Portable IR thermometer having graphical user display and interface
First Claim
1. A portable noncontact thermometer comprising:
- a hand-held housing defining an aperture for ingress of incident thermal energy from a target location;
a thermometer module including a noncontact thermal energy detector;
said thermometer module further including a microcontroller operative to interpret electrical signals derived from an output of said noncontact thermal energy detector so as to determine temperature at said target location;
a graphical display device fixed with respect to said housing capable of providing a graphical user interface having multiple screens variously showing one or more types of graphical items, wherein the types of graphical items comprise numbers, text, or functional icons;
said graphical display device being a dot matrix display device having a plurality of pixels in rows and columns; and
circuitry in electrical communication with said graphical display device so as to produce said graphical user interface such that a particular display area of the graphical display device is used to display different types of the one or more types of graphical items in different screens of said multiple screens,wherein a screen of said multiple screens displays a tab proximate to a function button in said plurality of function buttons indicating a function of the function button.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable noncontact thermometer comprising a hand-held housing defining an aperture for ingress of incident thermal energy from a target location. A thermometer module includes a noncontact thermal energy detector impinged by the incident thermal energy. The thermometer module further includes a microcontroller operative to interpret electrical signals derived from an output of the noncontact thermal energy detector so as to determine temperature at the target location. A graphical display device, such as an LCD dot matrix display device, is fixed with respect to the housing. The display device is capable of providing a graphical user interface having multiple screens variously showing numbers, text and functional icons. Preferably, the screens will display function tabs located adjacent to corresponding buttons on the housing. The tabs will change depending on the varying function that may be implemented by pressing a respective button. The thermometer also includes circuitry, which include the microcontroller, in electrical communication with the graphical display device so as to produce the graphical user interface.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A portable noncontact thermometer comprising:
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a hand-held housing defining an aperture for ingress of incident thermal energy from a target location; a thermometer module including a noncontact thermal energy detector; said thermometer module further including a microcontroller operative to interpret electrical signals derived from an output of said noncontact thermal energy detector so as to determine temperature at said target location; a graphical display device fixed with respect to said housing capable of providing a graphical user interface having multiple screens variously showing one or more types of graphical items, wherein the types of graphical items comprise numbers, text, or functional icons; said graphical display device being a dot matrix display device having a plurality of pixels in rows and columns; and circuitry in electrical communication with said graphical display device so as to produce said graphical user interface such that a particular display area of the graphical display device is used to display different types of the one or more types of graphical items in different screens of said multiple screens, wherein a screen of said multiple screens displays a tab proximate to a function button in said plurality of function buttons indicating a function of the function button. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification