Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKG~OUND OF THE INYENTION
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Field of the Invention:
This invention rela~es to word processing
apparatus, and is particularly directed to a portable
word processor having a fractional-line keyboard display
thereon.
Description of the Prior Art:
Conventional word processors normally include
a typewriter keyboard, a microprocessor-based data
processing circuit, a CRT or other display device for
visually presenting all or part of a page of text, and
a magnetic disk drive for recording, o~ a magnetic disk,
the data corresponding to the text typed on the keyboard.
A previously typed document can be easily edited or
revised using such a word processor. A previously typed
segment of the document can be recalled from storage on
the magnetic disk, and the text can be suitable altered
or the format thereof changed by typing predetermined
commands on the keyboard. The portions of the text
being so altered are displayed on the display device so
that the operator can carry out any textual editing or
revision while watching the display device.
After the editing or revision is complete,
the final text can be stored on the magnetic disk, or
can be transferred to magnetic tape, printed on a desired
stock of paper by an electric printer, or transferred
over a communication medium to a distant location.
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Conventional word processors are constructed
as either free standing modules or desk-top units, and
require standard AC power. Further, the display device
of the conventional word processor is rather large, being
designed to present a display of at least a full line of
the text, and, in most cases, a disp~ay of a full page
thereof. Thus, these word processors have been too heavy
and cumbersome to be used as portable devices, and it
has not been possible to adapt them for use outside the
office.
Recently, there has developed a need to
produce textual documents away from the office, such as
at meetings and conventions, and while travelling.
However, until now there has not been provided a rugged
yet versatile word processor which can be constructed
to be battery powered, and made compact and rugged
enough to be portable.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a chief object of this invention to
provide a novel word processor device well suited for
portable use.
It is another objec~ of this invention to pro-
vide a portable novel word processor device which is versa-
tile and rug~ed.
It is a more specific obJect of this invention
to provide a portable word processor device having a
fractional-line character display.
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It is a further object of this invention to
provide a portable word processor device equipped with
a microcassette recorder or similar device for storing
data relating to pa~es of a typed document, and also having
a keyboard and a half-line display, all disposed on an
operation panel of the word processor device.
It is a more specific object to construct
such a word processor device, as aforesaid, which can
be made small enough to fit into an a~tache case or
other similar hand-carried case.
Another object of th;s in~ention is to
provide such a word processor in which a pair of display
control keys select the particular half-line of a typed
document which is to be displayed.
According to an aspect of this invention, a
word processor device is provided on which textual data
relating to a stream of textual characters can be entered
for composing and/or editing a textual document. The
stream of characters is constituted by a sequence of lines
each having up to a predetermined number of characters
therein. The lines are divisible into fractional-line --
segments, such as half lines, each with a substantially
equal number of characters a fraction of the predetermined
number constituting the entire line. The word processor
device of this invention comprises a keyboard having a
plurality of alphabetic, numerical, and other symbol keys
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on which the stream of characters is typed a~d a carriage-
return key for demarking a juncture of two successive
lines; a fractional-line display arrangement for displaying
up to the maximum number of characters of a fractional
line segment, thereby visibly presenting the characters
of the associated segment; data processing circuitry
for receiving and storing textual data entered on the
keyboard and furnishing to the fractional-line display
arrangement the data relating to one of the fractional-
line seg~ents; and first and second display control keys
coupled to the data processing circuitry for causing the
latter to furnish selectively to the fractional-line
display arrangement a fractional-line segment next
adjacent the one frac~ional-line segment presently being
displayed thereon. Thus, actuation of one or the other
of the display control keys causes either ~he next
successive or the next previous segment to be presented
on the display arrangement.
Preferably, the display control keys are
marked to enable an operator to recognize the function
thereof more easily, such as by use of bent arrows showing
the direction of character stream progression associated
with the respective keys.
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In a preferred embodiment, the display arrange-
ment shows a half line, and the first and second display
control keys act to shift the stream of charact0rs
forward or backward by a half line, even though this
can involve progressing to the former half of the next
sUccessive line or the latter half of the next previous
line.
The wo~d processor device of this invention
can be constructed small enough so ~hat one side thereof,
constituting an operation panel r is not substantially
larger than a page of letter-size paper. The word
processor device is easily powered by batteries. An
external electric page printer can be connected to the
word processor device for producing a final, high-
quality typed document.
The above and other objects, features and
advantages of this invention will become apparent from the
ensuing detailed description of a preferred embodiment,
which should be considered in connection with the accompany-
ing drawings~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of an operation panel
of a word processor device according to an embodiment of
this invention.
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Fi~. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of ~he
device of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a flow chart explaining operation
of the circuit ~f Fig. 2 in carrying out control of the
character display.
Figs. 4A and 4B are charts illustrating the
display function of the word processor device of this
~nvention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERR~D EMBODIMENT
With reference to the acco~panyislg drawings,
Fig. 1 shows an operation pan~l of a word processor device
embodying ~his invention. The specific cons~ruction and
functions of this embodiment are disclosed in detail in
the copendin~ patent app3i~ation ser. No . 391, 773,
Filed December 8, 1981, having a common assi~nee herewith.
ile the details ther~of need not all be reneàted here, the
purpose of ex~laining the present invention is well .served
by the following brief discussion.
The operation panel has a keyboard 1 thereon
generally arranged in a s~andard, or so-called "Ql~TY"
configuration, including an array of character keys fo~
typing letter, numbers, and punctuation, and als~
including the usual carriage return, tab, and backspace
keys. Also included are a space bar situated at the lowQr
center of the keyboard 1 with steno space keys to the left
and right thereof. A code key and a reset kPy are respec-
tively included to the left and to the right of the steno
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space keys.
The steno space keys are used to carry out a
steno function and are intended to reduce both the number
of keystrokes and operator stroke time, and thereby to
improve operator accuracy and efficiency. The steno
function generates a predetermined group of characters
when the steno space key and another single key are
depressed. For example, if the "A" key and the steno
space key are depressed, the word "AND" will be generated.
The steno function can also be used to generate suffixes
to follow word stems.
As shown in Fig. 1, several of the keys on the
keyboard 1 are marked with a code function word as well
as a particular character symbol. The code key is used
together with a selected one of the keys to generate an
associated function command code. For example, a page-
end command code is generated by depressing the code key
and then depressing the P key. The reset key serves to
deactivate any ccded function and to return the keyboard
1 to its typing function.
A ~eyboard character display 2,which is a liquid
crystal display (LCD), is disposed above the keyboard 1
and shows a half-line of text, i.e., 40 characters, each
of which is a 5 X 10 dot matrix.
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A built-in microcassette recorder 3 is included
at the upper righ~-hand portion of the operation panel.
A microcassette recorder control panel 40
includes keys REW, STOP, PLAY, FFWD, REC, and PAUSE to
initiate rewind, stop, play, fast-forward, record, and
pause functions, respectively. These control keys are
used during audio recording and playback, and their
functions are well known. None of these keys, except
the STOP key,are actuable when textual data is being
transferred to or from a tape in the microcassette
recorder 3. The PLAY key is used to play back dictation
or other audio recording, and to initiate transfer of
textual data from the tape in the microcassette recorder 3.
A display control panel 5 is positioned to the
left of the microcassette control panel 4, and includes
a cursor-left key 5a, a cursor-right key 5b, a character-
delete key 5c, a character-insert key 5d, an above-line
scroll key Se, and a below-line scroll key 5f. These
keys 5a through 5f are used to control the presentation
displayed on the keyboard display 2, and are especially
useful in an editing operation.
During a typing operation and during any editing,
a cursor is displayed on the LCD character display 2 at
the position at which the next character to be typed on
the keyboard 1 will appear. Preferably, the cursor takes
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the form of a bar positioned below the character position.
During an editing operation, the cursor-left
key 5a and the cursor-right key 5b are used to move the
cursor left and right to a desired editing position,
for sxample, to insert or delete a character.
The character-delete key 5c is pressed to
delete any character at the cursor position and to close
up the resulting space. The character-insert key 5d is
depressed to insert a character or a space at the cursor
position, or to adjust the spacing between words.
The above-line scroll key 5e is depressed to
display the first 40 characters of a particular line, or
to display the last 40 characters of a previous line.
Similarly, the below-line scroll key 5f is depressed to
display the last 40 characters of a particular line, or
to display the first 40 characters of the next successive
line. The function of these keys 5e and 5f will be
discussed in greater detail later.
A built-in loudspeaker 5 and a built-in condenser
microphone 7 are included on the operation panel. The
microphone 7 is used in rPcording dictation or audio infor-
mation, and the loudspeaker 5 is used for listening to
played back dictation or other recorded audio.
An on-off switch 8 is also included on the
operation panel.
The general arrangement of the electronic
control circuitry for the above-described word processor
can be explained with reference to Fig. 2. Elements
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previously described with reference to Fig. 1 are
identified in Fig. 2 the same reference numerals, and a
detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
As shown in Fig. 2, a keyboard module 10
includes a keyboard encoder 11 coupled to the keyboard
1 and also to the display control keys 5. Also, a
display module 12 includes a display character buffer/
driver 13 for driving the liquid crystal display 2.
A microprocessor is used to control operation
of the word processor, and includes an interface 14
coupled to the keyboard encoder 11 ~nd to the display
character buffer/driver 13, a central processing unit
or CPU 15, a read-only memory or ROM 16 on which a control
program for controlling the word processor is permanently
stored, a text buffer memory 17 having a capacity for
storing up to one full page of textual information, and a
data bus 18 connecting the interface 14, the CPU 15, the
ROM 16, and the text buffer memory 17.
A microcassette control board 19, shown generally
by a dash line enclosure, has a recorder interface coupled
to the recorder 3, the control keys ~ nd the microphone 7 and
also to the data bus 18. A muting circuit 21 is also -
included between the interface 20 and the speaker 5 to
prevent data tones from being reproduced on the speaker 6
when textual information is transfered from the cassette
recorder 3 to the text buffer memory 17.
Although not shown, the interface 20 inoludes
a frequency shift keyer to convert data to a stream of
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marks and spaces represented, for example, by audio
tones with a frequency of 600 Hz and 300 Hz, respectively.
This frequency shift keyer is also operative to convert
such tones,picked up from the tape in the microcassette
recorder 3,back into binary data.
As mentioned above, the text buffer memory 17
has a capacity to store up to one full page of textual
data. Preferably, this corresponds to up to 1800 eight-
bit bytes for storing up to a maximum of 1800 typed
characters or 66 lines. This memory c~pacity corresponds
approximately to one page of text on standard (i.e.,
letter-size) paper. The text buffer memory 17 serves
to store data corresponding to a particular page of a
textual document temporarily until such data can be
tranferred to the microcassette 31. Of course, the text
buffer memory 17 also serves to store a particular page
of textual data called up from the microcassette recorder
3 so that that page of textual data can be edited.
In the word processor as described above, a
stream of characters is typed on the keyboard 1, and
encoded characters are furnished from the keyboard encoder
11 through the interface 14 to the text buffer memory 17 to
be stored therein. As previously mentioned, ~he memory 17
has a capacity corresponding to a single typed page, and
in this embodiment, the capacity is 1800 characters.
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When the operator has finished typing a
particular page, the textual data stored in the memory
17 can be transfered to a microcasse~te tape in the
recorder 3. This is carried out by typing a command
on the keyboard 1. When this is done, a corresponding
com~and signal is furnished to the CPU 15, and, in
response, the CPU transfers the textual data stored in
the memory 17, in se~uence, to the recorder interface
20. Then the textual data is recorded as a sequence
of 300 Hz and 600 Hz spaces and marks.
A he~der code train is recorded on the micro-
cassette tape immediate before the textual data is read
out from the memory 17 to provide synchronizing signals,
a block number code, and other codes associated with
the textual data to be recorded.
By use of the function keys 4, audio signals
can be recorded, such as dictation to identify a particular
document to which textual data relates, interspersed
with the textual data, on the same cassette.
As described hereinabove, the character display
2 of the above-described word processor is a half-line .
display. More specifically, in this embodiment, each
typed line has a maximum length of 80 characters, with
each page having up to 66 lines. Accordingly, the half-
line character display 2 shows up to 40 characters, and
also is arranged to identify the current page number and
line number of the particular portion of a typed textual
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document being displayed thereon, as well as an indication
of whether the displayed textual data are on the le~t
(former) or right (latter) half of the particular line.
To accomplish this, the CPU 15 selects the particular
half of the coded textual data stored in the text
buffer memory 17 to be supplied through the interface 14
to the character display buffer/driver 13, and such half
line is displayed on the half-line character display 2.
During typing, since the display 2 can present
only a maximum of 40 characters, the characters displayed
are the former 40 characters of a particular line. When
the number of characters typed on the keyboard 1 exceeds 40
for any particular line, then the latter 40 characters
are displayed.
The above-line scroll key 5e and the below-
line scroll key 5f are used to arrive at and display a
particular half line of the data stored in the memory 17,
for example, so that the data can be properly editea and
revised. Once the particular half line is reached, the
words being displayed can be corrected or changed by
using the keys Sa through 5d, together with the keys of
the keybo~rd 1.
With the word processor as described hereinabove,
when an operator desires to display the textual portion
immediately before or immediately following the portion
presently being displayed, the above-line scroll key or
the below-line scroll key can be depressed. As shown in
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Fig. 1, these keys 5e and 5f bear respective symbolic
markings to aid in the operator's recognition of their
functions. In this embodiment, the symbolic markings are
each in the form of bent arrows showing the general
direction of progression of the displayed half line
associated with actuation of the respective keys 5e and 5f.
The above-line s~roll key 5e and the below-line
scroll key 5f cooperate wi~h the CPU 15 and ROM 16 to
carry out the half-line selection operation generally as
illustrated in the flow chart of Fig. 3.
As explained in that flow chart, the program
stored in the ROM 16 detects whether any of the editing
control keys 5a through 5f have been actuated, as is
indicated by step [1]. If any such key is ac~uated, then
it is determined whether the below-line scroll key 5f has
been actuated (step [2]). If this key 5f has been depressed,
then the routine proceeds to step [ll]. Otherwise, it is
determined whether the above-line scroll key 5e has been
actuated (step [3]). If so, the routine proceeds to
step [21].
If neither the below-line scroll key 5f nor the
above-line scroll key Se has been depressed, then the
program proceeds to step [~] and an editing routine is
carried out according to such other of the remaining keys
5a through 5d which is depressed.
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In step [11], when the below-line scroll key 5f
is depressed, it is firs~ determined whether the former
half (i.e., the first 40 characters) thereof is being
displayed. If so, the data corresponding to the latter
half of the same line are furnished to the display
character buffer/driver 13 (step [12]~. However, if the
former half line is not being displayed, the textual data
corresponding to the former half of the next successive
line is furnished to the buffer/driver 13 (step [13]).
In the event that the last line (i.e., line 66) is already
being displayed, step [13] is operative to display the
former half of the same line.
In step [21~, when the above-line scroll key
5e is depressed, it is first determined whether the latter
half of the particular line is being displayed. If so,
the textual data corresponding to the former half of the
same line is furnished from the text buffer memory 17 to
the character display buffer/driver 13. However, if the
latter half is not being displayed, then the textual data
corresponding to the latter half of the next previous
line is furnished to the buffer/driver 13 (step [23]).
In the event that the very first line (i.e., line 1) of
a particular page is presently being displayed, step [23]
is operative to display the latter half of the same first
line.
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Finally, after any of the steps [4], [12],
[13], [22], or [23] is executed, the program return back
to step [l] to await another depression of one of the
edit control keys 5a through 5f.
Figs. 4A and 4B more clearly explain the
operation of the keys 5e and 5f. In these drawings, a
page 30 of a printed document is formed of successive
lines AB, CD, and EF, respectively divided into former
half lines A, C, and E, and latter half lines B, D, and
F. If, for example, the former half line A is being
displayed on the display 2, the operator can depress
below-line scroll key 5f to display the nex~ successive
half line B. Another actuation of this key 5f will
display the half line C.
On the other hand, if the latter half line F
is being presented on the display 2, the operator can
depress the above-line scroll key Se and the next
previous half line E will be displayed. A subsequent
actuation of this key 5e will result in the half line D
being displayed.
The use of a half-line liquid crystal display
2, constructed and operated as described hereinabove,
enables the word processor of this invention to be
constructed as a compact unit, and enables the same to
be powered by batteries contained within the word
processor.
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In addition, the half-line display 2 and the
associated above-line and below-line scroll keys 5e and
5f greatly facilitate the editin~ of textual data, and
permit efficienL preparation of typed documents, even
when at a location away from the office or while
traveling.
T~hile the above-described embodiment uses a
half-line display 2 in which 40 characters of an 80-
character line are displayed, it should be apparent that
this invention could be practiced with other display
formats. For example, if a line contained 90 characters,
a one-third-line display could be used to display a first,
middle, or last 30 characters of each line.
T~hile the invention has been described with
reference to a single preferred embodiment thereof, it
is apparent that many modifications and variations could
be effected therein by one skilled in the art without
departing from the scope and spirit of this invention,
which are to be defined by the appended claims.
