Interface for multifunctional system having multiple services
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsCharles W. Stohrer, Anne E. Brose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An interface for a multifunctional electronic device capable of performing multiple services such as copy, fax, scan, and print wherein the interface is simplified by illuminating or otherwise focusing a user's attention to only those control switches that are available for selection in respect to the service to be performed. Also, provision may be made to highlight, within a group of available features, the switch that controls the feature that is currently selected.
Claims26
A multifunctional electronic system having a human interface and offering a plurality of services to a human user, each service having an associated plurality of available system features, at least one of the services being one of print, copy, scan, and facsimile, said system comprising:
- a system controller;
- a plurality of human controllable switch devices fixedly located on the interface that control selection of system features and that separately communicate with the system controller, the switch devices not being touch screen icons;
- a plurality of human interpretable indicators fixedly located on the interface, each of the human interpretable indicators associated with a switch device and indicating the availability of system features associated with the switch device;
- wherein, when a first service is selected, the controller directs the human interpretable indicator associated with a switch device to indicate the existence of a first mode for such switch device, the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device indicating under the first mode a first set of one or more system features that are selectable by the switch device and a first default selection for the switch device,
- wherein, when a second service is selected, the controller directs the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device to indicate the existence of a second mode for such switch device, the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device indicating under the second mode a second set of one or more system features that are selectable by the switch device and a second default selection for the switch device, the first mode and the second mode being different, and
- wherein the first set of system features that are selectable and the first default selection are visually and differently indicated and the second set of system featuers and the second default selection are visually and differently indicated.
An electrophotographic multifunctional printer having a human interlace and offering a plurality of services to a human user, each service having an associated plurality of available system features, at least one of the services being one of print, copy, scan, and facsimile, said printer comprising:
- a system controller;
- a plurality of human controllable switch devices fixedly located on the interface that control selection of system features and that separately communicate with the system controller, the switch devices not being touch screen icons;
- a plurality of human interpretable indicators fixedly located on the interface, each of the human interpretable indicators associated with a switch device and indicating the existence of one of a plurality of modes for such switch device;
- wherein, when a first service is selected, the controller directs the human interpretable indicator associated with a switch device to indicate the existence of a first mode for such switch device, the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device indicating under the first mode a first set of one or more system features that are selectable by the switch device and a first default selection for the switch device,
- wherein, when a second service is selected, the controller directs the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device to indicate the existence of a second mode for such switch device, the human interpretable indicator associated with the switch device indicating under the second mode a second set of one or more system features that are selectable by the switch device and a second default selection for the switch device, the first mode and the second mode being different, and
- wherein the first set of system features that are selectable and the first default selection are visually and differently indicated and the second set of system features and the second default selection are visually and differently indicated.
In a multifunctional system having a system controller and a human interface, the system offering a plurality of services to a user, each service having an associated plurality of available system features, at least one of the services being one of print, copy, scan, and facsimile, the human interface comprising a plurality of switch devices fixedly located on the interface that control selection of system features, the switch devices not being touch screen icons and a human interpretable indicator fixedly located on the interface and associated with each switch device, a process for interfacing with the system, comprising:
- selecting a first service to be performed;
- determining, with the controller, which features are available for selection with the first service;
- determining, with the controller, which features are the default selections with the first service;
- and
- activating, with signals from the controller, the human interpretable indicators associated with those switch devices that control selection of the features available for selection with the first service and activating, with signals from the controller, the human interpretable indicators associated with those switch devices that control selection of the default feature selections,
- wherein the human interpretable indicators associated with those switch devices visually and differently indicate the features available for selection and the default feature selections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.