Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Patent
1996-06-10
2000-01-11
Hopsass, Jeffery A.
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
345168, 341 23, 341 28, G09G 500
Patent
active
06014131&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to interactive programmable interfaces for liquid crystal display (LCD) keyswitches and in particular to an on-line interactive programmable interface between a high speed data port of a computer and LCD keyswitch devices. The invention also relates to input/output devices having relegendable LCD keyswitches for use as stand-alone devices having an on-board microprocessor and for use in conjunction with a computer.
International Patent Publication No. WO 85/01596 discloses tactile function keys comprising relegendable keyswitches to provide a set of self-identifying function keys which can interface with any computer or dumb terminal. It was contemplated in this publication that each of the function keys should be independently programmable. However, the emphasis was placed throughout the publication on providing a keyset and at least one data set corresponding to the keys in the keyset. To alter the data displayed on the relegendable keyswitches, the data set is strobed to the keys in the keyset. Particular data for a display is stored in a corresponding memory location so that when a refresh or strobe signal is received the data from each memory location applicable to a keyset is transferred to the keyswitch displays.
WO 85/01596 also discloses relegendable keyswitches formed into a peripheral keypad which is interfaced to a computer using an interface circuit which functions as described above. A modified keyboard having a strip of relegendable keyswitches is also disclosed. Data set transfer is conducted via the standard keyboard interface.
Similarly, EP-A-0 226 392 relates to a display key comprising a relegendable keyswitch and a keyboard formed of such keyswitches. Display commands indicative of information to be displayed on the displays of the keys are assigned to memory locations which are accessed sequentially to transfer the display commands (data) to the key displays. Again, the emphasis in this publication is placed on an entire keyset being changed, for example, from upper case letters to lower case letters by the operation of the "shift" key or from a conventional QWERTY keyboard layout to some other array or language alphabet. The entire keyboard of a typewriter could be shifted from Roman to Greek to Japanese characters or to any other character set by an appropriate instruction. A further example includes an application program that is menu driven which is arranged to display the possible menu selections on the keys themselves. Thus, at different times a key can be used to cause the key displays to change. In each case, an entire new keyset is downloaded from memory to the displays.
EP-A-0 221 698 also discloses a display key comprising a relegendable keyswitch. The displays are LCDs (liquid crystal displays) made up of a matrix of sixteen rows and twenty four columns. Each dot or pixel in the matrix is assigned a location in the memory associated with the display driver circuitry of each key. In all embodiments described in this publication the "refreshing" and resetting of the displays is performed collectively, for example, the reset code for all displays is performed through a dedicated conductor common to all the display drivers.
As demonstrated in the aforementioned publications, it was believed that data sets should be altered in their entirety rather than individual keyswitch display data locations being addressed and altered. Discrete data cannot be transferred using the interface architecture disclosed in these publications.
Data input devices and more particularly point-of-sale devices are discussed in US-A-5,233,167. The publication discloses a point-of-sale device for use in a retail goods or services facility and is configured as a multi-function terminal having a built-in microprocessor. A keyboard for data entry is arranged in key blocks relating to particular attributes of the goods or services. The keyboard can be programmed for different attributes for different key block designations. A particular designation
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Bannon William Peter Roger
Barry James Anthony
Caldwell John
Feltscope Limited
Hopsass Jeffery A.
Lieu Julie B.
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