Patent · US Expired

Plural video keyboard access system

US4404551A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
6References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1981
Grant dateSep 13, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0489
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A video communication network (20) capable of providing a plurality of simultaneous textual data video frames to a plurality of keystations (22, 24) from a plurality of computer systems comprising at least two different data bases having incompatible keyboard protocols or character codes (40, 47, 46a, 46b) employs a single keyboard (28, 38) at the keystation (22, 24) to both selectively communicate with various different data base computer systems (40, 47, 46a, 46b) and enable keyboard generated dynamic selection of a textual data video display from a multiplexed plurality of simultaneously provided composite video signals corresponding to the plurality of video frames. Each keyboard (28, 38) may control anywhere from one VDU (26) up to four such VDUs (30, 32, 34, 36), by way of example. The keyboard (28, 38) is connected to a keyboard display driver (42a, 42b) which interfaces the keyboard (28, 38) to the various computer systems (40, 47, 46a, 46b), such as host and subscriber computer systems, and to a video matrix switch (44a, 44b). A keyboard code converter (48a, 48b) is connected between the keyboard display driver (42a, 42b) and an incompatible computer system (40) for conver…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.