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US 5,067,103 AGranted
Hand held computers with alpha keystroke
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorJames M. Lapeyre
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorJames M. Lapeyre
Estimating the term…
Particularly in hand held alphameric keyboard actuated computers, available room dictates a need to limit the number of keys without sacrificing computer performance. Further, for portable computers reference to an instruction manual is not feasible. Thus usefulness critically depends upon integrated operating instructions. Formerly there is neither room or facilities for instructions, nor room on the keyboard for enough keys. Herein, a computer keyboard of a few keys controlled by a computer multi-mode processing system to have a plurality of roles permits a very large number of computer functions to be entered and controlled. Further in combination with these roles, a computer organized temporary display panel displays keystroke selection indicia for the different keyboard operating roles. This expands instructional notation otherwise possible on the keys and adjacent keyboard locations. Thus, an entire set of alphabetic characters may be entered and processed in the computer by means of as few as six keys in an alpha mode operating the keys in a two stroke per character entry mode. Accordingly, the display panel is programmed by the computer to show with instructional indicia, typically a multiple-choice menu, the role for at least a subcombination of the keys in the current operating role of the keys in effect at the time. This permits detailed keystroke instructions to be available for performing hundreds of operations for which modern computers are capable.
A manual keyboard actuated multi-function alphanumeric computer system having a computer operating system responsive to a wide system range of hundreds of data and function entries from the keyboard housed in a housing and comprising in combination,
In a hand held multi-function alphanumeric computer with the capability of processing hundreds of data characters and alphanumeric command functions mounted in a housing having a common panel with a manual entry keyboard and a temporary display panel for displaying computer processed data indicia, the improvement comprising, means operable with said display panel to display alphanumeric data thereon in a plurality of lines of alpha characters, a limited number of keyboard keys divided into two mutually exclusive subsets of keys for entry respectively of decimal digits and alphabet characters, computer control means operable by the keyboard keys for selecting and automatically entering when selected a variety of computer input instructions and data input characters including a set of alphabetic characters in a two stroke per entry mode from said alphabet character subset of keys, computer operating means for controlling the keyboard and computer system means responding to keyboard keystroke entries to respond simultaneously to two keyboard input modes of operation, namely single stroke per entry for ten decimal digits from said subset of keys for decimal digits, and two stroke per entry for a set of alphabetic characters from said subset of keys for alphabet characters and computer data organization means for organizing and displaying on said temporary display panel in two mutually exclusive regions of the panel respectively (1) keystroke selection instructions in the multiple stroke per entry mode in the form of a multiple-choice chart identifying the functional response of individual keys in said alphabet character subset of keys on the keyboard to enter alphabetic characters in said set and (2) multiple line alphanumeric data messages processed by the computer in response to actuation of the keyboard keys.
In a hand held alphanumeric computer having a computer operated temporary display panel operable from a manually operated keyboard having a set of at least sixteen keys divided into two mutually exclusive subsets of six alphabet input keys and ten decimal input keys, the improved combination comprising, computer means for presenting a multiple line alphanumeric display screen on said panel divided into two mutually exclusive regions for display respectively of instructions and computer processed messages, computer means operating the computer in two entry modes respectively requiring a single stroke per entry from said decimal input keys for entry of decimal digits and two successive strokes per entry for entry of alphabetic characters from said six alphabet input keys, and means for operation of a further subset of keys on the keyboard for entry of computer instructions in the one-stroke-per-entry mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.