Ticket issuing machines

• US 5,021,984 A
• Filed: 07/23/1990
• Issued: 06/04/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: METRIC Group Ltd. (METRIC mobility solutions AG)
• Original Assignee: Almex Control Systems Limited
• Inventors: Schofield, Paul, Meade, Roger, Wright, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Tan V.
• Application Number:
  US07/560,492
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 364/709.06, 364/709.16, 364/709.15, 364/708, 364/405, 235/384, 341/22
• US Class Current: 708/146
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 1/00 Machines for printing and issuing tickets printing mechanisms per se B41; output mechanisms of digital computers G06C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 1/08 portable
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/08 by operating selected combinations of multifunction keys

Abstract

This invention has reference to a ticket issuing machine including a keyboard (3) to enter into the machine information about a ticket to be issued, a printer (5) to print out ticket information on a ticket, store circuits (15, 20, 21) for storing information about tickets being issued and with a circuit for alternating the information stored in the store circuits to control the operation of the printer 1. The keyboard 3 comprises a plurality of keys (3a) at least some of which bear more than one identification and that there are provided selection circuits capable of identifying which of the identifications is relevant to the particular syntax operation of the ticket machine.

Claims

1. A ticket issuing machine operating with at least two particular syntaxes for issuing tickets comprising:

a keyboard for entering information into the ticket issuing machine including a plurality of keys positioned thereon, at least some of the keys including more than one different identification means indicating different ticket issuing information to be entered into the machine;

at least one store circuit for storing information relevant to tickets to be issued by the machine;

means for supplying information to specify the syntax of operation of the ticket issuing machine dependent upon information entered into the machine through the keyboard;

a printer for printing ticket information on a ticket in accordance with ticket information supplied to the printer by information supply means including the at least one store circuit and ticket information entered into said machine through said keyboard; and

at least one selection circuit for receiving the information to specify the syntax of operation of the ticket issuing machine and for identifying, based upon the particular syntax, which of the different ticket issuing information corresponding to the different identification means entered into the machine upon depressing a single key of said keys including more than one different identification means is relevant to the particular syntax operation of the machine, whereby the appropriate ticket issuing information corresponding to the particular relevant identification means desired by an operator depressing said single key is automatically entered into the machine and the inappropriate ticket issuing information corresponding to the particular irrelevant identification means not desired by the operator is rejected and not entered into the machine without the operator having to depress an additional key prior to, simultaneously with, or subsequent to depressing said single key.

2. A ticket issuing machine according to claim 1 wherein one of the identification means comprises a digit and another identification means comprises a symbol.

3. A ticket issuing machine according to claim 1 wherein a key bears more than one identification means, each identifying a station terminus on a respective line.

4. A ticket issuing machine according to claim 1 wherein the at least one selection circuit includes at least one gate circuit to reject the inappropriate ticket issuing information corresponding to the irrelevant identification means.