Alphanumeric entry system having an electronic lock feature

• US 4,670,747 A
• Filed: 11/19/1985
• Issued: 06/02/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Borras, Jaime A., Ramos, Ozzie F., Mitchell, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US06/799,710
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.56, 340/707, 340/711, 340/365 VL, 340/709, 340/792, 340/825.31, 340/825.56, 340/825.44, 455/73, 455/74, 455/38, 179/2 EC, 179/84 VF
• US Class Current: 341/29
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

An alphanumeric entry system which is provided with an electronic lock-out feature. The keypad entry system of the present invention comprises an alphanumeric keypad having function keys and display, a microprocessor, and an electronically programmable read-only memory device. The display consists of a series of system related menus as well as an alphanumeric display area. One of the system related menus corresponds to a locking feature, which may be activated by a general purpose function key. In the locking mode, the radio keypad toggles between a locked and unlocked condition as controlled by the function keys in accordance with a predefined sequence. The alphanumeric entry system of the present invention is particularly advantageous for use with portable two-way communications equipment which operate in a plurality of radio systems.

Claims

1. A keypad entry system for use with a two-way radio having a receiver and transmitter means, said keypad entry system including a locking mode for electronically disabling the operation of said keypad entry system said system comprising:

keypad means having an alphanumeric portion having keys which represent alphabetic and numeric values, and said keypad means further including a function key portion comprising a plurality of function keys;

display means having an alphanumeric display portion and a menu display portion, said menu portion comprising icons representing categories of system operation, said icons being sequentially stepped under the control of one of said function keys on said keypad means, wherein one of said icons corresponds to a keypad lock function, and wherein said keypad lock function is selectively actuated by another of said function keys when said keypad lock function icon is displayed; and

first microprocessor means, including data bus interface means, said microprocessor coupled to said keypad means and said display means for decoding commands generated by said keypad means and displaying them on said display means or placing them on said data bus interface means, or decoding commands received from said data bus interface means and displaying then on said display means, and said first microprocessor means inhibiting the icons being stepped when said keypad lock function is actuated.

2. The keypad entry system as described in claim 1 wherein said alphanumeric portion of said keypad means includes individual keys which represent both numerical and alphabetical characters.

3. The keypad entry system as described in claim 1 further including means for decoding the multiple characters represented by each alphanumeric key.

4. The keypad entry system of claim 1 wherein said icons of said menu portion of said display means correspond to operating modes trunked or conventional radio systems.

5. The keypad entry system of claim 1 wherein said icons are selected by means of a cursor which sequentially activates each icon, under the control of a first function key.

6. The keypad entry system of claim 1 wherein radio functions corresponding to particular icons are sequentially selected by repeatedly depressing said second function key.

7. A method for alphanumeric entry in an alphanumeric entry system having a display portion and a keypad portion wherein said display portion includes an alphanumeric display portion and a cursor activated menu portion, said menu portion having icons corresponding to levels of system operation, wherein one of said icons corresponds to a keypad lock function, and said keypad portion including a plurality of function keys and alphanumeric keys wherein each alphanumeric key represents a numeric and several alphabetic characters, further whereby the display and keypad are controlled by a local mircoprocessor which communicates with a radio controller microprocessor through a serial bus, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) depressing a first function key to sequentially move a cursor to select an icon which activates an area of system operation corresponding to a desired system function;

(b) enabling the desired system function by transmitting the value of the function to the radio controller microprocessor over the serial bus;

(c) displaying the function selected by said icon by transmitting a command corresponding to the display function from said radio controller microprocessor to said keypad and display microprocessor and continuously displaying said system icon;

(d) directly entering alphanumeric characters by depressing a key corresponding to a group of characters, wherein characters within the group are serially selected by repeatedly depressing the key;

(e) entering the alphanumeric by transmitting the value of the function to the remote controller microprocessor over the serial bus;

(f) displaying the alphanumeric character by transmitting a command corresponding to the alphanumeric key entry from said remote controller microprocessor to said keypad and display microprocessor, said display microprocessor controllling the display and displaying the alphanumeric character at a particular location in the display;

(g) selecting the keypad lock by depressing said first function key until said lock icon is selected;

(h) depressing a second function key to activate said keypad locking function;

(i) generating a "bad chirp" sound if any key is depressed while the keypad is locked; and

(j) depressing the second function key a second time to deactivate the said keypad locking function.