Abstract: A display arrangement (LCD etc.) in which the control voltage range is enlarged by including in the control lines (13.sup.a, 13.sup.b) additional diodes (14) which are connected to a common point (15). In order to counteract a capacitive by-effect, additional diodes (17) are connected in parallel with opposite polarity. The enlarged control range provides a wider choice of LCD material or other electrooptical materials.

Abstract: A system for recognizing touch positions along an axis on a surface associated with a touch control apparatus comprises a substrate having a surface capable of propagating surface acoustic waves and so characterized that a touch on that surface causes a perturbation of a surface wave passing through the region of touch. An input surface wave transducer coupled to the substrate surface launches a burst of surface waves on the surface. An output surface wave transducer coupled to the substrate detects received surface waves. Wave redirecting gratings derive wave components from the launched wave and redirect them across the substrate surface to the output transducer. The wave components are caused to traverse the axis along a progression of paths associated with different touch positions along the axis.

Abstract: A data entry device having five keys, not in one plane, is held in and operated by one hand. Each key has two "on" positions and one "off" position. By using a single key or chord of keys to form characters, a surplus of possible combinations is generated. Because it is grippable and requires only one hand to operate, the user can utilized it while simultaneously walking, writing, reading, commuting, using a phone, holding a conversation, or engaging in related and unrelated activities.

Abstract: An electrostatic capacity type encoder which includes a rotary disk rotatingly provided on an encoder body, and a first stationary disk and a second stationary disk fixed to the encoder body to face each other with the rotary disk arranged therebetween. A plurality of transmitting electrodes are provided on the first stationary disk. On the rotary disk is provided not only a plurality of receiving electrodes facing the transmitting electrodes on the first stationary disk but also a coupling electrode connected to the receiving electrodes and facing the second stationary disk. An output electrode is provided on the second stationary disk to face the coupling electrode on the rotary disk. To the respective transmitting electrodes are applied alternating currents with respective different phases, and the amount of rotating displacement in the rotary disk is detected in accordance with the output signal from the output electrode which changes with the rotation of the rotary disk.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for converting a serial bit stream representative of a composite color video signal to RGB control signals is described. A sliding window is used to determine the video color for each new bit in the stream after the bits are rearranged to their proper order. As soon as a change in color is detected, the prior color is used until a predetermined condition occurs such as the passage of a predetermined number of bits. This prevents displaying of transitional colors which appear as shadows on the display.

Abstract: A quasi-steno keyboard permits text entry into a computer either by standard letter-by-letter typing or by stenotyping. The keys of the keyboard are arranged in three parallel rows with the tops of the keys in the first and second rows being substantially coplanar and the tops of at least four keys in the third row being coplanar and lower than those in the first and second rows. The four keys in the third row are laterally centered in the keyboard and are positioned, with respect to the keys of the first and second rows, such that a thumb can rest comfortably on each of these keys when an index or other finger of the same hand rests on a crack between adjacent keys in the first and second rows.

Abstract: An improved mouse includes a stylus and a base. Transducers in the stylus detect motion of the mouse relative to a surface. In this way, the stylus can be used as a pen-shape mouse or inserted into the base, which can then be operated as a more conventional mouse.

Abstract: A method of drawing figures for a multi-window system in which a plurality of window regions are set on a display screen, and in which a window which is partly overlapped on other windows and is partly concealed is controlled by being divided into a plurality of display or non-display subregions, and the displayed content is changed by designating the window. If a dot constituting the figure is generated from a dot generator, coordinate values of the dot are compared with position data of the designated window to select a dot located in the window. The selected dot is compared with position data of a subregion that constitutes the designated window to find a particular subregion in which the dot exists. If the particular subregion is a display region, the dot located therein is produced on the display screen. A dot generated next is compared with the particular subregion and is determined to be displayed or not.

Abstract: A public terminal receptacle for containing, protecting, and allowing a user access to a computer terminal, telecommunications device for the deaf, or another type of terminal which is telephonically linked and physically adjacent to a public telephone through which the terminal may telecommunicate with other electronic devices. The public terminal receptacle includes a housing having an opening and which is adapted to be attached to a public telephone booth, a drawer which is slidably mounted within the housing to move between a closed position where the drawer is within the housing and an open position where at least a forward portion of the drawer extends out through the opening, the terminal, and a motor drive system mounted within the housing and which is drivingly connected to the drawer for opening and closing the drawer in response to specific electrical signals.

Abstract: A control circuit is provided for an alternating type plasma display panel, comprising integrated circuits which are used for the first and second electrode arrays of the panel. In the first array, the integrated circuits participate in producing selective signals and transmit the reference voltage of the sustaining signals. In the second array, the integrated circuits participate in producing selective signals, and transmit the square wave voltage of the sustaining signals and their reference voltage is floating, that is to say that it follows the sustaining signals and, during production of the selective signals, it follows the lowest potential that is possible to apply to the electrodes.

Abstract: A color display device has a liquid crystal unit for passing therethrough electromagnetic radiation dependent on image information. The color display device also has a light source including electroluminescent materials or fluorescent materials. The electroluminescent materials and the fluorescent materials are essentially the same, but have different light-emitting mechanisms, i.e., electroluminescence and fluorescence. The light source with the electroluminescent materials is used singly or in combination with a color filter and the liquid cystal unit. The light source with the fluorescent materials is combined with a color filter and the liquid crystal unit. When the light source with the fluorescent materials is used, the amounts of the fluorescent materials for emitting lights in red, green, and blue, the light-emitting efficiencies of the fluorescent materials, and the transmissivities of the color filter for the lights in red, green, and blue are determined to meet certain conditions.

Abstract: YA dual clock shift register for use in a computer display system for converting a higher resolution image for a computer screen to a lower resolution image for display on a lower resolution display apparatus. The dual clock shift register includes a first shift register which is used to apportion a second shift register between control by two different clock rates.

Abstract: A cathode ray tube display device has conductive plates mounted adjacent the four sides of the CRT faceplate. These plates are positioned to sense electromagnetic noise radiation generated by the CRT. The plates are coupled to differential circuits so that normally the noise signals generated in the plates cancel. However when a finger or other object is placed at or near the CRT faceplate, the noise radiation field is disturbed, and the changed signals generated in the plates are sensed by the circuits to provide output signals indicative of the coordinate position of the object at the faceplate. The plates are preferably mounted in the front bezel of the display cabinet.

Abstract: An improved light collector, for collecting the light in a plurality of parallel light beams directed across the display surface of a touch panel apparatus and for redirecting it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the light beams for detection by a common detector positioned adjacent one end of the collector, comprises an elongated strip of light transmissive material terminated by a light collection station. A plurality of light reflecting elements is disposed inside and spaced along one side of the strip and each has a transverse dimension small in comparison to cross-section of the strip. The surface of each reflecting element is tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the strip. A like plurality of focusing elements is also disposed along the strip and each such element is individually associated with an assigned one of the reflecting elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a three-dimensionally controlled liquid crystal matrix display having a low number of connections and transistors to its control process. The display comprises a first insulating wall covered with electrode rows, each formed from n aligned row strips, a second insulating wall covered with electrode columns, each formed by r aligned column strips, and a liquid crystal layer inserted between the electrode columns and the electrode rows. The row strips and the column strips are respectively grouped into p first and second packets of s parallel row strips, and of t parallel column strips, with p=n.times.r, s=m.times.n/p and t=q.times.r/p. Each row strip and each column strip is associated respectively with a transistor serving to interconnect the row strips and interconnect the column strips to form s row connections, t column connections, and p packet connections.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for driving a liquid crystal display provided, in the same liquid crystal panel, with a dot matrix display part and a fixed pattern or segment display part. The dot matrix display part is driven in a time-multiplexed fashion, while the fixed pattern or segment display part is driven in a static fashion using driving voltage waveforms in common with the dot matrix display part.

Abstract: At transmission (10) each bit for transmission is coded as a function of its state by producing (12) a particular coding frequency combination, these being divided into two distinct bands spaced one from another and the coding combinations being chosen such that frequencies ranked in the same sequence place in these combinations do not occupy the same frequency band. A signal comprising the coding combination is injected to the network (N,P) and at reception (20), is applied to demodulators (22, 23), each assigned to one respective frequency band, to be correlated with locally generated signals (25, 26) which reproduce the coding combinations with a constant frequency shift, the bit state being determined (24) as a function of the correlation output.

Abstract: A display controller displays an image on either of a CRT display unit and a liquid crystal display unit (LCD) having upper and lower screens in accordance with image data stored in a memory. When a CRT display unit is driven, an address generating circuit calculates at the beginning of each horizontal scanning an address of the memory corresponding to the leftmost display position on the current horizontal scanning line in accordance with the vertical position of the horizontal scanning line and the number of display positions on a horizontal scanning line, and stores data representing the address in a first register. The data in the first register is incremented in accordance with the horizontal scanning and fed to the memory to read the image data.

Abstract: A switch/display unit comprises a dot matrix display, having two sets of elongate electrodes, one set being inclined to the other, these sets being applied to opposite sides of a display medium. A transparent dielectric panel is superimposed in front of the display, so that the first set of electrodes, which are formed from a transparent conductive material abut the rear surface of the dielectric panel. A transparent conductive layer is formed in front of the dielectric panel, so that it will capacitively couple electrodes of the first set of electrodes with other electrodes of the first set of electrodes or other electrodes on the rear surface of the dielectric panel. This capacitive coupling may be varied by touching or moving the conductive layer. By applying read pulses to one of the sets of electrodes that are capacitively coupled via the conductive coating and sensing the pulses transmitted to the other electrodes, actuation of the switch can be detected.

Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical keyboard simulator includes a key selector switch and a signal generating circuit for outputting a preliminary symbol selection signal and a final symbol selection signal, and a keyboard interface circuit. The keyboard interface circuit has a row selector and a column selector, and a scanner for scanning the row and column selectors. The row selector has an enable input terminal which receives the preliminary symbol selection signal as an output disabling signal and the final symbol selection signal as an enabling signal for row identification of a selected information key and output of a row identification signal to the column selector. The column selector is operative upon receipt of the row determining signal for selecting an information column identifying output terminal and outputting the selected row information thereon to a microprocessor for data retrieval and communication of the selected information to the user by a display or audio device.