General-purpose electronic telephone station set

A general-purpose electronic telephone station set for use in conjunction with a host computer (40), said set including transducers (17) for audio input/output of received or transmitted signal information, a display screen (13) for video output of information, a keyboard (20) including a plurality of keys for manual input of signal information, and data processing means (43) for electrically intercoupling the keyboard, the screen, and the transducers for programmable interaction, the improvement comprising

• plural function keys (16) arrayed along at least one side of the screen in positions corresponding to different line positions on the screen, said function keys being coupled to said data processing means for inclusion in said interaction,
• said plurality of keys in said keyboard includes
• a key set (20) for outputting a predetermined set of selectable characters representing, respectively, different ones of a predetermined set of letters, numbers, and functions, and
• additional keys (30-32) for outputting from each such key a signal corresponding to a respective predetermined information processing function available in said host computer, and
• said data processing means includes means (FIG. 15 translation) for determining from said host characters said host recognizes as requests for said processing functions and translating each said additional key output signal to a corresponding one of said host characters.

A general-purpose electronic telephone station set including transducers (17) for audio input/output of received or transmitted signal information, and a display screen (13) for video output of information, the improvement comprising

• a keyboard (20) including a plurality of keys for manual input of signal information,
• plural function keys (16) arrayed along at least one side of the screen in positions corresponding to different line positions on the screen,
• data processing means (43) in the set for electrically intercoupling the keyboard, the function keys, the screen, and the transducers for programmable interaction,
• said display screen being a part of a cathode ray tube display means including beam deflection controlling coils (118) coupled to said tube, one set of such coils being operable in the audible frequency range, and
• hybrid coupling transformer coils (76) for coupling output and input portions of said transducers to an analog signal input/output port (21) of said station set, said transformer coils being oriented with respect to said controlling coils to produce minimum deflection signal noise in said transducers.

A general-purpose electronic telephone station set including transducers (17) for audio input/output of received or transmitted signal information, and a display screen (13) for video output of information, the improvement comprising

• a keyboard (20) including a plurality of keys for manual input of signal information,
• plural function keys (16) arrayed along at least one side of the screen in positions corresponding to different line positions on the screen,
• data processing means (43) in the set for electrically intercoupling the keyboard, the function keys, the screen, and the transducers for programmable interaction,
• said display screen being a part of a cathode ray tube display means including inductive ray deflection controlling means (118) coupled to said tube, and operable in the audible frequency range, and
• hybrid coupling transformer coils (76) for coupling output and input portions of said transducers to an analog signal input/output port (21) of said station set, said transformer coils being oriented so that the mutual inductance with said inductive ray deflection controlling means is at a minimum level.