Data display system

Claim 2

In combination with a display device including a movable writing means actuatable to form a visible image on a target, control means for controlling the movement of said writing means, said control means comprising: a cyclic memory containing a plurality of groups of biT storing positions; timing means for cyclically defining character sets of successive time intervals, each character set being comprised of m intervals with at least one of said m intervals serving as an intercharacter space interval; deflection means for causing said writing means to cyclically describe a predetermined pattern on said target; reading means for reading bits from a different one of said groups during each of said intervals; video means responsive to bits read by said reading means during each of m intervals except for said intercharacter space interval of each character set of intervals for selectively actuating said writing means to describe a predetermined character on said target; and logic means responsive to bits read by said reading means during an intercharacter space interval for causing said writing means to display a cursor symbol at a predetermined location on said target.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said deflection means causes said writing means to describe a series of substantially parallel strokes; and wherein each of said groups read during said m intervals other than said intercharacter space interval of each set of m intervals stores video information with respect to a different one of said parallel strokes.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said logic means responsive to bits ready by said reading means during said intercharacter space interval of a character set includes means for actuating said writing means during predetermined intervals of the succeeding character set.

Claim 5

In a data display system employing a CRT unit which displays a plurality of characters, each in a dot matrix consisting of a plurality of columns, each column having a series of dot positions at which a beam of said CRT unit is unblanked in response to binary digits of a video code serially read from a storage unit, and wherein said CRT beam is automatically blanked for one complete stroke between characters to provide a space between displayed characters, said intercharacter blanking occurring while intercharacter bit storage positions are read from said storage unit to thus maintain synchronous operation between the movement of said CRT beam and the reading of said storage unit, apparatus for marking a given character position for selective entry of a new character and for manifesting the accessibility of said given character position comprising: a cursor signal stored as a binary digit in one of said positions of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam preceding a given character position; means for detecting the presence of said cursor signal as said intercharacter stroke bit storage positions are read; marker means connected to said means for detecting a cursor signal for causing said CRT unit to display a cursor symbol in the character position succeeding said intercharacter stroke; and entry means connected to said marker means for enabling new video codes to be entered in place of the video codes stored in said storage unit subsequent to said cursor signal.

Claim 6

In a data display system employing a CRT unit which displays a plurality of characters, each in a dot matrix consisting of a plurality of columns, each column having a series of dot positions at which a beam of said CRT unit is unblanked in response to binary digits of a video code serially read from a storage unit, and wherein said CRT beam is automatically blanked for one complete stroke between characters to provide a space between displayed characters, said intercharacter blanking occurring while intercharacter bit storage positions are read from said storage unit to thus maintain synchronous operation between the movement of said CRT beam and the reading of said storage unit, apparatus for marking a given character position for selective entry of a new character and for manifesting the accessibility of said given character position comprising: a cursor signal stored as a binary digit in one of said positions of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam preceding a given character position; means for detecting the presence of said cursor signal as said intercharacter stroke bit storage positions are read; marker means connected to said means for detecting a cursor signal for causing said CRT unit to display a cursor symbol in the character position succeeding said intercharacter stroke; and entry means connected to said marker means for enabling new video codes to be entered in place of the video codes stored in said storage unit subsequent to said cursor signal.

Claim 7

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said entry means includes means for advancing said cursor signal from one of said positions of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam preceding said given character position to a corresponding position of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam following said given character position when a character is entered, thereby automatically marking the next character position as accessible for entry.

Claim 8

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said entry means includes means for selectively advancing said cursor signal to mark the next character position as accessible for entry without entering a character.

Claim 9

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said displayed characters Are periodically refreshed at a certain rate and wherein said cursor signal detecting means causes said CRT unit to refresh said cursor symbol at a lesser rate whereby said cursor symbol will appear as a blinking marker.

Claim 10

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said entry means includes means for advancing said cursor signal from one of said positions of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam preceding said given character position to a corresponding position of said storage unit read during an intercharacter stroke of said CRT beam following said given character position when a character is entered, thereby automatically marking the next character position as accessible for entry.

Claim 11

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said entry means includes means for selectively advancing said cursor signal to mark the next character position as accessible for entry without entering a character.

Claim 12

In a data display system of a type having storage means for storing data to be displayed, each character of data being defined by a predetermined video code, and the blank space between characters being indicated by an intercharacter space code consisting of at least one bit position of storage, and having display means connected to said storage means for reading said data for display, character by character, and for displaying said characters with blank intercharacter spaces in response to the video codes thereof regardless of the binary value of digits stored in said intercharacter space codes between character defining video codes, said display system further having entry means connected to said storage means for entering video codes of new characters, one character at a time on a selective basis, whereby an operator may enter characters through a keyboard connected to said storage means, apparatus for marking a given character position for selective entry of a new character and for manifesting the accessibility of said given character position comprising: a cursor signal stored in said storage means as a binary code in the intercharacter space code position preceding the video code of said given character position; means connected to said display means for detecting the presence of a cursor signal between video character codes being read for display; and means connected to said cursor signal detecting means and said storage means for displaying in said given character position a manifestation marking it for entry of a new character code for display

Claim 13

In a data display system of a type having storage means for storing data to be displayed, each character of data being defined by a predetermined video code, and the blank space between characters being indicated by an intercharacter space code consisting of at least one bit position of storage, and having display means connected to said storage means for reading said data for display, character by character, and for displaying said characters with blank intercharacter spaces in response to the video codes thereof regardless of the binary value of digits stored in said intercharacter space codes between character defining video codes, said display system further having entry means connected to said storage means for entering video codes of new characters, one character at a time on a selective basis, whereby an operator may enter characters through a keyboard connected to said storage means, apparatus for marking a given character position for selective entry of a new character and for manifesting the accessibility of said given character position comprising: a cursor signal stored in said storage means as a binary code in the intercharacter space code position preceding the video code of said given character position; means connected to said display means for detecting the presence of a cursor signal between video character codes being read for display; and means connected to said cursor signal detecting means and said storage means for displaying in said given character position a manifestation marking it for entry of a new character code for display

Claim 14

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said display means reads said data for display cyclically and displays each character during each cycle, and said cursor signal detecting means is effective to display said manifestation in said given character position once for every given number of cycles, whereby said manifestation appears as a blinking marker.

Claim 15

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 11 including means connected to said display means for advancing said cursor signal code from the intercharacter space preceding said given character position to the intercharacter space following said given character position for display of said blinking marker when a character has been entered by said entry means, thereby marking the next character position for entry of a new character code therein.

Claim 16

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 12 including means connected to said entry means for automatically entering into said given position marked for entry a code representing any character selected for entry by said operator through said keyboard.

Claim 17

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said display means comprises a CRT display unit and said storage means comprises a cyclic display storage unit, whereby data being displayed is cyclically read for refreshing the characters displayed, each character being displayed bY a succession of strokes covering a character position during which a beam of said CRT is unblanked by the video code of a character stored in said storage means for display in that position and an additional stroke before displaying a character in the next adjacent position during which said beam is blanked and said intercharacter space code is read to provide an intercharacter space, and wherein said cursor signal detecting means includes means for producing a signal enabling a character to be entered in the next character position to be read upon detection of said intercharacter space code.

Claim 18

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein each character is displayed in a matrix of dots, each dot being formed by unblanking said beam in response to binary digits of said video code, and said cursor signal detecting means alters the operation of said display means in all dot positions when it is effective to produce said blinking marker.

Claim 19

In a data display system, apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said cursor signal detecting means alters the operation of said display means by unblanking said beam at all dot positions, whereby said blinking marker appears as a blinking block superimposed on any character present in the position thus being marked as accessible for entry.