Data entry display terminal

Claim 2

A display terminal comprising: display memory means for storing a maximum of D data characters, wherein D is more than one, which have been entered therein for storage; data entry control means for entering data characters into said display memory means so that not more than the last D data characters entered are stored by said display memory means; means for cyclically outputting said stored data characters in a character series sequence in the order said data characters were entered into said display memory means; display means having at least D display positions, 1 through D, for presenting visual representations of D data characters; means for decoding said data characters as they are sequentially outputted by said outputting means in said character series sequence for providing output signals to said display means indicative of which of a plurality of different visual representations is to be displayed at a selected one of said display positions for each decoded data character; display position control means synchronized with said outputting means and said decoding means for selecting one of said D display positions at which a visual representation of a decoded data character is to be displayed such that the last data character entered into said display memory means is displayed at position 1 and the first one of said last of said D data characters entered is displayed at position D.

Claim 3

A display terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said cyclically outputting means includes a character register for receiving and temporarily storing a said stored data character; said decoding means being coupled to said register for decoding a said stored data character; said display position control means includes counter means for counting a totAl of D trigger pulses and providing an output count signal indicative of the count status of said counting means; and said terminal includes means for applying a said trigger pulse to said counting means each time a said data character is received by said register.

Claim 4

A display terminal as set forth in claim 2 wherein said decoding means includes a read only memory for providing a pattern of output signals representative of the visual representation to be presented for a said stored data character in said register.

Claim 5

A display terminal as set forth in claim 2, wherein said counting means provides a coded output signal representative of its count status, means for decoding said coded output signals for selecting one of said display positions.

Claim 6

A display terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display means includes D selectively energizable display unit means respectively located at said D display positions, said display position control means having means for selectively energizing one of said display unit means.

Claim 7

A display terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said display position control means includes resettable counter means for counting a total of D trigger pulses and providing an output count signal indicative of the count status of said counter means, means for resetting said counter means each time a said data character is entered into said memory means so that the reset count status of said counter means is associated with the last data character entered into said display memory means.

Claim 8

A display terminal as set forth in claim 6, wherein said data entry control means includes gating means for entering data characters into said display memory means from a source of data characters.

Claim 9

A display terminal as set forth in claim 7, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually actuatable keys for selectively providing data characters for entry into said display memory means through said gating means, means responsive to each actuation of a said manually actuatable key for enabling said gating means to enter the said keyboard data character into said display memory means and for actuating said resetting means for resetting said resettable counting means.

Claim 10

A display terminal as set forth in claim 7, including main memory means for storing a plurality of data characters, said data entry control means including circuit means for entering data characters from said main memory means into said display memory means in response to a display command.

Claim 11

A display terminal as set forth in claim 9, including data character modifying means for modifying the length of each data character to be entered into said display memory means for said main memory means by reducing the number of bits of each said transferred data character.

Claim 12

A display terminal as set forth in claim 10, wherein said display memory means is comprised of a circulating shift register for storing and recirculating data characters therein in the order the data characters were entered in response to shift pulses applied thereto from a source of shift pulses with each data character being shifted in bit serial fashion, said data character modifying means including means for controlling the supply of shift pulses to said recirculating shift register as each data character from said main memory is entered into said recirculating memory means through said data entry control means so that only selected bits of a said transferred data character are entered into said recirculating shift register.

Claim 13

A display terminal as set forth in claim 1, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually actuatable keys for selectively providing data characters for entry into said display memory means through said data entry control means, main memory means for storing data characters and having circuit means for entering data characters provided by said keyboard into said main memory means, whereby the last D data characters entered into said main memory meAns from said keyboard are displayed by said display means.

Claim 14

A display terminal as set forth in claim 12, wherein said main memory data entry circuit means includes means for entering data characters into said main memory means from a data character source other than said keyboard, said terminal including means for transferring data characters from said main memory means into said display memory means in response to a display command so that the last D data characters entered into said display memory means from said main memory means are displayed by said display means.

Claim 15

A display terminal comprising: display memory means for storing a maximum of D data characters, wherein D is more than one, which have been entered therein for storage; data entry control means for entering data characters into said display memory means; means for cyclically outputting said stored data characters in a character series sequence in the order said data characters were entered into said display memory means and so that not more than the last D data characters entered are presented; display means having at least D display positions, 1 through D, for presenting visual representations of D data characters; means for providing a pattern of output signals indicative of which of a plurality of different visual representations is to be displayed at a selected one of said display positions for each said data character; display position control means synchronized with said presenting means and said pattern providing means for selecting one of said D display positions at which a visual representation of a decoded data character is to be displayed; said display means including D selectively energizable display unit means respectively located at said D display positions, said display position control means having means for selectively energizing one of said display unit means such that the last data character entered into said display memory means is displayed at position 1 and the first one of said last of said D data characters entered is displayed at position D.

Claim 16

A display terminal comprising: display memory means for storing a maximum of D data characters, wherein D is more than one, which have been entered therein for storage; data entry control means for entering data characters into said display memory means; means for cyclically outputting said stored data characters in a character series sequence in the order said data characters were entered into said display memory means and so that not more than the last D data characters entered are presented; display means having at least D display positions, 1 through D, for presenting visual representations of D data characters; means for providing a pattern of output signals indicative of which of a plurality of different visual representations is to be displayed at a selected one of said display positions for each said data character; display position control means synchronized with said presenting means and said pattern providing means for selecting one of said D display positions at which a visual representation of a decoded data character is to be displayed; said display means including D selectively energizable display unit means respectively located at said D display positions, said display position control means having means for selectively energizing one of said display unit means such that the last data character entered into said display memory means is displayed at position 1 and the first one of said last of said D data characters entered is displayed at position D.

Claim 17

A display terminal as set forth in claim 14, including a keyboard having a plurality of manually actuatable keys for selectively providing data characters for entry into said display memory means through said data entry control means, main memory means for storing data characters and having circuit means for entering data characters provided by said keyboard into said main memory means, whereby the last D data characters entered into said main memory means from said keyboard are displayed by said display means.

Claim 18

A display terminal as set forth in claim 15, wherein said main memory data entry circuit means includes means for entering data characters into said main memory means from a data character source other than said keyboard, said terminal including means for transferring data characters from said main memory means into said display memory means in response to a display command so that the last D data characters entered into said display memory means from said main memory means are displayed by said display means.