Communications: electrical – Visual indication – Using light emitting diodes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-19
2001-07-03
Crosland, Donnie L. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
Using light emitting diodes
C340S525000, C358S001100, C345S168000, C345S172000, C362S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to controlling a display panel of an electrical appliance, and more particularly to programming the display characteristics of a light emitting diode (LED) in an appliance, such as a printer device.
2. Related Art
LEDs are used in printer operator panels to indicate various printer status conditions, such as power on, out of paper, out of ink, paper tray selection, and printer errors. In “low” end printers, often for cost reasons, only one or two LED's and buttons are provided on the external control/display panel. Printer operational status information is communicated to the user through the LEDs.
Existing printer control/display panels are static, and particularly, the limited number of LEDs are not programmable, in contrast to many other features of the host personal computer (PC) to which the printer is usually connected. It is desirable to add programmability through the printer driver software of the printer to allow user adjustment of the printer operator panel LED functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for allowing a user to program characteristics of at least one light emitting diode (LED) in order to convey information about the operational status of an appliance, such as a printer. The printer has a plurality of operational status conditions. The LED has a plurality of display mode options.
Information representing the plurality of operational status conditions of the printer and information representing the plurality of display mode options for the LED are stored in a user-accessible memory space of a PC. A user accesses this information through a user interface provided in a printer driver software program in order select one of the plurality of display mode options for the LED for a particular operational status condition of the printer.
The user of the printer selects one of the plurality of display mode options for the LED for a particular operational status condition of the printer. Moreover, for each display mode option, there is a range of parameters that can be programmed by the user. Display mode setting information for the particular operational status condition is stored based on a selected display mode option. The display mode option may be tested for a particular set of parameters to allow the user to adjust the parameters to his/her liking. A particular display mode option may be set for each and every operational status condition. Moreover, a combination of display mode options may be programmed for an operational status condition.
During printer run-time, the operational status of the printer is monitored, and through firmware and software, the LED is controlled to operate in accordance with the selected display mode option when it is determined that the particular operational status condition of the printer occurs.
The programmable LED functionality is provided in the printer driver software that resides in the host computer (client or server) to which the printer is connected. Consequently, very little, if any, modification needs to be made to the internal hardware components of the printer in order to support this enhanced functionality.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Ahne Adam Jude
Edwards Mark Joseph
Crosland Donnie L.
Lambert, Esq. D. Brent
Lexmark International Inc.
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