Multi-character display controller for text recorder

Claim 2

- A multi-character display controller for use in a text recorder of the type having: a text display means for displaying character sequences, keyboard means including a plurality of keys each producing a coded signal representing said keys when actuated by an operator and, decoder means for receiving coded signals from said keyboard means and for supplying corresponding drive signals for at least some of said keys to said text display means, said multi-character display controller being characterized in that it includes: mode means for producing a mode signal and for changing an operating mode of the text recorder from a normal mode to a multi-character mode or from said multi-character mode to said normal mode when actuated by an operator, first means responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character mode state for nullifying the normal response of said decoder means to at least a subset of said coded signals, auxiliary decoder means and storage means associated with said auxiliary decoder means, said storage means retrievably storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said subset, said auxiliary decoder means responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character mode state and to said storage means for supplying to said text display means drive signals representing a preselected character sequence corresponding to that defined by signals read from said storage means.

Claim 3

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: said decoder means includes function storage means for correlating at least some of said coded signals with associated drive signals, said storage means includes: first storage 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 storage means for storing signals representing said entry, second storage means addressed by said counter means including an entry for each of said coded signals in said subset, a first subentry located at a location designated by an entry from said first storage means, each said entry including a stop code as a final subentry, said multi-character display controller being further characterized in that it includes: means responsive to said second storage means for incrementing said counter means each time an output is produced by said second storage means, said last-named means responsive to a stop code read from said second storage means for inhibiting further incrementing of said counter means, said auxiliary decoder means including means for supplying outputs from said second storage means to address said function storage means.

Claim 4

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 1 or.2, characterized in that: said keyboard means includes at least a shift key and a shift lock key, said auxiliary decoder means includes a corresponding latch means for tracking actuation of said shift and shift lock keys and said auxililary decoder means addresses said function storage means to supply said drive signals for each character in said preselected character sequence in upper or lower case format in dependence on said shift and shift lock latch means.

Claim 5

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 3, characterized in that: said auxiliary decoder means supplies drive signals representing upper chase characters for each character in said sequence if said shift lock latch means is in a predetermined condition and supplies drive signals for an upper case character for selected characters in said sequence if said shift latch means is in a predetermined condition and said shift lock latch means is not in a predetermined condition.

Claim 6

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 4, characterized in that said selected characters are identified by contents of said storage means.

Claim 7

A multi-character display controller according to claim 2, characterized in that said subset of coded signals includes at least one coded signal corresponding to a key associated with a punctuation mark and further characterized in that said second storage means includes three subentries for one said punctuation mark, a first entry representing said punctuation mark, a second subentry representing a space function, and a third subentry representing said stop. code.

Claim 8

- For use in a text recorder of the type having: text display means for displaying one or more characters in a sequence determined by an operator; keyboard apparatus for operator actuation including a first set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective alphabetic characters in response to an opeator actuation and a second set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective numeric characters in response to an operator actuation; and decoder means for receiving coded signals from said keyboard apparatus and fur supplying corresponding drive signals to said text display means, a multi-character display controller characterized in that it includes: 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 to a multi-character mode, first means, responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character state for nullifying the normal response of said decoder means to at least a subset of the coded signals from said second set of keying devices, and auxiliary decoder means responsive to said mode signal for responding to said subset of coded signals during operation in a multi-character mode to provide corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means, said auxiliary decode means including storage means retrievably-storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said subset of said second set of keying devices.

Claim 9

- For use in a text recorder of the type having: text display means for displaying one or more characters in a sequence determined by an operator; keyboard apparatus for operator actuation including a first set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective alphabetic characters in response to an opeator actuation and a second set of keying devices for producing coded signals representing respective numeric characters in response to an operator actuation; and decoder means for receiving coded signals from said keyboard apparatus and fur supplying corresponding drive signals to said text display means, a multi-character display controller characterized in that it includes: 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 to a multi-character mode, first means, responsive to said mode signal in a multi-character state for nullifying the normal response of said decoder means to at least a subset of the coded signals from said second set of keying devices, and auxiliary decoder means responsive to said mode signal for responding to said subset of coded signals during operation in a multi-character mode to provide corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means, said auxiliary decode means including storage means retrievably-storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective coded signals from said subset of said second set of keying devices.

Claim 10

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 7, characterized in that: said decoder means includes function storage means correlating at least some of said coded signals with corresponding drive signals and further characterized in that said storage means includes: first storage 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 storage means for storing signals representing said entry, second storage means addressed by said counter means including an entry for each of said coded signals in said subset, a first subentry located at a location designated by an entry in said first storage means, each said entry including a stop code as a final entry, means for supplying outputs from said second storage means to address said function storage means, and incrementing means responsive to said second storage means, for incrementing said counter means each time an output is produced thereby, said incrementing means responsive to a stop code read from said second storage means for inhibiting further incrementing of said counter means.

Claim 11

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 7 or 8, characterized -in that 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 representing respective text recorder functions in response to operator actuation, said multi-character display controller being further characterized in that it 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 keying device in said third set, said mode signal, and to said buffer means, for nullifying normal response of said decoder means to at least a second subset of said third set of keying devices but only if a prior key stroke represented operator actuation of a key in said fourth set, said auxiliary decoder means including means responsive to said mode signal, for responding to at least said second subset of codes during operation in said multi-character mode, to supply corresponding sequences of drive signals to said text display means, said auxiliary decoder means including second storage means for retrievably storing signals representing preselected character sequences at locations corresponding to respective codes from said second subset.

Claim 12

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said storage means retrievably stores signals representing second preselected character sequences at location corresponding to respective codes from at least some said subset of keying devices, each of said second preselected character sequences including a space function preceding a first character, and further characterized in that. it includes: linkage means responsive to repeated actuation of an identical key in said subset without intervening actuation of any other key, to alter the response of said auxiliary decoder means on a second preselected of an identical key to supply a second preselected character sequence from said second storage means.

Claim 13

- A multi-character display controller according to claim 10, characterized in that said linkage means includes: a comparator for comparing a coded signal with an immediately prior entered coded signal, a first latch set in response to a signal from said first storage means representing a code from said at least some of said subset of keying devices, a second latch set in response to an equality result from said comparator, and means for adjusting an input to said first storage means to access an entry representing a character sequence from said second set in response to said condition of said first and second latches.