Abstract: The present disclosure describes a domestic appliance communication system that provides consumers with the ability to remotely access information about their domestic appliances, and in particular domestic appliances which utilize consumable resources which may need to be periodically replaced or replenished. The domestic appliance communication system may periodically receive status information from the domestic appliances owned by a consumer or household and provide updated status information to the consumer, either on demand or via alerts triggered in response to certain events. The present disclosure also describes implementations and improvements which may be made to domestic appliances in order to provide periodic measuring and transmitting of status information to a remote system, such as the domestic appliance communication system.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a domestic appliance communication system that provides consumers with the ability to remotely access information about their domestic appliances, and in particular domestic appliances which utilize consumable resources which may need to be periodically replaced or replenished. The domestic appliance communication system may periodically receive status information from the domestic appliances owned by a consumer or household and provide updated status information to the consumer, either on demand or via alerts triggered in response to certain events. The present disclosure also describes implementations and improvements which may be made to domestic appliances in order to provide periodic measuring and transmitting of status information to a remote system, such as the domestic appliance communication system.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a domestic appliance communication system that provides consumers with the ability to remotely access information about their domestic appliances, and in particular domestic appliances which utilize consumable resources which may need to be periodically replaced or replenished. The domestic appliance communication system may periodically receive status information from the domestic appliances owned by a consumer or household and provide updated status information to the consumer, either on demand or via alerts triggered in response to certain events. The present disclosure also describes implementations and improvements which may be made to domestic appliances in order to provide periodic measuring and transmitting of status information to a remote system, such as the domestic appliance communication system.

Abstract: An appliance is provided for capturing and communicating images to other devices with communication capabilities. An embodiment of the appliance comprises capturing a plurality of image data, grouping the image data into a group, receiving new image data, and attaching the new image data to the group such that the group comprises the plurality of image data and the new image data.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be scanned and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory includes a help utility module that allows the user to obtain information on operating the various features of the appliance. The help utility module includes code segments for displaying a textual dialog and/or an animation that convey information correlated with the help topics. Advantageously, animation can be used to demonstrate features that would be difficult to explain in words or would require a lengthy dialog. For those topics requiring a more extensive textual explanation or if it is desired to combine a textual discussion with an animation, the help utility module includes a code segment for scrolling the display to communicate multiple screens or pages of information to the user.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be captured and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory and executed by the processor includes a delete page module for purging the memory of captured images when they are no longer needed. The delete page module includes a code segment for displaying an animation, which, in the preferred embodiment, is designed to convey the concept to the user that a delete operation is irreversible. One implementation of the animation shows the deleted page or group of pages turn into ashes, which is a metaphor for the permanence of the delete operation. A confirmation prompt is provided prior to carrying out the delete operation to inform the user how many pages or images will be deleted and what percentage of memory will be freed.

Abstract: A capturing and viewing appliance and method are provided for capturing and communicating images to other appliances and 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 navigation interface application program which allows the user to use navigation buttons and operational buttons to operate the menu navigation interface in operating the appliance. The menu navigation interface provides a user-friendly interface for operating an appliance or other device through reuse of the navigation buttons and operational buttons in menu activation and deactivation as well as menu item selection.

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.

Abstract: A capturing and viewing appliance and method are provided for capturing and communicating 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 an error utility interface which informs the user of an error in operating the appliance. According to another aspect of the invention, the error interface provides a user-friendly interface for learning how to correctly operate the appliance after an error in operation has occurred. Through the use of icons, operational buttons, and animated sequences the present invention presents a novel user interface which makes the error interface and method a solution in devices with limited resources which need to be able to communicate with users correct methods of operating an appliance.

Abstract: An appliance indicates that it is transferring information over a wireless communication path to an external device by displaying an animation. In one embodiment, an animation indicates that the appliance is attempting to establish communication over an infra red (IR) port with the external device by displaying an animation having an light emitting diode (LED) with emanating waves propagating away from the LED. Movement of the waves stop when communication is established. The wave edges indicate a maximum cone angle indicating the direction that the IR port must be pointed to establish and maintain communication with the external device.

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.

Abstract: An appliance is provided for capturing and communicating images to other devices with communication capabilities. An embodiment of the appliance comprises capturing a plurality of image data, grouping the image data into a group, receiving new image data, and attaching the new image data to the group such that the group comprises the plurality of image data and the new image data.

Abstract: An appliance is provided for capturing and communicating images to other devices with communication capabilities. An embodiment of the capturing and viewing appliance comprises displaying a page on a display, the page corresponding to one of a plurality of image data, the plurality of image data each being contiguous members of a group; displaying a flipping animation on the display in response to operating a navigation button; and displaying a new page on the display upon conclusion of the display of the flipping animation, the new page corresponding to another one of the plurality of image data.

Abstract: An appliance is provided for capturing and communicating images to other devices with communication capabilities. An embodiment of the capturing and viewing appliance comprises a photoelement array for acquiring at least a first image data and a second image data, a memory for saving said image data, a processor in communication with the memory, a display in communication with the processor for exhibiting one of the image data, and program code stored in the memory and executed by the processor for viewing one of the image data, the program code comprising a page view software module for viewing the image data on the display of the appliance, and for displaying an animated sequence on the display after ending display of the first image data and before displaying the second image data, wherein the animated sequence is the first image data sliding off the display.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be scanned and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory includes a help utility module that allows the user to obtain information on operating the various features of the appliance. The help utility module includes code segments for displaying a textual dialog and/or an animation that convey information correlated with the help topics. Advantageously, animation can be used to demonstrate features that would be difficult to explain in words or would require a lengthy dialog. For those topics requiring a more extensive textual explanation or if it is desired to combine a textual discussion with an animation, the help utility module includes a code segment for scrolling the display to communicate multiple screens or pages of information to the user.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be scanned and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory includes a help utility module that allows the user to obtain information on operating the various features of the appliance. The help utility module includes code segments for displaying a textual dialog and/or an animation that convey information correlated with the help topics. Advantageously, animation can be used to demonstrate features that would be difficult to explain in words or would require a lengthy dialog. For those topics requiring a more extensive textual explanation or if it is desired to combine a textual discussion with an animation, the help utility module includes a code segment for scrolling the display to communicate multiple screens or pages of information to the user.

Abstract: An appliance provides for the selection of data to be transmitted to an external device by selecting metaphoric page icons, each icon corresponding to a page of captured information. Metaphoric page icons may be selected by selecting the icons individually, by selecting a predefined group of icons, by selecting tagged icons, or by selecting all icons. A default selection includes selecting the current metaphoric page icon displayed on the display.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be captured and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory and executed by the processor includes a delete page module for purging the memory of captured images when they are no longer needed. The delete page module includes a code segment for displaying an animation, which, in the preferred embodiment, is designed to convey the concept to the user that a delete operation is irreversible. One implementation of the animation shows the deleted page or group of pages turn into ashes, which is a metaphor for the permanence of the delete operation. A confirmation prompt is provided prior to carrying out the delete operation to inform the user how many pages or images will be deleted and what percentage of memory will be freed.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be captured via the appliance and saved in an internal memory. The capture and communication appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory includes an image attachment module that allows the user to associate captured images with one another (i.e., electronically attach the images) to form a group and provides a graphical representation of this association on the display screen. Moreover, a group of captured images is treated as a single logical unit, which allows operations (e.g., send to another device or appliance, delete, etc.) to be performed on several captured images (i.e., the entire group) at once instead of on an individual basis. According to another aspect of the invention, the program code includes an image detachment module that allows the user to disassociate scanned image(s) (i.e.

Abstract: A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be acquired via scanning means and saved in an internal memory. The scanning appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory and executed by the processor includes a capture page module for processing the image data acquired through the scanning means by filtering and discarding redundant image data to form a whole image. The capture page module includes a code segment for displaying a first animation that is designed as a metaphor to signify the progression of the image data processing taking place in the appliance. The metaphor used in the preferred embodiment is a bar graph overlaying a thumbnail of the capture path followed in acquiring the image.