Embedded user interface accessible by an external device

• US 5,437,010 A
• Filed: 08/23/1993
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Donahue, Patrick J., Blackman, Fran E., Wilson, Tracy S., Doeberl, Terrence M., Collins, Jacqueline
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US08/110,234
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/156, 395/160, 395/161, 395/800, 364/188, 364/474.22, 364/474.27
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0029 Soft buttons; buttons that can change function
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00298 Visual, e.g. screens and their layouts
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00346 Power handling, e.g. power-down routine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/975 Pop-up dialog box for entry

Abstract

A postage meter mailing machine includes an improved embedded user interface. The user interface is suitable for providing a user interface to the mailing machine and also a direct user interface to an external device in bus communication with the mailing machine. The mailing machine includes a programmable microcontroller for performing hard and soft system functions. The microcontroller includes non-volatile memories for storing data information and executable routine. The microcontroller is also in bus communication with a visual display and a plurality of soft keys. Stored in the non-volatile memory is a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display. Each of the screens has a menu field and a prompt field and contains descriptors for a plurality of screen fields. Also, stored in the non-volatile memory are a plurality of text strings, a plurality of graphic display run routines, a plurality of routines for enabling the soft keys and for identifying subsequent screens as a result of operator activation of one of the soft keys. The user interface is programmed to identify a first screen and a screen select routine to (i) get the screen identified from said screen region of said memory and display on said display, (ii) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptor of said identified screen from said text region and display said text string in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft key to said respective menu area, (iii) display dynamic information in the display window of said display window and execute graphic routine, (iv) await activation of a soft key and repeat for next screen till end. The microcontroller having polls the system to determine whether any external devices are interfaced to the mailing machine, if so, the screen is designated for control of said respective external devices are enabled.

Claims

1. An improved embedded user interface for an apparatus having a programmable micro controller and bus means for coupling said programmable micro controller of said apparatus to the control unit of an external device, said apparatus having a plurality of hard keys and a plurality of soft keys communicating via a bus with said micro controller of said apparatus and having memory means for storing data and software routines, said micro controller communicating via said bus with a visual display for displaying data and data messages under control of said micro controller, wherein said improved embedded user interface system comprises:

said data stored in said memory means including

(a) screen data defining a plurality of respective bit-mapped screens for display on said visual display, said screen having data defining a respective menu field, data defining a data window field and data defining a prompt field, and data defining a descriptor for each of said respective fields for each of said screens, and having said screen data stored in a memory mapped screen region of said memory means,

(b) text data defining a plurality of text strings stored in a memory mapped text region of said memory means and each of said text strings being associated with a unique one of said descriptors of said respective menu field,

(c) said screen data having data for enabling respective ones of said soft keys corresponding to said descriptors of said respective menu field by said micro controller and data for identifying subsequent one of said screens in response to activation of said respective soft key, and

said programmable micro controller of said apparatus being programmed to

(a) read said screen data from said screen region of said memory means and display an image representative of said screen data on said visual display,

(b) read said text data associated with said descriptors of said respective menu field from said text region of said memory means and display said text data in said respective menu field, and to enable respective ones of said soft keys responsive to said data for enabling respective ones of said soft keys, so that each of said enabled respective ones of said keys performs a corresponding apparatus command,

(c) display said data messages in said data defined data window,

(d) await activation of one of said soft keys and read said screen data identified by said data for identifying subsequent one of said screens,

said micro controller having means for polling said bus to determine whether any external devices are coupled to said bus means of said apparatus and being programmed to cause said control unit of said external device to download other screen data to said memory means of said apparatus.