Precessing display pager
First Claim
1. A pager for displaying a message in alpha/numeric form comprising:
- means for receiving address signals and coded message signals;
means for decoding said address .[.-.]. signals and for generating an actuation signal;
an internal memory for storing received message signals;
means for displaying an alpha/numeric message of a predetermined length.Iadd., .Iaddend.said display .Iadd.means .Iaddend.having character display means at different lateral locations;
means responsive to said actuation signal for loading said message signals into said memory; and
means for reading out said memory, decoding the signals read out from said memory and for driving said display means with the decoded message in such a manner that said message precesses across said display by lateral displacement of a character in the message a number of times to next adjacent character locations.[.,.]. so that the character moves across the display from one side of the display to the other side, whereby long messages for a predetermined recipient may be displayed on a limited length display in a personally portable unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand held paper pager is disclosed in which a transmitted message is displayed in alpha/numeric form by a precessing display which moves the received message across the display in a continuous fashion so that the display need be only large enough to present a relatively small portion of the total message at any given time. In one embodiment a dot matrix LED display is used and is driven by a recirculating shift register memory to provide the precession of the message as a result of the recirculation. In another embodiment the pager may also include a message entry section in which the precessing display is used to present and edit the message prior to transmission either via an acoustic telephone link to a remote transmitter, or directly from a transmitter carried in the pager/encoder package.
128 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A pager for displaying a message in alpha/numeric form comprising:
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means for receiving address signals and coded message signals; means for decoding said address .[.-.]. signals and for generating an actuation signal; an internal memory for storing received message signals; means for displaying an alpha/numeric message of a predetermined length.Iadd., .Iaddend.said display .Iadd.means .Iaddend.having character display means at different lateral locations; means responsive to said actuation signal for loading said message signals into said memory; and means for reading out said memory, decoding the signals read out from said memory and for driving said display means with the decoded message in such a manner that said message precesses across said display by lateral displacement of a character in the message a number of times to next adjacent character locations.[.,.]. so that the character moves across the display from one side of the display to the other side, whereby long messages for a predetermined recipient may be displayed on a limited length display in a personally portable unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A combination pager and message encoder comprising:
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means for decoding a .Iadd.first .Iaddend.message transmitted to said pager; means for displaying said decoded .Iadd.first .Iaddend.message in a precessing display in which characters in the .Iadd.decoded first .Iaddend.message are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move across the display from one side to the other side; means including a keyboard for .Iadd.composing and .Iaddend.encoding a .Iadd.second .Iaddend.message; and means for coupling said .[.encoded.]. .Iadd.second .Iaddend.message to said precessing display, whereby a single precessing display is used for both message reception and message .[.encoding.]. .Iadd.composition. .Iaddend. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. In a pager adapted to receive .Iadd.encoded .Iaddend.messages transmitted from a remote location,
means for decoding the transmitted message .Iadd.into a form suitable for display; - .Iaddend.and
means for displaying said decoded message in a precessing display in which characters in said decoded message are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move across the display from one side to the other.
- .Iaddend.and
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12. For use in combination with common carrier paging transmission apparatus having .[.a voice.]. .Iadd.an audio .Iaddend.channel.Iadd.,
a device including .Iaddend.an encoder remote from said apparatus having a keyboard for entering a message and means for transmitting to said paging transmission apparatus a series of coded audio tones indicative .[.to.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.the message entered at said keyboard.Iadd., said device including a precessing display for displaying portions of the message entered at said keyboard in which characters are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move from one side of the display to the other; - .Iaddend.and
means for coupling said encoder to the audio channel of said transmitting apparatus, whereby the encoded message may be transmitted to a predetermined recipient via said audio channel after said apparatus has transmitted a predetermined address. .[.13. The encoder of claim 12 and further including a precessing display at said encoder for displaying portions of the message entered at said keyboard in which characters are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move from one side of the display to the other..].
- .Iaddend.and
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13. 4. The encoder of claim .[.13.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.wherein said precessing display includes a recirculating memory for storing the message entered at said keyboard, and means for driving said display in accordance with the output of said recirculating memory, said recirculating memory being coupled to said precessing display through said drive means for driving it in a precessing manner with the recirculation of said memory.
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14. A method for transmitting an alpha/numeric message to a predetermined pager adapted to receive and display the message .Iadd.and having an address.Iaddend., comprising the steps of:
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.Iadd.encoding said message and, simultaneously in a precessing alpha/numeric display, precessing said message across said display such that characters in the message are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move from one side of the display to the other;
.Iaddend.dialing a telephone number corresponding to said .[.predetermined.]. address, transmitting signals on an RF carrier.Iadd., .Iaddend.indicative of said .[.predetermined.]. address to activate said predetermined pager from a central transmitter .Iadd.remote from said encoding and from said display.Iaddend.;
.[.and.]..Iadd.wherein said encoding step, said dialing step and said first transmitting step being performed in any relative order, provided that said dialing step precedes said first transmitting step and said second transmitting step; converting the encoded message produced by said encoding step into a series of audio tones indicative of said message;
.Iaddend..[.generating a series of audio tones indicative of.]. .Iadd.coupling said audio tones to said transmitter; and
transmitting .Iaddend.said message on the carrier from said central transmitter after transmitting said address signals.[., said generating step including the steps of encoding said message at a location remote from said transmitter, converting said encoded message into audio tones, and coupling said audio tones to said - View Dependent Claims (23)
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15. transmitter.].. 16. A message encoding unit comprising:
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means including a keyboard for encoding a message; a memory for storing the encoded message; a display including an arrangement of display elements, selected elements being .[.actuateable.]. .Iadd.actuatable .Iaddend.to present an alpha/numeric character; means for driving said display in accordance with selected characters in said memory such that a portion of an alpha/numeric message is presented by said display at any given time, said drive means including means for precessing said message across said display such that characters in the message are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move from one side of said display to the other; and means for decoding the message in said memory and for making said decoded
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- 16. message available at an output thereof. 17. The message encoding unit of claim 16 wherein said memory includes a recirculating shift register memory and wherein said drive means includes means for incrementing said
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17. shift register memory. 18. The message encoding unit of claim 17 wherein said means for making said decoded message available includes means coupled to said memory for converting the message therein into a serial bit stream and means for coupling said serial bit stream to said output.
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19. includes means for inhibiting said precession. 20. The message encoding unit of claim 19 wherein said memory includes a recirculating shift register memory, wherein said drive means includes means for incrementing said shift register memory and wherein said precession inhibiting means
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22. includes light emitting diode elements. .Iadd.23. A combination pager and message encoder comprising:
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means for decoding a first message transmitted to said pager; means for displaying said decoded first message in a precessing display in which characters in the decoded first message are laterally displaced a number of times to next adjacent character locations so that the characters move across the display from one side to the other; means including a keyboard for composing and encoding a second message; and means for coupling said second message to said displaying means, whereby a single precessing display is used for both message reception and
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Specification