Machine interface system with hierarchal menus allowing user sequencing and selection of menu items by actuation of three switches

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A manually operable interface to a machine comprising:

a display for displaying a hierarchy of messages, one message at a time step-wise sequentially among a plurality of messages at each of a plurality of levels of the hierarchy;

a manually actuable first-direction sequencing switch manually actuable for causing the display to step-wise sequentially display each of the plurality of messages at one level of the hierarchy in a first direction in response to each actuation;

a manually actuable adoption switch manually actuable at a time after a desired one of the plurality of messages at the one level of the hierarchy has been displayed for causing (i) an adoption and use of the currently displayed message by the machine and (ii) the display to display messages from another hierarchical level having a selected relationship to said currently displayed message in order to effect branching within the hierarchal tree of messages without ever leaving the hierarchal tree; and

a manually actuable second-direction sequencing switch manually actuable for causing the display to step-wise sequentially display each of the plurality of messages at one level of the hierarchy in a second direction in response to each actuation.

2. The interface according to claim 1 further comprising:

a manually actuable help switch manually actuable for causing the display to display a new message associated with a currently displayed message.

3. The interface according to claim 2 further comprising:

an instructional means for causing during a time period the display to display a plurality of instructional messages that (i) induce manual actuation of each of the first-direction sequencing switch, the adoption switch, the second-direction sequencing switch, and the help switch, and that (ii) require a particular one of these induced manual actuations to be performed in turn before the display will display a next sequential one of the plurality of instructional messages.

4. In a machine that interfaces to a man for alternative control and data entry having

a control state having a hierarchy of control levels, the machine being capable of accepting selected commands at each control level associated with the control level for effecting control of the machine, and an alternative related

data entry state having a hierarchy of data entry levels, the machine being capable of accepting selected ones of an plurality of datums at each data entry level associated with the data entry level for effecting entry of data into the machine; an improved man/machine interface for controlling and entering data into the multi-stated multi-level hierarchical machine, the interface comprising:

a display

for displaying in the control state of the machine, and at one control level of the control state, a one of the commands associated with this control level, one command at a time, and

for displaying in the data entry state of the machine, and at one data entry level of the data entry state, a one of the datums associated with the data entry level, one datum at a time;

a manually actuable first selection switch

for causing the display to sequentially display in the control state of the machine and at a selected control level of this control state, commands associated with this one control level in a first direction in an endless loop and

for causing the display to sequentially display in the data entry state of the machine and at a selected data entry level of this data entry state, datums associated with this one data entry level in the first direction in an endless loop;

a manually actuable adoption switch for causing the machine to accept and adopt, in the control state of the machine, the currently displayed command,

for causing the machine to accept and adopt, in the data entry state of the machine, the currently displayed datum, and

for causing the display to advance to a next state as a function of a predetermined relationship to the currently displayed command or datum; and

a manually actuable second selection switch for causing the display to sequentially display, (i) in the control state of the machine at a selected control level of this control state, commands associated with the selected control level stepwise in a second direction in an endless loop and, (ii) in the data entry state of the machine at some one data entry level of this data entry state, the currently displayed datum stepwise in a second direction in an endless loop of the datums associated with this one data entry level.

5. The interface according to claim 4 wherein the display comprises:

a display for further displaying context-sensitive help messages, each of which help messages is relevant to some selected ones of the commands and the datums, one help message at a time; and wherein the interface further comprises:

a manually actuable help switch for effecting display a help message that is associated with, currently displayed command or datum.

6. The interface according to claim 4 in a machine further having

a help state having a multiplicity of context-sensitive help messages each of which is relevant to selected ones of the commands and the datums, and wherein the display comprises:

a help message display for displaying context-sensitive help messages, one help message at a time; and wherein the manually actuable first selection switch comprises:

a manually actuable pushbutton switch for further causing the display to advance, in the help state of the machine, the currently displayed help message stepwise in a first direction.

7. The interface according to claim 4 in a machine further having

a help state having a multiplicity of context-sensitive help messages each of which is relevant to some selected or ones of the commands and the datums, the display comprises:

a help message display means for displaying one at a time context-sensitive help messages, each of which help messages is relevant to selected ones of the commands, the datums and the help messages themselves; wherein the manually actuable first selection switch comprises:

a manually actuable pushbutton switch for further causing the display to advance, in the help state of the machine, the currently displayed help message stepwise in a first direction; and wherein the interface further comprises:

a manually actuable help switch for causing the display to display a help message that is associated, in the control state of the machine at some one control level, with the currently displayed command and, in the data entry state of the machine at some one data entry level, with the currently displayed datum and, in the help state of the machine, with the currently displayed help message.

8. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

a display for displaying each of a multiplicity of datums one datum at a time, and for alternatively displaying each of a multiplicity of explanatory messages associated with the multiplicity of datums one message at a time;

a manually actuable adoption switch for causing the machine to adopt and use a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of datums;

a manually actuable selection switch for causing the display to display a next one of the multiplicity of datums; and

a manually actuable help switch for causing the display to display a one of the multiplicity of messages associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums; and for thereafter causing the display to automatically redisplay said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

9. The interface according to claim 8

wherein the multiplicity of datums are in the form of a multiplicity of questions;

wherein the multiplicity of messages associated with the multiplicity of questions are in the form of a multiplicity of explanations of the associated questions.

10. A manually operable interface to a machine comprising:

a display for displaying, from a multiplicity of messages that are organized in a hierarchal tree having a plurality of messages at each of a plurality of hierarchical levels, one message at a time from a plurality of messages at a selected hierarchical level in a continuous loop;

a first stepping switch manually actuable for causing the display to step in a first direction through the plurality of messages that at the one hierarchal level, one message at a time;

an adoption switch, manually actuable for a selected time after manual actuation of the first stepping switch, for causing adoption and use by the machine of the currently displayed message and the display to advance to displaying further messages, one message at a time, at a next hierarchical level having a selected relationship to the one hierarchical level; and

a second stepping switch manually actuable for causing the display to step in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, through its currently displayed plurality of messages, one message at a time;

wherein the adoption switch is actuable for a selected time after manual actuation of the first stepping switch and the second stepping switch.

11. The interface according to claim 10 further comprising:

a help switch, manually actuable alternatively to the first stepping switch and the second stepping switch and the adoption switch, for causing the display to display a message that is associated with the currently displayed message.

12. A man-machine interface comprising:

a display for displaying each of a multiplicity of datums one at a time, and for alternatively displaying each of a multiplicity of messages associated with the previously displayed datum;

a manually actuable selection switch;

means responsive to actuation of said selection switch for effecting selection and use of a currently displayed one of said multiplicity of datums;

a manually actuable advance switch;

means responsive to actuation of said advance switch for effecting display by said display of a next one of said multiplicity of datums;

a manually actuable help switch; and

means responsive to actuation of said help switch to effect display by said display of one of said multiplicity of messages corresponding to the previously displayed one of said multiplicity of datums, and for subsequently displaying said datum after actuation of said manually actuable selection switch.

13. The interface according to claim 12

wherein each of said multiplicity of datums is in the form of a question; and

wherein each of said multiplicity of messages is associated with one of said datums and includes an explanation thereof.

14. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

a display (i) for displaying a multiplicity of datums that are organized in a hierarchal tree having a plurality of datums at each of a plurality of levels between a root level and leaf level, one datum at a time, and (ii) for displaying, at other times to the multiplicity of datums, a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of datums, this displaying of a multiplicity of messages also being one at a time;

a first manually actuable switch for causing the display to sequentially display the plurality of datums that are upon a one hierarchal level in an endless loop, commencing at root level and proceeding step-wise one datum at a time;

a second manually actuable switch for causing, at such times as the display is displaying a one of the multiplicity of datums, (i) adoption and use by the machine of a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of datums, and (ii) the display to branch to displaying a plurality of datums that are upon a next hierarchal level to the hierarchal level of a the currently-displayed one of the plurality of datums;

a third manually actuable switch for causing the display to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums, after which display an actuation of the second manually actuable switch will cause the display to return to redisplaying said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

15. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

a display for displaying a multiplicity of datums one at a time;

a first manually actuable switch for causing the display to step-wise sequentially advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of datums in a first direction;

a second manually actuable switch for causing the machine to adopt and use a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums; and

a third manually actuable switch for causing the display to step-wise sequentially advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of datums in a second direction.

16. The interface according to claim 15

wherein the display is for displaying a multiplicity of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of datums upon a plurality of levels;

wherein the first and the third manually actuable switches are for causing the display to step-wise advance in a one-at-a-time displaying of a plurality of datums that are upon a single hierarchal level in an endless loop; and

wherein the second manually actuable switch is further for causing the display to progress to displaying a plurality of datums that are upon a next hierarchal level to the hierarchal level of the currently-displayed one of the plurality of datums.

17. The interface according to claim 15

wherein the display is further for displaying, at other times to the multiplicity of datums, a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of datums, this displaying of a multiplicity of messages also being one at a time; and wherein the interface further comprises:

a fourth manually actuable switch for causing the display to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums, after which display actuations of the first and the third manually actuable switches will cause the display to return to redisplay said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

18. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

a display for displaying a multiplicity of datums one at a time, and at other times a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of datums also one at a time;

a manually actuable advancing switch for causing the display to step-wise advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of datums, or from a displayed one of the multiplicity of messages back to redisplaying of an associated one of the multiplicity of datums, as the case may be;

a manually actuable adoption switch for causing the machine to adopt and use a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums; and

a manually actuable help switch for causing the display to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

19. The interface according to claim 18

wherein the display is for displaying a multiplicity of datums in the form of a multiplicity of questions, and at other times a multiplicity of messages each in the form of an explanation to an associated one of the multiplicity of questions.

20. The interface according to claim 18

wherein the display is for further displaying a multiplicity of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of datums upon a plurality of levels;

wherein the manually actuable advancing switch is further for causing the display to automatically advance in its one-at-a-time displaying among a plurality of datums that are upon a single hierarchal level in an endless loop; and

wherein the manually actuable adoption switch is further for causing the display to progress to displaying a plurality of datums that are upon a next hierarchal level to the hierarchal level of the currently-displayed one of the plurality of datums.

21. A method of query-response programming of complex sequences comprising:

organizing the complex sequences into a hierarchy of a multiplicity of questions, the hierarchy of questions consisting of a first plurality of questions at a first, root, level, with at least some of these first plurality of questions having an associated second plurality of questions, with some ones of these second plurality of questions having an associated third plurality of questions and so on, the complex sequences being entirely broken down into a hierarchal tree of questions ranging from broader questions at the root level to more specific questions of the leaf level;

cyclically displaying each successive plurality, starting with the first, of questions to a human user/programmer, the user/programmer permissively adopting for each single question displayed one of the options of

a. selecting an advance response, in which case the cyclically displayed question will advance to the next successive question in the same hierarchal plurality, and so on in an endless loop while the premise or the article of the currently displayed question is not adopted;

b. selecting an OK response meaning that the premise or article of the currently-displayed question is adopted, in which case IF the currently-displayed question is not of a leaf-level plurality of questions THEN progressing to a next associated plurality of questions and proceeding to the cyclically displaying of this plurality of questions ELSE IF the currently-displayed question is of a leaf level plurality of questions THEN returning to the cyclically displaying of the first plurality of questions; and

c. selecting a HELP response, meaning help is requested, that will result in temporary display of a context sensitive help message explaining to the user/programmer the responses that are being elicited by the currently cyclically displayed plurality of questions and how the user/programmer may evoke these responses.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein continuously performing a.) selecting an advance response causes not only that the displayed question will immediately cycle to the next successive question but that, the a.) selecting an advance response being continued, the displayed question will cycle to still another successive question at the expiration of a reduced latency time, this faster cycling thereafter being continued until, and unless, the a.) selecting an advanced response is ceased.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein adoption of the user programmer of the displayed option b.) selecting an OK response results in the further step comprising:

displaying a confirmation message to the user/programmer showing the particular question/response adopted by act of the user/programmer's b.) selecting an OK response until the user/programmer adopts a one of the options of

b1. selecting again the OK response, herein meaning that the currently displayed confirmation message is adopted, in which case IF further questions/responses of the same plurality of questions/responses remain unanswered and are potentially adoptable THEN returning to the display of successive further ones of the same plurality of questions/responses ELSE IF no further questions/responses of the same plurality of questions/ responses remain unanswered and adoptable THEN returning to the cyclically displaying of the first plurality of questions/responses; and

b2. selecting the advance response, herein meaning that the currently displayed confirmation message is not adopted, in which case the displayed question/response will ultimately return to that question/response for which, when previously displayed, the programmer/user did adopt the option b.) selecting an OK response.

24. A man-machine interface for manually controlling and entering data into a programmable machine, the interface comprising:

a display for sequentially displaying each of a multiplicity of all available control options for the machine in loops, each containing a plurality of control options, and for separate times sequentially displaying a multiplicity of all available datum options one datum option at a time in a loop containing a plurality of datum options associated with a particular control option;

a first-direction step-wise sequencing switch actuable by a man for causing the display to step-wise sequence in a first direction (1) its display of the multiplicity of control options, and (2) its display of the multiplicity of datum options, as a function that either (1) the loop of control options or (2) the loop of datum options is currently displayed;

a second-direction step-wise sequencing switch actuable by a man for causing the display to step-wise sequence in a second direction (1) its display of the multiplicity of control options, and (2) its display of the multiplicity of datum options, as a function that either the (1) loop of control options or (2) the loop of data options is currently displayed;

wherein the displaying of the display, and the causing of the selection switch shifts back and forth between loops of pluralities of control options and pluralities of datum options;

wherein all control options and all datum options that the machine can accept are displayed by the display in response to actuation of the sequencing switch and are adopted in response to actuation of the selection switch.

25. The man-machine interface according to claim 24 further comprising:

a help switch actuable by a man for causing the display to next display a help message that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of control options and the multiplicity of datum options, after which interruption the display returns, under control of the first-direction and the second-direction step sequencing switches to step-wise sequencing its display of the multiplicity of control options and the multiplicity of datum options.

26. The man-machine interface according to claim 24

wherein the control options displayed by the display are in the form of questions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1.0 Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns electronic devices having a man-machine interface for the display of information and/or status and for the receipt of information and/or control. The present invention more particularly concerns man-machine interfaces where cost and/or physical size constraints limit the display size to a few words or lines, and where, for the same constraints, a full user keyboard is impractical.

2.0

Background Art

The advent and widespread low-cost availability of microprocessors and other powerful digital logic building blocks has given rise to an astonishing array of products exhibiting machine "intelligence". This machine "intelligence" often takes the form of increased flexibility and responsiveness to particular user dictates. The user must make his/her dictates known to the machine through a man-machine interface. The man-machine interface desirably permits detailed user control of the machine.

If a complex machine is to be flexibly controlled by its user at its user interface then an extensive sequence of commands and/or data must typically be entered by the user into the machine. This information entry must typically be in accordance with rigorous procedures. The required exactitude is difficult to achieve, especially to the extent that the required entries are extensive, complex, or infrequently performed.

The goal of man-machine interface design is to permit effective and efficient communication between man and machine, considering the costs to both.

At one end of the spectrum of common interfaces between men and "intelligent" (meaning variably flexibly controllable) machines is the typical interface to a complex, multi-function, digital watch. This interface is characterized by having a very narrow information transfer bandwidth. The user must make large amounts of data and control information known to the watch through typically but a few pushbutton switches. A problem exists with this interface in that large numbers of people desiring to exercise the full functionality of a complex, multi-function, digital watch cannot effectively do so, or are deterred from doing so.

At the other end of the spectrum of common manmachine interfaces is the personal computer. Information is typically entered into the computer by a keyboard or tablet (mouse). The computer typically displays information, questions, and help messages upon a video monitor. The informational bandwidth of this interface is much wider than the informational bandwidth of the user interface to a digital watch. This wider informational bandwidth is required in order to support the relatively more complex tasks that are commanded and parameterized across the interface.

A notable characteristic of the man-machine interfaces exhibiting a relatively wider informational bandwidth, such as those of personal computers, is that the man can usually elicit prompts, questions, and/or help messages from the machine. This capability of the machine to guide the human in performing necessary procedures to enter information is designed to reduce the burden on the human, and to facilitate necessary communication.

In the middle of the spectrum of common manmachine interfaces exist a variety of relatively rudimentary interfaces which, although elementary, must support the human control and parameterization of machines of considerable functional complexity. Interfaces, and machines, in this middle range include common household appliances like microwave ovens and Video Cassette Recorders (VCR's).

A common strategy for implementing man-machine interfaces in this middle range is to use a large number of switches each of which is assigned to a particular datum, or function. Typically, a small display is controlled by the machine. A proliferation of dedicated switches costs money, and occupies considerable room. Nonetheless, when an appropriate multi-function display area shows at various times either prompts or status, and when additional display area is devoted to printed instructions and catalogs, most users manage to use this type of man-machine interface to good effect.

Sometimes, however, the control panels become crowded with switches. The functions enabled become increasingly arcane. The cross-compatibility between the user interfaces of different products becomes nonexistent, making a user unable to transfer his knowledge and experience from one product to another.

Another problem occurs with man-machine interfaces if the number of switches and/or the size of the display is limited (i.e., the information bandwidth is constricted), or if the complexity of the required control is high. This problem is exemplified by the common interface to a VCR. A small display presents the VCR status and parameterization. Because the VCR can be set to initiate and to conclude actions, such as recording of television, at many different times, a great number of similarly-appearing time datums are variously multiplexed into the small display. The user tends to lose track of what times he/she has and has not specified, and also of his/her progress in the intricate stepwise procedures for selecting and setting a number of different timed occurrences. The programming is consequently often erroneous. The user's failure to have programmed the VCR as he/she desired or expected typically goes unrecognized until improper results are obtained. At this time recovery is often difficult or impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates the user programming of complex machine control and/or data sequences by manually causing the machine sequence through a hierarchy of questions to collect from the user one response only: "OK", meaning the affirmative.

The man-machine interface in accordance with the present invention typically exhibits a very narrow informational bandwidth relative to the informational bandwidths of traditional man-machine interfaces that attempt to communicate anywheres near the extent, and sophistication, of the control and/or data that typically transpires on the interface of the invention. For example, the informational output from the machine to the user is typically in two lines of sixteen alphanumeric characters each. For example, the informational input from the user to the machine is typically by four simple switches, only one of which is operated at any one time.

Despite the simplicity of the man-machine interface, and despite its narrow informational bandwidth, it is user friendly in permitting man-machine interfacing for the control and parameterization of complex tasks typically including tens or hundreds of control options and hundreds or thousands of datums. For example, the man-machine interface in accordance with the invention permits all necessary control and parameterization of a modern and highly sophisticated programmable irrigation controller. Because of the simplicity of the interface, it is substantially intuitive to a human user. Indeed, those few skills that are needed to operate the interface are actually preferably taught by the interface itself to the user.

In order to realize its high communications effectiveness and its user friendliness while operating at a narrow informational bandwidth, the man-machine interface in accordance with the present invention employs a number of interrelated strategies. Only four user responses--"HELP", ".uparw.", ".dwnarw." and "OK" (typically in that left-to-right order of presentation)--are recognized by the machine. Each user response is typically registered at a particular associated switch, normally of the pushbutton type. The up arrow ".uparw." and the down arrow ".dwnarw." switches direct the step-wise sequencing of questions, one question per switch actuation. Holding the ".uparw." or ".dwnarw." depressed will cause the displayed questions to commence to scroll, typically presenting a new question each 2-5 seconds. The "HELP" switch causes the display of a contextsensitive help message. The "OK" switch indicates to the machine that the user adopts, or affirms, the control or data object of the presently-displayed question.

The questions, or messages, presented by the machine at its user interface include absolutely all the control, and absolutely all the datums, which are, at various times, capable of being received by the machine from its human user. The questions--which represent all the control and data entry alternatives of which the machine is capable and are thus typically quite voluminous--are organized in a hierarchy. The hierarchy presents a plurality of questions, which may be directed to control or to data entry, upon each of a plurality of levels.

The step-wise sequential presentation of alternatives ensures that the user is exposed, in the form of hierarchical questions, to all acceptable directives and/or datums, one hierarchical level at a time, which may suitably be entered into the machine. This process is most clearly visible, and is substantially intuitive in nature, when the machine is asking questions about control. The user simply adopts one alternative on each successive hierarchical level dealing with control by responding "OK" to one question on that level. The machine then steps, in a completely logical manner, to another series of questions upon the next control level in the hierarchy.

Responsive to several control inputs (in the form of questions adopted by the "OK" response), the machine typically next presents questions directed to that data that is pertinent to the particular control that has been input to the machine. When the data inputs are finished the machine will typically revert, in accordance with the us