Patent · US Expired

Calculator keyboard with user definable function keys and with programmably alterable interactive labels for certain function keys

US4823311A · kind A · utility

70Cited by
10References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 30, 1986
Grant dateApr 18, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 30, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0238
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Calculator having a keyboard in which one or more keys have labels created by a display and subject to changing interactively as the user desires. Typically, advanced scientific-programmable calculators may have too many functions to be adequately included on the keys of the keyboard associated therewith. In such calculators, certain functions require a plurality of keys to be actuated in order to be performed. Thus, such keyboards tend to be cluttered an confusing to the user. Thus, a keyboard is proposed having a small number of keys labeled with different functional labels as the user proceeds through a menu or tree structure containing all the desired functions. Keys in a certain group of keys on the keyboard are thereby subject to redefinition or relabeling so as to provide a variety of functions.

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