GB1471231A - Visual display display system - Google Patents

Abstract

1471231 Cathode-ray tube displays SIEMENS AG 12 Aug 1974 [22 Oct 1973] 35354/74 Heading H4T A (photo-electric) light pen 6 (Figs. 1 and 2) coacting with a cathode-ray tube data display screen 2 includes signal transmitting means which, in accordance with desired commands, transmits control signals for modifying the displayed data to a receiver 4 having antenna means 5, 5a the output of the receiver and the display control circuitry being connected inter alia via a keyboard 7 and an image repetition and other stores 10 for the transmission and reception of information to and from a data processing unit 8. The pin, as shown in Fig. 2, which has a writing implement 20, e.g. a ball-point pen at one end is provided, at the other end, with a transparent tip 30 (which lights up when adjacent the tube screen); collector optics 29; photo-diode 29a; a (index) finger operated push-button battery switch 32; read-out logic 31 (for modulating the transmitter); a signal generator unit 28 containing gravity operated contacts which, in dependence of the axial rotational position of the pen, as indicated by markings 28a, emits different signals pertaining to different commands to control one or more interconnected signal generators 27; a carrier transmitter 25 modulated by the output of read out logic 31; an indicator 26 indicating the operation of transmitter 25; keys 24, 24a for selecting different signal generators; a battery 23 and charging contacts 20, 21 through which the battery may be charged when it is inserted in the holder 16 (Fig. 1) The carrier may be frequency or amplitude modulated or, instead of a modulated transmission, an inductive system using a loop antenna may be employed. Alternatively one or more ultrasonic frequencies may be employed for the carrier by using appropriate electroacoustic transducers in the pen and in the display unit. The various control functions may include deletion of part of the text and the insertion of new text via keyboard 7; movement of characters to the right hand side with automatic transfer of superfluous characters into the next line; movement of characters to the left hand side with erasure of superfluous characters at the beginning of the line, the insertion and deletion of data delimiters and the insertion of paragraphs, i.e. moving lines downwards from a marked position. In the system of Fig. 1, the data on screen 2 supplied by the processor 8 is compared with a prototype page 15 and after editorial processing by the operator using the light-pen a hand-copy is made at 11 (e.g. by a teleprinter or ink-jet printer).