Screen help with contextual shortcut on an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898169-B2
Application number	US-201114347326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2011
Priority date	Oct 13, 2011
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

On-screen help with contextual shortcut on an appliance The invention relates to an appliance ( 100 ) with a user interface ( 110 ) comprising a display ( 111 ) for showing indications about conditions in the appliance, and first ( 112, 114 ) and second ( 113 ) touch-sensitive input means. The second input means causes the interface to enter an assistance mode displaying which assistance items, which a processing means ( 121 ) extracts from a collection ( 122 ) of assistance information based on the content of the display when the assistance mode is invoked. In one embodiment, a data record ensures that the user returns to the same page after consulting the assistance mode. In another embodiment, the appliance is adapted to update the collection of assistance information on the basis of data received at an external communication interface. In another embodiment, the display reacts differently to short and long activations of a given touch-sensitive input means. In another embodiment, the display includes parallax compensation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance;
a first touch-sensitive input means; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured:
to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and
to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated,

wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items,
wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of:
textual information,
pictorial information,
aural information,

wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means,
wherein the appliance further comprises an external communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive external instructions relating to addition and/or removal of assistance items in the collection of assistance information,
wherein the processor is operable in a maintenance mode, in which the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, and the processor generates a new collection of assistance information on the basis of the static data record and the received instructions, and
wherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the collection of assistance information includes items generated by user interaction comprising at least one of:
a frequently asked question, and
a user-rated assistance item.

3. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the external communication interface is further configured to transmit data relating to a failure condition prevailing in the appliance to a remote site.

4. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein:
the second touch-sensitive input means is a single button;
the processor maintains a data record containing data relating to indications currently shown on the visual display;
the processor associates the data record with the one or more assistance items to be extracted from the collection of assistance information; and
the processor shows, in the assistance mode, an initial assistance menu, from which the one or more assistance items extracted by the processor are individually selectable by a user.

5. The appliance of claim 4 , wherein the initial assistance menu further comprises at least one static item.

6. The appliance of claim 4 , wherein the processor maintains the data record unchanged in the assistance mode and exits the assistance mode by showing indications corresponding to the content of the data record on the visual display.

7. The appliance of claim 4 , wherein the processor is adapted to show pages selected from a collection of pages, each carrying an identifier, wherein the data record contains an identifier of a page shown at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means.

8. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the external communication interface is further configured to receive external instructions relating to removal and/or replacement of assistance items in the collection of assistance information.

9. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the processor implements the instructions received at the external communication interface by amending the stored collection of assistance information by compiling computer-readable code, executing a formatting command, or interpreting mark-up codes.

10. An appliance comprising:
a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance;
a first touch-sensitive input means; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured:
to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and
to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated,

wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items,
wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of:
textual information,
pictorial information,
aural information,

wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode, and the processor is configured to extract one or more assistance items to be shown on the visual display, on the basis of indications present on the visual display at the moment of activation of the second touch-sensitive input means,
wherein the appliance further comprises an external communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive external instructions relating to addition and/or removal of assistance items in the collection of assistance information,
wherein the processor is configured to enter a maintenance mode, in which the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record within the stored collection of assistance information, the static data record comprising both the variable portion and an unchanging portion, in response to a message received at the external communication interface, and
wherein in the maintenance mode, the processor implements instructions received at the external communication interface for amending a wording of an assistance item that is already stored in the collection of assistance information or a link between assistance items that are already stored in the collection of assistance information.

11. An appliance comprising:
a visual display for showing indications about conditions prevailing in the appliance;
a first touch-sensitive input means; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the visual display and the touch-sensitive input means, said processor being configured:
to associate the first touch-sensitive input means with a control action selectable from a plurality of control actions in respect of the appliance, and
to indicate, using the visual display, the control action with which the first touch-sensitive input means is currently associated,

wherein the processor is configured to store a collection of assistance information containing assistance items,
wherein the collection of assistance information comprises at least one of:
textual information,
pictorial information,
aural information,

wherein the appliance further comprises a second touch-sensitive input means for entering an assistance mode in which the processor implements instructions received at an external communication interface by amending a variable portion of a static data record wit

Assignees

• Brasseur Jerome
• Karlsson Petter
• Knausenberger Martin
• Hofmann Arnd
• Electrolux Home Products Corp Nv

Inventors

• Brasseur Jerome
• Karlsson Petter
• Knausenberger Martin
• Hofmann Arnd

Classifications

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/4446

  Physics · mapped topic