Single hand, single finger stroke alphameric data processing keyboard system

A manual entry data processing system, comprising in combination,

• a manually actuated keyboard arrangement with a plurality of individual manually movable keyswitches arranged in a single field side-by-side for access by a single hand and for selective actuation by the stroke of a single finger engaging selectively either individual keyswitches or sets of at least two concurrently actuated side-by-side keyswitches bridged by the finger,
• selection means responsive to the keyswitches actuated for each single finger stroke to derive a set of unique signals numbering substantially in excess of the number of keys,
• data processing means responsive to said unique signals to enter data words therefrom for processing and to select operating modes from the unique signals for processing the entered data, said data processing means being capable of processing such entered data in a plurality of different modes including a plurality of arithmetic operations,
• a live keyboard data entry operating mode provided by said data processing means providing for the serial entry of multiple digit words one digit at a time in response to a plurality of successive single finger strokes producing corresponding ones of said unique signals and terminated by a further single finger stroke at a designated keyswitch on the keyboard thereby to enter data word by word into said data processing means,
• functional control means establishing from the keyboard a variety of different manually selectable ones of said operating modes thereby to direct data processing manipulations on the entered data words in response to further ones of said unique signals,
• and means for displaying in the vicinity of the keyboard arrangement those operations by which data is processed by said data processing means in response to the functional control means and identity of the keyboard keys to be manually selected for entry of control signals effecting those operations.