Encode selector system

Claim 2

In a document encoder for encoding a plurality of data fields in line on a document, a printing field control system comprising; a keyboard having a pluarlity of data-entering keys and at least one operational key, a plurality of printing field selector keys adjacent said keyboard for selecting said data fields to be encoded, each of said selector keys having a normal position and an operatoractivated position, and each one of said plurality of printing field selector keys corresponding to a particular one of said plurality of data fields, encoder memory means having a plurality of individually addressable storage registers for storing data entered into said keyboard, each one of said plurality of individually addressable storage registers being associated with a particular one of said plurality of printing field selector keys for addressing one of said plurality of storage registers in response to a corresponding one of said selector keys being in said operator-activated position, encoding means operatively coupled to said memory for selectively and serially encoding the data stored in said memory in each selected printing field on a document, and printing field control means responsive to said operational key and to said operator-activated field selector keys for sequentially addressing said storage registers according to a predetermined sequence and for controlling the flow of data information therefrom to said encoding means.

Claim 3

The field control system of claim 1 wherein said printing field control means includes instruction register means for storing information as to which of said printing field selector keys have been activated, counting means, and memory output means, said counting means bEing gated with said instruction register means for controlling said memory output means and transferring data information from said encoder memory means to said encoding means in said predetermined sequence.

Claim 4

The field control system of claim 2 wherein said system further includes a symbol control means responsive to said printing field control means for encoding predetermined symbol information at predetermined digit locations in said data fields regardless of the data stored in corresponding digit locations of said encoder memory.

Claim 5

In a document encoder, a printing field selector system comprising: first storage means having a plurality of addressable storage registers, each location containing a predetermined quantum of data, a keyboard having a plurality of depressable data keys and at least one operational key, said data keys for entering data to be encoded on the document and for entering the address of one of said registers of said first storage means, a plurality of operator-controlled printing field selector keys adjacent said keyboard for selecting fields to be printed, said keys having a normal position and a selected position, and each one of said plurality of operator-controlled printing field selector keys corresponding to a particular one of said fields to be printed, keyboard decoding means responsive to said selected printing field selector keys for selectively decoding said depressed data keys as data or as the address of said storage register in said first storage means, second storage means having a plurality of addressable storage registers associated with said printing field selector keys and respectively addressed by said printing field selector keys for receiving data from said keyboard means or said first storage means, each of said plurality of addressable storage registers being associated with a particular one of said printing field selector keys, program controller means responsive to said operational key for synchronizing the addressing of said second storage means with said selected printing field selector keys, and encode means responsive to the data information stored in said second storage means for serially encoding the data stored therein on a document in field sequence according to the selected printing field selector keys.

Claim 6

In a document encoder, a printing field selector system comprising: first storage means having a plurality of addressable storage registers, each location containing a predetermined quantum of data, a keyboard having a plurality of depressable data keys and at least one operational key, said data keys for entering data to be encoded on the document and for entering the address of one of said registers of said first storage means, a plurality of operator-controlled printing field selector keys adjacent said keyboard for selecting fields to be printed, said keys having a normal position and a selected position, and each one of said plurality of operator-controlled printing field selector keys corresponding to a particular one of said fields to be printed, keyboard decoding means responsive to said selected printing field selector keys for selectively decoding said depressed data keys as data or as the address of said storage register in said first storage means, second storage means having a plurality of addressable storage registers associated with said printing field selector keys and respectively addressed by said printing field selector keys for receiving data from said keyboard means or said first storage means, each of said plurality of addressable storage registers being associated with a particular one of said printing field selector keys, program controller means responsive to said operational key for synchronizing the addressing of said second storage means with said selected printing field selector keys, and encode means responsive to the data information stored in said second storage means for serially encoding the data stored therein on a document in field sequence according to the selected printing field selector keys.

Claim 7

A printing field selection system according to claim 4 wherein said keyboard decoding means includes a counter responsive to a predetermined fixed number of depressions of said data keys indicating that said data keys contain an address of a storage register of said first storage means and responsive to all other number of depressions of said data keys for indicating that said data keys contain data to be stored in said second storage means.

Claim 8

The printing field selection system according to claim 4 wherein said encode means includes: means for indicating that said document is positioned for encoding, instruction register means for storing information as to which of said plurality of printing field selector keys were activated, and counter means responsive to said means for indicating that said document is positioned for encoding and gated with said instruction register means for stepping the data out of said second storage means in a predetermined sequence.

Claim 9

The printing field selection system of claim 6 wherein said encode means further includes a secondary counter means for effectively bypassing said second storage means and stepping through a particular field on the document in response to the printing field selector key corresponding to said particular field on the document having been left in the normal position, thereby indicating that said particular field was not to be encoded and effectively encoding blanks therein.

Claim 10

In a document encoder, for encoding a plurality of data fields in line on a document, a printing field control system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of data keys for receiving data to be encodEd and at least one operational key for initiating the control system, a memory having a plurality of individually addressable storage registers each having a plurality of digit locations, said memory operatively coupled to said keyboard for receiving the data entered therein, a plurality of operator-controlled program keys adjacent said keyboard, said program keys having a normal position and a selected position, said program keys respectively coupled to corresponding ones of said storage registers for addressing said storage registers in response to the activation of said operational key and the selected position of said program keys, a program controller operatively coupled to said program keys for individually activating said selected program keys in a predetermined sequence in response to the activation of said operational key, a comparator responsive to both said selected program key and said program controller for generating an electrical signal when said status of said controller is equivalent to said selected program key, control means responsive to said electrical signal from said comparator and said selected program key for controlling the flow of data into said corresponding storage register from said keyboard, and an encode member responsive to said selected program keys for serially encoding on the document the data stored in said storage registers corresponding to said selected program keys.

Claim 11

In a document encoder, for encoding a plurality of data fields in line on a document, a printing field control system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of data keys for receiving data to be encodEd and at least one operational key for initiating the control system, a memory having a plurality of individually addressable storage registers each having a plurality of digit locations, said memory operatively coupled to said keyboard for receiving the data entered therein, a plurality of operator-controlled program keys adjacent said keyboard, said program keys having a normal position and a selected position, said program keys respectively coupled to corresponding ones of said storage registers for addressing said storage registers in response to the activation of said operational key and the selected position of said program keys, a program controller operatively coupled to said program keys for individually activating said selected program keys in a predetermined sequence in response to the activation of said operational key, a comparator responsive to both said selected program key and said program controller for generating an electrical signal when said status of said controller is equivalent to said selected program key, control means responsive to said electrical signal from said comparator and said selected program key for controlling the flow of data into said corresponding storage register from said keyboard, and an encode member responsive to said selected program keys for serially encoding on the document the data stored in said storage registers corresponding to said selected program keys.

Claim 12

In a document encoder according to claim 8 further including an instruction register having a plurality of storage members respectively responsive to said operator-controlled program keys and operatively coupled to said encode member for controlling the printing of the data contained in said selected memory storage register according to a predetermined encoding sequence.

Claim 13

In a document encoder according to claim 9 further including a symbol control unit responsive to said instruction register for encoding predetermined symbol data at predetermined digit locations of said corresponding storage registers overriding the data stored therein.