Data terminal apparatus having a device for aligning printed data

Claim 2

A printing data terminal apparatus comprising a keyboard for serially entering characters, a printing device for printing said characters, shift control means for positioning said printing device at a predetermined columnar position, back-space control means for back-spacing said printing device, a recirculating memory storing a plurality of said characters to be printed and having a cycle comprising plurality of bit periods and a control unit for controlling said memory and said printing device so as to print serially said characters which have been entered into said memory, wherein the improvement comprises in combination: a first zone included in said memory for temporarily storing said plurality of characters, said control unit simultaneously causing each of said entered characters to be stored in said first zone and said back-space control means to back-space said printing apparatus by one step for each character entered in said first zone starting from said predetermined columnar position, and a function key operable upon entering the last character of said plurality of characters into said first zone for causing said control unit to transfer the plurality of characters temporarily stored in said first zone into a second zone of said memory and at the same time to said printing device, whereby said plurality of characters are printed with the last entered characters aligned on said predetermined columnar position.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second zones are defined by a predetermined number of bit periods, and comprising: a shift register means connecting the input and the output of said memory for circulation of the characters stored in the first and second zones, and a counter means for counting the bit periods so as to define said first and second zones.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control unit is conditioned by said counter to generate a reading signal and a writing signal, said memory comprising reading means responsive to said reading signal for reading characters stored in said first zone, and writing means responsive to said writing signal for writing characters in said second zone.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2, including a timing means for generating timing pulses associated to said bit periods of said memory, said counter being activated by a timing pulse associated with the first bit period of the first zone of the memory.

Claim 6

A data transmission system having a central processor, at least a terminal apparatus comprising a keyboard means for serially entering data characters, a printing means for printing said data characters, shift control means operable for positioning said printing device on a predetermined columnar position, back-space control means operable for back-spacing said printing device, a recirculating memory for storing a plurality of said characters to be printed and having a cycle comprising a plurality of bit periods, a control unit means for controlling said memory and said printing device so as to print serially said characters being entered into said second zone and having means for selectively connecting said apparatus to said processor wherein the improvement comprises: a first zone included in said memory for storing said plurality of data characters, said control unit causing each data character entered from said keyboard to be temporarily stored in said first zone and causing said back-space control means to back-space said printing apparatus one column for each character entered into said memory zone starting from said predetermined columnar position, and a function key operable upon entering the last data character of said plurality for causing said control unit to transfer the characters so stored in said first zone into a second zone of said memory and to said printing device, whereby said plurality of characters are printed with the last entered character aligned on said predetermined columnar position, and line control means conditioned by said control unit upon transferring said plurality of characters to said second zone for sending the characters so transferred to said central processor.

Claim 7

A data transmission system having a central processor, at least a terminal apparatus comprising a keyboard means for serially entering data characters, a printing means for printing said data characters, shift control means operable for positioning said printing device on a predetermined columnar position, back-space control means operable for back-spacing said printing device, a recirculating memory for storing a plurality of said characters to be printed and having a cycle comprising a plurality of bit periods, a control unit means for controlling said memory and said printing device so as to print serially said characters being entered into said second zone and having means for selectively connecting said apparatus to said processor wherein the improvement comprises: a first zone included in said memory for storing said plurality of data characters, said control unit causing each data character entered from said keyboard to be temporarily stored in said first zone and causing said back-space control means to back-space said printing apparatus one column for each character entered into said memory zone starting from said predetermined columnar position, and a function key operable upon entering the last data character of said plurality for causing said control unit to transfer the characters so stored in said first zone into a second zone of said memory and to said printing device, whereby said plurality of characters are printed with the last entered character aligned on said predetermined columnar position, and line control means conditioned by said control unit upon transferring said plurality of characters to said second zone for sending the characters so transferred to said central processor.