internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means, said processor means including means for dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions, and for dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status said processor means including means for selectively displaying a window superimposed on at least one of said display formats, said window including an upper title portion, a center work area portion comprising at least one field, and a lower prompt line portion; storage means connected to said processor means for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats, said plural display formats being organized in a hierarchical tree structure; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections.
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12. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into an internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means; storage means connected to said processor for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats organized in a hierarchical tree structure and for storing plural individual discrete help text files associated with and corresponding to said plural display formats; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections, said processing means including means for reading a help text corresponding to a display format displayed by said display means and controlling said display means to display the contents of said read help text file in a pop-up window overlaid said displayed display format in response to an inputted user selection via said input means. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into an internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means; storage means connected to said processor for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats organized in a hierarchical tree structure, at least one of said display formats comprising plural input fields; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections, said processing means including means responsive to said input means for superimposing said cursor symbol over a user selected one of said input fields, and means for generating a prompt line responsive to the displayed position of said cursor and for controlling said display to display said generated prompt line at a lower portion within said work section. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into a non-volatile memory associated a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means; storage means connected to said processor for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats organized in a hierarchical tree structure, at least one of said display formats comprises plural input fields; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections, each of said display formats displayed by said display means includes; (a) a title section disposed in an upper portion of said display format, (b) a work section disposed in a center portion of said display format, said work section including said input fields, and (c) said processing means including means responsive to said input means for selecting one of said input fields and for permitting said user to select a contents of said input fields via said input means, said processing means further including means for checking said selected contents for errors, means for generating an error message if said error checking means said selected contents contains errors, and means for controlling said display means to display a pop-up window and superimposed over the display of one of said screen formats, said pop-up window containing said generated error message. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of loading personality defining information into a non-volatile memory also coated with a digital radio transceiver, said method comprising:
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operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; inputting user selections including depressing a set of user depressible keys; generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections; loading said generated digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions; dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status; storing further digital signals representing plural display formats organized in a hierarchical tree structure; and selectively displaying one of said display formats in response to inputted user selections including the following steps; (a) generating a title section and displaying said title section in an upper portion of an electronic display; (b) generating a tree level indicator indicating the position of said display format in said hierarchical tree structure and displaying said tree level indicator as part of said title section, and (c) displaying plural function key symbols representing said set of function keys in a lower portion of said display, including displaying each of said plural function key symbols which represents an active status function key with a legend indicating said associated user selectable function and displaying each of said plural function key symbols representing an inactive status function key with no function indicating legend. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into the internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means, said processor means including means for dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions, and for dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status; storage means connected to said processor means for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats, said plural display formats being organized in a hierarchical tree structure; and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections;
each of said display formats displayed by said display means includes;(a) a title section disposed in an upper portion of said display format, said title section identifying a function currently being performed by said processor means, said title section including a tree level indicator indicating the position of said display format in said hierarchical tree structure, (b) a work section disposed in a center portion of said display format, and (c) plural function key symbols displayed in a lower portion of said display format, said symbols representing said set of keys, each of said plural key symbols which represents an active status key being displayed with a legend indicating said associated user selectable function, each of said plural key symbols representing an inactive status key being displayed with no function indicating legend.
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23. A digital radio transceiver programming apparatus of the type for loading personality defining information into the internal non-volatile memory of a digital radio transceiver, said apparatus comprising:
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connector means for operatively connecting to said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory; user operable input means for inputting user selections, said input means including a set of user depressible keys; processor means connected to said connector means and to said input means for generating digital signals specifying operating parameters of said digital radio transceiver in response to inputted user selections and for loading said digital signals into said digital radio transceiver non-volatile memory via said connector means, said processor means including means for dynamically assigning some of said user depressible keys to active status and associating said active status keys to user selectable functions, and for dynamically assigning others of said user depressible keys to inactive status; storage means connected to said processor means for storing further digital signals representing plural display formats, said plural display formats being organized in a hierarchical tree structure, and display means connected to said processor means for selectively displaying said display formats in response to inputted user selections; wherein each of said display formats displayed by said display means includes; (a) a title section identifying a function currently being performed by said processor means, said title section including a tree level indicator indicating the position of said display format in said hierarchical tree structure, (b) a work section, and (c) plural function key symbols representing said set of keys, each of said plural key symbols which represents an active status key being displayed with a legend indicating said associated user selectable function.
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Specification