Appliance and method for menu navigation

• US 7,038,717 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Dan L., Dow, James C., Formosa, Daniel, Nieves, Sandra, Shepard, Nancy, Rudd, Michael L., Hamburger, Paul, DeVries, Michael J., Ruffatto, Karin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US10/052,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20020060816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 358/444, 358/474, 358/471, 358/527, 358/505, 358/483, 358/482, 358512-514, 358/909.1, 358/231.99, 358/231.2, 358/468, 348/231.3, 348/231.2, 348/231.99, 348/231.6, 348/231.9, 348/208.12, 348/64, 348/207.1, 348/375, 348/376, 348 96- 98, 348/207.11, 348/333.05, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 382/313, 382/312, 707/200, 345/629, 345/156, 396/287, 396/281, 396/296
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00472 using a pop-up window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion

Abstract

A capturing and viewing appliance and method are provided for capturing and communicating images to other appliances and devices with communication capabilities. The capturing and viewing appliance includes a processor for manipulating and viewing the images on a built-in display. Program code stored in internal memory includes a menu navigation interface application program which allows the user to use navigation buttons and operational buttons to operate the menu navigation interface in operating the appliance. The menu navigation interface provides a user-friendly interface for operating an appliance or other device through reuse of the navigation buttons and operational buttons in menu activation and deactivation as well as menu item selection.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

a photoelement array for acquiring image data;

a memory for saving said image data;

a processor in communication with said memory;

a display in communication with said processor for exhibiting said image data;

a plurality of navigation buttons;

a plurality of operational buttons; and

program code stored in said memory and executed by said processor, said program code comprising a menu navigation interface module for allowing a user to select one of a plurality of menu options in response to the invocation of one of said navigation buttons, so that the functionality of said plurality of navigation buttons changes from a first set of navigation button operating functions to a second set of navigation button operating functions which correspond to a plurality of menu functions associated with a selected menu;

wherein one of said navigation buttons is used to exit from said menu.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said program code further comprises:

a first code segment for demarcating one of a plurality of menu options displayed on said display, said demarcation representing a selection of one of said menu options.

3. The digital camera of claim 2, wherein said demarcation is directionally moved among said plurality of menu options using said navigation buttons.

4. The digital camera of claim 3, wherein said demarcation is bi-directionally moved using a pair of said navagation buttons.

5. The digital camera of claim 4, wherein said pair of navigation buttons comprises an up navigation and down navigation button.

6. The digital camera of claim 3, wherein said selection of said option is confirmed by the user through invocation of said operational button invoked to provide said menu.

7. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising:

means for communicating image data to a remote device.

8. A digital camera, comprising:

capturing means for acquiring image data;

storage means for saving said image data;

processing means in communication with said storage means;

display means in communication with said processing means for exhibiting said image data;

a navigation means;

operation activation means; and

program code stored in said storage means and executed by said processing means for manipulating said image data, said program code comprising a menu navigation interface module for allowing a user to select one of a plurality of menu options in response to the invocation of said navigation means, so that the functionality of said navigation means changes from a first set of navigation operating functions to a second set of navigation operating functions which correspond to a plurality of menu functions associated with a selected menu;

wherein said navigation means is a plurality of navigation buttons, wherein one of said navigation buttons is used to exit from said menu of options, status and information dialogs.

9. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein said menu navigation interface module comprises:

a first code segment for demarcating one of said options displayed on said display, said demarcation representing a selection of said option.

10. The digital camera of claim 9, further comprising navigation means for moving said demarcation among said menu of options.

11. The digital camera of claim 10, wherein said operation activation means is a plurality of operational buttons.

12. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein said selection of said option is confirmed by the user through invocation of said operational button invoked to provide said menu.

13. The digital camera of claim 8, further comprising:

a second code segment for providing an icon representative of said navigation buttons on said display.

14. The digital camera of claim 13, wherein said icon comprises:

a pair of opposing arrows with each arrow uniquely representing a logical scroll direction.

15. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein said icon further comprises:

a third arrow representing said navigation button used to exit from said menu.

16. The digital camera of claim 8, further comprising:

means for communicating image data to a remote device.

17. An interface method for invoking the operation of a digital camera having a built-in display, comprising the steps of:

selecting one of a plurality of menus in response to an invocation of one of a plurality of functional buttons;

changing the functionality of a plurality of navigation buttons in response to selecting one of said menus from a first set of navigation button operating functions to a second set of navigation button operating functions, such that said second set of navigation button operating functions correspond to a plurality of menu functions associated with said selected menu; and

exiting said menu in response to an invocation of one of said plurality of navigation buttons;

wherein changing the functionality of said plurality of navigation buttons to said first set of navigation button operating functions is made in response to said exiting.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

displaying an icon representative of at least one of said plurality of navigation buttons on a display.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of selecting one of a plurality of menus is made in response to an invocation of one of a plurality of operational buttons.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

communicating image data to a remote device.

21. A computer readable medium having a program for manipulating image data acquired by a digital camera, said program code comprising:

logic configured for displaying a plurality of menus, each one of said plurality of menus comprising at least one option displayed on a display, said options corresponding to operations capable of execution by said digital camera;

logic configured for demarcating one of said options, said demarcation representing a user selection of said option;

logic configured for associating a first set of operating button operating functions with a plurality of operating buttons, such that said first set of operating button operating functions corresponds to a first menu selected from said plurality of menus;

logic configured for associating a second set of operating button operating functions with said plurality of operating buttons, such that said second set of operating button operating functions corresponds to a second menu selected from said plurality of menus; and

logic configured for processing a user selection of one of said options;

wherein said plurality of operating buttons are a plurality of navigation buttons; and

further comprising logic configured for exiting said menu of options in response to an invocation of one of said plurality of navigation buttons by the user.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

logic configured for moving said demarcation in response to a logical scroll direction entered by the user through one of a plurality of navigation buttons.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

logic configured for providing an icon representative of said navigation buttons on said display.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

logic configured for communicating image data to a remote device.