Calculator with stepwise display of linear equations

• US 5,732,001 A
• Filed: 08/31/1995
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Hitoshi, Uemura, Syuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Monica
• Application Number:
  US08/521,932
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 364/710.03, 364/700, 364/709.01, 364/710.14, 395/500, 434/188
• US Class Current: 708/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems

Abstract

An improved educational calculator permits sequential display of equations as transformations are made to solve the equations.

First simultaneous linear equations are entered, and each time an advance key is depressed, process equations, obtained by transforming the equations step by step to reach their answers, are successively displayed on a liquid-crystal display screen. Each time a return key is depressed, the process equations are successively displayed from the answers to the equations in a reverse manner. The problem-solving method is selected through the entry of a solution key among the addition and subtraction method, the substitution method and the equivalence method, which are learned in the junior high school. The sequential display mode of the process equations can be switched between the automatic sequential display and the display on the basis of each entry of the advance key and the return key. Thus, it is possible to learn step by step the respective processes of the problem-solving methods of simultaneous linear equations. Even if there is an error in the answers found by the user, it is possible for the user to confirm at which step of the transformations he has erred, by operating the advance key and the return key. Thus, it becomes possible to provide educational equipment for junior high students that has superior effects of learning.

Claims

1. An electronic desktop calculator comprising:

a display;

operation means for carrying out operations to find answers by transforming simultaneous linear equations, including known quantities and unknown quantities step by step in accordance with one of a plurality of methods of solving simultaneous linear equations including an addition and subtraction method, a substitution method and an equivalence methods, and for indicating on said display which of said plurality of methods is currently selected;

process equation storage means for temporarily storing process equations each of which is obtained each time the operation means makes each transformation step by step;

an advance key for entering an instruction to make and to display each of step-wise transformations starting from the equations to reach their answers, thereby providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution;

a return key for entering an instruction to make and display each of step-wise transformations starting from the answers and stepping backward to reach the equations; and

control means, for controlling operations in the operation means, and read-out of the process equations from the process equation storage means, so as to update the contents of said display each time that the advance key or the return key is operated.

2. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a solution-specifying key for entering an instruction for selecting one of the various problem-solving methods,

wherein the control means controls the operation means so that the equations are transformed step by step in accordance with the problem-solving method that has been selected by the instruction given through the solution-specifying key.

3. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

storage means for the number of transformations for temporarily storing the number of times that step-wise transformations are carried out to reach the answers from the equations,

wherein the control means increases or reduces the number of transformations stored in the storage means for the number of transformations one by one, each time the advance key or the return key is operated, and controls the readout of the process equations from the process equation storage means and the operations in the operation means so that at least one process equation corresponding to the number of transformations stored in the storage means for the number of transformations is displayed.

4. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

numeric-value storage means for temporarily storing respective coefficients while identifying the position s of the coefficients in the process equations or the equations,

wherein the control means finds the conditions under which the equations are transformed in the simplest manner, by reference to the contents of storage in the numeric-value storage means, and controls the operations of the operation means, based on the resulting conditions thus found.

5. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

display-controlling means for displaying the selected problem-solving method in a distinguishable manner in response to an entry through the solution-specifying key.

6. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 4, wherein

the control means controls the operations in the operation means by reference to the contents of storage in the numeric-value storage means so that when the process equations are displayed, information, which gives a suggestion concerning transformation of said process equations to the user, is included.

7. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 1, wherein

the control means controls the writing of process equations to the process equation storage means, the reading of process equations from the process equation storage means, and the operations in the operation means such that the process equations, each obtained through each step-wise transformation, as successively displayed at time intervals whose magnitude is predetermined.

8. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

a variable-specifying key for entering an instruction that specifies a variable among a plurality of variables contained in the entered equations so that process equations are preferentially formed with respect to the variable and the corresponding displays are made,

wherein the control means finds the conditions with which the equations are transformed in the simplest manner by reference to the contents of storage of the numeric-value storage means, and controls the operations of the operation means based on the resulting conditions thus found.

9. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 1, wherein the process equation storage means is designed so that process equations are cleared in succession in the order of their age upon filled state of a storage capacity that is maintained for the process equation storage means, in order to allow new process equation to be stored.

10. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 7, further comprising

user-actuated means for setting said magnitude of said time intervals.

11. An operation method for equations comprising the steps of:

entering desired simultaneous linear equations consisting of known quantities and unknown quantities;

operative each time an advance key, used for entering an instruction to make and display each of step-wise transformations starting from the equations to reach their answers, thereby providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution, is operated, forming process equations that indicate processes from the equations to their answers in accordance with one of a plurality of methods of solving simultaneous linear equations including an addition and subtraction method, a substitution method and an equivalence method, as well as displaying which of said plurality of methods is currently selected and displaying the process equations until the answers are found; and

operative each time that a return key, used for entering an instruction to make and display each of step-wise transformations starting from the answers to reach the equations, thereby stepping backward, is operated, displaying process equations that indicate processes from the answers to the equations.

12. An electronic desktop calculator, comprising:

input means for entering an expression including a plurality of operators;

order-specifying keys for specifying an operation sequence to seek a solution for the expression that has been entered through the input means;

operation means for carrying out, by step-wise transformations, the operations of the expression in accordance with the expression that has been specified by the order-specifying keys and in accordance with one of a plurality of methods of solving the simultaneous linear equation, including an addition and subtraction method a substitution method and an equivalence method; and

display means displaying which one of said plurality of methods is currently selected providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution of said expression, or stepping backward through said step-wise transformations, as commanded by a user via said keys and displaying the result of the operations.

13. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 12, wherein

the order-specifying key individually specifies the operators in the entered expression and, each time an operator is specified by the order-specifying key, the operation means carries out calculations with respect to the specified operator.

14. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 12, wherein

the order-specifying key allocates numbers to the respective operators of the entered expression and

the operation means carries out calculations in the order of the numbers allocated by said order-specifying key.

15. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

operator-registering means for individually registering the operators in the expression in the order of preference;

comparison means for comparing the operator specified through the order-specifying key with the operator having the highest preference among the operators that have been registered in the operator-registering means; and

temporary storing means for taking out an operator from the operator-registering means and temporarily storing the operator,

wherein, when the comparison means has determined that the two operators are equal to each other, it takes out the operator from the operator-registering means, and stores the operator in the temporary storing means temporarily, and, when the comparison means has determined that the two operators are different from each other, it registers an error display in the operator-registering means.

16. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

an error-specifying key for instructing a display as to whether or not the specified order of calculations is correct; and

a judging means for making a judgement as to whether or not the specified order of calculations is correct.

17. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a re-specifying key for giving instructions so that the operators, stored in the temporary storage means, are re-registered in the operator-registering means in an order reversed to the order in which the operators were stored, the operators are again taken out from the operator-registering means in the order of preference, and the operations are carried out until the error display is detected.

18. An operation method, which uses four basic calculations, composing the steps of:

entering an expression including a plurality of operators;

selecting the operators one by one so as to specify the operators, selecting one of a plurality of methods of solving simultaneous linear equations, including an addition and subtraction method, a substitution method and an equivalence method and displaying which method is currently selected; and

operative each time one of the operators is specified, carrying out a calculation with respect to the operator and displaying step-rise calculations starting from the expression to reach a solution, thereby providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution of said expression.

19. An operation method, which uses four basic calculations, comprising the steps of:

entering an expression including a plurality of operators;

selecting the operators one by one so as to specify the operators, selecting one of a plurality of methods of solving simultaneous linear equations, including an addition and subtraction method a substitution method and an equivalence method, and displaying which method is currently selected;

and operative each time one of the operators is specified, displaying a number with respect to the operator, carrying out step-wise calculations in accordance with the numbers and displaying step-wise calculations starting from the expression to reach a solution, thereby providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution of said expression.

20. An electronic desktop calculator comprising:

operation means for carrying out operations to find answers by transforming equations step by step in accordance with one of a plurality of methods of solving simultaneous linear equations including an addition and subtraction method a substitution method and an equivalence method, and for indicating which of said plurality of methods is currently selected;

process equation storage means for temporarily storing process equations each of which is obtained each tulle the operation means makes each transformation step by step;

numeric-value storage means for temporarily storing respective coefficients while identifying the positions of the coefficients in the process equations or the equations;

an advance key for entering an instruction to make and to display each of step-wise transformations starting from the equations to reach their answers, thereby providing a step-by-step display of any progress toward a solution;

a return key for entering an instruction to make and display each of step-wise transformations starting from the answers and stepping backward to reach the equations; and

control means, for controlling operations in the operation means, and read-out of the process equations from the process equation storage means, so as to update the contents of the display each time that the advance key or the return key is operated;

and wherein the control means finds tile conditions under which the equations are transformed in the simplest manner by reference to the contents of storage in the numeric-value storage means, and controls the operations of the operation means, based on the resulting conditions thus found.

21. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 20, wherein:

said equations are simultaneous linear equations constituted by a first equation and a second equation that include known quantities and unknown quantities;

the conditions with which the equations are transformed in the simplest manner are found by comparing coefficients of the same unknown quantity between the first equation and the second equation, in the case when the problem-solving method is the addition and subtraction method.

22. The electronic desktop calculator as defined in claim 20, wherein:

said equations are simultaneous linear equations constituted by a first equation and a second equation that include known quantities and unknown quantities;

the conditions with which the equations are transformed in the simplest manner are found by judging whether or not there is an unknown quantity whose coefficient is 1, in the case when the problem-solving method is the substitution method or the equivalence method.