Entry confirming input terminal

Claim 2

A data entry terminal for enabling operator entry of input information to a data processing system and for displaying for operator viewing a confirming indication of receipt of proper data by said data processing system, said terminal comprising: a plurality of separate discrete elements arranged in an array of said elements wherein said elements are operative in response to an excitation signal to emit a visible indication; means for sequentially activating each of the elements in said array with an excitation signal having a characteristic which produces a low level emission; operator controlled means for detecting the low level emissions of said elements, said detecting means being operative for detection of the emission from a selectable element from said array of elements; means operative in response to the detection of low-level emissions for providing an indication of the selected one of said elements; means for communicating to said data processing system the indicated element, said data processing system being operative to provide a return signal which represents the indicated element as received by said data processing system; and means responsive to said return signal for generating an excitation signal for the corresponding element with a characteristic to provide high level emission from said corresponding element.

Claim 3

The data entry terminal of claim 1 wherein said elements are light emitting diodes.

Claim 4

The data entry terminal of claim 1 further including: a plurality of overlays adapted for placement over said array of elements to associate predetermined data with each of said elements; each of said plurality of overlays having identifying means to distinguish itself from said plurality of overlays; and means for providing an indication to said data processing system of the identity of the overlay in place over said array of elements.

Claim 5

The date entry terminal of claim 1 further including means for discriminating against communicating to said data processing system erroneous indication for selected elements.

Claim 6

The data entry terminal or claim 1 further including: means for detecting a predetermined number of sequential activations of the same element coincident with detection of low-level emission of said same element; and means to inhibit communication of the indicated element to said data processing system until said predetermined number is detected.

Claim 7

The data entry terminal of claim 1 wherein said detecting means is operative to reject sequential detection of low-level emission of the same element without a predetermined interval therebetween.

Claim 8

A data entry terminal for providing entry by an operator of predetermined data to a data processing system and to display an acknOwledgement of receipt of the entered data from said data processing system, said data entry terminal comprising: a plurality of separate discrete elements arranged in an array of said elements wherein each of said elements is actuateable in response to an excitation signal to provide a light emission; means for sequentially addressing each of said elements in said array in a repeating pattern to provide a period of access to each of said elements in each repeating pattern; means for applying a first excitation signal to each of said elements during its corresponding access time, the applied first excitation signal having a characteristic which produces low-level illumination of said elements; memory means having a storage location corresponding to each of said elements in said array; means for applying a second excitation signal to each of said elements in said array during at least its access time in response to the corresponding storage location in said memory means being in a predetermined condition, said second excitation signal having a characteristic which produces high-level illumination in each of said elements; operator controlled means for sampling the illumination of one or more of said elements to provide a detection signal; means responsive to said detection signal and operative in association with said addressing means for indicating to said data processing system the identity of the sampled element; said data processing system responding to the indication of the sampled element to provide a confirmation signal corresponding to the indicated, sampled element; and means operative in response to said confirmation signal to cause the storage location in said memory means corresponding to the element indicated by said confirmation signal to be placed in said predetermined condition whereby the corresponding element is subsequently activated to provide said high level illumination.

Claim 9

A data entry terminal for providing entry by an operator of predetermined data to a data processing system and to display an acknOwledgement of receipt of the entered data from said data processing system, said data entry terminal comprising: a plurality of separate discrete elements arranged in an array of said elements wherein each of said elements is actuateable in response to an excitation signal to provide a light emission; means for sequentially addressing each of said elements in said array in a repeating pattern to provide a period of access to each of said elements in each repeating pattern; means for applying a first excitation signal to each of said elements during its corresponding access time, the applied first excitation signal having a characteristic which produces low-level illumination of said elements; memory means having a storage location corresponding to each of said elements in said array; means for applying a second excitation signal to each of said elements in said array during at least its access time in response to the corresponding storage location in said memory means being in a predetermined condition, said second excitation signal having a characteristic which produces high-level illumination in each of said elements; operator controlled means for sampling the illumination of one or more of said elements to provide a detection signal; means responsive to said detection signal and operative in association with said addressing means for indicating to said data processing system the identity of the sampled element; said data processing system responding to the indication of the sampled element to provide a confirmation signal corresponding to the indicated, sampled element; and means operative in response to said confirmation signal to cause the storage location in said memory means corresponding to the element indicated by said confirmation signal to be placed in said predetermined condition whereby the corresponding element is subsequently activated to provide said high level illumination.

Claim 10

The data entry terminal of claim 7 wherein said elements are light emitting diodes, each of said light emitting diodes providing connections between a unique combination of a row and column input to said array of elements.

Claim 11

The data entry terminal of claim 8 wherein said addressing means includes a clock operated counter having first and second sets of decoded binary outputs connected respectively to row and column terminals of said array of elements.

Claim 12

The data entry terminal of claim 9 further including: switch means for selectively connecting the row outputs of said counter to the corresponding row terminals of said array of elements; said switch means having a further input from said memory means alternatively connected to the corresponding row terminals of said array of elements; said memory means being operative to provide to said switch means signals indicative of the condition of the storage location corresponding to all elements in the column of said array addressed by the second set of binary states in said counter whereby the elements in said array are activated with said high level illumination substantially more frequently than the low level illumination activation of said elements; and means for causing said switch means to connect to said row terminals of said array, during each access time, signals from said counter for a relatively short portion thereof and signals from said memory means for a relatively long portion thereof.

Claim 13

The data entry terminal of claim 7 wherein said sampling means include means for discriminating against erroneous indications of sampled activation of said elements.

Claim 14

The data entry terminal of claim 11 wherein said discriminating means includes: means for counting a predetermined number of sampled activations of the selected one of said elements in sequence without interruption; and means for generating said detection signal only in response to said counting means reaching said predetermined number.

Claim 15

The data entry terminal of claim 11 wherein said discriminating means includes: means for inhibiting said indicating means for an interval after each indication thereby to said data processing system.

Claim 16

The data entry terminal of claim 7 further including: means for clearing a storage location of said memory means of said predetermined condition in response to operator activation thereof.

Claim 17

The data entry terminal of claim 14 wherein said clearing means is operative to clear all storage locations of said memory means and includes: means operative in association with said addressing means for clearing of the corresponding storage locations in said memory means over a partial cycle of said addressing means.

Claim 18

The data entry terminal of claim 7 further including means for changing the condition of each storage location in said memory means bi-directionally between binary states in response to said detection signal whereby each storage location in said memory means can be set to said predetermined condition by selected sampling of the corresponding element, and reset from said predetermined condition in response to subsequent sampling of the same element.