Patent Publication Number: US-2006013610-A1

Title: Machine user interface including a pop up menu feature

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application is a utility version of Applicant&#39;s design patent application U.S. Ser. No. ______ filed ______ [Applicant&#39;s Docket No. DS/A3339].  
      The present disclosure is directed to machine user interfaces (UI&#39;s), and more specifically, to a touch-based machine user interface having selectable pop up menus.  
      One example of a conventional reprographic machine is the office copier. Traditionally, the copier, in the office equipment context, refers to a light lens xerographic copier in that paper originals are in fact photographed. The images are focused on an area of a photoreceptor that is subsequently developed with toner. The developed image on the photoreceptor is then transferred to a copy sheet that in turn is used to create a permanent copy of the original.  
      In recent years, however, there has been made available what is known as digital copiers or printing machines. In the most basic functions, a digital copier or printing machine performs the same functions as a light lens copier, except that includes a programmable controller for controlling its functions, and the original image to be copied is not directly focused on a photoreceptor. Instead, with a digital copier or printer, the original image is received, for example, from a personal computer (PC) work station, or storage media, or is scanned by a device generally known as a raster input scanner (RIS) that is typically in the form of a linear array of small photosensors. The controller further enables a wide range of image manipulation and processing capabilities.  
      The original image received as such is focused on the photosensors in the RIS. The photosensors convert the various light and dark areas of the original image to a set of digital signals. These digital signals are temporarily retained in a memory and then eventually are further processed, and manipulated/and or used as is, with the aid of a user interface (UI) assembly, to operate the digital printing machine or copier when it is desired to print copies of the original. The digital signals may also be sent directly to the digital printing machine or copier without being stored in a memory. Typically however, each such digital printing machine or copier includes a user interface (UI) having an array of features.  
      User interfaces (UI&#39;s) on such digital printing machines or copiers typically utilize LCD&#39;s or full screen displays with graphics that include selectable objects in the form of buttons, icons, tabs, and file folders for example. In designing such UI&#39;s, it is known for example to provide dedicated space within a UI dialog window or display area for presenting “right click” or automatic, some times unneeded help content. When presented in a separate window the focus switches between the original application and the help window as the user toggles between them. Drop down menus are of course also known but typically a drop down menu issues from a specific tool bar menu item e.g. File, Edit, View, etc. whose sole purpose is to invoke the drop down menu. In mouse-clicking operations, similar pop up menus are available by a “right mouse click” for example within the context of PC applications. This however is not the case with touch-based user interfaces where dedicated command buttons are instead the norm.  
      Currently operations on items in a display area table within the context of a touch screen display or a touch-based UI typically require dedicated command buttons that occupy dedicated display space on the UI. This display space is often at a premium especially on constrained applications such as half panel displays. Adding a dedicated area for command buttons as such in the display area usually decreases the number of table rows that can be displayed within the UI display area.  
      In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a touch-based machine User interface (UI) includes (a) a UI work area; (b) bar regions for displaying menu headings; (c) a selectable object table displayable within the UI work area; (d) a series of regions within the selectable object table, each region of the series of regions containing a selectable object; and (e) an invokable pop menu for controlling each selectable object within the series of regions, the pop up menu including selectable control activities that are functions of each selectable object within the series of regions. The pop up menu as such normally is hidden, thereby increasing and allowing for efficiently utilizing the UI work area. 
    
    
      The following is a brief description of the drawings used to describe the present disclosure, and thus, these drawings are being presented for illustrative purposes only and thus should not limit the scope of the present disclosure, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a reprographic machine including the touch-based UI in accordance with the present disclosure;  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustration of the reprographic machine of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a plan view illustration of the touch-based UI of the present disclosure showing a selectable object table; and  
       FIG. 4  is plan view illustration of the touch-based UI of the present disclosure showing a selectable object table and an invoked pop up menu in accordance with the present disclosure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The following is a detailed description of the present disclosure. In this description, the drawings have been utilized to illustrate the concepts of the present disclosure. In this description as well as in the drawings, like reference numerals indicate the same items or equivalent items.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1-2 , an overall construction, and a block diagram, of a digital reprographic machine  100  including the touch-based UI  150  of the present disclosure, are illustrated. As shown, the digital machine  100  includes a scanning device  102 , a printing module  104 , and the touch-based UI  150  (to be described in detail below). The digital machine  100  may also include a finisher device  106  that may be a sorter, tower mailbox or stapler, and at least an electronic subsystem (ESS) controller  110  for controlling all the features and functions of the machine  100 . The printing module  104  may include a plurality of paper trays  112  that store image carrying media such as paper that is used in the printing process. Lastly, the digital machine may include a high capacity feeder  116  that is capable of holding large amounts of media or paper stock to be used by the machine.  
      In a typical scanning function, the operator would utilize the scanning device  102  to scan in the images from the original documents. This scanning device  102  may be a platen type scanner or may include a constant velocity transport system that moves the original documents across a stationary scanning device. Moreover, the scanning device  102  may also include a document handling system that is capable of placing the original documents, automatically, on the glass platen for scanning.  
      With respect to the printing functions, the printing module  104  would retrieve the proper paper from one of the multiple paper trays  112  or the high capacity feeder  116 , render the desired image on the retrieved paper, and output the printed image to the finishing device  106  for further operations.  
      An example of the basic architecture of the digital machine  100  is illustrated as a block diagram in detail in  FIG. 2 , and includes the scanner  102  that converts an original image into a set of digital signals that can be either stored or reproduced. The scanner  102  is connected to a central bus system  120  that may be either a single bus or a plurality of buses that provide interconnections and intercommunications between the various modules and stations on the digital machine.  
      The digital machine  100  also includes a digital printing device  122  of the printing module  104  ( FIG. 2 ) that converts digital signals representing an image into a hardcopy of that image on a recording medium whether the recording medium be paper, transparency, or other type of markable medium. A first memory device  124  is provided for storing a variety of types of digital information such as machine fault information, machine history information, digital images to be processed at a later time, instruction sets for the machine or job instruction sets. A second memory device forming an electronic pre-collation memory section  126  may be provided for storing the digital representation of the image being presently rendered by the digital printing device  122 . In the electronic pre-collation memory  126 , the digital image is already laid out in its page structure so that it can be readily rendered by the digital printing device  122 .  
      Since the digital machine  100  may be connected to a network including a PC work station (not shown), it includes a network interface  128  and an additional controller  130  that control the interrelationship between the various modules or stations on the digital machine  100  and the network.  
      In cases where the digital machine  100  is a multi-function machine, it would include, typically, a voice/data modem  132  and a telephone circuit board  134 . Moreover, the digital machine may also include input/output drives  136  such as a floppy disc drive, a CD ROM drive, a tape drive, or other type of drive that can accept a portable memory device.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1-7 , the digital machine  100 , in accordance with the present disclosure, includes (a) devices  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  110  for forming a toner image on an image carrying medium, and (b) the touch-based machine User interface (UI)  150 . The touch-based machine User interface (UI)  150  as illustrated includes (i) a selectable object table  152  displayable within a UI work area  154 ; (ii) a series  156  of regions within the selectable object table, each region  156 A-E of the series  156  containing a selectable object  157 A-E; and (iii) a common invokable pop menu  160  for controlling each selectable object within the series  156  of regions, the pop up menu including selectable control activities  161 A-C, that in one embodiment can be common to each selectable object  157 A-E, within the series of regions. In another embodiment, the selectable control activities  161 A-C may vary from pop up menu to pop up menu as a function of the particular object  157 A-E that is selected. In either case, the pop up menu  160  is normally hidden, thereby increasing and allowing for efficiently utilizing the UI work area  154 .  
      The touch-based machine User interface (UI)  150  also includes bar regions  158 A,  158 B for displaying menu headings  159 . In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, the pop up menu  160  is easily and directly invokable with a single touch of any of the selectable objects  157 A-E within the series of regions  156 A-E. The selectable control activities  161 A-C of the pop up menu are each connectable to, for controlling, each selectable object  157 A-E within the series of regions. The pop up menu  160 , when invoked as above, is displayable on top or over at least a portion of the series of regions  156 A-E as shown in  FIG. 4 . The pop up menu  160  after being invoked, is dismissible by selecting a selectable control activity  161 A-C within the pop up menu, or by touching any area outside the pop up menu itself.  
      The selectable control activities  161 A-C within the pop up menu  160  are mutually exclusive in their operation on a selected object  157 A-E within the series of regions. In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, when one selectable object  157 A-E within the series of regions is touched to invoke the pop up menu  160 , the selectable control activities  161 A-C within the pop up menu are only connected to, and only control, the one selectable object  157 A-E within the series of regions.  
      Thus the touch-based machine User interface (UI)  150  in other words can be seen to include (a) the UI work area  154 ; (b) bar regions  158 A,  158 B for displaying menu headings  159 ; (c) a selectable object table  152 , such as a selectable address book segment  153  that is displayable within the UI work area; (d) a series  156  of rows  156 A-E within the selectable address book segment  153 , each row  156 A-E of the series of rows containing a selectable address item  157 A-E; and (e) an invokable pop menu  160  for controlling each selectable address item  157 A-E within the series of rows of the address book segment. The pop up menu  160  as shown includes selectable control activities  161 A-C connectable to, and usable to control, the each selectable address item  157 A-E within the series of rows of the address book segment. The, pop up menu  160  normally is hidden, thereby increasing and allowing for efficiently utilizing the UI work area. The selectable control activities  161 A-C of the pop up menu for example include a “delete” activity, a “cancel” activity, a “details” display activity, and an “edit” activity.  
      The pop up menu  160 , when invoked, is displayable on top or over at least a portion of the series of regions  156 A-E. In one embodiment, when one selectable object  157 A-E within the series of regions  156 A-E is touched to invoke the pop up menu, the selectable control activities  161 A-C within the pop up menu are only connected to, and control, that one selectable object  157 A-E within the series of regions.  
      Thus the pop up menu  160  is a UI dialog element that is invoked and displayed over the tale only when a user touches a row or object item in the table. The pop menu as such contains all of the available commands relevant to the selected or touched object item  157 A-E on the table. As such, the number and particular or specific control activities  161 A-C and related command buttons  163 A-C on the pop up menu  160  can vary depending on the object or table item  157 A-E touched or selected. In either case, the user then touches the desired command button for a desired control activity  161 A-C to execute such activity. The controller  110  responds by automatically dismissing or closing the pop up menu  160  and executing the activity.  
      In general, the pop up menu  160  may consist of a list box containing a set of mutually exclusive activity menu items, for example, edit, cancel, delete. In the context of a touch-based UI, the pop up menu  160  is invoked when a user touches an object row  156 A-E within a table  152  of such selectable items. In one embodiment, the specific contents  161 A-C for example, of the pop up menu  160  can vary from selectable object  157 A-E to selectable object  157 A-E in the table, and hence is a function of the object or state of the object selected.  
      In operation, after being invoked, the pop up menu  160  will remain open until a user either touches one of the activity items  161 A-C in the pop up menu or touches outside the pop up menu, thus dismissing or closing the pop up menu. Once the user touches an activity item in the pop up menu, such activity item is selected for execution, the pop up menu closes, and the selected operation of the activity item is performed. The pop up menu  160  as such is ideal for shortcuts and for use in space-constrained areas.  
      Each selectable pop-up menu activity item  161 A-C has at least three states or conditions, a selectable state, a selected state, and an unselectable state. In the selectable state, each activity item for example appears as a light colored button object that is raised slightly above the “surface” of the surrounding list box or area, and has a text label, in black, displayed on it. When selected or pressed, the colored button of the pop-up menu item then appears recessed into the “surface” of the surrounding area. The text label is then displayed in white on the colored button. When based on the table object selected, a pop up menu item is unselectable, for example because it is not applicable, the colored button of that pop up menu item then appears flat and has the same appearance value as the window background in that it is located, and includes a gray border around it. The text label on it is then displayed in gray.  
      As can be seen, there has been provided a touch-based machine User interface (UI) includes (a) a UI work area; (b) bar regions for displaying menu headings; (c) a selectable object table displayable within the UI work area; (d) a series of regions within the selectable object table, each region of the series of regions containing a selectable item; and (e) an invokable pop menu for controlling each selectable item within the series of regions, the pop up menu including selectable control activities that are functions of each selectable object within the series of regions, and the pop up menu normally is hidden, thereby increasing and efficiently utilizing the UI work area.  
      While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments as described above, it is not confined to the details set forth above, but is intended to cover such modifications, variations or changes as may come within the scope and spirit of the attached claims.  
      The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.