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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
First Claim
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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, andsaid 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.

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