DK161415B - WORD PROCESSING UNIT - Google Patents

Description

DK 161415B

The invention relates to a word processing apparatus comprising a central processor and, in operative connection therewith, an input keyboard, a character screen, storage means and output means, whereby the central processor of a built-in program is controlled to receive alpha-numeric text signals and processing, editing and printing formats input signals. from the keyboard, storing processed and edited text and print formatting data, and reproduced processed and edited text on the 10 character screen.

Known non-portable word processing devices are electronic keyboard devices, by means of which text entries from a keyboard in the form of alphanumeric characters can be processed in accordance with a program and instructions entered into the apparatus from the keyboard and the processed text can be fed to a printing device or other appliances.

Any word processing device must include the following measures: 20 "Read" to enable reproduction of any part of the text stored in a storage, "Edit" to allow insertion, deletion or correction of text, and 25 " print formatting "for controlling a printing apparatus for laying out edited text during printing, e.g. left and right margin setting and / or tabulation and / or margin indentation and / or 30 page termination pause.

In this context, the term "non-transportable" means an apparatus which is not independently powered and cannot be operated while held in the operator's hand.

35 A portable electronic keyboard device is known in the form of a portable remote typewriter capable of storing alpha-numeric character text and typing 2

DK 161415B

structure to the machine in much the same way as a conventional teleprinter, the machine also having the option of deleting any text on the screen prior to storage. However, this measure does not make such a machine a word processor within the meaning of this term in the present context.

From GB-1,496,522 there is known an input apparatus with a chord keyboard with five manually operated finger keys, which for operation with only one hand are placed in an arc, the keys designed as electrical contacts can be selectively operated in such a way that there are precisely a predetermined combination of operation and non-operation of keys for each character in an alphanumeric system. It is peculiar that, due to the given location of the keys, there is an image character association between the position of the keys and the alphanumeric characters characterized at the five points in the arc, to produce several predetermined unique combinations, and the resulting alphanumeric characters. The input apparatus described in the above patent further has a switch key which can be used independently but not in combination with the chord keyboard. With this switch key you can, for example, switch from upper case to lower case letters or to specific special characters. Thus, this known keyboard has no possibility of optional input of further different function and / or control characters.

In accordance with this prior art, the invention seeks to provide a portable word processing apparatus whose keypad has fewer keys, since the text signals, function signals and control signals required for a word processing are not restricted and so that the word processing apparatus is capable of editing and storing the input alphanumeric of functionally and control signals and controls also provided 3

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Change the print format of the edited text when the word processor is connected to a printing device or other delivery device.

This is achieved according to the invention by means of a word processing apparatus according to the characterizing part of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which shows a six-key portable text processing apparatus, and in which fig. 1 shows a plan view of this apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 2 the apparatus of FIG. 1, seen from the end, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the apparatus, and FIG. 4 by a-d key codes for alpha-numeric and grammatical characters.

The FIG. 1 and 2, word processing apparatus 1 has a main part in the form of a blunt square pyramid.

20 The back 3 of this pyramid is essentially planar and intended to support an operator's wrist. The opposite face 4 carries four keys 5, 6, 7 and 8 which are arranged to be operated separately by the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and small finger respectively of an operator's hand. A side face 9 of the pyramid 2 carries two additional keys 10 and 11, each of which is intended to be operated by the thumb of the operator.

30 With these two thumb keys 10 and 11, two five-key keyboards can be provided, each of which can be operated by the five fingers of an operator's right hand without movement between the hand and the support surface 3. A suitable five-key keyboard of this kind is disclosed in British Patent No. 1496522.

The front side 4 of the main body of the apparatus has a forward and upward extension 12 bearing an alpha number 4.

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risk character screen 13, with which characters can be reproduced by selectively operating any key or a combination of up to a maximum of five keys.

Each key consists of a push button located 5 to operate a conventional microswitch, and as shown in FIG. 1, each of the finger keys 5, 6, 7 and 8 is arranged in an ellipsoid concave recess in the front face 4. These recesses serve as supports for each of the operator's fingers.

10 As shown in FIG. 2, with the back 3 of the main body of the apparatus, an ON-OFF switch 14, a charging connector 15 and a data connector 16 are further arranged.

The electronic circuit of the apparatus is shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3 and comprises an 8 bit CMOS microprocessor μΡ (RCA type CDP 1802) to which is connected the six-key keyboard 2, an 8192 byte CMOS RAM memory (8 pieces of Toshiba type TC 5047P), a 12-bit character alpha-nume-risk LED (Lit) sign screen (Litronix type DL 1416), a 2048-byte CMOS EPROM memory (Intersil type 1M 6604) 20, and an input / output circuit 17 connected to the data connector 16. Input / output the circuit enables the word processor to communicate with an external device such as a printing apparatus. Other external devices could be a television reproducer or monitor or a cassette recorder to provide additional storage capacity.

The apparatus is powered from a rechargeable battery unit 18 connected to the charging plug 15. The 0N / 0FF switch 14 generally controls the voltage supply to the apparatus with the exception of the RAM storage, which has direct connection to the battery unit 18 outside the 0N / 0FF switch. As a result, the RAM storage is not volatile. Thus, in this storage, data can be retained with the device disconnected as long as there is still enough energy in the battery unit, which can be up to 3 weeks.

A fixed program is stored in the EPROM repository by means of which the word processor can work

DK 161415 B

5 in the manner described below. This program is not in itself considered unique and does not form part of the invention. It is believed that the description contains sufficient information to enable printing of a suitable program.

During operation, the processor scans the yP keyboard micro-contacts and begins to assemble a character by any keypress. This process continues until all keys in a particular character code 10 have been released, at which point the compiled code is converted to a 7 bit ASC11 code and stored in the RAM memory.

Characters which are assembled and stored in the RAM storage form a text which can be accessed by entering various control code characters to enable reproduction of a selected portion of the text on the character screen 13, which represents the "read" function ", editing the text stored in the RAM or storing print formatting instructions.

20 The firmware program contains most of the editing and print formatting options available in conventional, non-portable word processing devices. The fixed program detects a low battery voltage and warns the operator of this by means of a message (CHARGE-ME) on the character screen 13. The fixed program also enables the word processor to communicate over suitable interface equipment with a number of external devices such as f. eg. a "Daisy wheel" type printing apparatus, a television or monitor screen, a dictaphone microcassette drive or a modem / acoustic coupler. The program allows operator-defined areas of the text stored in the RAM to be transmitted through the input / output circuit 17 to an external device connected to the data connector 16. In the case of a printing device or display screen, the program automatically formats the text, sets the left and right margins, and tabulates.

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6

The program also enables insertion of text into the RAM memory from an external device connected to the data connector.

When scanning the keyboard microswitches, the 5 microprocessor μΡ is programmed to respond to keyboard operations. In this context, a keyboard operation is defined as the actions consisting in the operation and subsequent release of a single key or the actions consisting in the operation of the keys 10 in a selected key combination either simultaneously or sequentially and subsequent release of the operated keys, thus that the keypad operation is completed when the key (s) operated is released. The termination of a keyboard operation constitutes the condition for the processor to store an assembled code representing a particular character.

In FIG. 4 is illustrated a particularly suitable test code for use with the keyboard apparatus. The arrangement of the keys corresponds to a given pattern of five points, in which a point or point combination follows the outline of most letters of a given type alphabet, and the relationship between the single signals produced by operation of selected keys or key combinations and those associated therewith. corresponding letters are such that for most of the alphabet there is a graphical correlation between a letter and the point or point combination recorded by the key or key combination applicable to the key operation required to generate the signal in question.

30 The figure shows a series of 31 five-point patterns corresponding to the maximum number of five-point combinations. Each point represents the nominal location of a key, namely, in order from left to right thumb 10, index finger 5, middle finger 6, ring finger 7, and little finger 8.

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7

A hard dot represents a key to be operated and the letter or other character represented by that dot or dot combination is shown in pictograph representation along with the dot or dot combination where possible.

The displayed characters can be entered into the word processor by simple operation of the five keys 10, 5,6,7 and 8 and referred to as the alphabet register.

For the alphabet register, operation of the thumb-10 key 10 alone will produce signal for spaces, operation of the finger keys 5, 6 and 7 signal for period, operation of the finger keys 5, 7 and 8 signal for comma, operation of the keys 10, 5,6 and 8 signal for apostrophe, and operation of the finger keys 5, 6 and 8 signal for 15 dashes.

The second thumb key 11 is a control key by which the device is switched to a punctuation and number register. Also the point codes for punctuation (grammatical characters) and numbers are shown in FIG. 4. It will be seen that the 20 speech codes follow the speech system of the usual deaf-mute alphabet.

Operation of the thumb key 11 in combination with the four finger keys 5, 6, 7 and 8 results in another five-key keypad used to insert 25 control or processing instructions into the word processor. In the following arrangement, the control instructions are indicated by codes based on the corresponding letter codes. For convenience, these are shown by underlining the letter in question, so that e.g.

The code signal D is generated by operation of the thumb key 11 and the finger keys 5 and 6.

Instruction Key Description Reproduction

Register key Key 11

Keyboard Change; Yj key 11, single character 6, 7 35 δ

DK 161415B

Instruction Key combination Reproduction

Pressed key - Pj key 11, shift 5, 6, 7, 8

Release of key-5 toggle change - '-

Single-step Fy key 11, rendered character advance 5, 6, 7 advanced one step forward

Continuous F Reproduced characters before reloading - '- are moved continuously 10

Single Step Key 11, 7 Repeated characters are retracted one step back

Continuous γ Repeated characters reversal - '- continuous shift equals 15 Stop Hj key 11, 8 Character movement ceases

Deleting Dj key 11, outer right character simple character 5.6 on screen is deleted and replaced by next character (or space 2Q space) in the store

Continuous Y ^ Automatic Repeat Deletion - '- of the above operation Instantaneous W, Wj key 11, Stores are deleted between deletions 5, 7, 8 characters> and <25 Insertion I.j key 11, 5 Toric acid SB on the right side of the joke

Deletion of In- Y, In The above rendering statement is terminated

Carriage return Cj key 11, 6 C

Tab Rj key 11, 5, 7 / \

Margin indent _ ^ j key 11, 5, 6, 8> (Blink symbol)

Deletion of γ · <(Hydrochloric acid) margin pressure - - 35 Start printing character Lj key 11, 5, 8>

Stop printing characters Y, L <9

DK 161415 B

Instruction Key combination Reproduction

Short jump Z} key 11, 6, 8 Repeated characters are moved 128 steps from or to next> characters, depending on what 5 gives the shortest jump

Long jump Y, Z Rendered characters move from next to next

Short back jump Jj key 11, 7, 8 Repeated characters are moved back to the previous end>

Long back hop Y, J STAFT (out of stock) ISaSt ™ "i. Key 11, 6, 7, 8 '5 SEStLTent - w *

The FIG. 4 operation code illustrated is easy to remember because, although the individual graphical correlation between a selected key or 20 key combination and a given letter can be changed, there is a predominantly graphical correlation that allows the representation represented by most of the letters and thereby supporting learning.

It has been found that the use of such a control code is an effective aid in using the word processor because it is easy and quick to remember.

Through the use of a five-key keyboard in principle, the extra thumb key resulting in another five-key keyboard, the word processing apparatus of the invention achieves the advantages of a simple, smaller and less expensive design than a conventional keyboard, because the requirement for a separate key for each character or control instruction is avoided and the operating speed of that keyboard is comparable to a conventional keyboard, because the fingers do not have to be moved from one key to another, and the thumb only

Claims (7)

10 DK 161415 B must move between two keys and does not need to be moved when entering letters. Although a right-hand keyboard has been described above, it will be clear that a left-hand keyboard can be easily obtained by mirror flipping. A word processing apparatus comprising a processor and, in operative connection therewith, an input keyboard (5-8, 10-11) and storage means, whereby the processor of a program embedded in the storage means is controlled to receive alpha-numeric text signals (letters, digits, punctuation, special characters) and processing, editing and printing formatting command signals from the input keyboard, characterized in that the input keyboard (2) is a four-finger chord keyboard (5, 6, 7, 8) and a first and a second. thumb-operated key (10, 11) and the processor (μρ) are controlled by the built-in program to respond to signals generated by operating any combination of the first thumb-operated key (10) and the four finger keys as text signals and on signals generated by operating the second thumb-operated key (11) alone or in combination with the four finger keys as command or function signals. A word processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the four finger operated keys (5, 6, 7, 8) are positioned so that they are preferably operated with the forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and small finger of an operator. Word processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a housing (1) having a main part (2), generally in the form of a blunt 35 square pyramid, the front side (4) of which carries the four finger operated keys (5). , 6, 7, 8), while a side surface DK 161415B 11 (9) carries both the thumb-operated keys (10, 11). Word processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the four finger operated keys (5, 6, 7, 8) is arranged in an ellipsoidal 5 concave recess in the front (4) of the housing (1). A word processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the back (3) of the housing (1) is substantially planar and angular to form a support for the wrist of an operator. Word processing apparatus according to one of claims 3-5, characterized in that the housing (1) has a forward and upwardly extending extension (12) which carries a character screen (13) from its front. A word processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, after operating the second thumb key (11) alone, the predetermined control signal obtained causes the individual key combinations to produce different text signals.