Computer data entry method and apparatus

A method and apparatus for entering data into a computer including an abbreviated keyboard wherein each key represents a plurality of characters. Depression of a key of the keyboard causes the generation and transmission of a first electronic signal to a computer. The computer receives the signal and according to a predetermined algorithm, generates a best guess of which one of the plurality of alphanumeric characters represented by the key and signal sent to the computer is desired to be ultimately entered into the computer. A second electronic signal is generated by the computer and transmitted to a display to cause the display to indicate the guess. By subsequent stroke or strokes of the keyboard, the guess is either selected if correct, or if incorrect changed until the correct alphanumeric character is guessed. The computer programmed with the algorithm for making the guesses may be remote to the keyboard or contain within the keyboard such as by the incorporation of an appropriate microchip. If remote, the computer may be the same computer to which data will be transferred or may be an associated apparatus. Such associated apparatus may include display means for displaying the guess. In one embodiment the keyboard and display means are integral with a telephone. A secondary display means is provided to show an accumulation of characters previously transmitted, or accumulated in buffer for subsequent transmission.

BACKGROUND 
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for entry 
of data into a computer. More particularly, the present invention relates 
to the entry of data into a computer with an abbreviated keyboard using 
two or more strokes to enter a single character into the computer. 
A number of apparatus are known for the entry of data into a computer with 
an abbreviated keyboard. Morely, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,388 disclosed 
a hand-held system having a keyboard, a portion of which is similar to a 
telephone dialing system. Each of the keys in the keyboard have several 
alphanumeric characters. By actuating one of the keys on the keyboard and 
then actuating a set of keys on the side of the keyboard, one of the 
characters of each key can be selected for input into the computer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,597 to Stover discloses a nine-key keyboard in which 
each key can be used for entering any one of four different letters. Each 
of the keys is set up as a rocker key so that when pushing the key to any 
one if its sides a different letter will be activated. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,273 to Knowlton discloses a keyboard on a telephone in 
which each key has a plurality of letters, numbers or other symbols. By 
first pressing one of the keys on the keyboard and then pressing a second 
key which indicates a particular location of the particular character on 
the first key pressed, a particular character can be entered into the 
computer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,915 to Ogima and U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,839 to Bleuer 
disclose keyboards having a set of rocker keys in which each rocker key 
can be used for entering any one of several different characters into a 
computer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,291 to Piguet discloses a system for entering 
information into a small computer within a watch. In this system a range 
of digits are displayed in display window 2. Key 7 can select a particular 
range to be displayed and a larger segment of the range is selected by a 
key 5 and the particular letter within the range is selected by key 6. In 
this manner, various characters can be entered into the computer utilizing 
a minimum number of keys. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,486,741 to Nozawa, et al., 4,481,508 to Kamei, et al., 
4,340,887 to Dias II, 4,202,038 to Petersson, 4,201,489 to Zapp, and 
4,124,843 to Bramson, et al. that illustrate additional keyboard art. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention involves an abbreviated keyboard wherein each key 
represents a plurality of characters. Depression of a key of the keyboard 
causes the generation and transmission of a first electronic signal to a 
computer. The computer receives the signal and, according to a 
predetermined algorithm, generates a best guess of which one of the 
plurality of alphanumeric characters represented by the key and the signal 
sent to the computer is desired to be ultimately entered into the 
keyboard. A second electronic signal is generated by the computer and 
transmitted to a display to cause the display to indicate the best guess. 
By subsequent stroke or strokes of the keyboard, the guess is either 
selected if correct, or, if incorrect, changed until the correct 
alphanumeric character is guessed. 
The computer programmed with the algorithm for making the guesses may be 
remote to the keyboard or contained within the keyboard such as by the 
incorporation of an appropriate microchip. If remote, the computer may be 
the same computer to which data will be transferred or may be an 
associated apparatus. Such associated apparatus may include display means 
for displaying the guess. In one embodiment the keyboard and display means 
are integral with a telephone. A secondary display means is provided to 
show a string of characters previously transmitted, or accumlated in 
buffer for subsequent transmission. 
In another embodiment, a monogram pattern is utilized wherein each key of 
the keyboard corresponds to one portion of the monogram pattern. The 
mosaic pattern is displayed on the keyboard or associated apparatus. 
Depression of the key will change the state of the corresponding portion 
of the displayed monogram pattern between illuminated and not illuminated. 
The computer or microchip in communication with the keyboard receives the 
signal and determines one or more best guesses of the desired character 
according to a predetermined algorithm. These best guesses are displayed 
on a display provided on the keyboard, or alternatively, on associated 
apparatus. Subsequent strokes of the keyboard select one of the best 
guesses or change the mosaic pattern to initiate the generation of a 
second round of best guesses. 
The present invention allows communication with and entry of data into a 
computer from a standard telephone utilizing a standard telephone 
keyboard. The computer is connected to a phone line and processes the 
signals generated by the standard twelve telephone keys. Return signals 
from the computer are received by auxiliary apparatus provided in line to 
accept and process the signals between the keyboard and the computer. 
Alternatively, the computer may generate second electronic signals which 
cause audible enunciations through the phone handset which are simulative 
of human speech, prerecorded human speech, or at least human 
understandable code such as Morse code. 
An object of the present invention is a method of entering data into a 
computer. 
Another object of the present invention is a method of entering data into a 
computer wherein an operater causes a first signal which corresponds to a 
plurality of characters to be transmitted to the computer, the computer 
generates a second signal corresponding to a best guess of which of the 
plurality of characters is intended and the operator causes a third signal 
to be transmitted to the computer to initiate the transmission of the 
guessed character or the generation of a second guess. 
A further object of the present invention is an apparatus for entering data 
into a computer. 
A still further object of the present invention is an apparatus for 
entering data into a computer wherein an abbreviated keyboard is used. 
Yet another object of the present invention is an apparatus having the 
foregoing advantage and which uses a standard telephone keyboard. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily 
apparent from the following description and drawings which illustrate the 
preferred embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Refer now to FIG. 1, there being shown a preferred embodiment of a 
telephone incorporating a keyboard according to the present invention and 
generally designated by reference numeral 10. Telephone 10 includes a 
standard size housing 34 and keyboard 18. Standard telephone line 30 
provides a communication access line to a computer to which data is to be 
transferred. Keyboard 18 includes the standard twelve telephone buttons 
with character designations added where space permits such that each key 
carries four alphanumeric characters. Keyboard 18 includes, in addition, 
control buttons 17 and 19 and character buttons 32 and 33. Displays 11, 
12, 13, and 14 are one character alphanumeric displays for displaying the 
best guess generated by the programmed algorithm. Display 15 is provided 
to display a symbol or a letter to indicate status such as whether the 
keyboard is in upper case, upper caselock, or control mode. Display 16 is 
a running input/output display for displaying an accumulation of 
characters that have been previously transmitted across line 30, or stored 
in a provided buffer for later transmission. 
The operation of the keyboard is a multistroke process. The person 
operating the keyboard first presses one of the keys, each representing 
four alphanumeric characters. These characters are displayed in displays 
11, 12, 13 and 14. The computer receives the first signal generated by the 
depression of the key, recognizes the first signal and according to a 
predetermined algoritm, generates a best guess of which which one of the 
four alphanumeric characters represented by the key and the first signal 
is desired to be ultimately entered into the computer. A second electric 
signal is generated by the computer and transmitted to display 11 to cause 
display of the best guess. The remaining characters are displayed in 
displays 12, 13 and 14 in order of their likelihood of being chosen, 
according to the algorithm, as the character desired to be ultimately 
entered into the computer. 
If the guess diplayed by display 11 is correct, control key 19 is pressed 
and the character is stored in buffer and displayed at the end of a series 
of previous choices by display 16. Pressing the control key a second time 
at this point, causes the string of alphanumeric characters displayed by 
display 16 to be transmitted over line 30 to the computer being in 
phone-line communication with keyboard/telephone 10. Pressing the control 
key a third time will cause the keyboard to shift into regular telephone 
mode. 
If, on the other hand, the guess displayed by display 11 is incorrect, the 
original alphanumeric key is pushed again and a new guess is generated. In 
this embodiment, pressing the alphanumeric character key a second time 
causes the guesses to shift to the left such that, for example, the 
alphanumeric character displayed in display 12 will be shifted to display 
11. If the new guess is correct, the control key 19 is pressed as 
indicated above. 
The shift key 17 functions to shift between upper and lower case. 
One algorithm suitable for use with the present invention is as follows: 
If the keystroke generating a first electric signal represents the 
beginning of a word, the first consonant represented on the key is chosen 
as the best guess. Appropriate second electronic signals are generated and 
transmitted to the displays. If this guess is correct, a designated key, 
such as the control key is pressed generating an electric signal 
recognized by the computer to indicate that the data should be transmitted 
to the computer or buffer storage. However, if this guess is not correct, 
the originally pressed alphanumeric character key is pressed again and the 
algorithm selects the next consonant. Again, if this is not correct the 
key is pressed again and the computer goes through the consonants in this 
manner and then the vowels and then the numerals or other characters 
displayed on the particular key. As each key only represents a small 
number of characters, four to six characters generally at the most, this 
process would be quick. 
The algorithm could be expanded such that if the previous character entered 
into the computer was a consonant the first guess would be a vowel 
represented on the key and, vice-versa, if the previous character was a 
vowel the next letter would be a consonant. A further amplification of 
this algorithm could be that if the previous character was not a letter 
but, rather, a number, then the first guess would also be a number. Many 
other algorithms and expansions of the foregoing algorithm are possible. 
For example, the probability of a letter appearing after another in the 
English language could be programmed into the microchip to fine tune the 
best guess. 
The algorithm could also be expanded such that not only the previous letter 
but the previous string of letters or previous word or words would be used 
to improve the guess by the computer. 
Moreover, the algorithm could guess not only a single character but one or 
more characters or one or more words, as well as punctuation, based on 
previous entries. 
Refer now to FIG. 2 illustrating an alternate embodiment of the present 
invention, wherein a standard telephone 54 is shown having overlay 19 laid 
over the telephone keyboard. Controller 58 is connected in the telephone 
line 60, 62 to provide display and control capabilty to the user. 
Controller 58 includes two displays, display 64 which illustrates a 
monogram pattern and display 70 which illustrates the best guesses 
generated by the computer. The computer may be integral to controller 58, 
in the form of a microchip, or may be in communication with the keyboard 
through controller 58 through phoneline 62. Controller 58 also includes a 
control button 72 and a shift button 74. 
Refer now to FIG. 3 which illustrates a more detailed view of the 
abbreviated keyboard of FIG. 2 incorporating a monogram display pattern. 
An overlay 19 may be placed over a standard keyboard as represented in 
FIG. 3. Each key of the keyboard corresponds to one of the bars of the 
monogram pattern as shown. 
FIG. 4 illustrates the mosaic pattern showing selected bars lit to form the 
character 8. The keyboard controls the display by causing the bar to 
change state, to become lit or unlit, when the corresponding key is 
depressed. Keys 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 20, and 31 
correspond to monogram bars 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 40 and 
51, respectively, and the corresponding bar indications on overlay 19 are 
41', 42', 43', 44', 45', 46', 47', 48', 49', 50', 40' and 51', 
respectively. 
In operation, when a character is to be entered into the computer, first 
the computer is accessed through the telephone line. Secondly, the 
monogram display 64 will display a predetermined first guess as 
illustrated. In the preferred embodiment this is the character 8. By 
stroking one of the keys, a signal is sent to controller 58. Controller 58 
senses the signal and changes the state of the corresponding bar in the 
display 64. Accordingly, if a predetermined first guess is the numeral 8 
and key 1 is stroked, then the display will appear as in FIG. 5. The 
microchip, according to a predetermine algorithm, will sense the change in 
bar 41 and generate one or more guesses of the character which is 
ultimately desired to be transmitted to the computer. Such an algorithm 
may pick the characters n, m, x and asterisk. If the first guess is 
correct, an appropriate button on controller 58 can be depressed and the 
signal sent. 
Alternatively, the 3 button could be pressed which would change the display 
to appear as in FIG. 6. The computer would then improve the guess and 
eliminate the choice of n. Once the choices were narrowed to one in this 
manner, then the signal would automatically be sent. This would eliminate 
the need for any control keys on the controller 58 itself. 
A further alternate embodiment could incorporate a means of display that 
will be audible as well as, or rather than, visual. For example, the 
computer could be adapted to generate a second signal that included at 
least a portion that would generate a human voice simulation in the 
telephone handset coresponding to the spoken sound of the best guess 
character. Alternatively, this audible display could be morse code or 
other audibly recognizable display other than spoken human voice. 
As discribed above, the embodiment of FIG. 1 could be modified to utilize a 
separate rather than integral controller such as controller 58 of FIG. 2. 
Moreover, the embodiment of FIG. 2 could be modified to include integral 
displays on the keyboard of the monogram pattern and best guesses. 
A further embodiment of the present invention could utilize a controller 
such as controller 58 of FIG. 2, except the controller could be adapted to 
accept the telephone handset, such as a MODEM does, and to recognize and 
transmit through the telephone handset. This adaptation would be 
particularly useful with telephones having non-disconnectable phone line 
connections, such as in public pay phones. 
In another alternate embodiment, selection keys may be provided 
corresponding to all of the characters displayed, or all of the characters 
displayed except the best guess. If one of the selection keys is pressed, 
the corresponding character is entered into the computer. However, if none 
of the selection keys are pressed, but rather, a second character key is 
pressed, then the best guess is automatically entered into the computer 
and a new best guess corresponding to the second character key is 
generated. In this way, the first character having been guessed correctly, 
is entered into the computer with, effectively only one stroke. 
The above description and drawings are only illustrative of several 
embodiments which achieve the objects, features and advantages of the 
present invention, and it is not intended that the present invention be 
limited thereto. Any modifications of the present invention which come 
within the spirit and scope of the following claims are considered part of 
the present invention.