Hand held computers with alpha keystroke

• US 5,067,103 A
• Filed: 09/28/1990
• Issued: 11/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: Lapeyre, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US07/590,325
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 364/707.16, 364/709.15, 364/710.07, 364/710.14, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 708/146
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/28 Multiple-action keys, e.g. keys depressed by two or more amounts or movable in two or more directions to effect different functions or selections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/027 for insertion of the decimal point
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/127 Details of the key cap concerning the actuation by fingernails or having provision to allow usage with long fingernails
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/036 Plural multifunctional miniature keys for one symbol
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/011 with integrated photo- or thermovoltaic cell as power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/08 by operating selected combinations of multifunction keys

Abstract

Particularly in hand held alphameric keyboard actuated computers, available room dictates a need to limit the number of keys without sacrificing computer performance. Further, for portable computers reference to an instruction manual is not feasible. Thus usefulness critically depends upon integrated operating instructions. Formerly there is neither room or facilities for instructions, nor room on the keyboard for enough keys. Herein, a computer keyboard of a few keys controlled by a computer multi-mode processing system to have a plurality of roles permits a very large number of computer functions to be entered and controlled. Further in combination with these roles, a computer organized temporary display panel displays keystroke selection indicia for the different keyboard operating roles. This expands instructional notation otherwise possible on the keys and adjacent keyboard locations. Thus, an entire set of alphabetic characters may be entered and processed in the computer by means of as few as six keys in an alpha mode operating the keys in a two stroke per character entry mode. Accordingly, the display panel is programmed by the computer to show with instructional indicia, typically a multiple-choice menu, the role for at least a subcombination of the keys in the current operating role of the keys in effect at the time. This permits detailed keystroke instructions to be available for performing hundreds of operations for which modern computers are capable.

Claims

1. A manual keyboard actuated multi-function alphanumeric computer system having a computer operating system responsive to a wide system range of hundreds of data and function entries from the keyboard housed in a housing and comprising in combination,

said alphanumeric computer system having both a keyboard and visible display screen housed in the computer housing,

means storing a set of subroutines in said computer operating system for selection to operate the computer as constituents of data processing programs for processing said data and function entries

computer data processing means responsive to computer instruction commands and said stored subroutines in said data processing programs for processing alphanumeric data and for organizing and displaying alphanumeric characters upon said display screen for the functions provided by said computer system

said keyboard having a set of manually operable keys in said keyboard operatively coupled to process alphanumeric data in said computer including a decimal entry subset of ten keys operable to enter numerical digits into said computer,

means for providing the keyboard with a subset of data entry keys in said set of keys, including said decimal entry subset,

means for entering both a set of alphabetic characters from a predetermined alphabet set and a plurality of computer instruction commands one by one into the computer data processing means in response to selected keystrokes of keys in said subset of data entry keys in a two-stroke per entry code,

computer mode changing means for changing computer operating modes in response to selected keys in said subset of data entry keys to establish different modes wherein selected ones of the keyboard keys have different roles for entering in one mode said alphabetic characters and in another mode computer instruction commands into said computer,

computer activated means for processing in response to said stored subroutines alpha characters and decimal digits for entry from respective said subsets of decimal entry and data entry keys in a data character entry mode established by said computer mode changing means, and

visual data entry instruction means operated automatically by said stored subroutines in said computer for setting aside temporarily on a predetermined instruction region of the display screen separated from a data display region different sets of keyboard operating instructions specifying the operating function of a plurality of individual said data entry keys in said subset of data entry keys in a plurality of currently selected ones of said operation modes for making a designated set of said computer entries responsive to keystrokes of particular keys in said set of keys and for retaining a separate data region of the display screen operating automatically from said stored subroutines in said computer for currently displaying alpha data characters as they are entered from said data entry keys for processing in the computer,

whereby selected alpha data characters may be entered one by one into the computer as identified by the display of said keyboard operating instructions for entering the selected characters upon the display screen in response to two keystrokes per alpha character of keyboard keys in said data entry subset of keys.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising, means for operating the computer in a two stroke per entry mode for entry of alphabetic characters from a subset of six of the keys in said set, wherein said visual data entry instruction means is operable to display said keyboard operating instructions responsive to the entry of a first of two strokes for an alphabetic character entry for displaying on said screen instruction region of a menu of alphabetic character options available for entry with the second of said two strokes.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising, means positioning said subset of data entry keys in a pattern on said keyboard, identifying indicia for the respective keys in said data entry subset of keys, and means in said visual data entry instruction means for organizing said keyboard operating instructions for the data entry subset of keys on the data region of the display screen in a geographic pattern related to said data entry key pattern to identify the location of specific keys to be stroked for specified keyboard entries.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of keys include corresponding manually actuated keyswitches and the visual data entry instruction means further comprise, two-stroke-per-entry means for operating the computer from a subset of six data entry keys in at least one data entry mode that requires a sequence of a fixed number of exactly two sequential keystrokes from the keyswitches for entry of any selected alphabetic character in said predetermined alphabet set, and wherein said visual data entry instruction means further comprises means responsive to at least one of said two sequential keystrokes to provide a menu on said instruction region of the display screen indicating a multiple-choice selection of the two keystrokes for entering those alphabet characters of said set.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising, two-stroke-per-entry means in said computer mode changing means for providing a keyboard role requiring a two manual stroke sequence of keys in six keys of said subset of data entry keys for entry of selected alphabetic characters from said predetermined alphabet set, and wherein the visual data entry instruction means further comprises means for indicating on the display screen instruction region indicia identifying the two keyboard keys in said data entry subset to be chosen and the sequence of actuation thereof for the two-stroke-per-entry selection of each alphabetic character.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said visual data entry instruction means further comprises menu patterning means for displaying separate key selection instruction patterns on said screen for each of the two keystrokes in said two-stroke-per-entry sequence, the pattern for each step providing a multiple choice menu indicating the keystroke choices for the selection of specific keys in the data entry key subset and corresponding alphabetic characters for each of the patterns.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises computer operable means for producing on said data display region of the screen a multi-line visible alphanumeric display pattern on said screen, and structure locating said screen and keyboard on a common panel of said housing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard comprises a plurality of manually operable keyswitches, and the computer mode changing means further comprises means responsive to manually entered keyswitch strokes from said subset of data entry keys for the entry of instructions for establishing different computer operating modes including an alpha character data entry mode, whereby the computer in said alpha character data entry mode, enters, processes, and displays alphabetic characters from said predetermined alphabet set.

9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said visual data entry instruction means further comprises means for generating an operating instruction display on said instruction region of the display screen in the form of a layout pattern menu representing location of at least one subset of the keyboard keys accompanied by indicia identifying the role of different displayed keys activated in a current operating mode of the computer in effect by means of said computer mode changing means.

10. The system defined in claim 9, wherein said means for generating an operating instruction display comprises means providing said operating instruction for each of said two keystrokes in the two-stroke-per-entry alpha mode for entering a specific alpha character in a form of at least one display chart identifying the keys to stroke for selection of specific alphabetic characters in said predetermined set from said data entry subset of keys.

11. The system defined in claim 10 wherein said means for providing operating instructions in the form of at least one chart further comprises display forming means for producing different chart displays on said screen synchronized with the two key strokes required per entry for indicating the current keystroke selections for selection of the alphabetic characters in said predetermined set in effect for each of the two keystrokes.

12. The system defined in claim 11 wherein said means for producing different chart displays for indicating keystroke selections for each of the two keystrokes further comprises, display generating means for producing a chart synchronized with the first of two successive keystrokes for selection of an alphabet character having a menu display on said screen additionally indicating the selections available with the second keystroke.

13. The system defined in claim 1 wherein said computer system further comprises, means for setting the computer into a default mode for processing arithmetic calculations wherein the decimal entry subset of ten keys has the role of producing a computer entry, including decimal numerical digits 0 to 9 in response to a single stroke of a corresponding one of the keys per entry, and means for entering alphabetic characters in response to keystrokes from said data entry subset of keys in a data entry mode in which entries of specific alphabetic characters in said predetermined alphabet set are entered in response to keystrokes from said data entry subset of keys in a data entry mode in which entries of specific alphabetic characters in said predetermined alphabet set are entered in response to two successive keystrokes per entry.

14. The system in claim 13 wherein said visual data entry instruction means further comprises means for generating a display in said screen instruction region including instructions for selection of a key for the first of said two keystrokes for selection of any one of the alphabetic characters in said set, and for generating in response to a second of said two keystrokes a further instruction display in said screen instruction region for identifying selection of a second stroke for identifying a single alphabet character in said set.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for generating a display further comprises means for displaying said instructions in the form of a chart representing a layout array of said data entry subset of keys for each of the two keystrokes for selection of a specific alphabetic character.

16. In a hand held multi-function alphanumeric computer with the capability of processing hundreds of data characters and alphanumeric command functions mounted in a housing having a common panel with a manual entry keyboard and a temporary display panel for displaying computer processed data indicia, the improvement comprising, means operable with said display panel to display alphanumeric data thereon in a plurality of lines of alpha characters, a limited number of keyboard keys divided into two mutually exclusive subsets of keys for entry respectively of decimal digits and alphabet characters, computer control means operable by the keyboard keys for selecting and automatically entering when selected a variety of computer input instructions and data input characters including a set of alphabetic characters in a two stroke per entry mode from said alphabet character subset of keys, computer operating means for controlling the keyboard and computer system means responding to keyboard keystroke entries to respond simultaneously to two keyboard input modes of operation, namely single stroke per entry for ten decimal digits from said subset of keys for decimal digits, and two stroke per entry for a set of alphabetic characters from said subset of keys for alphabet characters and computer data organization means for organizing and displaying on said temporary display panel in two mutually exclusive regions of the panel respectively (1) keystroke selection instructions in the multiple stroke per entry mode in the form of a multiple-choice chart identifying the functional response of individual keys in said alphabet character subset of keys on the keyboard to enter alphabetic characters in said set and (2) multiple line alphanumeric data messages processed by the computer in response to actuation of the keyboard keys.

17. In a hand held alphanumeric computer having a computer operated temporary display panel operable from a manually operated keyboard having a set of at least sixteen keys divided into two mutually exclusive subsets of six alphabet input keys and ten decimal input keys, the improved combination comprising, computer means for presenting a multiple line alphanumeric display screen on said panel divided into two mutually exclusive regions for display respectively of instructions and computer processed messages, computer means operating the computer in two entry modes respectively requiring a single stroke per entry from said decimal input keys for entry of decimal digits and two successive strokes per entry for entry of alphabetic characters from said six alphabet input keys, and means for operation of a further subset of keys on the keyboard for entry of computer instructions in the one-stroke-per-entry mode.

18. The combination defined in claim 17 further comprising mode changing means in said computer including means for changing the roles of at least the six alpha input keys in different operating modes with a corresponding generation of operation instruction changes in said instruction display region.