Data processing system
First Claim
1. In a data processing system having display means including an electronic graphic display device to display input data representing a predetermined number of characters, input means to enter data into the display device and output means to output the data, the improvement comprising:
- memory means connected between the display means and the output means;
control means operatively connected to control the display means;
memory means and output means to selectively transfer data from the display means to the memory means and store the data therein and transfer the data from the memory means to the output means;
wherebydata stored in the memory means may be transferred to the output means while new data is being entered into the display means;
in which the input data may comprise a field mark or character to divide the predetermined number of characters into two fields of characters, the display means comprising field mark detection means to detect the field mark;
in which the input data may comprise an instruction to insert a character at a designated location in the data between the beginning of the data and the field mark, the display means comprising data insertion means to enter the designated character into the display at the designated location and shift the following characters toward the end of the data, the field mark detection means being operative to sense the input data and inhibit the insertion means if the field mark detection means detects the field mark proceded by a character; and
in which the input data may further comprise an instruction to delete a character at a designated location in the data between the beginning of the data and the field mark, the display means comprising deletion means to delete the character at the designated location and shift the following characters toward the beginning of the data to fill in the blank spaces produced by the deletion, the field mark detection means being operative to sense the input data and inhibit the deletion means if the field mark detection means detects the field mark from shifting characters following the field mark in the data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Character data is entered into a cathode ray tube display device from a keyboard or from a tape reader or the like selected by a key on the keyboard. The data is stored in a main memory inside the display device and simultaneously displayed on the cathode ray tube for composing and editing. An auxiliary memory is disposed between the display device and output devices such as tape punches so that data may transferred from the main memory of the display device into the auxiliary memory, and the data may be transferred from the auxiliary memory to the output devices while new data is being entered into the display device. Selected characters on the display, such as capitals, may be emphasized by displaying a dotted or solid line above or below the character or slanting the character. A cursor controlled by the keyboard is displayed on the cathode ray tube to indicate the position for entry or editing of data. Warning means are provide to give an indication when the cursor reaches the end of the display. The character keys on the keyboard are used for entering alphanumeric data and symbols, and a subset of the character keys arranged in a "tens key" configuration like a hand calculator keyboard are used for entering both alphanumeric data and the "tens key" functions constituted by digital numbers and mathematical operators. The "tens key" keys are enabled to produce the "tens key" functions and the other character keys inhibited by a selector key on the keyboard. The display may be divided into variable length fields by means of field marks or characters. Data may be inserted at a given point and following data shifted toward the end of the display. A field mark, allowing easy right justification of character sets utilizing the insertion function, terminates the insertion operation when the rightmost character of the set reaches the field mark. A delete function is also provided, in which a selected character is deleted and the following characters shifted toward the beginning of the display to fill inthe blank space created by the deletion of the character. When a field mark is disposed between the deletion location and the end of the display, characters following the field mark will not be shifted.
25 Citations
12 Claims
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1. In a data processing system having display means including an electronic graphic display device to display input data representing a predetermined number of characters, input means to enter data into the display device and output means to output the data, the improvement comprising:
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memory means connected between the display means and the output means; control means operatively connected to control the display means; memory means and output means to selectively transfer data from the display means to the memory means and store the data therein and transfer the data from the memory means to the output means;
wherebydata stored in the memory means may be transferred to the output means while new data is being entered into the display means; in which the input data may comprise a field mark or character to divide the predetermined number of characters into two fields of characters, the display means comprising field mark detection means to detect the field mark; in which the input data may comprise an instruction to insert a character at a designated location in the data between the beginning of the data and the field mark, the display means comprising data insertion means to enter the designated character into the display at the designated location and shift the following characters toward the end of the data, the field mark detection means being operative to sense the input data and inhibit the insertion means if the field mark detection means detects the field mark proceded by a character; and in which the input data may further comprise an instruction to delete a character at a designated location in the data between the beginning of the data and the field mark, the display means comprising deletion means to delete the character at the designated location and shift the following characters toward the beginning of the data to fill in the blank spaces produced by the deletion, the field mark detection means being operative to sense the input data and inhibit the deletion means if the field mark detection means detects the field mark from shifting characters following the field mark in the data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data processing system comprising:
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an input keyboard; a display unit; an output unit; an auxiliary memory connected between the display unit and the output unit; and a control unit; the display unit comprising; a main memory for storing data entered from the keyboard, the data representing a predetermined number of characters; a cathode ray tube; and a scan control unit to process data in the main memory and control the cathode ray tube to display the data in the form of a predetermined number of lines;
wherebythe keyboard is arranged to enter data into the main memory of the display unit one character at a time and actuate the control unit so that data stored in the main memory and being displayed on the cathode ray tube may be transferred to the auxiliary memory, and subsequently new data may be entered into the main memory from the keyboard while the control unit controls the auxiliary memory to transfer the data to the output unit; the display unit further comprising; a timing signal generator to generate timing signals to control the scan control unit; and a main memory counter connected to sequentially address the characters in the main memory, the scan signal generator further generating timing signals to continuously cycle the main memory counter; the scan control unit being further operative to display a cursor on the cathode ray tube to indicate the address in the memory for input of data, the display unit further comprising a cursor controllable by the keyboard to move the cursor to a desired position; the display unit further comprising a count comparator responsive to the counts of the main memory counter and the cursor counter and operative to control the control unit so that data entry into the main memory from the keyboard is possible only when the counts are equal;
in whichthe scan control unit controls the cathode ray tube to display the characters stored in the main memory in the quantized form of a predetermined number of scan lines, each scan line being subdivided into a predetermined number of illuminatable points, the illuminatable points being selectively illuminated by the scan control unit in response to the timing signals from the timing signal generator to form the character being displayed, the display unit further comprising; the input keyboard being arranged to alter the data representing a selected character to be emphasized, the system further comprising a character emphasization unit operative to detect the altered data and alter the display of the selected character in response thereto, the emphasization unit including; a delay control unit responsive to the number of scan lines being scanned by the scan control unit; and a delay unit controlled by the delay control unit to progressively delay the timing signals for the illumination of the illuminatable points from the first scan line of the selected character to the last scan line of the selected character during the scanning periods of the selected character so that the selected character is slanted in appearance. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification