US3877029A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic keyboard
Assignee: Magic Dot Inc
•
Filing: 1973-03-09
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Granted: 1975-04-08
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Expires: 1993-03-09
Abstract
Abstract An electronic keyboard is disclosed in which the touch of a user, representing data, at immovable touch surfaces is actively encoded by interconnected amplifiers to provide an encoded signal to integrators, for example capacitors, to thus provide signals from the touch surfaces encoded into logical format. In the preferred embodiment, various of the components of the keyboard of the present invention are applied to the opposed major faces of a ceramic substrate and additional amplifying means are interconnected with the integrators to provide the output signal power desired. An oscillator and an antenna arrangement are further provided, in an alternate embodiment, for actuation of the keyboard of the present invention through radiation coupled from the antenna, through the user of the keyboard of the present invention, and to the touch surfaces.
Inventors
- 👤 Willis A Larson
- 👤 David E Colglazier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 05:00
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/94; H03K17/96; H03K17/962; H03K17/9622; H03K2017/9602; H03K2017/9604; H03K2017/9613
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
257 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual touch surfaces; keyboard output means arranged on a face of the insulator to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; a plurality of electrically isolated encoding amplifiers fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator with each amplifier including input means for receiving electronic signals from at least one touch surface and including output means for providing an electronic signal related to the electronic signal applied to the input means; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual touch surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of selected of the encoding amplifiers for encoding signals from the touch surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of selected of the encoding amplifiers and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the touch surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means; a plurality of storage means fixed to a face of the insulator with a storage means operatively associated with each logic signal output connection means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
257 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual touch surfaces; keyboard output means arranged on a face of the insulator to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; a plurality of electrically isolated encoding amplifiers fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator with each amplifier including input means for receiving electronic signals from at least one touch surface and including output means for providing an electronic signal related to the electronic signal applied to the input means; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual touch surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of selected of the encoding amplifiers for encoding signals from the touch surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of selected of the encoding amplifiers and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the touch surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means; a plurality of storage means fixed to a face of the insulator with a storage means operatively associated with each logic signal output connection means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 1 wherein the encoding amplifiers include means common to both input means and output means; also including means for accepting an oscillatory electronic signal; and including means for providing an electrical connection between the means for accepting an oscillatory signal and the common means of the encoding amplifiers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 2 including at least ten individual touch surfaces to uniquely represent each of the decimal numbers from zero to nine, wherein the keyboard output means provides at least four distinct output logic signals to allow encoding of any decimal number from zero to nine into a binary representation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 2 further including a plurality of additional amplifiers with each amplifier including input means for receiving electrical signals and including output means for providing an electronic signal related to the electronic signal applied to the input means; and means for providing an electrical connection between the additional amplifiers and the storage means in a manner to uniquely interconnect one additional amplifier with one storage means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 4, wherein the encoding amplifiers and storage means are fixed to the other of the major faces of the insulator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 5, wherein the additional amplifiers are also fixed to the other opposed major face of the insulator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
107 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 6, including an antenna arranged around and about at least selected of the touch surfaces; second means for accepting an oscillatory electronic signal; means for providing an electrical connection between the antenna and the second means for accepting an oscillatory signal for providing sufficient energy transfer from the second means for accepting an oscillatory signal to at least one touch surface through the electronic coupling between the antenna, the user, and the touch surface to provide an actuating signal to the keyboard and cause an electronic signal to appear at the logic signal output connection means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The keyboard of claim 7, wherein the antenna is in a patterned arrangement surrounding each of the touch surfaces to better assure coupling between the antenna and the user and better assure reliable actuation of the keyboard.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 1 including at least ten individual touch surfaces to uniquely represent each of the decimal numbers from zero to nine, wherein the keyboard output means provides at least four distinct output logic signals to allow encoding of any decimal number from zero to nine into binary coded decimal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 1 further including a plurality of additional amplifiers with each amplifier including input means for receiving electrical signals and including output means for providing an electronic signal related to the electronic signal applied to the input means; and means for providing an electrical connection between the additional amplifiers and the storage means in a manner to uniquely interconnect one additional amplifier with one storage means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 10, wherein the encoding amplifiers and storage means are fixed to the other of the major faces of the insulator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 11, wherein the additional amplifiers are also fixed to the other opposed major face of the insulator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 1, wherein the encoding amplifiers and storage means are fixed to the other of the major faces of the insulator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 13, wherein the encoding amplifiers are connected to the individual touch surfaces by direct connection through the insulator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
76 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 14 further including a plurality of additional amplifiers with each amplifier including input means for receiving electrical signals and including output means for providing an electronic signal related to the electronic signal applied to the input means; and means for providing an electrical connection between the additional amplifiers and the storage means in a manner to uniquely interconnect one additional amplifier with one storage means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 15, wherein the additional amplifiers are also fixed to the other opposed major face of the insulator.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
104 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 1, including an antenna arranged around and about at least selected of the touch surfaces; means for accepting an oscillatory electronic signal; means for providing an electrical connection between the antenna and the means for accepting an oscillatory signal for providing sufficient energy transfer from the means for accepting an oscillatory signal to at least one touch surface through the electronic coupling between the antenna, the user, and the touch surface to provide an actuating signal to the keyboard and cause an electronic signal to appear at the logic signal output connection means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the antenna is in a patterned arrangement surrounding each of the touch surfaces to better assure coupling between the antenna and the user and better assure reliable actuation of the keyboard.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
197 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual surfaces; keyboard output means arranged on a face of the insulator to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; switching encoder means including input means and output means; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of the switching encoder means for encoding signals from the surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of the switching encoder means and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means; integrating means with an integrating means associated with each logic signal output connection means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
197 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual surfaces; keyboard output means arranged on a face of the insulator to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; switching encoder means including input means and output means; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of the switching encoder means for encoding signals from the surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of the switching encoder means and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means; integrating means with an integrating means associated with each logic signal output connection means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 19, wherein the switching encoder means includes means for accepting an oscillatory signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
183 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual surfaces; keyboard output means to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; switching encoder means including input means and output means and means for accepting an oscillatory signal; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of the switching encoder means for encoding signals from the surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of the switching encoder means and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
183 words
A solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard for accepting an input signal from the touch of a user and providing an output signal for use with electronic circuits, comprising in combination: an insulator having opposed major faces; a plurality of electrically isolated, individual surfaces immovably fixed to one of the major faces of the insulator in a patterned arrangement accessible to the user to allow a desired input signal to be generated by a user by selecting individual surfaces; keyboard output means to provide an output signal for use by the electronic circuits; switching encoder means including input means and output means and means for accepting an oscillatory signal; input means for providing an electrical coupling between the individual surfaces on a face of the insulator and the input means of the switching encoder means for encoding signals from the surfaces; and logic signal output connection means for providing an electrical connection between output means of the switching encoder means and the keyboard output means for providing signals from the surfaces encoded into logic signals available at the keyboard output means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The solid state, electronic, data entry, active encoding keyboard of claim 21, including integrating means with an integrating means associated with each logic signal output connection means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-10-07 | 1979-04-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-07 | 1982-10-07 | 1983-04-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-07 | 1986-10-07 | 1987-04-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |