Automatic numerical indication of surface locations

Claim 1

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of One element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits, only one for each element in one of said sets of elements, each logic circuit having a first input connected directly and only to a respective one of the elements of said first set, a second input connected directly and only to a respective one of the elements of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs; f. whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set.

Claim 2

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of One element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits, only one for each element in one of said sets of elements, each logic circuit having a first input connected directly and only to a respective one of the elements of said first set, a second input connected directly and only to a respective one of the elements of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs; f. whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set.

Claim 13

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of one element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits each having a first input connected to a respective element of said first set, a second input connected to a respective element of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs, whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set; f. a first matrix connected to the outputs of said logic circuits for converting the signal received from each said logic circuit into a respective binary-coded decimal signal; g. a switching device connected to the output of said first matrix and two memory units each connected to said switching device for storing the signals produced by said first matrix; and h. a second switching device connected to the outputs of said memory units and a second matrix connected to said switching device to convert the outputs from said memory units into signals which are coded for application to an information carrier.

Claim 14

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of one element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits each having a first input connected to a respective element of said first set, a second input connected to a respective element of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs, whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set; f. a first matrix connected to the outputs of said logic circuits for converting the signal received from each said logic circuit into a respective binary-coded decimal signal; g. a switching device connected to the output of said first matrix and two memory units each connected to said switching device for storing the signals produced by said first matrix; and h. a second switching device connected to the outputs of said memory units and a second matrix connected to said switching device to convert the outputs from said memory units into signals which are coded for application to an information carrier.

Claim 17

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which aRe electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of one element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits each having a first input connected to a respective element of said first set, a second input connected to a respective element of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs, whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set; f. a first matrix connected to the outputs of said logic circuits for converting the signal received from each said logic circuit into a respective binary-coded decimal signal, and a switching device connected to the output of said first matrix and two memory units each connected to said switching device for storing the signals produced by said first matrix, said memory units being arranged to inhibit the transfer of their contents when they receive a signal identical with that already stored.

Claim 18

A device for automatically producing a numerical representation of the location of any elemental area on a working surface, comprising, in combination: a. a first set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar conductive elements which aRe electrically isolated from each other; b. a second set of elongated, parallel, substantially coplanar, conductive elements which are electrically isolated from each other and which are disposed adjacent said first set so that the planes defined by said two sets are substantially parallel and so that said elements of said first set are oriented transversely to said elements of said second set, said elements of said second set being elastically deformable in a direction transverse to their plane, and said two sets being spaced from one another to be normally out of contact and to permit an element of said second set to be elastically deformed to physically and conductively contact an element of said first set upon the application of a deforming pressure to the element of said second set; c. said two sets of elements defining a matrix in which each region where an element of said second set crosses an element of said first set constitutes an elemental area of the working surface, wherein each such elemental area is defined by a unique combination of one element of each said set; d. pulse generator means having a first output connected to the elements of said first set for applying a train of signal pulses thereto and a second output connected to the elements of said second set for applying thereto a train of signal pulses which occur during the intervals between the pulses applied to said first set so that only one said set receives a pulse at any instant; and e. a plurality of logic circuits each having a first input connected to a respective element of said first set, a second input connected to a respective element of said second set, and an output at which a signal appears only when a signal appears simultaneously on the two elements connected to its said inputs, whereby when contact is made between two crossing elements, a signal pulse applied to said first set will also appear on the crossing element of said second set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose second input is connected to such crossing element of said second set, and a subsequent signal pulse applied to said second set will also appear on the crossing element of said first set and an output signal will be produced only by that logic circuit whose first input is connected to such crossing element of said first set; f. a first matrix connected to the outputs of said logic circuits for converting the signal received from each said logic circuit into a respective binary-coded decimal signal, and a switching device connected to the output of said first matrix and two memory units each connected to said switching device for storing the signals produced by said first matrix, said memory units being arranged to inhibit the transfer of their contents when they receive a signal identical with that already stored.