Variable color display typewriter

• US 4,824,269 A
• Filed: 02/01/1988
• Issued: 04/25/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karel Havel
• Original Assignee: Karel Havel
• Inventors: Havel, Karel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Jr., Ernest T.
• Application Number:
  US07/150,913
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 400/63, 400/83, 400/704, 362/811, 340/701, 340/703, 340/704, 340/709, 340/715, 340/815.1, 434/227, 434/232
• US Class Current: 400/704
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A typewriter with variable color display visually presents typed text in a color variable in accordance with the typing speed and accuracy.

Claims

1. A method of simultaneously displaying a typed text and indicating a typing speed, on a variable color display means, by causing the typed text to be visually presented on said display means, by determining the typing speed, and by controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the color of said display means may be controlled substantially continuously such that the color changes of said display means are proportional to changes in the typing speed.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the color of said display means may be controlled in a plurality of steps.

4. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

means for determining the typing speed; and

color control means for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said color control means control the color of said display means substantially continuously such that the color changes of said display means are proportional to changes in the typing speed.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said color control means control the color of said display means in a plurality of steps.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said color control means illuminate said display means in red color for typing speeds between 0 and 20 words per minute, in yellow color for typing speeds between 21 and 40 words per minute, and in green color for typing speeds between 41 and 60 words per minute.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said color control means illuminate said display means in red color for typing speeds between 0 and 20 words per minute, in white color for typing speeds between 21 and 30 words per minute, in yellow color for typing speeds between 31 and 40 words per minute, in green color for typing speeds between 41 and 50 words per minute, in blue-green color for typing speeds between 51 and 60 words per minute, in purple color for typing speeds between 61 and 70 words per minute, and in blue color for typing speeds greater than 70 words per minute.

9. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

counter means for counting typed characters during predetermined time intervals to determine typing speed; and

color control means for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

10. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

counter means for counting typed characters;

storage means for storing counts accumulated in said counter means, said storage means having storage outputs indicative of the stored counts;

counter control means for storing in said storage means the counts accumulated in said counter mean such that said counts are proportional to the typing speed; and

color control means responsive to said storage outputs for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

11. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

means for producing character pulses when characters are typed on said keyboard means;

oscillator means for furnishing a periodic sequence of clock pulses of a predetermined frequency to define predetermined time intervals;

counter means for counting said character pulses;

storage means responsive to said clock pulses for storing at predetermined time intervals the accumulated counts in said counter means such that said accumulated counts are proportional to the typing speed; and

color control means for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

12. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters, said display means including a plurality of variable color display elements each having a plurality of color control inputs, said color control inputs of said display elements being respectively interconnected for uniformly controlling the color of said display means in a plurality of steps;

means for determining the typing speed; and

color control means for activating the interconnected color control inputs of said display elements to control in steps the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein each said display element has three color control inputs for controlling the color of said display means in three steps.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein each said display element has seven color control inputs for controlling the color of said display means in seven steps.

15. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters, said display means including a plurality of variable color display elements each having a plurality of primary color control inputs, said primary color control inputs of said display elements being respectively interconnected for uniformly controlling the color of said display means substantially continously by blending the primary colors;

means for determining the typing speed; and

color control means for activating the interconnected primary color control inputs of said display elements to control substantially continuously the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein each said display element has two primary color control inputs.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein each said display element has three primary color control inputs.

18. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

color memory means for storing a code, said memory means having a memory output indicative of the value of said code;

central processor means for measuring a typing speed and for accordingly storing in said color memory means a code representing a selected color; and

color control means responsive to said memory output for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with said code, to thereby indicate the typing speed.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein:

said central processor means perform a time measurement to determine time necessary for typing a group of characters, to thereby determine the typing speed;

said central processor means further compare, when said time measurement is completed, the measured time value with predetermined time limits, defining a plurality of time ranges, to determine in which time range the measured time value lies; and

in accordance with such determination, said central processor means further determine one of a plurality of codes, representing a selected color of said display means, and convey such code to said color memory means for controlling the color of said display means accordingly.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said central processor means store in said color memory means codes for controlling the color of said display means substantially continuously such that the color changes of said display means are proportional to changes in the typing speed.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said central processor means store in said color memory means codes for controlling the color of said display means in a plurality of steps.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said central processor means store in said color memory means a first code for typing speeds less than 20 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in red color, a second code for typing speeds between 20 and 40 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in yellow color, and a third code for typing speeds between 40 and 60 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in green color.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said central processor means store in said color memory means a first code for typing speeds less than 20 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in red color, a second code for typing speeds between 20 and 30 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in white color, a third code for typing speeds between 30 and 40 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in yellow color, a fourth code for typing speeds between 40 and 50 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in green color, a fifth code for typing speeds between 50 and 60 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in blue-green color, a sixth code for typing speeds between 60 and 70 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in purple color, and a seventh code for typing speeds greater than 70 words per minute, to cause said display means to illuminate in blue color.

24. A method of simultaneously displaying typed characters and indicating a typing speed, on a variable color display means, by causing the typed characters to be visually presented on said display means, by counting the typed characters during predetermined time intervals to determine typing speed, and by controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the typing speed.

25. An apparatus for indicating a typing speed comprising:

keyboard means for selectively typing characters at a selective typing speed;

variable color display means for visually presenting typed characters;

color memory means for storing a code, said memory means having a memory output indicative of the value of said code;

central processor means for performing a time measurement, to determine time necessary for typing a group of characters, to thereby determine the typing speed, for comparing, when said time measurement is completed, the measured time value with predetermined time limits, defining a plurality of time ranges, to determine in which time range the measured time value lies, for selecting, in accordance with such determination, one of a plurality of codes, representing a selected color of said display means, and for conveying such code to said color memory means; and

color control means responsive to said memory output for controlling the color of said display means in accordance with the code stored in said memory means, to thereby indicate the typing speed.