Patent ID: 8443294

Claim:
A ventilator system for hierarchically indicating one or more alarm messages corresponding to an alarm event, the ventilator system configured with a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the ventilator system to provide a graphical user interface for accepting commands and for displaying information, the graphical user interface comprising: at least one window associated with the graphical user interface; and one or more elements within the at least one window comprising one or more of: a first meter element for indicating a first parameter, the first parameter having a first parameter priority level; a second meter element for indicating a second parameter, the second parameter having a second parameter priority level; a scroll bar element, wherein the scroll bar is provided below the first meter element and the second meter element, the scroll bar element displaying at least: a first parameter symbol associated with the first parameter; a first alarm event symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol, wherein the first alarm event symbol identifies a first alarm event associated with the first parameter, wherein the first alarm event has a first alarm level; a second parameter symbol associated with the second parameter: and a second alarm event symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol, wherein the second alarm event symbol identifies a second alarm event associated with the second parameter, wherein the second alarm event has a second alarm level, and wherein the first alarm level is ranked higher than the second alarm level.