FR2476347A1 - ELECTRONIC DIRECTORY - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and industrial product for the input and the read out by electronic means of subject-matters and information related thereto, as well as the saving thereof during absence of power supply. The subject-matters and associated information are stored in read only memories (4) connected by the input/output interface (5) to the data bus of a programmable processing unit (1) having its own working memories (2) (read only memory) and (3) (main memory). The input is effected either from a keyboard (8) connected to the processing unit through the interface (9), or from an outer line connected through the communication interface (10). The information retrieval is initiated by indicating at the keyboard at least the initial letter of the subject-matter. Messages are displayed on an electro-optical alpha numerical device (6) connected through the interface (7), to which an answer must be given by the user by using the keyboard. Typical application to the automation of telephone number dialing.

Description

 The present invention has for object, title of process and new industrial product, ur electronic directory intended to preserve and restore autorr.aticnPment of information concerning subjects (names) in the said directory, by a mode of easy use which does not i .move no knowledge of electronics or IT from the user.

 A typical but not exhaustive application of such a directory is constituted, for example, by the list of usual telephone correspondents of a subscriber, with their telephone number and possibly their address, with a view to the automatic dialing of the desired number.

 The most efficient electronic means for storing and restoring such information are computer file management systems. Besides their indisputable advantages, they have drawbacks which limit their applicability as a directory, among which we can mention the couat, clutter , maintenance problems and certain professional skills necessary for their operation.

Another category of means is made up of the directories which can be found on the market in sets known under the name of "automatic telephone dialers". This sub-set which performs automatic dialing finds the number to dial in a register electronics which is loaded by a sub-assembly which performs the directory function.

 In certain embodiments, the directory is made up of a number of a few dozen registers, each identified by a button and a label located on the front panel of the device. The label bears the name of the correspondent, the register contains in codified form the respective telephone number and the button is used to select the correspondent. In other variants of these realizations, the registers are constituted by a random access memory. The main disadvantages of this type of directory are: the reduced capacity, the need manual tagging of names, volatility of information when the memory supply is interrupted.

 In another type of embodiment, the information is stored on a magnetic tape which has to be unwound manually in one direction or in the direction and which is marked with a label at the place where the information sought is recorded. user unrolls the tape to the desired label and controls by a button the reading or writing which is done by a maZnétiae head which moves on the recorded place. This system is freed from two of the main disadvantages of the previous one, namely: the limitation to a reduced threshold of the number of correspondents and the volatility of the memory. On the other hand, it maintains the inconvenience of the non-automatic search of the label.

 Another system is based on the use of a digital random access memory of a larger size; Each correspondent has a 2- to 5-digit number associated with the directory. By dialing this number, the desired correspondent is selected. The advantage consists in saving dialing time by 2 to 3 digits instead of 6 to 15 Your major drawbacks are the need for an intermediate repertoire as well as problems related to memory volatility.

 On the other hand, in the current state of the art there are means for storing information in a compact and non-volatile manner, in this case masked read-only memories, electrically programmable read-only memories and memories erasable dead / reprogrammable (REP R0M) .These types of memories are mainly used to store either the operating programs of the processing units or invariable data recorded separately outside the processing process of the current application (11programming of the memory rorte11) .ieur use in read / write during the process of treatment is impossible for the dead cherries with mask or the electrically programmable read only memories and extremely difficult for the REPROs because of very long delays, complex procedures and tensions of feed involved when they were written. As the normal functioning of a directory implies the registration of new subjects or the modification of the information concerning the subjects already registered, the read only memories have not been used for this purpose until now.

The subject of the present invention is a responder which, using its reprogrammable erasable dead memory (@@@@) as a memory-directory, is not affected by the drawbacks described above, the invention as it stands. characterized in the claims, makes it possible to produce a repertoire capable of preserving intortta tions concerning a fond number of subjects registered without the information therein being able to be altered by the absence of the electric supply current and not searching for them automatically. t, in these very short celais by port at the spéifigues times of the numerical reactions, to start from the indication of one or more letters of the beginning, or of all the letters suet sought.

 In accordance with the invention, a form assembly of one or more REPROt-s is associated (called 1, memory-directory ") with a set formed by: an alpha-numeric-function keyboard, an alpha electronic-optical display device -digital, an acoustic signaling device which while being useful is not necessary for the operation of the assembly, and a programmable processing unit such as, for example, a microprocessor with its memories, this association being carried out in such a way that it constitutes an electronic directory which is distinguished in its constitutive and functional unit from previous directories by unpublished essential characters.

In accordance with the invention, the directory memory is connected to the processing unit not like a conventional memory, that is to say by the address, data and control bus of the processing unit, but as a peripheral unit whose access signals (including addressing and control signals) are all considered by the processing unit to be data. This allows the processing unit to access all the locations in the directory memory by means of a reduced number of input / output interfaces characterized by a reduced number of addresses, always the same, and by stirring time makes it possible to satisfy all the time constraints and electrical
REPROM while satisfying the normal working conditions of the processing unit.

According to the invention, writing to the REPROM is carried out by sending information by ntlnitt- e processing by its data bus to the input / output interfaces at intervals of tes conforming to normal operating conditions. of the RDPRCW, part of this information being the data to be entered, another part being the address of the rental in the REPROI and another part being the information concerning the signals necessary to put the REPROM in operating mode "programming" , the input / output interfaces being connected by their connections on the peripheral side to the data, address and control inputs of the REPROM. This process also allows the cancellation of a byte in the REPRO by writing to the address of this byte a meaningless combination within the framework of the code used, for example the hexadecimal value 00 (considering that the
Blank REPROM contains the value FF everywhere) which will be ignored when analyzing the stored information. As a consequence, the modification of information concerning any subject in the directory can be done by canceling the subject and old information and rewriting the subject and new (modified) information from the first blank address. The data to be entered in the directory memory is first entered into the working memory (RAM) of the processing unit from the alpha-numeric keyboard or a line of communication with the outside.

According to the invention, the REPROM is read by sending information by the processing unit via its data bus to the input / output interfaces at time intervals conforming to the normal operating conditions of the REPROM, part of this information being the address of the rental which must be read and another part being the information concerning the signals necessary to put the REPPOIt in operating mode "reading", the signals appearing on the data bus of the
REPROM being read via the input / output interface connected between this bus and the processing unit.

According to the invention, the keys are provided in the alpha-numeric keyboard for entering the data relating to the subjects and the information associated with them, as well as in the keyboard-functions to allow the user to respond to messages from the processing unit or command the execution of main functions of the processing unit such as, for example, "SUBSCRIBE", "CANCEL", "CALL", etc. or corresponding auxiliaries, for example "TST" (constitution of a list of correspondents to call), "INVOICING" (display of the cost of communication), etc.

 Still according to the invention, the ambiguities which may appear during the recording or during the search are translated by the processing unit into questions which are communicated to the user via the display device (and possibly by the acoustic device) to which the user must respond by pressing a key corresponding to the appropriate response, for example one of the "YES" or "NO" keys, the lack of response during a suitably long time interval being also interpreted as a response by the processing unit.

 In accordance with the invention, during all the operating phases (registration, cancellation, search, additional functions) the operations are carried out under the control of the processing unit which in turn is controlled by suitable programs, recorded in the memory working memory of the processing unit, which can be written by a person skilled in the art with known means and which is not the subject of the present invention.

The described method and the device for its implementation can be better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

 FIG. 1 shows an example of connection, according to the described method, of a REPROr (for example of the type 2716 of Intel or 2516 of Texas Instr.) To a processing unit (for example the microprocessor 6800 of lsotorola) by l intermediary of input / output interfaces (for example of the PIA 6821 type from Notorola). In this figure, 1 represents the address bus of the processing unit connected either directly, or by a total or partial decoding of the address, at the address inputs A of the input / output interfaces 41 and 42; 2 represents the data bus of the processing unit connected to the data inputs / outputs D on the processing unit side of the interfaces 41 and 42; 3 shows the control bus of the processing unit connected to the control inputs / outputs C of interfaces 41 and 42.The peripheral bus PA0 ... PA8 and PB0 and B7 of interfaces 41 and 42 are used for connections on the peripheral side and are connected to the data inputs / outputs Q0 ... Q7, to the address inputs A0 ... A10 and to the control inputs CS, PD / PGM and Vpp of the REPROM; 41 and 42 represent input-output interfaces (for example of the PIA 6821 type from Motorola); 5 shows an adaptation interface between the jitter of the output PA3 of the interface 42 and the voltage levels to be controlled at the input Vpt of the REPROM; 61 represents the directory memory (REPROM); 7 shows a decoder which does the partial decoding or cor lei e the address in the event that the decoding provided in the interi es i and 42 is not sufficient.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of element 5 of FIG. 1. A binary signal which varies between two well defined limits (for example from less than +0.8 v. To more than +2.4 v.) applied to input C The amplifier 58 puts the transistors 51 and 52, via resistors 55 and 57, in different states of conductivity so that the voltage at the output ~ varies between the Prescribed limits for pp in reading or writing (for the case of 2716 for example, Vpp = + 5 v. in reading and Vpp = + 25 v. in writing).

Figure 3 shows an extension 1e Figure 1 for the case of two REPROM memory boxes. The box selection is made by the processing unit which activates the signals CS and PD / PGM of the selected box, the other signals being common for the two boxes. This diagram can be extended for a larger number of REPROM boxes by using the other outputs of interface 42 (PA4 ... PA7,
PB4 ... PB7) or by adding new interfaces and ensuring the necessary amplification for the cons signals.

 FIG. 4 shows another example of implementation of the method of coupling the REPROM memory, for 8 boxes of the type of that of FIG. 1. A decoder 8 is inserted between the three additional bits used for addressing the REPRON ( PB1 ... PB3) and REPROMs, which allows you to select the box addressed via door 81 and one of doors 90 ... 97 (in the case of reading) or via door 82 and one of doors 1 ^ C .., (7 (in the case of writing).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of an assembly formed by the alpha-numeric-function keyboard, the alpha-digital electron-optical display device and the upgradeable processing unit, to which we associate in accordance with the invention, l 'the set of REPROMs, In these figures, 10 represents the processing unit which, in our example, is a botorsla cflO microprocessor; 7 shows a three-bit decoder, such as for example 74138 from Texas Ins., Which has the role of selecting the attacking unit according to the combination of the address bits A13, A12, A11; 11 is a clock nerater, for example 6S75 from Motorola, which provides phases 1 and 02 for the operation of the microprocessor and phase 02A (02 amplified) for the input-output interfaces; 41 and 42 are the input-output interfaces rjOflt the role has been described in Figure 3; 12 and 13 are read only memories, such as 2316 d1Tntel, which contain, in our example, 4 kilobytes for the programs and the invariable values used by the microprocessor in its operation; 21 represents an initialization circuit such as, for example, a key on the keyboard or a circuit activated by powering up; 14 and 15 are random access memories (in our case 2114 from Intel, 1 kilobytes) used by the microprocessor to keep variable data; 17 represents the input / output interface used for the connection of the keyboard 18 and the display device 19 to the processing unit and which in our example is of the same type as 41 and 42; 18 represents an alpha-numeric-functions keyboard which presents on its data bus D ... D6 the code corresponding to the activated key as well as a sampling signal on one of the outputs STI or STF2; 19 represents an alpha-digital display device such as SELFSCAN
SSD0132 from Burroughs which keeps in its internal memory 32 characters presented to the 6 inputs D1 ... D32 in coded form and displays them at the time of reception of the DATA PR signal or erases them simultaneously (CLR signal) or successively (BKSP signal); 20 represents an input / output interface, in our example of the same type as 41 and 42, usable for communications with the outside.

 FIG. 7 shows an example of a synoptic of the control panel of the electron 'ce.a repertory: net figure 191 represents the screen of the alpha-digital electronooptic display device which is represented by 19 in FIG. 6; 181 represents two rows of function keys (the dotted keys being reserved for optional functions), 182 represents three to four rows of alphabetic keys (the dotted keys being reserved for any additional characters) and 183 represents three rows of numeric keys the keyboard which is represented by 18 in FIG. 6; 210 represents a possible acoustic signaling device.

 An exemplary embodiment of the invention is constituted by the union of FIGS. 3,5 and 6 in the order presented in FIG. 8, with a control panel like, for example, that of FIG. 7.

 When the user wants to search for a name and the information associated with it in the directory, he successively presses the keys of the alphabetic keyboard 182 (FIG. 7) corresponding to one or more letters at the start of the subject sought (or possibly all let res). the processing unit acquires the corresponding codes via 18 and 17 (fig. 6) and on the one hand keeps them in its RAM 14 and 15 (fig. 6) and on the other hand displays them via 17 and 19 (fig. 6) on the screen 191 (fig. 7) of the display device at the same time as an acoustic or optical interrogation signal, such as for example "END ? ". If the user presses" YES "or if he does not answer anything during a given time interval, the processing unit successively reads all of the names registered in the directory memory from the first address and compares the start letters of each name read with the letters requested by the user (kept in RAM); if there is no total coincidence between the letters compared, the processing unit goes to the next name; if, on the other hand, there is total coincidence, the processing unit displays the full name followed by a question mark. The response "NO" via the key provided on the function keyboard 181 (fig. 7) or the lack of response for a predetermined interval of time indicates to the processing unit that the search must be continued, while the response "YES" indicates to it a positive outcome of the search and causes it to display information associated with the name found.

An additional action on the part of the user (for example pressing the "CALL" key on the function keyboard) can indicate to the processing unit what use to give to the information found (for example activation of the automatic dialer ) .If, after reading all the names in the directory, there is no positive result of the search, the processing unit displays a message such as, for example, "NEYIss3 NOT wa REPERTQiF.

When the user velot enter in the directory a new subject and the information associated with it, he first introduces them into the RAM either by successively pressing the keys of the keyboard which correspond to the characters to be entered, or by pressing a function key intended for the introduction of data acquired via a communication interface such as for example 20, fig.6.1a difference between the characters concerning the subject and those concerning the associated information can be signaled to the unit processing either by the activation of a key reserved for this purpose, or by the use of different groups of keys (for example the alphabetic keyboard for the characters of the subject and the numerical keyboard for the associated information). in the random access memory, the user launches the insertion command by pressing a key provided for this purpose on the keyboard-functions, for example the "SUBSCRIBE" key (fig.

The processing unit displays the characters as they are introduced into the RAM and verifies, by reading the directory ez 1tanals of the information read, that the name is not already registered in the directory , checks that the new information does not present any ambiguities compared to the information already registered, checks that there is in the memory-directory a sufficient number of blank locations for the writing of the new data. these verifications are positive, the processing unit sends to the input / output interfaces 41 and 42 the signals necessary to write, byte by byte, the new data; otherwise, the processing unit displays a message suitable as, for example, "DUPONT 360.58.57 FIGURE DAJA" or "SOC.GEN. =
SOCIETE GENERALE ? "or" MORE PLACE IN DIRECTORY ", etc.

 When the user wants to perform an operation provided among the functions controlled by the functions keyboard, he presses the key provided for this function. The inai thus created arrives at the processing unit by the same path (18,17-fig. 6, 10-fig. 5) which, after the end of the current task, begins the execution of the related part of the programs written to ROM 12 and 13 (fig. 5).

Claims (13)

 1. Process of writing, tior., Conservation e fie rpcu; erttr? names (subjects) and information are null for them; 3associate, by an electronic device operating this directory, characterized in that the subjects and the associated information are recorded and read in electrically reprogrammable read-only memories.  2. Process and device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reprogrammable read-only memories are associated with an assembly formed by an alpha-numeric keyboard and of functions, an alpha-digital electron-optical display device, a signaling device. acoustics and a programmable data processing unit. 3. Method and device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the addressing, control and data pins of the reprogrammable read-only memories are connected to the processing unit via input interfaces / and that the address, control and data signals for the reprogrammable read only memories are sent or received by the processing unit as data at the addresses of these input / output interfaces.  4. Method according to claims 1,2 and 3, characterized in that the information to be written in the reprogrammable read-only memories is first written in the random access memory of the processing unit.  5. Method according to claims 1 to 4 inclusive, characterized in that the subjects and the associated information are introduced into the directory from alpha-numeric and function keyboards. 6. Method and device according to claims 1 to 4 inclusive, characterized in that the subjects and the associated information are entered into the directory from an external line connected to the processing unit by a communications interface.  7. Method according to resells cations 1 to 6 inclusive, characterized in that the information is written into the read-only memories reprs ~ -> ueb] ec by sending data by the processing unit by its data bus to the input / output interfaces at time intervals conforming to the normal operating conditions of said memories, one part of this is the information to be entered, another part states the address of the rental in reprogrammable read-only memories and another part being the information concerning the signals necessary to put the reprorammable read-only memory into "programming" operating mode  8. Process according to claims 1 to 7 inclusive, characterized in that the cancellation of data at any address of the reprogrammable read-only memory is done by writing to this address a combination of c-oe without other meaning in the context of the code used.  9. Method according to claims ~~ 1 to 8 inclusive, characterized in that the reading of the reprogrammable read-only memories is carried out by sending data by the processing unit by its data bus to the input / output interfaces at time intervals in accordance with the normal operating conditions of said memories, part of this data being the address of the location which must be read and another part being the information concerning the signals required to put these memories into operation "reading" operating mode, the signals appearing at the data pins of said memories being read via the input / output interfaces addressed for this purpose by the processing unit.  10. Method according to claims 1 to 9 inclusive, characterized in that the search for information concerning a subject from the repertoire is triggered after the indication from the keyboard, at least the initial letter of the subject and in that it consists of the successive reading of all the subjects registered, the comparison of the letters of each subject read with the letters indicated by the user, the presentation on the electronic-optical display device with a view to - validation by the user subjects who present complete coincidence with the letters indicated and in the presentation on the said display device of all the information existing in the directory, associated with the validated subject. 11. Method according to claims 1 to 1n inclussive .ment, carae + erisp in that indications are given to the ut a-cl- ra through the devices '' optical display or acoustic signaling concerning the procedure to be followed , that questions are asked to him by the intermediary of the aforementioned devices Concenting the situations of ambiguity and that the keyboards are used to answer following these indications and questions  12. Device for implementing the methods according to claims 1, 3, 7 and 8, characterized in that supply means, of which 18 output voltage is controlled by the logic value of an input signal, are inserted between the pins designed to receive different voltages depending on the operating mode of the reDro; Jrammable read-only memory and between the corresponding pins of the input / output interface.  13. Device according to Revencication 2 for the implementation of the methods according to Claims 1 and 3 to 12 in isolation, characterized in that a microprocessor with its living and dead working memories is used as a programmable processing unit.