Computer interface device

Abstract

A computer terminal device includes a flat screen display element and a touch-sensitive element. Simulated keyboards can be displayed on the display element and, in response to the touching of the simulated keys, generate appropriate control signals. The same flat screen display can also be used to display computer output, either the result of calculations or the result of information retrieval requests. The slim silhouette of this terminal makes it ideal for hostile environments such as the factory floor or the hospital room.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A terminal comprising: 
       a touch-sensitive electroluminescent display surface for simultaneously displaying information and for accepting input information through a touch-responsive area in said display surface, and  
       means for coupling said surface to a digital computer for controlling said displaying and for storing and processing said input information, and including means for defining in said touch responsive area an essentially arbitrary pattern A  of primary information subareas of said touch-responsive area for providing information, with each defined subarea developing a preselected signal for said computer when touched, a first subarea B  for recalling a previously displayed pattern of primary information subareas, and second subareas C  for calling up for display preselected other patterns of primary information subareas.  
     
     
       2. The terminal of  claim 1  wherein said first subarea B  and said second subareas C  direct said computer to carry out the respective functions when touched. 
     
     
       3. A method of simulating a typewriting keyboard on a touch-sensitive display surface comprising the steps of: 
       (a) displaying a typewriter keyboard arrangement on said display surface,  
       (b) responding to the touching of any of the key areas of said keyboard display by generating the electric code corresponding to the character assigned to the touched key area, and  
       (c) altering the labels on the key areas in response to the touching of a special key area corresponding to a shift or control key to assign different electric codes to these key areas corresponding to the altered labels.  
     
     
       4. A terminal comprising: 
       a touch-sensitive plasma display surface for simultaneously displaying information and for accepting input information through a touch-responsive area in said display surface, and  
       means for coupling said surface to a digital computer for controlling said displaying and for storing and processing said input information, and including means for defining in said touch responsive area (a) an essentially arbitrary pattern of primary information subareas of said touch-responsive area for providing information, with each defined subarea developing a preselected signal for said computer when touched, (b) a subarea for recalling a previously displayed pattern of primary information subareas, and (c) subareas for calling up for display preselected other patterns of primary information subareas.  
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  wherein the step of displaying includes correlating of the key areas of the display corresponding to specific keyboard labels with electric signals generated by said areas. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein said specific keyboard labels include alphabetic labels. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  further comprises the following steps: 
       
         responsive to the touching of a first special key area, deleting said alphabetic keyboard on said display surface; and  
       
       
         responsive to the touching of a second special key area, displaying a numeric keyboard on said display surface. 
       
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  wherein at least one label is the same on each of said numeric and alphabetic keyboards. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6  further comprises the following steps: 
       
         responsive to the touching of a first special key area, deleting said alphabetic keyboard on said display surface; and  
       
       
         responsive to the touching of a second special key area, displaying a telephone keypad on said display surface. 
       
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 5  wherein the specific keyboard labels comprise capital letters. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein said electric signals comprise ASCII codes. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein said ASCII codes are transmitted to a computer. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 5  wherein the specific keyboard labels comprise lower case letters. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein said electric signals comprise ASCII codes. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein said ASCII codes are transmitted to a computer. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 5  wherein said electric signals comprise ASCII codes. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 3  wherein the typewriter keyboard arrangement is a standard “q- w - e - r - t - y” typewriter keyboard.   
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 3  wherein the altering step includes erasing current labels on the keys and replacing the current labels corresponding to the altered labels of said keys. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein the current labels are lower case letters and altered labels are capital letters. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the altering step is effected in response to the touching of the special key area corresponding to a shift key. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of displaying is carried out on said display surface comprising a flat display and a touch- sensitive screen.   
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein an output is produced in response to the touching of the touch- sensitive screen, wherein the key areas of said keyboard including the special key area have associated x - y coordinates, and wherein the responding step includes:    
         translating the output from the touch - sensitive screen into touched x - y coordinates;    
         comparing the touched x - y coordinates to the x - y coordinates associated with the special key area;    
         producing an electric code associated with the special key if the touched x - y coordinates match the x - y coordinates of the special key area; and    
       
         delivering said electric code to a central processor. 
       
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22  wherein the delivering step is carried out inside a hand- held terminal.   
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22  wherein the delivering step is carried out using a cord. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  wherein the cord is flexible and retractible. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 22  wherein the delivering step is carried out using wireless technology. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  wherein the delivering step is carried out using sonic communications links. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26  wherein the delivering step is carried out using radio communication links. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26  wherein the delivering step is carried out using infrared communication links. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 3  wherein the step of responding includes: 
       
         determining whether the touched key area is a special key area or an alphanumeric key area.