Patent US6188577B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6232973B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6232973B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Appliance and method for navigating among multiple captured images and functional menus
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
•
Filing: 1998-08-07
•
Granted: 2001-05-15
•
Expires: 2018-08-07
Abstract
Abstract A capturing and viewing appliance and method are used for capturing and communicating images. The capturing and viewing appliance is an instrument used to capture and communicate images to other devices with communication capabilities. The capturing and viewing appliance includes a processor for manipulating and viewing the images on a built-in display. Program code stored in internal memory includes a menu/image navigation application program which allows the user to use navigation buttons to view multiple images as well as navigate menus. According to another aspect of the invention, the menu/image navigation interface provides a user-friendly interface for effective communication of functionality of an appliance or other device to the user through use of animated transitions. Through the use of icons, menus, navigation buttons and animated transitions used to communicate functionality to the user, the present invention presents a novel user interface which makes the menu/image navigation user interface and method a solution in devices with limited resources which need to be able to navigate among multiple images arranged in different orientations. The menu/image navigation appliance and method is designed for navigating among multiple captured images and operating the appliance using menus through instrument reuse which is especially useful in portable hand-held appliances or other devices which are capable of displaying images where space and compactness are a concern.
Inventors
- 👤 James C. Dow
- 👤 Dan L. Dalton
- 👤 Michael L. Rudd
- 👤 Karin C. Ruffatto
- 👤 Barry K. Hansen
- 👤 Thomas E. Berg
- 👤 David J. Sims
- 👤 Daniel Formosa
- 👤 Sandra Nieves
- 👤 Paul Hamburger
- 👤 Michael J. DeVries
- 👤 Nancy Shepard
- 👤 Scott Henderson
- 👤 Davin Stowell
- 👤 Steven Vordenberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:58
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/0035; H04N1/00405; H04N1/00408; H04N1/00413; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00352; H04N1/00384; H04N1/00411; H04N1/00472; H04N1/00474; H04N1/00477; H04N1/00482; H04N1/04; H04N1/10; H04N1/107; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0077; H04N2201/0081; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/961; Y10S715/965; Y10S715/97
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A hand-held image capturing and communication appliance, comprising: a photoelement array of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance for acquiring image data; a menu interface for controlling said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; a memory of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance for saving said image data; a processor of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said memory; a control instrument of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said processor; a display of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said processor for displaying said image data; and program code stored in said memory and executed by said processor using said control instrument for navigating among a plurality of said image data, said program code further comprising a menu navigation software module for navigating a plurality of menus of said menu interface using said control instrument.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A hand-held image capturing and communication appliance, comprising: a photoelement array of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance for acquiring image data; a menu interface for controlling said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; a memory of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance for saving said image data; a processor of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said memory; a control instrument of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said processor; a display of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance in communication with said processor for displaying said image data; and program code stored in said memory and executed by said processor using said control instrument for navigating among a plurality of said image data, said program code further comprising a menu navigation software module for navigating a plurality of menus of said menu interface using said control instrument.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The appliance of claim 1 , wherein when at least one of said plurality of menus of said menu interface is activated and displayed on said display, said control instrument controls selection of at least one of said elements of said menu.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The appliance of claim 1 , wherein when none of said plurality of menus is active and said image data is stored in said memory, said control instrument controls navigation among said images stored in said memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The appliance of claim 1 , wherein said control instrument is a set of navigational buttons.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The appliance of claim 4 , wherein said set of navigational buttons comprise: a left navigation button; a right navigation button; an up navigation button; and a down navigation button.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said left navigation button deactivates at least one of said plurality of menus which is displayed on said display when said menu interface is active.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said up navigation button distinguishes each said element of said menu sequentially up a list of said menu elements when said menu interface is active.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said down navigation button distinguishes each of said elements of said menu sequentially down a list of said menu elements when said menu interface is active.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said up navigation button navigates among attached images grouped into a logical unit when said menu interface is not active and an image is displayed which is grouped into said logical unit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The appliance of claim 9 , wherein said up navigation button displays the previous image grouped into said logical unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said down navigation button navigates among attached images grouped into a logical unit when said menu interface is not active and an image is displayed which is grouped into said logical unit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The appliance of claim 11 , wherein said down navigation button displays the next image grouped into said logical unit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said left navigation button navigates among said image data stored in said memory which is not in the current logically grouped unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein said left navigation button displays the previous logically grouped unit of said image data stored in the previous contiguous memory location in said memory.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The appliance of claim 5 , wherein said right navigation button navigates among said image data stored in said memory which is not in the current logically grouped unit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The appliance of claim 15 , wherein said right navigation button displays the next logically grouped unit of said image data stored in the next contiguous memory location in said memory.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for navigating among a plurality of image data using a hand-held image capturing and communication appliance, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring image data for said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; saving said image data in a memory of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; displaying said image data on a display of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; providing a menu interface for controlling said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance by navigating a plurality of menus of said menu interface, said menu interface using program code stored in said memory and executed by a processor; and navigating among a plurality of said image data using said menu interface.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for navigating among a plurality of image data using a hand-held image capturing and communication appliance, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring image data for said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; saving said image data in a memory of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; displaying said image data on a display of said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance; providing a menu interface for controlling said hand-held image capturing and communication appliance by navigating a plurality of menus of said menu interface, said menu interface using program code stored in said memory and executed by a processor; and navigating among a plurality of said image data using said menu interface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of: selecting at least one element of said menu when at least one of said plurality of menus of said menu interface is activated and displayed.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of: navigating among said images stored in said memory when none of said plurality of menus is active and said image data is stored in said memory.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of: providing a plurality of navigation buttons, said plurality of navigation buttons including a left navigation button, a right navigation button, an up navigation button and a down navigation button.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4061380A
Cited
US4260979A
Cited
US5844693A
Cited
US5261013A
Cited
US5123064A
Cited
US5748339A
Cited
US5774233A
Cited
US6005681A
Cited
US5682511A
Cited
US5892523A
Cited
US5673401A
Cited
US5595445A
Cited
US6072600A
Cited
US5819032A
Cited
US5905497A
Cited
US5898436A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-14 | 2004-11-13 | 2005-05-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-11-13 | 2009-05-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-14 | 2012-11-13 | 2013-05-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |