Touch dialogue user interface for reproduction machines

Claim 2

A reproduction machine having plural interactive sub-systems cooperable to produce copies from document originals, including: a) a screen providing a display of programming selections for programming said machine; characterised by b) touch responsive means to enable programming selections touched to be identified; c) said display picturing a primary card file composed of plural file cards, each of said file cards when selected by being touched causing the depiction of a secondary card file composed of additional file cards and of an adjoining work area for use in making touch programming selections using the additional file card selected, each of said primary and additional file cards having an identifying tab which when touched selects said file card, whereby touching a tab of one of said file cards in said primary card file selects said file card to display the secondary card file associated therewith for use in programming said machine.

Claim 3

The reproduction machine according to claim 1 including: memory means for retaining said programming selections for use in operating said machine; and control means for operating said machine in response to the program stored in said memory means.

Claim 4

The reproduction machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which touching of any tab opens the file card associated therewith while automatically closing the file card currently selected.

Claim 5

The reproduction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 including plural touch-­selectable areas of said display for selecting different primary file card combinations.

Claim 6

The reproduction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which said file card tabs are offset from one another to enable data contained in said tabs to be continuously displayed.

Claim 7

The reproduction machine according to claim 1 including apparatus allowing a user to interactively control the machine while concurrently displaying visual images indicating those copying/printing machine programming choices selected, program choices available for selection, and current operating conditions of the, copying/printing machine comprising: a) a computer with a video screen; b) computer programming means coupled to the computer for providing a picture on the computer video screen; c) touchscreen interaction means coupled to the computer for allowing an operator to interact with the computer programming means by touching the picture displayed by the video screen at selected points, d) said picture emulating a plurality of file folders, each of said file folders when opened displaying a card file with plural file cards and an adjacent work area on said video screen, each of said file folders and said file cards being arranged one behind the other whereby the contents of the forwardmost one of said file folders and file cards are displayed to the exclusion of other ones of said file folders and file cards, e) each of said file folders and file cards having an identifying touch tab for displaying the contents of said file folders and file cards and allowing touch actuation thereof, said tabs being offset from one another to assure that said tabs are continuously displayed, f) each of said file cards when selected displaying plural first touch selections, actuation of said first touch selections displaying predetermined additional second touch selections associated therewith in said work area.

Claim 8

A process for providing program inputs to a reproduction machine in which there is simulated on a touch sensitive screen a first card file with plural file folders, each file folder when opened, by touch selection, displaying for touch access a second relatively smaller card file with plural file cards together with an adjacent work area, each of said file folders and file cards having an identifying touch tab; each of said file cards when opened displaying a plurality of first programming icons which when opened display in said work area a job programming file with plural second programming icons, comprising the steps of: a) touching a selected file folder tab to open the file folder associated with said tab and display the card file associated with said file folder on said screen; b) touching a selected file card tab displayed on said screen to open the file card associated with said tab and display the first programming icons and work area associated with said card file; c) touching a selected first programming icon to display in said work area the second programming icons associated with said selected first programming icon; d) touching selected ones of the second programming icons in said work area to provide program input to said machine; e) closing said selected first programming icon and storing said program input by touching another one of said first programming icons or another one of said file card tabs or another one of said file folder tabs to enable further program inputs to said machine; f) where another of said first level program selections is touched, repeating steps d and e to provide further program input to said machine; g) where another of said file card tabs is touched, repeating steps c - e to provide further program input to said machine; and h) where another of said file folder tabs is touched, repeating steps b - c to provide further program input to said machine.

Claim 9

A process for providing program inputs to a reproduction machine in which there is simulated on a touch sensitive screen a first card file with plural file folders, each file folder when opened, by touch selection, displaying for touch access a second relatively smaller card file with plural file cards together with an adjacent work area, each of said file folders and file cards having an identifying touch tab; each of said file cards when opened displaying a plurality of first programming icons which when opened display in said work area a job programming file with plural second programming icons, comprising the steps of: a) touching a selected file folder tab to open the file folder associated with said tab and display the card file associated with said file folder on said screen; b) touching a selected file card tab displayed on said screen to open the file card associated with said tab and display the first programming icons and work area associated with said card file; c) touching a selected first programming icon to display in said work area the second programming icons associated with said selected first programming icon; d) touching selected ones of the second programming icons in said work area to provide program input to said machine; e) closing said selected first programming icon and storing said program input by touching another one of said first programming icons or another one of said file card tabs or another one of said file folder tabs to enable further program inputs to said machine; f) where another of said first level program selections is touched, repeating steps d and e to provide further program input to said machine; g) where another of said file card tabs is touched, repeating steps c - e to provide further program input to said machine; and h) where another of said file folder tabs is touched, repeating steps b - c to provide further program input to said machine.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7 including the further steps of: e) closing said selected first programming touch selection and storing said program input by touching another one of said first programming touch selection or another one of said file card tabs or another one of said file folder tabs to enable further program inputs to said machine; f) where another of said first level program selections is touched, repeating steps (d) and (e) to provide further program input to said machine; g) where another of said file card tabs is touched, repeating steps (c) - (e) to provide further program input to said machine; and h) where another of said file folder tabs is touched, repeating steps (b) - (c) to provide further program input to said machine.