User interface for an image capture device

• US 6,128,013 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Prabhu, Girish V., Bubie, Walter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/961,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/337, 345/350, 345/349, 345/333, 345/334, 345/336
• US Class Current: 715/707
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00432 using tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00437 Intelligent menus, e.g. anticipating user selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00466 displaying finishing information, e.g. position of punch holes or staple or orientation references
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00469 with enlargement of a selected area of the displayed information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution

Abstract

A graphical system interfaces user selections with an image capture device by means of a series of display screens produced by a processor and presented to the user on a display device. After initiating a setup process for establishing an image capture, a graphical interface is generated including a plurality of display screens that establish an intuitive setup procedure for an inexperienced user. More specifically, the interface is based on a progressive disclosure of the screens, in particular by representing one or more screens with user accessible icons, such as file tabs on file folders, which are expandable into additional screens according to user intervention. Thereupon, user interaction with, e.g., a selected tab of a selected file folder produces two or more additional folders related to the selected tab.

Claims

1. A graphical system for interfacing user selections with an image capture device by means of a series of display screens produced by a processor and presented to the user on a display device, said system comprising:

means for initiating a setup process for establishing image capture, and

means for generating a user graphical interferer having a plurality of display screens that are characterized by a set of screens that progressively permit an inexperienced user to modify the captured image in a series of steps, which steps are indicated in the progressive screens, and at least one screen for an experienced user which includes a plurality of image processing functions that are selectable by the experienced user, at least one of the inexperienced user screens including user accessible icons which are expandable into additional screens according to user intervention, wherein user interaction with a selected icon of a selected screen produces two or more additional screens related to the selected icon.

2. A graphical system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user graphical interface is based on a file folder metaphor, said user graphical interface represented by one or more folders having the user accessible icons represented by one or more user accessible tabs on the folders which are expandable according to user intervention, wherein user interaction with a selected tab produces two or more additional folders related to the selected tab.

3. A graphical system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the folders are superimposed on the display such that the top folder is displayed so as to obscure the underlying folders to the extent that the tabs of one or more underlying folders remain displayed for user interaction therewith.