Multi-character display controller for text recorder

For use in a text recorder of the kind having (1) text display means for displaying one or more characters in a sequence determined by an operator;

• (2) keyboard apparatus for operator actuation including a first set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective alphabetic characters in response to operator actuation and a second set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective numeric characters in response to operator actuation;
• and (3) decoder means for receiving coded signals from said keyboard apparatus and for supplying corresponding drive signals to said text display means, a multi-character display controller comprising:
• mode means for producing a mode signal having normal and multi-character mode states to control an operating mode of said controller as either a normal or multi-character mode, said mode means responsive to operator action to alter said operating mode from a prior operating mode to a new operating mode and to maintain said new operating mode until further operator action,
• first means, responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character state for nullifying the normal response of said decoder means to a subset of said coded signals corresponding to at least some of the keying devices from said second set of keying devices,
• auxiliary means responsive to said mode signal for responding to a coded signal in said subset of coded signals during operation in a multi-character mode to provide corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means in response to actuation of a single key producing a coded signal in said subset, said auxiliary means including storage means retrievably storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said subset of coded signals produced by actuation of at least some of said second set of keying devices
• in which said decoder means includes function means correlating at least some of said coded signals with corresponding drive signals and in which
• said storage mean includes
• first memory means addressed by said coded signals including an entry for at least each of said coded signals in said subset,
• counter means responsive to said first member means for storing signals representing said entry,
• second memory means addressed by said counter means including an entry for each of said coded signals in said subset, a first sub-entry located at a location designated by an entry in said first memory means, each said entry including a stop code as a final sub-entry,
• means for supplying outputs from said second memory means to address said function means, and
• an incrementing means responsive to said second memory mean, for incrementing said counter means each time an output is produced thereby, said incrementing means responsive to a stop code read from said second memory means for inhibiting further incrementing of said counter means.

For use in a text recorder of the kind having (1) text display means for displaying one or more characters in a sequence determined by an operator;

• (2) keyboard apparatus for operator actuation including a first set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective alphabetic characters in response to operator actuation and a second set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective numeric characters in response to operator actuation;
• and (3) decoder means for receiving coded signals from said keyboard apparatus and for supplying corresponding drive signals to said text display means, a multi-character display controller comprising:
• mode means for producing a mode signal having normal and multi-character mode states to control an operating mode of said controller as either a normal or multi-character mode, said mode means responsive to operator action to alter said operating mode from a prior operating mode to a new operating mode and to maintain said new operating mode until further operator action,
• first means, responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character state for nullifying the normal response of sid detector means to a subset of said coded signals corresponding to at least some of the keying devices from said second set of keying devices,
• auxiliary means responsive to said mode signal for responding to a coded signal in said subset of coded signals during operation in a multi-character mode to provide corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means in response to actuation of a single key producing a coded signal in said subset, said auxiliary means including storage means retrievably storing signals representingg preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said subset of coded signals produced by actuation of at least some of said second set of keying devices in which said keyboard apparatus includes a third set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective punctuation marks in response to operator actuation and a fourth set of keying devices for producing coded signals reresenting respective text recorder functions in response to operator actuation and in which said multi-character display controller further comprises:
• buffer means for retaining a coded signal representing a prior operator key actuation until at least a subsequent operator key actuation,
• second means responsive to operator actuation of a keying device in said third set of keying devices, to said mode signal, and to said buffer means, for nullifying normal response to said decoder means to at least a second subset of coded signals representing actuation of a keying device of said third set of keying devices but only if a prior key stroke represented operator actuation of a key in said fourth set of keying devices and wherein,
• said auxiliary means includes means responsive to said mode signal, for responding to at least said second subset of coded signals during operation in said multi-character mode, to supply corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means, said storage means retrievably storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said second subset.

For use in a text recorder of the kind having (1) text display means;

• (2) a keyboard apparatus including a first set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective alphabetic characters in response to operator actuation and a second set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective non-alphabetic characters or functions in response to operator actuation;
• and (3) decoder means for receiving coded signals from the keyboard apparatus and for supplying corresponding drive signals to said text display means, a multi-character display controller comprising:
• mode means for producing a mode signal and for changing said mode signal when actuated by the operator to command a change in operating mode of the text recorder from a normal mode of the text recorder to a multi-character mode or from a multi-character mode to a normal mode,
• first means, responsive to said mode signal, for nullifying the normal response of said decoder means to at least some coded signals produced by operator actuation of a key from said second set of keying devices;
• and
• storage means for retrievably storing signals representing a first group of preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from at least a subset of said second set of keying devices, and for retrievably storing signals representing a second group of preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to identical respective coded signals from said subset of said second set of keying devices;
• buffer means responsive to said keyboard apparatus for storing at least a coded signal representing prior operator key actuation;
• and auxiliary means responsive to said mode signal and to said buffer means during operation in said multi-character mode to supply drive signals corresponding to a character sequence selected from said first or second group of preselected character sequences corresponding to a key actuation in dependence on the contents of said buffer means.

A method of operating a text recorder including

• a text display for displaying character sequences,
• an operator actuated keyboard for producing coded signals corresponding to operator actuated keys and a decoder for responding to coded signals and producing drive signals to display corresponding characters,
• to display multi-character sequences in response to operator actuation of a single key of a subset of keys of said keyboard but only when in a multi-character mode, and in which said subset of keys corresponds to non-alphabetic keys, comprising the steps of:
• (a) providing a storage device correlating signals corresponding to specific key actuation with identification of the subset of keys arranged to produce said multi-character sequence,
• (b) providing a mode means responsive to operator actuation to control an operating mode as either a normal or multi-character mode, said mode means responsive to operator action to alter an operating mode from a prior operating mode to a new operating mode and to maintain said new operating mode until further operator action,
• (c) inhibiting normal operating of said decoder when in a multi-character mode and said storage device identifies a key actuation in said subset,
• (d) producing, from a second storage device, a sequence of signals definitive of a multi-character sequence corresponding to said specific key actuation in response to said actuation of a key in said subset,
• in which said step (d) includes
• producing from said second storage device one or another sequence of signals definitive of one or another multi-character sequence corresponding to said specific key actuation in dependence on a specific prior key actuation,
• whereby a multi-character sequence is produced each time any key in said subset is actuated in response solely to said actuation of said any key.