Abstract: Apparatus for housing the electronic components, keyboard and display screen for a portable communications terminal wherein the terminal is completely self-contained, and the apparatus may be closed into a case for carrying and opened into a plurality of operable positions, having power and heat dissipation features for safe operation in any of these positions. The heat dissipation system includes air circulation channels for conveying air flow over all internal components from a single source of air.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing a visual information screen of the type formed from a plurality of gas cells wherein electrical voltages are capacitively coupled to selected cells to cause gas ignition and subsequent light emisson. The present invention comprises an improvement over prior art devices in that it utilizes a single plane of parallel spaced conductors to ignite gas in channels perpendicularly aligned with respect to the conductors and located above the conductor plane, wherein a gas cell is defined by the region within a channel between two parallel conductors, and further in that it utilizes a special conductor geometry to initially ignite a gas cell and introduce data into the screen with only a single voltage-magnitude source.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing a visual display screen of the type formed from a plurality of gas cells wherein electrical voltages are capacitively coupled to selected cells to cause gas ignition and subsequent light emission, and wherein a preselected and repeatable pattern of color phosphor is deposited on selected cell surfaces in predetermined amounts to form a means for selecting any color and intensity combination over a wide range.

Abstract: Apparatus for changing a dimension of the light-producing area in a display element of the type which emits light from any portion of an interface zone across which a voltage exceeding a certain threshold is established, by varying this voltage. A bias voltage source provides a potential along one side of the interface zone, which increases from one end to the other, with respect to the other side. The apparatus is particularly well suited for an electronic bar graph type indicator. Gas discharge devices such as plasma tubes, and LED's are particularly suitable types of display elements.