System and method for printing alpha-numerics and graphics

Claim 2

In a method for remote terminal printing of alpha-numerics and graphic displays on electrosensitive paper the steps of: a. receiving at said terminal incoming serially coded data bit pulses containing alpha-numeric characters and graphics information and converting said bit pulses from serial to parallel, b. directing parallel characters bit pulses as received to a decoder circuit and converting the same to a dot matrix for transmission to a writing head, where said bit pulses produce dot-defined characters on said paper, and c. directing parallel graphics bit pulses as received directly to said writing head for producing dot-defined data on said paper.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 and also including directing incoming coded data pulses to a control circuit for monitoring said data and for commanding terminal operations and to a mode switching means for selectively determining by command from said control circuit whether said terminal writing head will print in graphics or alpha-numerics.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2 including selectively commanding through said control circuit other terminal operations such as carriage and writing head movement across said paper, carriage and writing head returns, when said writing head is to print, and line feed of paper for said writing head.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3 and including selectively commanding through said control circuit the rate of writing head movement for printing in alpha-numerics and the rate of writing head movement for printing in graphics.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 4 and including commanding movement of said writing head to move at the alpha-numerics rate when traversing blank spaces in printing graphics.

Claim 7

In a method for remote terminal printing of alpha-numeric characters and graphic displays on electrosensitive paper, in which the terminal includes a writing head with a vertical array of printing conductors for printing dots on said paper, and also includes means for moving said writIng head across said paper, means for feeding paper to said writing head and writing head return means, the steps of: a. receiving at said terminal incoming serially coded data bit pulses containing alpha-numeric characters and graphics information and converting the same to logic voltage levels and also converting said bit pulses from serial to parallel for simultaneous transmission to other circuits, b. directing parallel character bit pulses as received to a decoder circuit and converting the same to a dot matrix for transmission to said writing head conductors where said bit pulses produce dot-defined characters on said paper, and c. directing parallel graphics bit pulses as received directly to said writing head for producing dot-defined data on said paper.

Claim 8

In a method for remote terminal printing of alpha-numeric characters and graphic displays on electrosensitive paper, in which the terminal includes a writing head with a vertical array of printing conductors for printing dots on said paper, and also includes means for moving said writIng head across said paper, means for feeding paper to said writing head and writing head return means, the steps of: a. receiving at said terminal incoming serially coded data bit pulses containing alpha-numeric characters and graphics information and converting the same to logic voltage levels and also converting said bit pulses from serial to parallel for simultaneous transmission to other circuits, b. directing parallel character bit pulses as received to a decoder circuit and converting the same to a dot matrix for transmission to said writing head conductors where said bit pulses produce dot-defined characters on said paper, and c. directing parallel graphics bit pulses as received directly to said writing head for producing dot-defined data on said paper.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 6 and also including directing incoming coded data pulses to a control circuit for monitoring said data and for commanding terminal operations and to a mode switching means for selectively determining by command from said control circuit whether said terminal writing head will print in graphics or alpha-numerics.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 7 including selectively commanding through said control circuit other terminal operations such as carriage and writing head movement across said paper, carriage and writing head returns, when said writing head is to print, and line feed of paper for said writing head.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 8 and including selectively commanding through said control circuit the rate of writing head movement for printing in alpha-numerics and the rate of writing head movement for printing in graphics.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 9 and including commanding movement of said writing head to move at the alpha-numerics rate when traversing blank spaces while printing in the graphics mode.

Claim 13

In a remote computer terminal printing system including a writing head with a vertical array of printing conductors for printing dots on electrosensitive paper, means for moving said writing head across said paper, means for feeding paper to said writing head and writing head return means the improvements, comprising: a. first circuit means for receiving serially coded data pulses containing alpha-numeric characters and/or graphics information and converting said coded pulses from serial to parallel for simultaneous transmission to other circuits, b. second circuit means for decoding parallel character pulses and converting the same to a dot matrix for transmission to said printing head conductors, c. switching means for receiving parallel graphics pulses directly from said first circuit means and parallel alpha-numeric character pulses from said second circuit means and for selectively transmitting the same to said writing head, d. third circuit means for controlling terminal functions including said switching means and for selectively determining whether parallel graphics pulses are to be sent directly from said first circuit means through said switching means to said writing head conductors or whether said parallel character pulses are sent from said second circuit means through said switching means to said writing head conductors.

Claim 14

In a remote computer terminal printing system including a writing head with a vertical array of printing conductors for printing dots on electrosensitive paper, means for moving said writing head across said paper, means for feeding paper to said writing head and writing head return means the improvements, comprising: a. first circuit means for receiving serially coded data pulses containing alpha-numeric characters and/or graphics information and converting said coded pulses from serial to parallel for simultaneous transmission to other circuits, b. second circuit means for decoding parallel character pulses and converting the same to a dot matrix for transmission to said printing head conductors, c. switching means for receiving parallel graphics pulses directly from said first circuit means and parallel alpha-numeric character pulses from said second circuit means and for selectively transmitting the same to said writing head, d. third circuit means for controlling terminal functions including said switching means and for selectively determining whether parallel graphics pulses are to be sent directly from said first circuit means through said switching means to said writing head conductors or whether said parallel character pulses are sent from said second circuit means through said switching means to said writing head conductors.

Claim 15

The system according to claim 11 and including fourth circuit means for receiving either parallel graphic pulses or parallel character pulses from said switching means and transmitting the same to said writing head conductors, said fourth circuit means also receiving print commands for said writing head conductors from said third circuit means.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 12 and including fifth circuit means for receiving commands from said third circuit means for driving said means for moving said head across said paper.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 13 and including sixth circuit means for receiving commands from said third circuit means for driving said means for feeding paper to said writing head.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 14 and including sevenTh circuit means for receiving commands from said third circuit means for driving said writing head return means.