EP0492439A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
User interface for a mail processing system
Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc
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Filing: 1991-12-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-12-19
Abstract
Abstract A user interface system for an electronic postage meter mailing machine apparatus has a programmable microcontroller for controlling the hard and soft system functions of the postage meter mailing machine (1). A non-volatile memory stores data information and executable routines. A display (7) and a plurality of soft and hard keys 9,11,13,15) are provided. The soft keys (8) are aligned to a portion of the display (7). Stored in the NVM is a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display (7), each of said screens having a menu field having N columns and M rows, a data window field and a prompt field and having descriptors for each of said respective fields, a plurality of text strings, a plurality of graphic display run routines, and a plurality of routines for enabling said soft keys and for identifying said respective subsequent screen. The microcontroller is programmed under the influence of a user program being programmed to identify a first screen and then execute a screen select routine comprising the steps of (a) getting the screen identified from said screen region of said memory and display on said display, (b) getting the text strings identified by said screen descriptor of said identified screen from said text region and displaying said text string in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enabling said respective soft key for said respective menu area, and (c) displaying dynamic information in the data window field of said screen and executing graphic routine.
Inventors
- 👤 Fran E. Blackman
- 👤 Jacqueline Collins
- 👤 Terrence M. Doeberl
- 👤 Tracy S. Wilson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:31
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00193; G07B17/00016; G07B17/0008; G07B2017/00088; G07B2017/00096; G07B2017/00241; G07B2017/00266; G07B2017/00274; G07B2017/0029; G07B2017/00298
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
259 words
A user interface system for apparatus having a programmable microcontroller means for performing hard and soft apparatus system functions and having memory means for storing data information and executable routines said microcontroller means being in bus communication with a visual display means for displaying information under control of said microcontroller means and a plurality of soft keys, said user interface system comprising: said memory means having stored therein (a) a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display means each of said screens having a menu field of N columns and M rows, a data window field and a prompt field, and having descriptors for each of said fields, (b) a plurality of text strings, (c) a plurality of graphic display run routines, (d) means for enabling said soft keys and means for identifying a respective subsequent screen in response to activation of a soft key; and, said user interface being programmed to identify a first screen and having a screen select routine to (a) get the identified screen from said screen region of said memory and display it on said display means, (b) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptors of said identified screen from said text region and display said text strings in respective areas of the menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft keys, (c) display dynamic information in the data window field of said screen and execute a graphic display run routine, (d) await activation of one of said soft keys , and (e) execute a command file.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
38 words
A user interface system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said soft key is aligned with a respective portion of said screen menu field and said respective text string is aligned opposite said enabled soft key.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
A user interface system as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said memory means comprises: (a) a screen region having stored therein said plurality of system screens; (b) a text region having stored therein said plurality of text strings; (c) a dynamic field region having stored therein said graphic display run routines; and (d) a soft key field having stored therein said routine for enabling said soft keys and for identifying said respective subsequent screen.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
245 words
A method of providing an apparatus with user selectable apparatus system functions, said apparatus having a programmable microcontroller in bus communication with a program memory, a visual display means for visual display of information and a plurality of soft keys, comprising the steps of: storing in said program memory: (i) a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display, each of said screens having a menu field of N columns and M rows, a data window field and a prompt field, and having descriptors for each of said fields, (ii) a plurality of text strings, (iii) a plurality of graphic display run routines; and (iv) means for enabling said soft keys and means for identifying a respective subsequent screen in response to activation of a respective soft key; and, programming said microcontroller to identify a first screen and having a screen routine to (a) get the identified screen from said screen region of said memory and display it on said display; (b) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptors of said identified screen from said text region and display said text strings in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft keys ; (c) display dynamic information in the data window field of said screen and execute a graphic display run routine; (d) await activation of one of said soft keys and repeat for next screen till end ; and (e) execute a command file.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the steps of storing in said memory means a plurality of regions including: (a) a screen region having stored therein said plurality of system screens; (b) a text region having stored therein said plurality of text strings; (c) a dynamic field region having stored therein said graphic display run routines; and (d) a soft key field having said routine for enabling said soft keys and for identifying said respective subsequent screen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
281 words
A user interface system for a mailing machine, said mailing machine having a programmable microcontroller means for performing hard and soft apparatus system functions and having memory means for storing data information and executable routines, said microcontroller being bus communication with a visual display means for displaying information under control of said microcontroller and a plurality of soft keys, wherein said user interface system comprising: said memory means having stored therein: (a) a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display means each of said screens having a menu field of N columns and M rows, a data window field and a prompt field, and having descriptors for each of said respective fields; (b) a plurality of text strings; (c) a plurality of graphic display run routines; (d) means for enabling said soft keys and means for identifying a subsequent subsequent screen in response to activation of a respective soft key; and, said user program being programmed to identify a first screen and having a screen select routine to: (a) get the screen identified from said screen region of said memory and display it on said display means; (b) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptors of said identified screen from said text region and display said text strings in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft keys; (c) display dynamic information in the data window field of said screen and execute a graphic display run routine; (d) await activation of one of said respective soft keys and repeat for next screen till end ; and (e) execute a command file upon actuation of a selected one of said keys.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A user interface system as claimed in claim 6 wherein each of said soft keys is aligned with a respective portion of said screen menu field and said respective text string is aligned opposite said enabled soft key.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
A user interface system as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein said memory means has: (a) a screen region having stored therein said plurality of system screens; (b) a text region having stored therein said plurality of text strings; (c) a dynamic field region having stored therein said graphic display run routines; and (d) a soft key field having stored therein said routine for enabling said soft keys and for identifying said respective subsequent screen.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
244 words
A method of providing a mailing machine with user selectable apparatus system functions, said apparatus having a programmable microcontroller in bus communication with a program memory, a visual display means for visual display of information and a plurality of soft keys, comprising the steps of: storing in said program memory (i) a plurality of system screens for display on said visual display, each of said screens having a menu field of N columns and M rows, a data window field and a prompt field, and having descriptors for each of said respective fields, (ii) a plurality of text strings; (iii) a plurality of graphic display run routines; (iv) means for enabling said soft keys and means for identifying a respective subsequent screen in response to activation of said respective soft key; and, programming said microcontroller to identify a first screen and having a screen select routine to: (a) get the identified screen from said screen region of said memory and display it on said display; (b) get the text strings identified by said screen descriptors of said identified screen from said text region and display said text strings in respective areas of said menu field of said screen, and enable said respective soft keys; (c) display dynamic information in the data window field of said screen and execute graphic display run routine; (d) await activation of one of said soft keys and repeat for next screen till end; and (e) execute a command file.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of storing in said memory means a plurality of regions including. (a) a screen region having stored therein said plurality of system screens; (b) a text region having stored therein said plurality of text strings; (c) a dynamic field region having stored therein said graphic display run routines; and (d) a soft key field having said routine for enabling said soft keys and for identifying said respective subsequent screen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
A user interface system comprising: a microcontroller for executing programmed tasks; and including: a memory for storing data and executable routines, a display for displaying information, and a plurality of keys; the memory storing data representing a plurality of display screens and associated information; the microcontroller being operable to identify a first screen, fetch corresponding data from said memory and display the screen on said display with the associated information; and further operable to execute a routine in response to activation of a said key.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A mailing machine having an interface system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 6 to 8 and 11 or a system operable in accordance with the method of any of claims 4,5,9 and 10.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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