Portable word-processor

• US 4,360,892 A
• Filed: 09/18/1980
• Issued: 11/23/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microwriter Limited
• Original Assignee: Microwriter Limited
• Inventors: Endfield, Cyril
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo H.
• Application Number:
  US06/188,571
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 340/146.3 SY, 340/146.3 AH, 340/146.3 Z, 340/146.3 A, 340/365 R, 340/365 S, 340/152 R, 340/311, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 178/30, 178/17 R, 178/17 C, 178/21, 178/23 R, 178/79, 35/35 A, 35/38, 400/91-94
• US Class Current: 715/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a portable word-processor comprising the following components; a micro-processor and, connected thereto, a manually operable input chord keyboard having four finger keys and at least one thumb key, the micro-processor being programmed to respond to signals produced by operation of a chord of a combination of up to a maximum of five keys to generate a coded signal representing a particular alpha-numeric character or processing instruction; a display device; output means for connection of the word-processor to a printer; memory means; and an internal power supply connected to power all the aforesaid components; the micro processor being additionally programmed so as to process the character signals in response to the instruction signals, feed signals to the display device for display of processed characters as an edited text, and to the memory means to store the edited text and print format instruction signals available for transmission through the output means.

Claims

1. A single hand portable word-processor comprising:

(i) a microprocessor;

to enable said word-processor to be connected to a printer;

(v) memory means connected to said microprocessor;

(vi) an internal power supply connected to supply power to all the aforesaid components;

the microprocessor being programmed to respond to signals produced by operation of a combination of up to a maximum of five keys to generate a coded signal representing a particular alpha-numeric character or processing instruction and to process the character signals in response to the instruction signals, to feed signals to the display device for display of processed characters as an edited text, and to the memory means to store the edited text and print format instruction signals available for transmission through the output means;

(vii) each one of said four finger keys being positioned so as to be preferentially operated by a respective one of the fingers of an operator'"'"'s hand and the thumb keys being conveniently positioned to be operated by the operator'"'"'s thumb, and

(viii) a main body generally in the form of a truncated rectangular pyramid having a front face carrying said four finger keys and a side face carrying said two thumb keys.

2. A word-processor as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said keys is a micro-switch and said four finger keys are each set in ellipsoidally concave insets in said front face.

3. A hand portable word-processor, comprising a manually operable input chord keyboard having four non-thumb finger keys and at least one thumb key, said keys being arranged to be operated with only one hand, and said keys being selectively operable individually and also in different combinations to provide a different pre-selected combination of operated and non-operated ones of said thumb and non-thumb keys for each character in an alphabetic system having a total number of characters greatly exceeding the number of said thumb and non-thumb keys, a microprocessor electrically connected to said keyboard and responsive to the chord operation of said keys for producing a different coded electrical signal for each of the different pre-selected combinations of operated and non-operated ones of said keys, whereby each of the different electrical signals represents a different character in said system, memory means electrically connected to said microprocessor, a character display device electrically connected to said microprocessor for displaying the characters represented by said signals, connector means electrically connected to said microprocessor and adapted to be connected to an external printer or other read-out device, means for supplying programmed instructions, including print format instructions, to said microprocessor, power supply means electrically connected to power said microprocessor, said memory means, said display device and said keyboard, and a single casing housing said keyboard, said microprocessor, said display device, said memory means, said power supply means, said connector means and said programmed instruction supplying means, said casing being sized and configured (a) to enable the operator to hold the casing in one hand while operating said keys with only his other hand or (b) to be supported on a surface while the operator operates said keys with only one hand, said microprocessor being responsive to said instructions for performing different functions including storing said electrical signals in said memory means as a text and operating said printer to print said text when the printer is connected to said connector means.

4. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 3 wherein said keyboard includes a further thumb key arranged to be operated with the same thumb used for operating said one thumb key, said further thumb key being selectively operable together with one or more of said non-thumb keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor.

5. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 3 wherein said keyboard includes a further thumb key arranged to be operated with the same thumb used for operating said one thumb key, said further thumb keybeing selectively operable with preselected ones of said non-thumb keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor for selectively editing said text.

6. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 3 wherein said keyboard includes a further thumb key arranged to be operated with the same thumb used for operating said one thumb key, said further thumb key being selectively operable with preselected ones of said non-thumb keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor for selectively controlling the display of said text on said display device.

7. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 3 wherein said keyboard includes a further thumb key arranged to be operated with the same thumb used for operating said one thumb key, said further thumb key being selectively operable with preselected ones of said non-thumb keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor for (a) selectively editing the stored text by selectively deleting selected characters in said text and inserting selected characters into said text, and (b) selectively controlling the read-out of the text on said display device.

9. The hand portable word-processor defined in any one of the preceding claims 7-11 wherein said four non-thumb finger keys are the only non-thumb finger keys in said keyboard.

10. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 3 wherein said casing has front and rear oppositely facing ends and a top wall extending between said ends and formed with an exterior intermediate surface which is spaced from said ends and which is sloped rearwardly toward said rear end to face generally forwardly in the direction of the front end, said non-thumb keys lying along said intermediate surface and being arranged along an arcuate line at positions where the tips of operator'"'"'s non-thumb fingers overlie said non-thumb keys when the palm of the operator'"'"'s hand is positioned over said top wall at a location which lies rearwardly of said intermediate surface.

11. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 10 wherein said casing is formed with an exterior sloped side surface extending between said intermediate surface and said rear end and contained in an envelope which transversely intersects said intermediate surface, said thumb key being positioned at said side surface.

12. The hand portable word-processor defined in claim 11 wherein said intermediate and side surfaces are contained in an envelope having the configuration of a pyramid.

13. The hand portable word-processor defined in any one of the preceding claims 10-12 wherein said display device is positioned at a further surface of said top wall between said front end and said intermediate surface, and said further surface being sloped to face generally in the direction of said intermediate surface.

14. The hand-portable word-processor defined in claim 3, there being a unique pre-selected combination of said keys assigned for operation to represent each character in a majority of the characters making up said system to thereby provide a group of unique key combinations in which each unique key combination of the group represents a different character in said majority of characters, and the arrangement of said keys being pre-selected to provide a pictographic relationship between each key combination in a majority of said unique combinations and the alphabetic character represented thereby.

8. The hand portable word-processor dkeys, said control key being selectively operable together with pre-selected ones of the other of said keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor for selectively editing the stored text and for selectively controlling the read-out of the text on said display device.