Keystroke queueing system

Claim 2

A keyboard access system for processing keystroke information from a keyboard to a keystroke queue, said keyboard including typamatic function keys which generate an initial nontypamatic keystroke prior to generating typamatic keystrokes, comprising: test means for identifying the actuation of the typamatic function of a typamatic function key; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is empty; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is full; a nontypamatic control means for enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue when said typamatic function has not been actuated and said keystroke queue is not full; and typamatic control means for enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue when said typamatic function has been actuated and said keystroke queue is empty, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information when said typamatic function has been actuated and said keystroke queue is not empty, whereby sequential keystrokes representing a key cannot be concurrently stored in said keystroke queue when the latter keystroke is typamatic.

Claim 3

The keyboard access system of claim 1 further comprising feedback means for indicating the enqueueing of keystroke information in the keystroke queue.

Claim 4

The keyboard access system of claim 1 further comprising table means for recording valid typamatic function keys, said typamatic control means further comparing the keystroke information with the valid typamatic function keys recorded in said table means when said test means for sensing the actuation of said typamatic function senses actuation of the typamatic function, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found.

Claim 5

The keyboard access system of claim 1 wherein said typamatic control means further discards selected keystroke information generated by the typamatic function of elected typamatic function keys to reduce the effective keystroke information generation rate of the elected keys.

Claim 6

The keyboard access system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard includes prefix keys activatable concurrently with a typamatic function key so that each typamatic function key may have multiple meanings, said keyboard access system further comprising prefix test means for determining whether the actual meaning of a typamatic function key having the typamatic function actuated is acceptable as typamatic, said prefix test means discarding the keystroke information if the meaning is not acceptable.

Claim 7

A keyboard access system for processing keystroke information from a keyboard to a keystroke queue, said keyboard including typamatic function keys which generate an initial nontypamatic keystroke prior to generating typamatic keystrokes, comprising: test means for identifying actuation of the typamatic function of a typamatic function key; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is empty; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is full; table means for recording valid typamatic function keys; a nontypamatic control means for enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue when said typamatic function has not been actuated and the keystroke queue is not full; and typamatic control means for comparing the keystroke information and the valid typamatic function keys recorded in said table means when said typamatic function has been actuated, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue if a comparison is found and said keystroke queue is empty, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a key cannot be stored in said keystroke queue when the latter enqueued key is typamatic.

Claim 8

A keyboard access system for processing keystroke information from a keyboard to a keystroke queue, said keyboard including typamatic function keys which generate an initial nontypamatic keystroke prior to generating typamatic keystrokes, comprising: test means for identifying actuation of the typamatic function of a typamatic function key; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is empty; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is full; table means for recording valid typamatic function keys; a nontypamatic control means for enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue when said typamatic function has not been actuated and the keystroke queue is not full; and typamatic control means for comparing the keystroke information and the valid typamatic function keys recorded in said table means when said typamatic function has been actuated, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue if a comparison is found and said keystroke queue is empty, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a key cannot be stored in said keystroke queue when the latter enqueued key is typamatic.

Claim 9

The keyboard access system of claim 6 further comprising audio feedback means for informing the operator of the enqueueing of keystroke information in the keystroke queue.

Claim 10

The keyboard access system of claim 6 wherein said typamatic control means discards alternate entries of keystroke information generated by the typamatic function of an elected typamatic function key when a comparison is found to half the effective typamatic rate of the elected key.

Claim 11

The keyboard access system of claim 6 wherein the keyboard further includes prefix keys to define the meaning of the typamatic function keys, said keyboard access system further comprising prefix test means for determining if the actual means of a typamatic function key having the typamatic function actuated is acceptable as typamatic, said prefix test means discarding the keystroke information if the meaning is not acceptable.

Claim 12

A keyboard access system for processing keystroke information from a keyboard information from a keyboard to a keystroke queue, said keyboard including prefix keys and fast and slow typamatic function keys which generate an initial nontypamatic keystroke prior to generating typamatic keystrokes, comprising: test means for identifying actuation of the typamatic function of a typamatic function key; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is empty; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is full; a half speed bit store means having a set and not set state; table means recording valid typamatic function keys and instructions characterizing the typamatic rate of each valid key either fast or slow; audio feedback means for informing the operator of the enqueueing of keystroke information in the keystroke queue; prefix test means for determining the meaning of a typamatic function key and discarding keystroke information if the meaning is unacceptable as typamatic; a nontypamatic control means operable to reset said bit store means to the not set state when said test means fails to sense actuation of the typamatic function, said nontypamatic control means generating a keystroke queue overrun signal to reduce the keystroke information stored in the keystroke queue if the keystroke queue is full, said nontypamatic control means activating said audio feedback means and enqueueing the keystroke information when the keystroke queue is not full; typamatic control means for comparing the keystroke information with the valid typamatic function keys recorded in said table means when said test means identifies actuation of the typamatic function, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found and the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is unacceptable as typamatic, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue and activating said audio feedback means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a fast key and said keystroke queue is empty, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a fast key and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a fast key cannot be stored concurrently in said keystroke queue when the latter keystroke enqueued is typamatic; and said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information and setting said half speed bit store means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key and said half speed bit store means is not set, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information and resetting said bit store means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key, said half speed bit store means is set and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a slow key cannot be stored concurrently in said keystroke queue when the latter is a typamatic keystroke, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue, activating said audio feedback means and resetting said half speed bit store means to the not set state if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key, said half speed bit store means is set and said keystroke queue is empty and the effective typamatic rate of a slow key is half that of a fast key.

Claim 13

A keyboard access system for processing keystroke information from a keyboard information from a keyboard to a keystroke queue, said keyboard including prefix keys and fast and slow typamatic function keys which generate an initial nontypamatic keystroke prior to generating typamatic keystrokes, comprising: test means for identifying actuation of the typamatic function of a typamatic function key; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is empty; test means for identifying whether said keystroke queue is full; a half speed bit store means having a set and not set state; table means recording valid typamatic function keys and instructions characterizing the typamatic rate of each valid key either fast or slow; audio feedback means for informing the operator of the enqueueing of keystroke information in the keystroke queue; prefix test means for determining the meaning of a typamatic function key and discarding keystroke information if the meaning is unacceptable as typamatic; a nontypamatic control means operable to reset said bit store means to the not set state when said test means fails to sense actuation of the typamatic function, said nontypamatic control means generating a keystroke queue overrun signal to reduce the keystroke information stored in the keystroke queue if the keystroke queue is full, said nontypamatic control means activating said audio feedback means and enqueueing the keystroke information when the keystroke queue is not full; typamatic control means for comparing the keystroke information with the valid typamatic function keys recorded in said table means when said test means identifies actuation of the typamatic function, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found and the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is unacceptable as typamatic, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue and activating said audio feedback means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a fast key and said keystroke queue is empty, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a fast key and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a fast key cannot be stored concurrently in said keystroke queue when the latter keystroke enqueued is typamatic; and said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information and setting said half speed bit store means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key and said half speed bit store means is not set, said typamatic control means discarding the keystroke information and resetting said bit store means if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key, said half speed bit store means is set and said keystroke queue is not empty such that sequential keystrokes representing a slow key cannot be stored concurrently in said keystroke queue when the latter is a typamatic keystroke, said typamatic control means enqueueing the keystroke information in the keystroke queue, activating said audio feedback means and resetting said half speed bit store means to the not set state if a comparison is found, the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is acceptable as typamatic, the keystroke information represents a slow key, said half speed bit store means is set and said keystroke queue is empty and the effective typamatic rate of a slow key is half that of a fast key.

Claim 16

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of generating feedback to inform the operator that the keystroke information has been enqueued in the keystroke queue.

Claim 17

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of comparing the keystroke information and a table of valid typamatic function keys if the typamatic function is actuated and discarding the keystroke information if no comparison is found.

Claim 18

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of discarding the keystroke information if the typamatic function is actuated and the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information is not an acceptable typamatic.

Claim 19

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of discarding selected entries of keystroke information generated by the typamatic function of elected typamatic function keys to reduce the effective typamatic function rate of the elected keys.

Claim 22

The method of claim 16 further including the step of generating an audio feedback to the operator when keystroke information is enqueued in the keystroke queue.

Claim 23

The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of discarding alternate entries of keystroke information generated by the typamatic function of an elected typamatic key if a comparison is found between the keystroke information and a valid typamatic function key to half the effective typamatic function rate of the elected key.

Claim 24

The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of discarding the keystroke information if a comparison is found between the keystroke information and a valid typamatic function key and the meaning of the key represented by the keystroke information as determined by the state of one or more prefix keys is an unacceptable typamatic.