Information device

Claim 1

An information storage device comprising: a storage unit for storing information at a plurality of locations each addressable by means of an information address; an input element provided with a plurality of selectively actuable selection members; a control unit memory including a plurality of memory locations grouped to form a plurality of identical, addressable status blocks in which command sequences which can be predetermined are stored, each status block comprising a first group of memory locations including an initial memory location storing a status block address signal by which the respective status block is addressed, at least one subsequent memory location storing an information address signal and a selection member interrogation memory location, said subsequent memory locations being successively interrogated by a computer to release stored information address signals when said status block is addressed through the status block address signal stored in said initial memory location, each status block further comprising a second group of memory locations respectively associated with corresponding ones of said selection members, at least one of the memory locations of said second group storing an address signal for a further status block, and said selection member interrogation memory location storing information for determining which of said memory locations of said second group do not contain an address signal for a further status block; means connected to said input element and to said control unit memory for causing release, out of one of the status blocks actually called by said computer, of a status block address signal stored in one memory location of said second group of said called up block associated with one of the selection members, in response to actuation of said one selection member; said selection member interrogation memory location being interrogated in sequence by said computer after said subsequent memory locations to recognize memory locations of said second group which contain an address signal for a further status block and memory locations of said second group which do not contain an address signal for a further status block; said computer being connected to said control unit memory to have access to said command sequences of the status blocks and to be responsive to released information address signals in order to control release of information from the storage unit and to released status block address signals in order to address further status blocks in response to actuation of said selection members; and a display unit connected to the storage unit to display information released from the storage unit.