Food product scale

• US 9,377,345 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Dyer, Debra L., Davis, Robert S., Highley, James E. Jr., Broering, Jill M., Knoop, Fredrick D., Blankley, Randy L. Jr., Dusing, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACCHIAROLO, PETER J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Application Number:
  US14/319,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150068818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/36 Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3721 with particular representation of the result, e.g. graphic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A scale includes a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations and a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information. The operator interface may be in the form of a touch-screen display that is used to facilitate ease of use and scale adjustment.

Claims

1. A scale, comprising:

a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed;

an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations;

a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information thereon, the controller configured such that multiple primary interface screen views are made available for operator use, wherein each primary interface screen view is a first level interface screen view that the controller is configured to present for display without requiring an operator to click through another screen view,

wherein each of the primary interface screen views includes;

(i) a plurality of fixed features that are common among all the primary interface screen views, each fixed feature residing in a common location in each of the primary interface screen views; and

(ii) other features that are not common with the other primary interface screen views.

2. The scale of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is configured such that one of the plurality of primary interface screen views is designated as a home interface screen view;

one of the plurality of fixed features is a home view icon that when triggered causes the home interface screen view to be displayed.

3. The scale of claim 2, wherein:

the controller is configured such that designation of the home interface screen view can be changed as between a first of the primary interface screen views and a second of the primary interface screen views.

4. The scale of claim 3, wherein:

the controller is configured such that three or more primary interface screen views are provided, and at least one of the primary interface screen views cannot be designated as the home interface screen view.

5. The scale of claim 1, wherein:

one of the plurality of fixed features is a group of adjacent screen view icons, each screen view icon associated with one of the plurality of primary interface screen views in a one-to-one correspondence; and

the controller is configured such that selection of a given one of the screen view icons will cause the primary interface screen view associated with the given screen view icon to be displayed.

6. The scale of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fixed features includes each of (i) a home view icon that when selected causes a designated home interface screen view to be displayed, and (ii) a group of adjacent screen view icons, each screen view icon associated with one of the plurality of primary interface screen views in a one-to-one correspondence, where only one of the screen view icons is displayed as active at any given time in accordance with the primary interface screen view being displayed at the given time.

7. The scale of claim 6, wherein the plurality of fixed features further includes each of (iii) a group of adjacent alert icons that each is capable of being displayed in either an active state or an inactive state and (iv) a scale capacity display field.

8. The scale of claim 1, wherein:

the operator interface comprises a touch-sensitive display; and

the controller is configured to enable transition from one primary interface screen view to another primary interface screen view via a swiping operation along the display in one of a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

9. The scale of claim 1 wherein each primary interface screen view is ready for display even when not being displayed.

10. A scale, comprising:

a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed;

an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations;

a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information thereon, the controller configured such that multiple primary interface screen views are made available for operator use,

wherein each of the primary interface screen views includes;

(i) a plurality of fixed features that are common among all the primary interface screen views, each fixed feature residing in a common location in each of the primary interface screen views; and

(ii) other features that are not common with the other primary interface screen views;

wherein;

one of the plurality of fixed features is a group of adjacent screen view icons, each screen view icon associated with one of the plurality of primary interface screen views in a one-to-one correspondence; and

the controller is configured such that each screen view icon is displayed in either a present state or background state, and the state of each screen view icon is automatically adjusted upon transition from one primary interface screen view to another primary interface screen view such that only the screen view icon associated with the primary interface screen view that is being displayed is displayed in the present state.

11. A method of configuring a scale including a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations and a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information thereon, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of fixed features that are useful to operator operation of the scale;

making multiple primary interface screen views available for operator use, wherein each of the primary interface screen views includes each of the fixed features thereon to create a degree of commonality between the primary interface screen views, each fixed feature residing in a common location in each of the primary interface screen views;

wherein one of the plurality of fixed features is a group of adjacent screen view icons, each screen view icon associated with one of the plurality of primary interface screen views in a one-to-one correspondence, and the method includes configuring the scale such that each screen view icon is displayed as one of a present state or background state, and configuring the scale such that it will display in the present state only the screen view icon associated with the primary interface screen view that is being displayed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the primary interface screen views further includes other features that are not common with the other primary interface screen views.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of primary interface screen views is designated as a home interface screen view, and one of the plurality of fixed features is a home view icon that when triggered causes the home interface screen view to be displayed.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring the scale such that responsive to selection of a given one of the screen view icons that is displayed in the background state, an automatic transition to display of the primary interface screen view associated with the given screen view icon will occur.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fixed features includes a group of adjacent alert icons that, each alert icon capable of being displayed in either an active state or an inactive state according to the presence or absence of an alert related to the alert icon.

16. A method of establishing a scale interface system for a food product weighing and pricing scale including a weigh station for receiving items to be weighed, an operator interface configured to display information associated with scale operations, an associated label printer for printing labels for weighed items, and a controller operably coupled to the operator interface to effect display of information thereon, the method comprising:

identifying a set of critical interface features;

incorporating the critical features into at least a first interface screen view and a second interface screen view that are presentable to operators via the operator interface in a manner that enables operators to switch between the first interface screen view and the second interface screen view;

identifying a first set of primary features for the first interface screen view, the first set of primary features focused on a primary function of the first interface screen view;

incorporating the first set of primary features into the first interface screen view;

identifying a second set of primary features for the second interface screen view, the second set of primary features focused on a primary function of the second interface screen view;

incorporating the second set of primary features into the second interface screen view;

configuring the scale to permit selection of either the first interface screen or the second interface screen as a home interface screen;

establishing a third interface screen view that is also presentable to operators via the operator interface in a manner that enables operators to switch between the first interface screen and the second interface screen and the third interface screen;

configuring the scale to prevent selection of the third interface screen view as the home interface screen view.