US3628052A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Keyboard controlled circuitry with electronic interlock
Assignee: Unisys Corp
•
Filing: 1970-01-26
•
Granted: 1971-12-14
•
Expires: 1990-01-26
Abstract
Abstract Relates generally to the production of electrical signals from a keyboard, the keys of which are operatively associated with one or more individual switching devices whose activation to conducting or nonconducting operating conditions is controlled by the displacement of the keys. The invention is more particularly directed to a keyboard protective device characterized as an electronic interlock for causing signals from the keyboard to be ignored if two or more keys are simultaneously displaced by the operator. Means is provided for applying strobe pulses to the keyboard switches and for performing this operation in such a manner that adjacent keys are strobed on different channels. For the numerical input keys of the keyboard this is accomplished by separately strobing the odd and even valued keys because in the usual ten key keyboard the odd and even numbered keys are adjoining neighbors. The invention accomplishes the electronic interlock by detecting a concurrent strobe of the closed switches of the two adjoining depressed keys and utilizing such detection to warn the operator of a false entry and to cause the resulting output of the keyboard to be ignored.
Inventors
- 👤 James A Mitchell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:00
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06C; G06C7/00; G06C7/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
Keyboard mechanism comprising, in combination: a plurality of actuatable keys arranged in rows and columns; a plurality of electrical switches; means responsive to the actuation of any selected key of the mechanism for permutatively closing a different one or more of the switches to provide a distinctive coded representation of the key; means for producing a strobe pulse and applying the same to the switches in order to provide electrical signals on the outputs of those switches which are closed; means electrically associated with the switches closed by one set of alternatingly positioned keys on the keyboard for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; separate means electrically associated with the switches closed by a second set of keys on the keyboard which intervene between those of the first set for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; and means responsive to the strobing of the switches initiated by the concurrent actuation of keys in both said sets for generating a control signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
Keyboard mechanism comprising, in combination: a plurality of actuatable keys arranged in rows and columns; a plurality of electrical switches; means responsive to the actuation of any selected key of the mechanism for permutatively closing a different one or more of the switches to provide a distinctive coded representation of the key; means for producing a strobe pulse and applying the same to the switches in order to provide electrical signals on the outputs of those switches which are closed; means electrically associated with the switches closed by one set of alternatingly positioned keys on the keyboard for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; separate means electrically associated with the switches closed by a second set of keys on the keyboard which intervene between those of the first set for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; and means responsive to the strobing of the switches initiated by the concurrent actuation of keys in both said sets for generating a control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that a strobe initiating switch is associated with each said set of keys which can be closed only by keys in its respective set.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that means is provided which responds to the generation of said control signal for nullifying the output signals from the switches closed as a result of the concurRent actuation of keys in both of said sets of keys.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
163 words
Keyboard mechanism comprising; in combination: a keyboard of actuatable odd valued keys and actuatable even valued keys arranged in crossing rows and columns; a plurality of electrical switches; means responsive to the actuation of any selected key of the mechanism for permutatively closing a different one or more of the switches to provide a distinctive code for each key; means for producing a strobe pulse and applying the same to the switches in order to provide electrical signals on the outputs of those switches which are closed; means electrically associated with the switches closed by the odd valued keys for initiating said strobe pulse producing means and separate means electrically associated with the switches closed by the even valued keys for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; and means for detecting the concurrent initiation of said strobing means by said first and second means and operable to nullify the output signals from the closed switches when the switches are strobed in such manner.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
163 words
Keyboard mechanism comprising; in combination: a keyboard of actuatable odd valued keys and actuatable even valued keys arranged in crossing rows and columns; a plurality of electrical switches; means responsive to the actuation of any selected key of the mechanism for permutatively closing a different one or more of the switches to provide a distinctive code for each key; means for producing a strobe pulse and applying the same to the switches in order to provide electrical signals on the outputs of those switches which are closed; means electrically associated with the switches closed by the odd valued keys for initiating said strobe pulse producing means and separate means electrically associated with the switches closed by the even valued keys for initiating said strobe pulse producing means; and means for detecting the concurrent initiation of said strobing means by said first and second means and operable to nullify the output signals from the closed switches when the switches are strobed in such manner.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The invention defined in claim 4 characterized in that an odd valued key of the mechanism is assigned the value of ''''one'''' and that the odd value initiation of said strobe pulse producing means is responsive to the actuation of the ''''one'''' valued key.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
169 words
The method of electrically interlocking the keys of a keyboard operating mechanism in which the keys are arranged in crossing rows and columns which comprises: permutatively closing a different one or more of a plurality of electric switches upon actuation of any key in the keyboard mechanism; electrically strobe pulsing those switches which are actuated to closed condition upon actuation of any key of one set of alternatingly positioned keys of the keyboard mechanism to produce signals on the outputs of those switches which are so closed; electrically strobe pulsing those switches which are actuated to closed condition upon actuation of any key of a second set of keys of the keyboard mechanism which are alternatingly positioned with respect to the keys of the first set to produce signals on the outputs of those switches which are so closed; and employing the concurrent strobing of both sets of keys of the keyboard mechanism for causing the output signals from the closed switches of the keyboard mechanism to be ignored.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
169 words
The method of electrically interlocking the keys of a keyboard operating mechanism in which the keys are arranged in crossing rows and columns which comprises: permutatively closing a different one or more of a plurality of electric switches upon actuation of any key in the keyboard mechanism; electrically strobe pulsing those switches which are actuated to closed condition upon actuation of any key of one set of alternatingly positioned keys of the keyboard mechanism to produce signals on the outputs of those switches which are so closed; electrically strobe pulsing those switches which are actuated to closed condition upon actuation of any key of a second set of keys of the keyboard mechanism which are alternatingly positioned with respect to the keys of the first set to produce signals on the outputs of those switches which are so closed; and employing the concurrent strobing of both sets of keys of the keyboard mechanism for causing the output signals from the closed switches of the keyboard mechanism to be ignored.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3508201A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-13 | 1975-06-14 | 1975-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-13 | 1979-06-14 | 1979-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-13 | 1983-06-14 | 1983-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |