Screen help with contextual shortcut on an appliance
First Claim
1. An appliance comprising:
- a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance;
a first touch-sensitive input means; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured;
to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, andto indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated,wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items,wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of;
textual information,pictorial information,aural information,wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means,wherein the appliance further comprises an external communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive external instructions relating to addition and/or removal of assistance items in the collection of assistance information,wherein the processor is operable in a maintenance mode, in which the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, and the processor generates a new collection of assistance information on the basis of the static data record and the received instructions, andwherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
On-screen help with contextual shortcut on an appliance The invention relates to an appliance (100) with a user interface (110) comprising a display (111) for showing indications about conditions in the appliance, and first (112, 114) and second (113) touch-sensitive input means. The second input means causes the interface to enter an assistance mode displaying which assistance items, which a processing means (121) extracts from a collection (122) of assistance information based on the content of the display when the assistance mode is invoked. In one embodiment, a data record ensures that the user returns to the same page after consulting the assistance mode. In another embodiment, the appliance is adapted to update the collection of assistance information on the basis of data received at an external communication interface. In another embodiment, the display reacts differently to short and long activations of a given touch-sensitive input means. In another embodiment, the display includes parallax compensation.
21 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An appliance comprising:
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a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance; a first touch-sensitive input means; and a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured; to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated, wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items, wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of; textual information, pictorial information, aural information, wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means, wherein the appliance further comprises an external communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive external instructions relating to addition and/or removal of assistance items in the collection of assistance information, wherein the processor is operable in a maintenance mode, in which the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, and the processor generates a new collection of assistance information on the basis of the static data record and the received instructions, and wherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An appliance comprising:
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a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance; a first touch-sensitive input means; and a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured; to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated, wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items, wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of; textual information, pictorial information, aural information, wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means, wherein the appliance further comprises an external communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive external instructions relating to addition and/or removal of assistance items in the collection of assistance information, wherein the processor is configured to enter a maintenance mode, in which the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, in response to a message received at the external communication interface, and wherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information.
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11. An appliance comprising:
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a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance; a first touch-sensitive input means; and a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured; to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated, wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items, wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of; textual information, pictorial information, aural information, wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode in which the processor implements instructions received at an external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, and the processor generates a new collection of assistance information on the basis of the static data record and the received instructions, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means, wherein the second touch-sensitive input means is a single button, wherein the processor maintains a data record containing data relating to indications currently shown on the visual display, wherein the processor associates the data record with the one or more assistance items to be extracted from the collection of assistance information, wherein the processor shows, in the assistance mode, an initial assistance menu, from which the one or more assistance items extracted by the processor are individually selectable by a user, wherein the processor is operable to associate a tactile activation of relatively shorter duration of the first touch-sensitive input means with a primary control action, and to associate a tactile activation of relatively longer duration of the first touch-sensitive input means with entry into the assistance mode, wherein the one or more assistance items to be shown are extracted on the basis of the primary control action currently associated with the first touch-sensitive input means, and wherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification