Computer interface device

• US 4,725,694 A
• Filed: 05/13/1986
• Issued: 02/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1986
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Leary, Sean E., Paley, Steven J., Castagno, Daniel L., Auer, Carol M., Haley, Allen W. Jr., Rutt, Thomas E., Moore, Harry H. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Schreyer, Stafford D.
• Application Number:
  US06/862,629
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 340/365 VL, 340/784, 340/711, 340/712
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/916 Touch screen associated with telephone set

Abstract

A computer terminal device includes a flat screen display element and a touch-sensitive element. Simulated keyboards can be displayed on the display element and, in response to the touching of the simulated keys, generate appropriate control signals. The same flat screen display can also be used to display computer output, either the result of calculations or the result of information retrieval requests. The slim silhouette of this terminal makes it ideal for hostile environments such as the factory floor or the hospital room.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising

a touch-sensitive electroluminescent display surface for simultaneously displaying information and for accepting input information through a touch-responsive area in said display surface, and

means for coupling said surface to a digital computer for controlling said displaying and for storing and processing said input information, and including means for defining in said touch responsive area an essentially arbitrary pattern A of primary information subareas of said touch-responsive area for providing information, with each defined subarea developing a preselected signal for said computer when touched, a subarea B for recalling a previously displayed pattern of primary information subareas, and subareas C for calling up for display preselected other patterns of primary information subareas.

2. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said subarea B and subareas C direct said computer to carry out the respective functions when touched.

3. A method of simulating a typewriting keyboard on a touch-sensitive display surface comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a typewriter keyboard arrangement on said display surface,

(b) responding to the touching of any of the key areas of said keyboard display by generating the electric code corresponding to the character assigned to the touched key area, and

(c) altering the labels on the key areas in response to the touching of a special key area corresponding to a shift or control key to assign different electric codes to these key areas corresponding to the altered labels.

4. A terminal comprising:

a touch-sensitive plasma display surface for simultaneously displaying information and for accepting input information through a touch-responsive area in said display surface, and

means for coupling said surface to a digital computer for controlling said displaying and for storing and processing said input information, and including means for defining in said touch responsive area (a) an essentially arbitrary pattern of primary information subareas of said touch-responsive area for providing informatin, with each defined subarea developing a preselected signal for said computer when touched, (b) a subarea for recalling a previously displayed pattern of primary information subareas, and (c) subareas for calling up for display preselected other patterns of primary information subareas.