Data input key apparatus

Claim 2

A data input device for an electronic computer or the like, comprising electro-mechanical transducing means including at least one electrostatically charged element, at least one electrode confronting said charged element with a gap therebetween and actuating key means which is manually operable for narrowing said gap and thereby causing said charged element to electrostatically induce a charge on said electrode, a field effect transistor which is normally in a non-conductive state, conductive means connected between said electrode and the gate of said transistor for providing a charge at said gate of opposite polarity to said charge induced on the electrode and by which said transistor is rendered conductive, means for providing an output signal in response to said transistor being rendered conductive, and switch means connected between said conductive means and ground and controlled in response to said output signal for removing said charge of opposite polarity from said gate and thereby returning said transistor to said non-conductive state even if operation of said actuating key means is continued.

Claim 3

A data input device according to claim 1; in which said electro-mechanical transducing means has a second electrostatically charged element and a second electrode confronting said second charged element with a gap therebetween, said actuating key means is manually operable to selectively narrow the gap between said one charged element and one electrode and the gap between said second charged element and second electrode, and said field effect transducer is controlled in response to the charge induced selectively on said one and second electrodes in response to the narrowing of the respective gap.

Claim 4

A data input device according to claim 1, in which said electro-mechanical transducing means has a second electrode confronting said charged element with a gap therebetween which is also narrowed upon manual operation of said actuating key means to electrostatically induce a charge on said second electrode, and further comprising a second field effect transistor controlled by said charge induced on said second electrode for providing a second output, and second switching means for shunting said second field effect transducer and thereby removing the controlling charge therefrom upon the appearance of said second output.

Claim 5

A data input device according to claim 1, in which a processing circuit is connected with said field effect transistor for producing a characteristic output signal in response to said output from said field effect transistor, and a detecting circuit detects said output signal from the processing circuit and produces a pulse for controlling said switching means.

Claim 6

A data input device according to claim 1, further comprising a diode connected between said conductive means and ground and having its polarity arranged for removing from said electrode the charge which remains on the latter following the removal of said charge of opposite polarity through said switch means and the return of said charged element and electrode to the normal gap width therebetween.

Claim 7

A data input device according to claim 5, in which said charged element is an electret.

Claim 8

A data input device according to claim 5, in which said switch means includes a second field effect transistor, and means for detecting said output signal and rendering said second field effect transistor conductive for a pulse period.

Claim 9

A data input keyboard assembly for an electronic computer or the like, comprising a plurality of keyboard units arranged in rows and lines, each of said keyboard units including an electrically charged element, first and second electrodes confronting said charged element with a gap therebetween and actuating key means which is manually operable for narrowing said gap and thereby causing said charged element to electrostatically induce a charge on each of said first and second electrodes, a first field effect transistor for each of said rows of keyboard units, a second field effect transistor for each of said lines of keyboard units, conductive means connecting the gates of said first and second field transistors with said first and second electrodes, respectively, of the keyboard units located in the corresponding rows and lines, respectively, and by which said charge induced on said first and second electrodes of any one of said keyboard units produces a charge of opposite polarity at the gates of said first and second field effect transistors connected therewith for providing respective outputs from the latter, and switch means in shunting association with the gate of each of said first and second field effect transistors for removing said charge of opposite polarity therefrom upon the appearance of said output from the respective field effect transistor and thereby halting said output from said respective field effect transistor even if operation of the actuating key means of a keyboard unit associated therewith is continued.

Claim 10

A data input keyboard assembly for an electronic computer or the like, comprising a plurality of keyboard units arranged in rows and lines, each of said keyboard units including an electrically charged element, first and second electrodes confronting said charged element with a gap therebetween and actuating key means which is manually operable for narrowing said gap and thereby causing said charged element to electrostatically induce a charge on each of said first and second electrodes, a first field effect transistor for each of said rows of keyboard units, a second field effect transistor for each of said lines of keyboard units, conductive means connecting the gates of said first and second field transistors with said first and second electrodes, respectively, of the keyboard units located in the corresponding rows and lines, respectively, and by which said charge induced on said first and second electrodes of any one of said keyboard units produces a charge of opposite polarity at the gates of said first and second field effect transistors connected therewith for providing respective outputs from the latter, and switch means in shunting association with the gate of each of said first and second field effect transistors for removing said charge of opposite polarity therefrom upon the appearance of said output from the respective field effect transistor and thereby halting said output from said respective field effect transistor even if operation of the actuating key means of a keyboard unit associated therewith is continued.

Claim 11

A data input keyboard assembly according to claim 8, in which said switch means for each of said first and second field effect transistors includes an additional field effect transistor.

Claim 12

A data input keyboard assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a diode connected in parallel with each of said switch means and having its polarity arranged for removing the charge that remains on any of the electrodes connected with the respective field effect transistors following the shunting of said respective field effect transistors through the switch means and the return of the respective charged element and electrodes to the normal gap width therebetween.

Claim 13

A data input keyboard assembly according to claim 8, in which said charged element of each keyboard unit is an electret.