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US 6,614,419 B1Granted
User interface for use in a multifunctional display (MFD)
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorVincent P. May
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for labeling one or more control keys, knobs or switches positioned adjacent to a display screen using a combination of both “Secret Until Lit” labeling and soft on-screen labeling with each single control.
Claims30
A user interface for use in a multifunctional display, the user interface comprising:
- a multifunctional display having a display screen and a panel surface;
- one or more hard operational mode selection keys situated on said panel surface of said multifunctional display, each of said hard operational mode selection keys being coupled to select different ones of a plurality of operational modes accessible by the user;
- a plurality of hard function control keys situated on said panel surface of said multifunctional display adjacent to said display screen, each of said plurality of hard function control keys being in electrical communication with a selected one of said operational modes;
- a hard Secret Until Lit label associated with one of said hard function control keys, said Secret Until Lit label being in electrical communication with said hard function control key and presenting a first context sensitive function legend relative to a first selected one of said operational modes;
- and
- a soft Secret Until Lit label situated on said display screen adjacent to said hard function control key, said soft Secret Until Lit label being in electrical communication with said hard function control key and presenting a second different context sensitive function legend relative to a second selected one of said operational modes.
3 more elements
A multifunctional display comprising:
- a plurality of hard operational mode control keys, each of said operational mode control keys coupled to select one of a plurality of different operational modes;
- a display screen coupled to display graphics related to a selected one of said operational modes;
- one or more hard function control keys, each of said hard function control keys coupled to control functions relative to said selected operational mode;
- one or more Secret Until Lit legends activated with a first one of said operational modes, each of said Secret Until Lit legends associated with a respective one of said hard function control keys and defining a function of each of said hard function control keys relative to said first operational mode;
- and
- one or more on-screen legends activated with a second different one of said operational modes, each of said on-screen legends associated with a respective one of said hard function control keys and defining a function of each of said hard function control keys relative to said second operational mode.
3 more elements
A method for independently defining different context sensitive functions of one or more control keys in a multifunctional display relative to a plurality of independent operational modes, the method comprising:
- presenting a first context sensitive function legend relative to a first selected one of a plurality of operational modes for defining a first function of a hard control key relative to said first selected operational mode by illuminating a secret until lit label associated with said hard control key;
- and
- presenting a second different context sensitive function legend relative to a second selected one of a plurality of operational modes for defining a second different function of said hard control key relative to said second selected operational mode by illuminating a soft label associated with said hard control key.
A method for labeling one or more control keys, knobs or switches positioned on a hard control panel adjacent to a display screen using a combination of both hard panel and soft on-screen “Secret Until Lit” labeling with each single control, the method comprising:
- operating in combination a first secret until lit label on a hard control panel and a second secret until lit soft label on a display screen, said first and second secret until lit labels defining different first and second functions of an associated hard control key relative to different first and second operational modes by:
- exclusively illuminating on said hard control panel said secret until lit label in electrical contact with a first selected one of said plurality of different operational modes and defining a function of said associated hard control key relative to said first selected operational mode;
- exclusively illuminating on a display screen a secret until lit soft label in electrical contact with a second selected one of said plurality of different operational modes and defining a function of said control key relative to said first selected operational mode;
- and extinguishing on said hard control panel said illuminated secret until lit label.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.