Displayed keyboard indicia

• US 4,185,282 A
• Filed: 06/02/1977
• Issued: 01/22/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prepress Solutions, Inc. (Alfa Quest Usa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AM International Incorporated (Paragon Corporate Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pick, George G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Curtis, Marshall M.
• Application Number:
  US05/802,896
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 358/142, 358/92, 358/146, 340/365 R, 340/365 C, 340/711, 340/705, 340/721, 340/723, 340/748, 340/750
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/153 using cathode-ray tubes

Abstract

A keyboard entry device with video display for multiple language use. A language selector establishes the language mode of the machine, and the entire keyboard font is displayed on the video screen in the relationship of the keys on the keyboard. Display is either at operator request or machine controlled intervals and may be displayed on only part of the screen or the text being composed may be temporarily removed from the screen and the entire screen used to display the characters in a key related position. Thus, the operator has the capability of locating keys while learning the new keyboard relationship, or refreshing memory for reassurance.

Claims

1. A keyboard indicia system comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of blank keys and language selector keys, the language selector keys being disposed for selecting one of a plurality of languages;

at least one character generator coupled to the keyboard for producing a font of indicias corresponding to a selected language in response to actuation by an operator of one of the language selector keys; and

information display means coupled to the keyboard and to said character generators for displaying the indicias in a manner corresponding to keys of the keyboard such that each displayed indicia represents a label for a blank key.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the indicias are displayed at frequent intervals, each interval spanning a selected short period of time permitting the indicias to be subliminaly impressed upon an operator.

3. The system as in claim 1 including a program driven CPU, a ROM memory and a data and input-output buss.

4. The system as in claim 3 further including an encoder, at least one keyboard display logic, and a multiplexer.