Paging system with selectively actuable pocket printers

A system for communicating an alphanumeric message to a selected receiver unit comprising:

• a. means for compiling and transmitting by radio successive multicharacter alphanumeric messages in dot matrix format, each preceded by a selected unit address code, said means including means to transmit sets of sequential data pulses with predetermined time spaced between said sets where each set represents a dot matrix column of a character to be displayed,
• b. a plurality of unitary portable units each including a radio receiver means for receiving said address codes and said messages as logic signals,
• c. a single column of heating elements controllable by a set of logic signals for producing, column at a time, fractions of characters to be displayed in dot matrix form,
• d. thermally sensitive record means movable transversely of the column of heating elements,
• e. means responsive to said address code designating a selected receiver unit to enable said elements to respond to the message which follows said address code,
• f. storage means for a plurality of logic signals corresponding to the number of said heating elements, the logic signals selectively controlling the energization of said heating elements,
• g. a shift register having a number of bits corresponding to the number of logic signals stored in the storage means for receiving a series of incoming data signals representing said message,
• h. means for detecting a unique signal indicating that a number of data signals corresponding to the number of bits of the shift register have been received in the shift register and for then causing the data signals in the shift register to be transferred to the storage register and the heating elements to be energized in accordance therewith to produce a character in dot matrix form on said record means, and
• i. timing means responsive to said time spaces between said sets to increment the display of said messages a distance corresponding to one matrix column width.

A system for communicating an alphanumeric message to a selected receiver unit comprising:

• a. means for compiling and transmitting by radio successive multicharacter alphanumeric messages in dot matrix format, each preceded by a selected unit address code, said means including means to transmit sets of sequential data pulses with predetermined time spaced between said sets where each set represents a dot matrix column of a character to be displayed, including
• i. keyboard means for producing an alphanumeric code in response to the depression of a key for each alphanumeric character of a message,
• ii. shift register storage means for storing a plurality of characters successively encoded by the keyboard means,
• iii. matrix character generator means for successively producing a set of binary logic signals representative of the condition of the dots in a matrix to visually present the characters represented by the alphanumeric codes successively output from the shift register storage means, and
• iv. format means for serially transmitting the logic signals output by the matrix character generator means in a predetermined format having means to transmit a series of sets of data pulses representative of the conditions of dots of a column of dots in the matrix with means to space each set of data pulses by a predetermined time interval to signify the end of each set of data pulses, means to establish two blank data columns following the last set of each character,
• b. a plurality of unitary portable units each including a radio receiver means for receiving said address codes and said messages,
• c. a single column of heating elements controllable by a set of logic signals for producing, column at a time, fractions of characters to be displayed in dot matrix form,
• d. thermally sensitive record means movable transversely of the column of heating elements,
• e. means responsive to said address code designating a selected receiver unit to enable said elements to respond to the message which follows said address code,
• f. further storage means for a plurality of logic signals corresponding to the number of said heating elements, the logic signals selectively controlling the energization of said heating elements,
• g. a shift register having a number of bits corresponding to the number of logic signals stored in the storage means for receiving a series of incoming data signals representing said message,
• h. means for detecting a unique signal indicating that a number of data signals corresponding to the number of bits of said shift register storage means have been received in the said shift register and for then causing said data signals in the shift register to be transferred to said further storage means and the heating elements to be energized in accordance therewith to produce a fraction of a character on said record means, and
• i. timing means operative upon each occurrence of said time spaces between said sets to increment the display of said messages a distance corresponding to one matrix column width and to increment the display of said messages multiples of said distance upon receipt of said blank data columns.

In a system for communicating an alphanumeric message to a selected receiver unit which includes means for compiling and transmitting by radio successive multicharacter alphanumeric messages in dot matrix format, each preceded by a selected unit address code, said means including means to transmit sets of sequential data pulses with predetermined time spaced between said sets where each set represents a dot matrix column of a character to be displayed, the improvement comprising:

• a. a unitary portable unit including a radio receiver means for receiving said address codes and said messages to produce sets of logic signals representative of said messages,
• b. a single column of heating elements controllable by a set of logic signals for producing, column at a time, fractions of characters to be displayed in dot matrix form,
• c. thermally sensitive record means movable transversely of the column of heating elements,
• d. means responsive to said address code designating a selected receiver unit to enable said elements to respond to the message which follows said address code,
• e. storage means for a set of said logic signals corresponding to the number of said heating elements, the logic signals selectively controlling the energization of said heating elements,
• f. a shift register having a number of bits corresponding to the number of logic signals stored in the storage means for receiving a series of incoming data signals representing said message,
• g. means for detecting a unique signal indicating that a number of data signals corresponding to the number of bits of the shift register have been received in the shift register and for then causing the data signals in the shift register to be transferred to the storage means and the heating elements to be energized in accordance therewith to produce a character in dot matrix form on said record means, and
• h. timing means responsive to the occurrence of said time spaces between said sets to increment the display of said messages a distance corresponding to one matrix column width.

In a system for communicating an alphanumeric message to a selected receiver unit having means for compiling and transmitting by radio successive multicharacter alphanumeric messages in dot matrix format, each preceded by a selected unit address code, said means including means to transmit sets of sequential data pulses with predetermined time spaced between said sets where each set represents a dot matrix column of a character to be displayed, including

• i. keyboard means for producing an alphanumeric code in response to the depression of a key for each alphanumeric character of a message,
• ii. shift register storage means for storing a plurality of characters successively encoded by the keyboard means,
• iii. matrix character generator means for successively producing a set of binary logic signals representative of the condition of the dots in a matrix to visually present the characters represented by the alphanumeric codes successively output from the shift register storage means, and
• iv. format means for serially transmitting the logic signals output by the matrix character generator means in a predetermined format having means to transmit a series of sets of data pulses representative of the conditions of dots of a column of dots in the matrix with means to space each set of data pulses by a predetermined time interval to signify the end of each set of data pulses, means to establish two blank data columns following the last set of each character,
• the improvement comprising:
• a. a unitary portable unit including a radio receiver means for receiving said address codes and said messages to produce logic signals representative of said messages,
• b. a single column of heating elements controllable by a set of said logic signals for producing, column at a time, fractions of characters to be displayed in dot matrix form,
• c. thermally sensitive record means movable transversely of the column of heating elements,
• d. means responsive to said address code designating a selected receiver unit to enable said elements to respond to the message which follows said address code,
• e. further storage means for a set of said logic signals corresponding to the number of said heating elements, the logic signals selectively controlling the energization of said heating elements,
• f. a shift register having a number of bits corresponding to the number of logic signals stored in the further storage means for receiving a series of incoming data signals representing said message,
• g. means for detecting a unique signal indicating that a number of data signals corresponding to the number of bits of the shift register have been received in the shift register and for then causing the data signals in the shift register storage means to be transferred to the further storage means and the heating elements to be energized in accordance therewith to produce a character in dot matrix form on said record means, and
• h. timing means operative upon occurrence of each of said time spaces between said sets to increment the display of said messages a distance corresponding to one matrix column width and to increment the display of said messages multiples of said distance upon receipt of said blank data columns.

A paging receiver capable of displaying a visual message, comprising:

• a. a housing having a physical volume less than ten cubic inches,
• b. a radio receiver in said housing capable of receiving signals transmitted in digital format, said format including an address code identifying a particular receiver and an alphanumeric message in the form of sets of data pulses, each pulse being representative of the condition of a dot in the column of a matrix,
• c. means to enable a visual display upon receipt of said address code,
• d. means to energize said display in response to said message data sets,
• e. means to index said display in response to the occurrence of blank time spaces after each message data set to present multiple character messages, and
• f. battery means within said housing for energizing the system.