Input device

Claim 2

An input device for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises means for selecting in succession a signal out of a plurality of input signals from the corresponding number of signal sources, storing means including a shift register of serial type for storing the signal which has been selected by said selecting means, first gating means operable so as to feed said selected signal to said storing means and inhibit the passage of the subsequently selected signal therethrough to said storing means after said selected signal has been stored by said storing means, and second gating means operable so as to read out the signal stored in said storing means and then to feed it to the following stage, whereby the content stored in said register can be fed to said following stage at any time when said following stage requires, while the inhibition of the passage of said subsequently selected signal through said first gating means is released upon transference of said content to said following stage in response to a command signal.

Claim 3

An input device for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises a group of key switches associated with a plurality of keys disposed on a keyboard, first ends of said key switches being adapted to receive respective timing signals generated in different timings whilE second ends of said key switches being connected with a common junction from which a signal indicative of depression of any one of said keys emerges, means operable upon receipt of said signal from said common junction to generate a signal identifying the key depressed at the relevant timing, means including a serial type shift register for storing said identifying signal, means for feeding said identifying signal from said first mentioned means to said shift register and for inhibiting the passage of a subsequent signal identifying a subsequently depressed key after said identifying signal has been completely stored in said shift register, means for reading out the signal stored in said shift register and then feeding it to the following stage, first storing means for storing an information that a key different from that signified by the content of said shift register has been depressed, second storing means for storing an information that any one of said keys has been depressed, third storing means for storing an information that the number of keys depressed is not one and means for generating command signals in response to the logical output of said first to third storing means whereby said third mentioned means and said fourth mentioned means can be respectively operated so as to read out the content of said shift register and to release the inhibition.

Claim 4

An input device for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises a group of key switches associated with a plurality of keys disposed on a keyboard, first ends of said key switches being adapted to receive respective timing signals generated in different timings whilE second ends of said key switches being connected with a common junction from which a signal indicative of depression of any one of said keys emerges, means operable upon receipt of said signal from said common junction to generate a signal identifying the key depressed at the relevant timing, means including a serial type shift register for storing said identifying signal, means for feeding said identifying signal from said first mentioned means to said shift register and for inhibiting the passage of a subsequent signal identifying a subsequently depressed key after said identifying signal has been completely stored in said shift register, means for reading out the signal stored in said shift register and then feeding it to the following stage, first storing means for storing an information that a key different from that signified by the content of said shift register has been depressed, second storing means for storing an information that any one of said keys has been depressed, third storing means for storing an information that the number of keys depressed is not one and means for generating command signals in response to the logical output of said first to third storing means whereby said third mentioned means and said fourth mentioned means can be respectively operated so as to read out the content of said shift register and to release the inhibition.

Claim 5

An input device for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises a plurality of groups of key switches associated with a plurality of keys disposed on a keyboard, first ends of said key switches of each group being adapted to receive respective timing signals generated in different timings while second ends of said key switches of each group being connected with a common junction from which a signal indicative of depression of any one of said keys emerges, means operable upon receipt of signals from said common junctions to generate a signal identifying the key depressed at the relevant timing, means operable upon receipt of a signal indicative of depression of any one of the keys of said groups from any one of said common junction for storing an information that a key of a specific one of said groups has been depressed, means including a serial type shift register for storing said identifying signal, means for feeding said identifying signal from said first mentioned means to said shift register and for inhibiting the passage of a subsequent signal identifying a subsequently depressed key after said identifying signal has been completely stored in said shift register, first feeding means for reading out the signal stored in said shift register and then feeding it to the following stage, second feeding means for feeding to said following stage together with said identifying signal from said first feeding means a signal identifying the group to which said depressed key belongs, first storing means for storing an information that a key different from that signified by the content of said shift register has been depressed, second storing means for storing an information that any one of said keys has been depressed, third storing means for storing an information that the number of keys depressed is not one and means for generating command signals in response to the logical product of said first to third storing means whereby said fourth mentioned means and said first and second feeding means can be respectively operated so as to read out the content of said shift register and to release the inhibition.

Claim 6

An input device for use in an electronic apparatus which comprises a plurality of groups of key switches associated with a plurality of keys disposed on a keyboard, first ends of said key switches of each group being adapted to receive respective timing signals generated in different timings while second ends of said key switches of each group being connected with a common junction from which a signal indicative of depression of any one of said keys emerges, means operable upon receipt of signals from said common junctions to generate a signal identifying the key depressed at the relevant timing, means operable upon receipt of a signal indicative of depression of any one of the keys of said groups from any one of said common junction for storing an information that a key of a specific one of said groups has been depressed, means including a serial type shift register for storing said identifying signal, means for feeding said identifying signal from said first mentioned means to said shift register and for inhibiting the passage of a subsequent signal identifying a subsequently depressed key after said identifying signal has been completely stored in said shift register, first feeding means for reading out the signal stored in said shift register and then feeding it to the following stage, second feeding means for feeding to said following stage together with said identifying signal from said first feeding means a signal identifying the group to which said depressed key belongs, first storing means for storing an information that a key different from that signified by the content of said shift register has been depressed, second storing means for storing an information that any one of said keys has been depressed, third storing means for storing an information that the number of keys depressed is not one and means for generating command signals in response to the logical product of said first to third storing means whereby said fourth mentioned means and said first and second feeding means can be respectively operated so as to read out the content of said shift register and to release the inhibition.

Claim 7

An input device according to claim 1, wherein said signal sources provide an output signal in the form of a serial bit stream for application to said serial shift register.

Claim 8

An input device according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means includes a keyboard arrangement having selectable keys, and encoder means including said signal sources for providing a serieal bit stream output signal corresponding to a selected key for application to said serial shift register.