Rotor selection interface and method

• US 7,787,971 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific Asheville LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific Asheville LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hall, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton; Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US10/724,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 710/1, 715/745, 715/804, 715/811, 715/825
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 13/00 Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges; Programme control of centrifuges control arrangements for feed, charge, or discharge B04B11/00

Abstract

In a user interface to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors corresponding to compatible rotors for use in a centrifuge device, a home menu is utilized to access a previously selected rotor and an add menu is utilized to add the desired rotor in response to the desired rotor being absent from the home menu. In addition, the add menu includes the set of rotors.

Claims

1. An apparatus including a user interface to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors corresponding to compatible rotors for use during a centrifuge run in a centrifuge device, the user interface comprising:

a home menu to access a previously selected rotor, the previously selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith; and

an add menu to add the desired rotor in response to the desired rotor being absent from the home menu, wherein the add menu lists for selection by a user all of the rotors in the set of rotors compatible for use in the centrifuge device;

the desired rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith that is utilized during the centrifuge run when the desired rotor is selected.

2. The user interface according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display to present the home menu and the add menu, the home menu including a plurality of home options, the home options including the previously selected rotor and an add function,

wherein the add menu and home menu including the rotors being stored in memory and displayed according to the previous selection state of the rotors.

3. The user interface according to claim 2, further comprising:

a key to navigate the home menu and the add menu, the key being configured to generate a signal in response to being engaged, wherein the add menu includes a first subset of compatible rotors and second subset of compatible rotors, where an entry of a compatible rotor is moved from the second subset to the first subset according to the selection of the desired rotor.

4. The user interface according to claim 3, further comprising:

a memory to store a run parameter; and

a processor to control the display and receive signals from the key, the processor being configured to;

control the display to initially present the home menu;

store the rotor parameter of the previously selected rotor to the run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

control the display to present the add menu in response to the add function being selected; and

move a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu, the newly selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith, and store the rotor parameter associated with the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

5. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of home options while the display is presenting the home menu and in response to the signal.

6. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through a plurality of type options while the display is presenting the add menu and in response to the signal.

7. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the key is a down key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a forward manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

8. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the key is an up key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a reverse manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

9. The user interface according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selection event has occurred.

10. The user interface according to claim 9, further comprising a select key configured to generate a select signal in response to being engaged, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to the select signal.

11. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since last receiving the signal.

12. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

13. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the key includes a down key and an up key and the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving the signal from the down key and the up key at essentially the same time.

14. The user interface according to claim 9, wherein the add menu further comprises a plurality of type menus to subdivide the set of rotors into a plurality of respective type options and the processor is configured to control the display to present the plurality of type menus.

15. An apparatus to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use during a centrifuge run in a centrifuge device, the apparatus comprising:

a display to present a home menu and an add menu, the home menu including a plurality of home menu options, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith and an add function, the add menu including a plurality of add menu options, the plurality of add menu options including a list of all of the rotors in the set of rotors compatible for use in the centrifuge device;

a key to navigate the home menu and the add menu, the key being configured to generate a signal in response to being engaged;

a memory to store a run parameter; and

a processor to control the display and receive the signal from the key, the processor being configured to;

control the display to initially present the home menu;

store the rotor parameter associated with the previously selected rotor to the run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

control the display to present the add menu in response to the add function being selected; and

move a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu, the newly selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith,

and store the rotor parameter associated with the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of home menu options while the display is presenting the home menu and in response to the signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to scroll through the plurality of add menu options while the display is presenting the add menu and in response to the signal.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the key is a down key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a forward manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the key is an up key and the processor is configured to control the display to scroll in a reverse manner through the home menu or add menu in response to the signal.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the selection event has occurred.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a select key configured to generate a select signal in response to being engaged, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to the select signal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since last receiving the signal.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the key includes a down key and an up key and the processor is configured to determine the selection event has occurred in response to receiving the signal from the down key and the up key at essentially the same time.

25. An apparatus for providing a user interface to a user for the user to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use during a centrifuge run in a centrifuge device, the apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a home menu option of a plurality of home menu options in a home menu, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith and an add function;

means for storing the rotor parameter associated with the previously selected rotor to a run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

means for displaying an add menu option of a plurality of add menu options in an add menu in response to a selection event while the add function is being displayed, the add menu listing for selection by a user all of the rotors in the set of rotors compatible for use in the centrifuge device; and

means for moving a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu, the newly selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith, and means for storing the rotor parameter associated with the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for scrolling through the plurality of home menu options while displaying the home menu in response to the selection event.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for scrolling through the plurality of add menu options while displaying the add menu in response to the selection event.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a means for determining the selection event has occurred.

29. A method of providing a user interface to a user for the user to select a desired rotor from a set of rotors compatible for use during a centrifuge run in a centrifuge device, the method comprising:

displaying a home menu option of a plurality of home menu options in a home menu, the home menu options including a previously selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith and an add function;

storing the rotor parameter associated with the previously selected rotor to a run parameter in response to a selection event while the previously selected rotor is being displayed;

displaying an add menu option of a plurality of add menu options in an add menu in response to a selection event while the add function is being displayed, the add menu listing for selection by a user all of the rotors in the set of rotors compatible for use in the centrifuge device; and

moving a newly selected rotor of the set of rotors to the home menu from the add menu, the newly selected rotor having a rotor parameter associated therewith, and storing the rotor parameter associated with the newly selected rotor to the run parameter in response to the selection event while the newly selected rotor is being displayed.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising scrolling through the plurality of home menu options while displaying the home menu in response to the selection event, wherein the add menu includes a first subset of compatible rotors and second subset of compatible rotors, where an entry of a compatible rotor is moved from the second subset to the first subset according to the selection of the desired rotor.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising scrolling through the plurality of add menu options while displaying the add menu in response to the selection event.

32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising determining the selection event has occurred.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to a select signal.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to a predetermined amount of time having elapsed since last receiving a signal.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to receiving a start run signal.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to receiving a signal from a down key and an up key at essentially the same time, and the selection event is determined to have occurred in response to a passively selected option by engaging a start and stop key.