Data entry systems

Claim 2

In a display system a visual display unit for batch document entry, a keyboard, a support for a source document containing data to be keyed into the system, a visual display unit for displaying data newly keyed, the improvement comprising a method by which the data system operates including providing a datum line transversely of said support, feeding said source document towards or away from said datum line so that a line containing a field or fields of source data next to be keyed is visible and is adjacent said datum line, providing above said datum line and parallel therewith a series of marker light sources, feeding signals from the system to illuminate those light sources which are above a particular field or fields of source data next to the keyed in linear sequence by an operator and locating said display unit immediately above said marker light sources to display data newly keyed in so that three sources of information are displayed to the operator at the same time and in juxtaposition.

Claim 3

A data entry system including a data processing machine comprising: a keyboard, operated by an operator, including means for generating signals, means for feeding said signals generated by said keyboard into said data processing machine, said signals corresponding to data read by the operator from a source information carrier, said data processing machine including means for producing instructions for the operator to determine which data on said source information carrier is to be keyed in with said keyboard, means for visually displaying said instructions, and a document feeder including a plate for supporting said source information carrier in a position to be read by the operator, said means for visually displaying being located in juxtaposition to said plate.

Claim 4

A data entry system including a data processing machine comprising: a keyboard, operated by an operator, including means for generating signals, means for feeding said signals generated by said keyboard into said data processing machine, said signals corresponding to data read by the operator from a source information carrier, said data processing machine including means for producing instructions for the operator to determine which data on said source information carrier is to be keyed in with said keyboard, means for visually displaying said instructions, and a document feeder including a plate for supporting said source information carrier in a position to be read by the operator, said means for visually displaying being located in juxtaposition to said plate.

Claim 5

A data entry system according to claim 2 further comprising means for visually displaying alpha/numeric feedback information corresponding to said data, said means for visually displaying alpha/numeric information being located above said means for visually displaying said instructions.

Claim 6

A data entry system according to claim 2 wherein the source information carrier comprises a document having characters inscribed thereon in lines of fields, said characters comprising said data, and further comprising means for marking fields in any X-Y position on the document in any order, thereby enforcing a keying sequence which is directly in a reformat order.

Claim 7

A data entry system according to claim 2 wherein said source information carrier comprises a document having characters inscribed thereon in lines of fields, said characters comprising said data, said means for visually displaying said instructions including light producing devices, said light producing devices being positioned along the line of fields having characters to be keyed in.

Claim 8

A data entry system according to claim 5 further comprising means for displaying to an operator the occurrence of a keying error detected by an external processor by means of a light emitting device responsive to the said error signal originating from said external processor, said light emitting device flashing at a low frequency on receipt of the error signal.

Claim 9

A data entry system according to claim 5 wherein said document feeder comprises a plurality of pinch rollers, fulcrum bars each supporting a pinch roller, a platen roller and spring means for independently urging said pinch rollers into contact with said platen roller, said pinch rollers and platen roller feeding said source information carrier into said document feeder.

Claim 10

A data entry system according to claim 7 further comprising a friction strip affixed to said plate to prevent two source information carriers from being fed into said document feeder at the same time.

Claim 11

A data entry system according to claim 5 wherein said light producing devices comprise light emitting diodes.

Claim 12

A data entry system for use with an external and independent passive data storage device, and operated by an operator, comprising: a. a keyboard, operated by the operator, including means for generating data codes and means for feeding the codes directly to the passive data storage device; b. an alpha-numeric display means, said generating means including means for feeding the codes in parallel to said alpha-numeric display means; c. a plate, coupled to said display means, for movably supporting a source data carrier having field spaces for data inscribed on the data carrier by a data originator, and placed by the operator on said plate; d. a row of light emitting markers located above said plate; e. means, coupled to said plate, for moving the data carrier along said plate and under said markers, and for reversing the movement of the data carrier along said plate; and f. logic circuit means, operated by a program fed into the system by the operator and connected to said moving means and markers, for controlling said moving means to move the data carrier and the illumination of said markers in accordance with the program fed into the system, wherein the data codes comprise function signals for said circuit means to move the program forward to turn off markers above field spaces which are left blank by the data originator, to move the program forward to move the carrier past complete lines of field spaces which are left blank by the originator and to move the program backward to move the carrier to line of field spaces above which the markers have been already turned off, whereby the attention of the operator may be drawn to particular sets of the data inscribed on the data carrier by a data originator in a sequential order which conforms to the sequential data entry requirements of a program of a data processor which in the course of time may process data keyed by the operator and stored by the data storage device.

Claim 13

A data entry system for use with an external and independent passive data storage device, and operated by an operator, comprising: a. a keyboard, operated by the operator, including means for generating data codes and means for feeding the codes directly to the passive data storage device; b. an alpha-numeric display means, said generating means including means for feeding the codes in parallel to said alpha-numeric display means; c. a plate, coupled to said display means, for movably supporting a source data carrier having field spaces for data inscribed on the data carrier by a data originator, and placed by the operator on said plate; d. a row of light emitting markers located above said plate; e. means, coupled to said plate, for moving the data carrier along said plate and under said markers, and for reversing the movement of the data carrier along said plate; and f. logic circuit means, operated by a program fed into the system by the operator and connected to said moving means and markers, for controlling said moving means to move the data carrier and the illumination of said markers in accordance with the program fed into the system, wherein the data codes comprise function signals for said circuit means to move the program forward to turn off markers above field spaces which are left blank by the data originator, to move the program forward to move the carrier past complete lines of field spaces which are left blank by the originator and to move the program backward to move the carrier to line of field spaces above which the markers have been already turned off, whereby the attention of the operator may be drawn to particular sets of the data inscribed on the data carrier by a data originator in a sequential order which conforms to the sequential data entry requirements of a program of a data processor which in the course of time may process data keyed by the operator and stored by the data storage device.

Claim 14

A data entry system according to claim 10, wherein said system is further used with a separate and independent real time data processor, and further comprising: means for feeding the codes directly to the real time data processor, said display means and said circuit means being responsive to signals generated by the real time data processor in response to the codes to move forward or to reverse the program fed into the system by the operator to override the programmed sequential movement of the source data carrier and illumination of the markers.

Claim 15

A data entry system according to claim 10 wherein said display means is mounted directly above said row of light emitting markers, wherein said markers, due to their position above the source data carrier supported by said plate, are at any instant in time directly above a line of inscribed data on the carrier which the operator is keying in at a given moment.

Claim 16

A data entry system according to claim 11 wherein said display means is mounted directly above said row of light emitting markers, wherein said markers, due to their position above the source data carrier supported by said plate, are at any instant in time directly above a line of inscribed data on the carrier which the operator is keying in at a given moment.