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US 4,360,892 AGranted
Portable word-processor
AssigneeMicrowriter Limited
InventorCyril Endfield
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMicrowriter Limited
InventorCyril Endfield
Estimating the term…
Disclosed herein is a portable word-processor comprising the following components; a micro-processor and, connected thereto, a manually operable input chord keyboard having four finger keys and at least one thumb key, the micro-processor being programmed to respond to signals produced by operation of a chord of a combination of up to a maximum of five keys to generate a coded signal representing a particular alpha-numeric character or processing instruction; a display device; output means for connection of the word-processor to a printer; memory means; and an internal power supply connected to power all the aforesaid components; the micro processor being additionally programmed so as to process the character signals in response to the instruction signals, feed signals to the display device for display of processed characters as an edited text, and to the memory means to store the edited text and print format instruction signals available for transmission through the output means.
A single hand portable word-processor comprising:
A hand portable word-processor, comprising a manually operable input chord keyboard having four non-thumb finger keys and at least one thumb key, said keys being arranged to be operated with only one hand, and said keys being selectively operable individually and also in different combinations to provide a different pre-selected combination of operated and non-operated ones of said thumb and non-thumb keys for each character in an alphabetic system having a total number of characters greatly exceeding the number of said thumb and non-thumb keys, a microprocessor electrically connected to said keyboard and responsive to the chord operation of said keys for producing a different coded electrical signal for each of the different pre-selected combinations of operated and non-operated ones of said keys, whereby each of the different electrical signals represents a different character in said system, memory means electrically connected to said microprocessor, a character display device electrically connected to said microprocessor for displaying the characters represented by said signals, connector means electrically connected to said microprocessor and adapted to be connected to an external printer or other read-out device, means for supplying programmed instructions, including print format instructions, to said microprocessor, power supply means electrically connected to power said microprocessor, said memory means, said display device and said keyboard, and a single casing housing said keyboard, said microprocessor, said display device, said memory means, said power supply means, said connector means and said programmed instruction supplying means, said casing being sized and configured (a) to enable the operator to hold the casing in one hand while operating said keys with only his other hand or (b) to be supported on a surface while the operator operates said keys with only one hand, said microprocessor being responsive to said instructions for performing different functions including storing said electrical signals in said memory means as a text and operating said printer to print said text when the printer is connected to said connector means.
The hand portable word-processor dkeys, said control key being selectively operable together with pre-selected ones of the other of said keys for supplying instruction signals to said microprocessor for selectively editing the stored text and for selectively controlling the read-out of the text on said display device.
The hand portable word-processor defined in any one of the preceding claims 7-11 wherein said four non-thumb finger keys are the only non-thumb finger keys in said keyboard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.