Computer input-output device

• US 4,908,612 A
• Filed: 09/29/1987
• Issued: 03/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Penguin Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Penguin Products LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Robert, Bromley, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HJERPE, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US07/103,431
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/711, 340/712, 340/365 R, 340/365 VL, 364/200, 364/300, 364/900, 434/118, 434/335, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A computer input-output device for permitting a user to control the operation of an application program on a host computer. The device includes a display divisible into a plurality of sections for displaying the names of the options then available to the user at any point in the operation of the application program. Selection keys associated with each section allow the user to select the option displayed in the corresponding section. In response to the selection, the input device sends a series of keystroke codes to the keyboard input port of the host computer to cause the application program to execute the selected option. The host computer keyboard is connected to the input-output device which intercepts keystroke codes generated by the keyboard and transmits them to the computer only if the codes are designated as permissable ones. A set of programmable arrow keys controls the pointer functions of the application program on the host computer screen.

Claims

1. An interactive intelligent computer I/O device for permitting a user to control the execution of a selected target program on a host computer, said host computer having a keyboard port for connecting a keyboard to the host computer, said target program providing to the user groups of tasks, each of said groups of tasks being provided at a different point during the execution of the target program, each of said tasks being identifiable by a task name and each of said tasks being performable by the target program at the point in the execution of the target program that the group of tasks including the task is provided, wherein the user may direct execution of a particular task of the group of tasks provided by transmitting a particular set of keystroke codes to the host computer;

comprising;

host computer interface means for connecting the I/O device to the keyboard port of the host computer so that information may be transmitted between the I/O device and the host computer;

interchangeable memory means for providing a stored control program to condition the I/O device to control the execution of the selected target program, said control program providing to the user groups of procedures, each of said groups of procedures corresponding to one of the groups of tasks provided by the target program, each of said procedures of the group of procedures corresponding to one of the tasks in the corresponding group of tasks provided by the target program, wherein each procedure may be identified by the task name of the task corresponding to the procedure;

first processing means for executing the control program and for synchronizing execution of the control program with execution of the target program so that each group of procedures is provided by the control program to the user at the point in the execution of the target program that the group of tasks corresponding to the group of procedures is provided to the user by the target program;

display means, responsive to the control program, for presenting groups of procedures to the user, said display means having a plurality of sections wherein each section presents a procedure of the group of procedures and each section is identified by the task name of the task corresponding to the procedure;

means for selecting a procedure from the group of procedures presented by the display means, said means for selecting being actuable to provide a signal indicative of the procedure selected;

second processing means, responsive to the selection signal, for generating sets of keystroke codes to direct the execution of the task corresponding to the procedure selected; and

third processing means for transmitting the set of keystroke codes from the I/O device to the host computer to direct the execution of the task corresponding to the selected procedure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable memory means comprises a read only memory for storing the control program and a nonvolatile read/write memory for accepting input from the user.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the nonvolatile memory includes a random access memory.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the display means comprises a liquid crystal display.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the selecting means comprises a plurality of selection keys, wherein each selection key is associated with a different section of the display means and actuation of a particular selection key provides a signal indicating selection by the user of the procedure presented by the associated section of the display means.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the selection means comprises a plurality of transparent membrane switches wherein, each transparent membrane switch overlays a different section of the display means and actuation of a switch provides a signal indicating selection by the user of the procedure presented by the underlaying section of the display means.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the display means comprises a CRT.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

second connector means for connecting the I/O device to the keyboard of the host computer;

means for intercepting keystrokes codes generated by the depression of keys on the keyboard of the host computer;

means for selectively transmitting said keystroke codes to the host computer.

9. The I/O device of claim 8, further comprising means for allowing the user to edit the control program.

10. The I/O device of claim 9, wherein the user may edit the control program to add new procedures to the groups of procedures provided by the control program.

11. The I/O device of claim 9, wherein the user may edit the control program to modify procedures provided by the control program.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the means for selectively transmitting comprises:

means for comparing an intercepted keystroke code with a listing of forbidden keystrokes codes to determine whether the keystroke code is a forbidden keystroke code;

means for preventing transmission of the keystroke code and generating an error signal if the keystroke code is a forbidden keystroke code.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for atrophying procedures which are not selected by the user within a predetermined number of consecutive presentations of the procedure.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the host computer further comprises a display screen and the target program provides a cursor visible on the display screen, said cursor being movable over the display screen, wherein the user may direct the movement of the cursor by transmitting keystroke codes to the host computer;

and

said device further comprising;

pressure actuated means for providing cursor signals when actuated by the user, said cursor signals being indicative of a direction and an incremental distance of cursor movement;

fourth processing means, responsive to the cursor signals, for generating sets of keystroke codes to direct movement of the cursor;

fifth processing means, for transmitting the sets of keystroke codes to the host computer to direct movement of the cursor.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

means for selecting the incremental distance of cursor movement.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the incremental distance selecting means comprises a plurality of domain keys, each of said domain keys specifying a different incremental distance of cursor movement.