US3660645A — Calculating display board

Claim 1

Independent Claim 413 words

A calculating display device comprising: a visible display surface, means mountable on said surface for visibly displaying information, electrical calculating means requiring variable information, electrical input means responsive to said visible display means to derive said variable information therefrom and to impart said information to said calculating means; said display surface including a first section for indicating a first variable to be included in said calculation, said section being adapted for mounting an electrical connector, said visible display means including a first electrical connector and visible indicator which is adapted to be mounted on said first section, said first electrical connector being visible in said first display surface section to represent said first variable, said input means including electrical circuitry responsive to said first electrical connector when mounted in said first display surface section to make an electrical connection having information significance to said calculating means concerning said first variable; said display surface including a second section visibly distinct from said first section for indicating a second variable to be included in said calculation, said second section being adapted for mounting an electrical connector having visible display significance concerning said second variable, said visible display means including a second electrical connector and visible indicator which is adapted to be mounted on said second section, said second electrical connector being visible in said second section whereby to represent said second variable, said input means including electrical circuitry responsive to said second electrical connector when mounted on said second section to make an electrical connection having information significance to said calculating means concerning said second variable, said calculating means performing a calculation which is a function of both said first and second variables; said first section being arranged so that the presence of said first electrical connector thereon visually indicates the inclusion of said first variable in said calculation, said second section being adapted to mount a plurality of said second electrical connectors, and arranged so that the distance along a selected axis, between a start-stop pair of said second connectors mounted therein, visually indicates the magnitude of said second variable, said input means being arranged to sense the presence of said first connector, and the distance between said start-stop pair of second connectors, and to impart such information to said calculating means, and said calculating means being arranged to respond to the presence of said first connector by calculating a quantity which is proportional to the distance between said start-stop pair of second connectors.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 413 words

A calculating display device comprising: a visible display surface, means mountable on said surface for visibly displaying information, electrical calculating means requiring variable information, electrical input means responsive to said visible display means to derive said variable information therefrom and to impart said information to said calculating means; said display surface including a first section for indicating a first variable to be included in said calculation, said section being adapted for mounting an electrical connector, said visible display means including a first electrical connector and visible indicator which is adapted to be mounted on said first section, said first electrical connector being visible in said first display surface section to represent said first variable, said input means including electrical circuitry responsive to said first electrical connector when mounted in said first display surface section to make an electrical connection having information significance to said calculating means concerning said first variable; said display surface including a second section visibly distinct from said first section for indicating a second variable to be included in said calculation, said second section being adapted for mounting an electrical connector having visible display significance concerning said second variable, said visible display means including a second electrical connector and visible indicator which is adapted to be mounted on said second section, said second electrical connector being visible in said second section whereby to represent said second variable, said input means including electrical circuitry responsive to said second electrical connector when mounted on said second section to make an electrical connection having information significance to said calculating means concerning said second variable, said calculating means performing a calculation which is a function of both said first and second variables; said first section being arranged so that the presence of said first electrical connector thereon visually indicates the inclusion of said first variable in said calculation, said second section being adapted to mount a plurality of said second electrical connectors, and arranged so that the distance along a selected axis, between a start-stop pair of said second connectors mounted therein, visually indicates the magnitude of said second variable, said input means being arranged to sense the presence of said first connector, and the distance between said start-stop pair of second connectors, and to impart such information to said calculating means, and said calculating means being arranged to respond to the presence of said first connector by calculating a quantity which is proportional to the distance between said start-stop pair of second connectors.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

A device as in claim 1 wherein said display surface has indicia indicating that a connector in said first section represents a project, that said selected axis represents time, and that the distance between said start-stop pair of second connectors represents the duration of work on said project.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 205 words

A device as in claim 2 wherein said input means includes a plurality of start-stop connector-mounting means in said second section spaced along said selected axis to define increments of time, and said calculating means includes a plurality of first connector test conductors associated with respective ones of said connector-mounting means and arranged for connection to a connector mounted thereon whereby to test for the presence or absence of a connector at said mounting means, means for electrically testing said first test conductors for the presence or absence of a connector in a sequence corresponding to a scan along said time axis, second test conductor means responsive to said start-stop connectors, means for accumulating a count of pulses, means for supplying pulses to said accumulator means, computation control means for gating said pulses into said accumulator, and means responsive to said second test conductors for enabling said computation control gate to start a pulse accumulation interval the first time during said scan that one of said first test conductors tests positive for a start-stop connector, and for disabling said computation control gate to terminate said pulse accumulation interval the second time during said scan that one of said conductors tests positive for a start-stop connector.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 146 words

A device as in claim 3 wherein said computation control gate enabling and disabling means includes a count interval circuit which is settable for the duration of a count interval to enable said computation control gate, and resettable to disable it at the end of said count interval, a count interval gate controlling the setting of said count interval circuit, means for applying a start count interval signal to said count interval gate each time one of said first conductors is tested, to set said count interval circuit when said count interval gate is enabled, means for enabling said count interval gate in response to said first positive test and disabling it in response to said second positive test, and means independent of said count interval gate for thereafter resetting said counT interval circuit after each first conductor test and before the next first conductor test.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

A device as in claim 4 wherein said count interval circuit resetting means includes means arranged to measure a count interval by counting a predetermined quantity of pulses passed while said computation control gate is enabled, and to reset said count interval circuit at the end of said count interval.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

A device as in claim 5 wherein said count interval measuring means is arranged for adjustment of said predetermined count quantity, and comprises means for selecting said count quantity prior to the start of a count.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

A device as in claim 6 wherein said count quantity selecting means includes means for manually selecting said count quantity from a plurality of alternatives prior to said calculation, whereby to enter said count quantity into said calculation as a third variable.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 66 words

A device as in claim 7 wherein said count quantity selecting means includes a plurality of count quantity selecting circuits associated with respective count quantities, and having respective electrical inputs for selecting said circuits, and at least one of said electrical connectors includes means for making electrical connection to a selected one of said circuit inputs whereby placement of said connector selects one of said circuits.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

A device as in claim 8 wherein said circuit selecting means on said connector is manually changeable, and said circuit inputs are arranged to cooperate with said manually changeable means so that a manual change thereof determines which circuit is selected by said connector.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 85 words

A device as in claim 9 wherein said manually changeable connector means includes a plurality of prong-receiving recesses on said connector and an electrical connecting prong which is removable from, and replaceable in, any one of said recesses, and respective ones of said circuit inputs are positioned in relation to respective ones of said recesses to complete respective electrical connections to said prong when it is located therein, whereby the positioning of said prong in one of said recesses selects one of said circuit inputs.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

A device as in claim 8 wherein at least one of said count quantity selecting circuits includes manual switch means arranged to adjust the count quantity selected by said circuit.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 99 words

A device as in claim 11 wherein said manual switch means includes a device which is arranged to encode count quantities, and is manually adjustable to change the quantity encoded thereby, and said count quantity selecting circuit is arranged to cause the predetermined count quantity of said count interval measuring means to equal said quantity encoded. 13. A device as in claim 6 wherein said count interval measuring means is a countdown counter, and said count quantity selecting means is arranged to load said predetermined count quantity into said countdown counter at the start of a count interval measurement.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 46 words

A device as in claim 5 wherein said count interval measuring means includes a pulse repetition rate divider connected to receive the same pulses as are received by said accumulating means, and at least one counter arranged to receive and count pulses from said rate divider.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 97 words

A device as in claim 5 wherein said count interval measuring means and said accumulating means each includes a plurality of individual counter stages representing respective numerical orders and respective gates controlling the input of pulses to said stages, each pair of corresponding counter stages of said count interval measuring and accumulating means having the same count modulus, and each pair of corresponding counter stage control gates of said count interval measuring and accumulating means having common gate control circuitry whereby each gate of said pair is enabled and disabled at the same time as the other.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 55 words

A device as in claim 15 wherein said common gate control circuitry includes means to enable and disable said pairs of gates in order of inCreasing numerical significance of their associated counter stages in successive response to the respective successive overflow outputs of count stages of increasing numerical significance of said count interval measuring means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 184 words

A device as in claim 3 wherein said second test conductor means includes a plurality of second test conductors crossing said first test conductors, said second section of said display surface having regions corresponding to respective ones of said second conductors, each such region having a plurality of said start-stop connector mounting means each located at the intersection of a respective one of said second test conductors with a respective one of said first test conductors, said start-stop connector mounting means being arranged so that a start-stop connecter received by any one of them connects the second test conductor associated therewith to the first test conductor associated therewith so that a connector test signal applied to one of said associated test conductors emerges as a test output on the other of said associated test conductors to indicate the presence of said start-stop connector, and project scanning means for selecting said second test conductors in sequence as said first conductors are scanned, said computation control gate enabling means being arranged to respond to a positive connector test output from the currently selected test conductor intersection.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 137 words

A device as in claim 17 wherein said first section of said display surface is arranged to indicate a correspondence between each project connector mounted thereon and an associated start-stop connector mounting region in said second section, and project connector detection circuitry is arranged to cooperate with said project scanning means to respond to the presence of a project connector by providing a project connector detection signal when and only when a project connector is present in said first section and the particular one of said second test conductors which is associated therewith is selected, and project connector circuitry is responsive to said project connector detection signal to permit the enabling of said computation control gate during the selection of said particular second connector test conductor only if there is a project connector detection signal associated therewith.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 110 words

A device as in claim 18 wherein said visible display means includes a plurality of calculation enabling electrical connectors, and said display surface includes a third section adapted to mount said enabling connectors at positions therein which are visually correlated with respective ones of said second test conductors and each indicating a given calculation concerning the project represented by an associated one of said project connectors mounted in said first section, and including circuitry responsive to saId enabling connectors so that a signal representing detection of a stop-start connector is blocked unless an enabling connector is present in the position corresponding to the associated one of said second test conductors.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

A device as in claim 19 wherein said third section contains means for indicating that said project enabling connectors represent the assignment of individuals to the projects represented by said associated project connectors.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 151 words

A device as in claim 20 wherein said computation control gate enabling and disabling means includes a count interval circuit which is settable to enable said computation control gate and resettable to disable it, means for setting said count interval circuit in response to said first positive test, means including at least one counter for measuring a count interval by counting a predetermined quantity of pulses and thereafter resetting said count interval circuit to terminate said count interval, said count interval measuring means being arranged for adjustment of said count quantity, and means responsive to the one said project enabling connectors which is associated with a given one of said second test conductorS to select for said counter a given count quantity whereby to select a given count interval duration in connection with a given enabling connector during the time said associated second test conductor is selected by said scanning means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 73 words

A device as in claim 21 wherein said count quantity selecting means includes a plurality of count quantity selecting circuits each having a respective electrical input for selecting that circuit, and said project enabling connectors are removable and replaceable and include means for making a circuit-selecting electrical connection to one of said inputs of said quantity selecting means whereby placement of one of said connectors selects one of said count quantity selecting circuits.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 53 words

A device as in claim 18 wherein said project enabling connector detection circuitry employs one set of said start-stop connector test conductors as a common line for said project connector detection signal, and includes means for time-division multiplexing to distinguish said start-stop connector detection and project connector detection signals on said common line.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 128 words

A device as in claim 22 wherein said project connector circuitry includes a count interval circuit which is settable to enable said computation control gate and resettable to disable it, means operative on the first appearance of a start-stop connector detection signal to set said count interval circuit whereby to start a pulse accumulation, and means arranged to measure a count interval by counting a predetermined quantity of pulses during the time said computation control gate is enabled and to reset said count interval circuit at the end of said count interval, means for selecting said predetermined count quantity, and means responsive to said project connector detection signals to count said project connectors and to activate said count quantity selecting means each time a project connector is detected.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 90 words

A device as in claim 24 further comprising selection means controlling the accumulation of pulses by said accumulator counter, including manually operable individual project selection switches having an assigned numerical order, and means responsive to said project selection switches and said project connector counter to cause said selection means to permit the accumulation of pulses when one or more of said project selection switches is operated and the order of any one of the currently operated projected selection switches corresponds numerically to the current count in said project connector counter.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 38 words

A device as in claim 25 further comprising a manually operable total switch connected to provide a signal to said selection means which substitutes functionally for any and all of said responses to said individual project selection switches.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 71 words

A device as in claim 25 further comprising means responsive in a selective pattern to said first test conductors, when those in said pattern are selected for start-stop connector test scan purposes, to cause said selection means to permit a pulse accumulation concurrently with the start-stop connector test scan selection of any of said first test conductors which are included in said pattern, and time switches for manually selecting said pattern.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 54 words

A device as in claim 27 further comprising means including a gate arranged to disconnect said first test conductors from said selection means, and responsive to said project selection switches to connect said first test conductors in said pattern to said selection means when all of said project selection switches are simultaneously not operated.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 51 words

A device as in claim 27 wherein said means responsive in a selective pattern includes means for connecting said first test conductors in groups such that the first test conductors of each group are commonly controllable, and said time switches are each arranged to control a respective one of said groups.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 58 words

A device as in claim 27 further comprising means responsive to said time switches to detect a condition in which all such switches are simultaneously not operated, and means responsive to detection of such condition to provide a signal in a non-selective pattern which substitutes functionally for the operation of any one or more of said time switches.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 73 words

A device as in claim 30 further comprising means for enabling and disabling said computation control gate enabling means, and responsive to said time switches for enabling said gate enabling means during any time that none of said time switches is operated, and during any time that one or more of them is operated and the first test conductor currently selected furing a scan is one which is a currently operated time switch.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 112 words

A device as in claim 4 wherein said means for enabling and disabling said count interval gate includes a first time interval circuit arranged to be set in response to said second positive test, a terminal time interval circuit arranged to be set in response to said first positive test and not to be reset in response to said second positive test, means for enabling said count interval gate when either of said time interval circuits is set and disabling it when both of them are reset, and means for resetting said terminal time interval circuit upon resetting of said count interval circuit if said first time interval circuit is already reset.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 32 words

A device as in claim 32 further comprising means for resetting both of said time interval circuits after selection of the last of said first test conductors in each time axis scan.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 343 words

A device as in claim 32 further comprising means responsive in a selective pattern to said first test conductors, when those in said pattern are selected for start-stop connector test scan purposes, to provide a necessary input to said count interval gate concurrently with the start-stop connector test scan selection of any of said first test conductors which are included in said pattern, time switches for manually selecting said pattern, and means for resetting said terminal time interval circuit upon termination of a signal from one or more operated time switches. 35. A device as in claim 20 wherein said computation control gate enabling and disabling means includes a count interval circuit which is settable to enable said computation control gate and resettable to disable it, means for setting said count interval circuit in response to said first positive test, means including two counters connected in cascaded relationship for measuring a count interval by counting respective predetermined quantities of pulses and thereafter resetting said count interval circuit to terminate said count interval at the end of a time proportional to the product of said count quantities, said counters being arranged for individual adjustment of their respective count quantities, means responsive to the one of said project connectors which is associated with one or more of said second test conductors to select for one of said counters a given count quantity whereby to select a given partial count duration in connection with a given enabling connector associated with a given project connector during the time any second test conductor associated with said project connector is selected by said scanning means, and means responsive to an enabling connector which is associated with said second test conductor to select for the other of said counters a given count quantity whereby to select a given partial count duration in connection with the assignment of an individual to that project which is associated with that project enabling connector, during the time the particular second test conductor associated with that project enabling connector is selected by said scanning means.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 387 words

A calculating display device comprising: A visible display surface, means mountable on said surface for visibly displaying information, electrical calculating means requiring variable information, electrical input means responsive to said visible display means to derive said variable information therefrom and to impart Said information to said calculating means; said display surface including a project section for visually indicating various projects, a staff section for visually indicating the assignment of one or more staff members to each of said projects, and a time field for visually indicating the duration of said staff assignments, each of said sections being adapted for mounting electrical connectors thereon, said visible display means including a plurality of project representing electrical connectors mountable on said project section, a plurality of staff-representing electrical connectors mountable on said staff section, and a plurality of start-stop-representing electrical connectors mountable on said time field, said electrical input means making electrical connections to said project, staff and stop-stop connectors, and said electrical calculating means deriving said input information from said electrical connections and arranged to calculate, for each project staff assignment which is represented by a project connector mounted on said project section and a staff connector mounted on said staff section in a position visually correlated with said project connector, a cost figure which is proportional to the distance between a pair of start-stop connectors mounted in said time field in positions visually correlated with said staff connector; said display surface having a plurality of visibly distinct regions extending across said project and staff sections and said time field whereby to correlate visually a project connector mounted on said project section representing a given project with a staff connector mounted on said staff section representing a staff member assigned to that project and a pair of start-stop connectors on said time field indicating the duration of that staff assignment, said input means including respective electrical connectors associated with respective ones of said regions, said calculating means scanning said regions in sequence by selecting said regional conductors in sequence, and said calculating means being designed to calculate a subtotal cost each time it selects a given regional conductor provided there is at least a start connector and a staff connector associated with that regional conductor, and a total cost which is the sum of all said subtotal costs calculated.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 387 words

A calculating display device comprising: A visible display surface, means mountable on said surface for visibly displaying information, electrical calculating means requiring variable information, electrical input means responsive to said visible display means to derive said variable information therefrom and to impart Said information to said calculating means; said display surface including a project section for visually indicating various projects, a staff section for visually indicating the assignment of one or more staff members to each of said projects, and a time field for visually indicating the duration of said staff assignments, each of said sections being adapted for mounting electrical connectors thereon, said visible display means including a plurality of project representing electrical connectors mountable on said project section, a plurality of staff-representing electrical connectors mountable on said staff section, and a plurality of start-stop-representing electrical connectors mountable on said time field, said electrical input means making electrical connections to said project, staff and stop-stop connectors, and said electrical calculating means deriving said input information from said electrical connections and arranged to calculate, for each project staff assignment which is represented by a project connector mounted on said project section and a staff connector mounted on said staff section in a position visually correlated with said project connector, a cost figure which is proportional to the distance between a pair of start-stop connectors mounted in said time field in positions visually correlated with said staff connector; said display surface having a plurality of visibly distinct regions extending across said project and staff sections and said time field whereby to correlate visually a project connector mounted on said project section representing a given project with a staff connector mounted on said staff section representing a staff member assigned to that project and a pair of start-stop connectors on said time field indicating the duration of that staff assignment, said input means including respective electrical connectors associated with respective ones of said regions, said calculating means scanning said regions in sequence by selecting said regional conductors in sequence, and said calculating means being designed to calculate a subtotal cost each time it selects a given regional conductor provided there is at least a start connector and a staff connector associated with that regional conductor, and a total cost which is the sum of all said subtotal costs calculated.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 140 words

A device as in claim 36 wherein said calculating means includes means for counting said project connectors in the course of selecting successive ones of said regional conductors, and said calculating means is designed to calculate a subtotal cost only for those regional conductors which have a project connector associated therewith and those which follow a regional conductor having a project connector associated therewith, whereby for the purposes of said calculation the assignment of a plurality of staff members to a single project is represented by a single project connector mounted on said project section and associated with a given regional conductor plus a plurality of staff connectors mounted on said staff section, the first of which is associated with that same regional conductor and the others of which are associated with regional conductors which follow it in scanning order.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 52 words

A device as in claim 36 further comprising means for treating the latest-time-representing stop plug mounting position associated with each regional conductor as the equivalent of a stop plug during the selection of a given regional conductor if there is a start plug but no stop plug associated with that regional conductor.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 45 words

A device as in claim 37 further comprising a plurality of project selecting switches, said calculating means being designed to calculate a subtotal cost for those regional conductors which are associated with project plugs representing projects selected by one or more operated project selector switches.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 40 words

A device as in claim 39 wherein said calculating means is designed also to calculate a subtotal cost for all regional conductors associated with aNy project connector on said project section when none of said project selector switches is operated.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 69 words

A device as in claim 37 further comprising a plurality of time selection switches for selecting various time increments represented on said time field, said calculating means being designed to calculate a subtotal cost for any regional conductor which is proportional to that portion of the distance between start-stop connectors mounted on said time field in association with said regional conductor which is selected by said time selection switches.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 44 words

A device as in claim 41 wherein said calculating means is designed also to calculate for each regional conductor a subtotal cost which is proportional to the entire distance between each pair of start-stop connectors whenever none of said time selection switches is operated.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 134 words

A device as in claim 37 further comprising: a plurality of project selecting switches and a plurality of time selection switches for selecting various time increments representd on said time field, said calculating means being designed to calculate a subtotal cost only for those regional conductors which re associated with project plugs representing projects selected by one or more operated project selector switches when one or more of said switches is operated and to calculate a subtotal cost for a given regional conductor which is proportional to that portion of the distance between start-stop connectors mounted on said time field in association with said regional conductor which is selected by said time selection switches when one or more consecutive-time-increment-representing switches are operated and none of said project switches is operated at the same time.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 100 words

A device as in claim 43 wherein said calculating means is designed to calculate a subtotal cost only for those regional conductors which are associated with project plugs representing projects selected by one or more operated project selector switches and each subtotal cost for any regional conductor is proportional to that portion of the distance between start-stop connectors mounted on said time field in association with said regional conductors which is selected by said time selection switches when one or more consecutive-time-increment-representing switches are operated and one or more of said project switches are also operated at the same time.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 51 words

A device as in claim 43 further comprising a total switch, said calculating means being responsive to said total switch to calculate a subtotal cost for all said regional conductors, each said subtotal cost being proportional to the entire distance between a pair of start-stop connectors associated with said regional conductor.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 79 words

A device as in claim 37 wherein said project connectors comprise means for selecting among a plurality of project factors, said input means is responsive to said project factor selection means on said project connectors to sense the selection of a project factor for the individual project represented by said connector, and said calculating means is designed to apply said proJect factor as a multiplier in calculating the subtotal cost for each regional conductor associated with said project connector.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 80 words

A device as in claim 37 wherein said staff connectors comprise means for selecting among a plurality of staff factors, said input means is responsive to said staff factor selection means on said staff connectors to sense the selection of a staff factor for the individual staff member represented by said connector, and said calculating means is designed to apply said staff factor as a multiplier in calculating a subtotal cost for each regional conductor associated with said staff connector.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 103 words

A device as in claim 37 wherein said project connectors comprise means for selecting among a plurality of project factors, said staff connectors comprise means for selecting among a plurality of staff factors, said input means is responsive to said project and staff factor selection means on said proJect and staff connectors to sense the selection of project and staff factors for the individual projects and staff members represented by said connectors, and said calculating means is designed to apply said project and staff factors as multipliers in calculating a subtotal cost for each regional conductor associated with said project and staff connectors.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-05-02	1975-11-01	1976-05-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-05-02	1979-11-01	1980-05-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-05-02	1983-11-01	1984-05-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Calculating display board

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