Electronic typewriter system

Abstract: An electronic typewriter system is composed of an elec­ tronic typewriter, a document data memory, a display unit, a print formant modifying unit and an editing unit. In response to the entry of a stop code the system automatically changes the character-by-character mode to the line-by-line mode to enable printing when a line of a document is prepared.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic typewriter system for processing text data entered from an electronic typewriter. Related Background Art In a conventional electronic typewriter, text data prepared by the operator is stored in an internal memory, and is printed character by character or line by line, in response to a print command entered from a keyboard or the like. Thus, in the case of preparing a new text by editing texts stored for example in a memory, the text is printed to a necessary position, then replenished by the entry from the keyboard of the electronic typewriter, and is completed by printing from the memory in a printing mode. Recently, there has developed an electronic typewriter system in which text editing is conducted by displaying text data, prepared in the electronic typewriter, on external display means such as a cathode ray tube display unit. In such an electronic typewriter system, the file retrieval of a user memory is conducted in the following manner. At first a menu is displayed on the cathode ray tube display and a file retrieval command is entered from the keyboard of the electronic typewriter. Then an access is made to an external memory, such as a floppy disk, constituting a user memory, and a list of file titles is displayed on said cathode ray tube. Then the user enters a command for selecting a desired file, from the keyboard. In response, an access is made to the corresponding file, and the content is displayed on the cathode ray tube. Then the user initiates the editing operation of the file, after confirming that the selected file is a desired one. Some of such electronic typewriter systems are capable of preparing a particular list from information of individuals stored in an internal or external memory, based on data of age entered from the keyboard, thereby efficiently printing direct mails. In such conventional electronic typewriter systems, the entry of a stop code, for setting a manual input mode, executes the printing up to a character code immediately preceding said stop code and automatically the manual input mode. However, in such case, if a selector switch on the electronic typewriter is positioned at a character-by-character (C/C) mode, said printing operation is executed immediately so that the advantage of the electronic typewriter system is significantly reduced. Through it is possible to connect text data, entered from the electronic typewriter in the typewriter mode, to text data that have been processed prior to the entry of the stop code, the connection of already entered text data after the typewriter mode is cancelled may not be able to provide a neat document since the positions of word wrap and justification functions instructed before said mode cancellation are inevitably displaced. EP-A-0 117 892 and ERICSSON REVIEW, Vol. 59, no. 4, 1982, pages 194-202, Stockholm, SE; T.AUGUSTINSSON et al.: "ERITEX 10 for teletex and word-processing" both describe electronic typewriter systems. They both comprise input means for inputting character and command data, memory means for storing said character and command data, printing means for printing the character data and print control means for interpreting the command data. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention an electronic typewriter system including: input means for inputting character and command data; memory means for storing the character and command data inputted by said input means; setting means for manually setting the system into a line-by-line mode or a character-by-character mode printing means for printing the character data stored in said memory means in the mode set by said setting means wherein said electronic typewriter system has: print control means for interpretting the command data stored in said memory means to control the printing of the character data stored in said memory means by said printing means, said print control means interpretting a stop code and stopping the printing of the character data stored in said memory means and setting the system into the line-by-line mode irrespective of the current print mode set by said setting means and wherein said print control means controls printing means to restart the printing of the character data stored in the memory means in response to inputting of control data according to a release command. According to the present invention a method for printing a text data by an electronic typewriter system comprising: inputting character and control data; storing the inputted character and control data in a memory; setting the system into a line-by-line mode or a character-by-character mode by a manual switch; printing the character data stored in said memory in the mode set by said manual switch further comprising the steps of: interpretting a stop code stored in said memory as control data; and stopping the printing of the character data stored in said memory and setting the system into the line-by-line mode irrespective of the current print mode set by said manual switch in response to the interpretted stop code and further comprising the step of restarting the printing of the character data stored in the memory in response to inputting of a control data according to a release command. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig 1 is an external view of the electronic typewriter system embodying the present invention; Fig 2 is a block diagram of an electronic typewriter shown in Fig 1; Fig 3 is a block diagram of a cathod ray tube display unit shown in Fig 1; Fig 4 is an enlarge plan view of a keyboard shown in Fig 1; Fig 5 is a flow chart of text editing and printing operations in the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; Fig. 6A and 6B are flow charts of a text transmission control operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a mode change control operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; Fig. 8 is a flow chart of a data communication control operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a data renewal operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; Fig. 10 is a flow chart of a text retrieval control operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment; and Fig. 11 is a flow chart of a data processing operation of the electronic typewriter system of said embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Now the present invention will be clarified in detail by embodiments thereof shown in the attached drawings. Fig. 1 is an external view of an electronic typewriter system embodying the present invention, wherein an electronic typewriter 1, composed of a key-board 1a, a printer unit 1b, an interface 1c to be explained later, a CPU 1d etc. is connected, through a cable 2, to a cathode ray tube (CRT) display unit 3. The electronic typewriter 1 and the CRT display unit are controlled by different central processing units (CPU's). The CPU 14 of the CRT display unit 3 is capable, as will be explained later, of a text editing function, a text transmission control function, a mode change control function, a data communication control function, a data renewal function, a retrieval control function and a data processing function, editing text data displayed on the CRT display unit 3 according to the text data and editing commands entered through the keyboard of the electronic typewriter 1, and transferring thus edited text to the electronic typewriter 1. Though the present embodiment has only one electronic typewriter, it is also possible to connect plural electronic typewriters or to connect an electronic typewriter equipped with an arbitrary CPU different from the CPU 1d of the electronic typewriter 1, to the CRT display unit 3 through the cable 2. An external connection terminal 4 allows a multi-channel communication with an external computer through a communication line 4a such as a telephone line. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the electronic typewriter 1 shown in Fig. 1, wherein shown are a key matrix 5a constituting the keyboard 1a shown in Fig. 1; a keyboard controller 5b supplying the information of connection in said key matrix 5a to the CPU 1d; an interface 6 connected to the CPU 1d through an address bus 7 and a data bus 8; a status memory area composed for example of a random access memory (RAM) and provided with an operation selector OPS, an auto/just selector memory area AJS, a pitch selector memory area PTS, a print selector memory area PRTS, a line space selector memory area LSS, and a margin memory area MRG: a user text memory (UTM) 10 for storing text data entered from the keyboard 1a for example with a memory capacity of 64 Kb; a pitch table (PT) 11 composed for example of a read-only memory (ROM) and storing print pitches; a buffer area (BF) 12 composed for example of a RAM and storing input/output (I/O) data; and a printer controller 13 for controlling the printerunit 1b. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the CRT display unit 3 shown in Fig. 1, wherein indicated are a CPU 14 which is independent from the CPU 1d and controls the CRT display unit 3; a data bus 15 connected to the data bus 8 shown in Fig. 2 through the interface 6; an address bus 16 connected to the address bus 7 shown in Fig. 2 through the interface 6; a status memory area 17 of the same structure as that of the status memory area 9 shown in Fig. 2; a user text memory 18 for storing text data entered from the keyboard 1a for example with a maximum memory capacity of 12 Kb; a pitch table (PT) 19 composed for example of a ROM and adapted for storing a print pitch; a buffer area (BF) 20 composed for example of a RAM and adapted for storing I/O data; a text data administration unit 21 composed for example of a RAM and consisting of a length area LNG for storing the length of print data, a current character address pointer PT1 and a printed character address pointer PT2; a CRT controller 22 provided with a video RAM and adapted for controlling data to be displayed on the CRT display unit 3; a synchronization signal 22a for controlling the signal input/output of the CRT display unit 3; a function matrix 23 connected to the CPU 14 through a function matrix controller 23a; a judgement code unit JC composed for example of a RAM and storing judgement codes for identifying the data content in the unit of each file; a timer circuit TM for sending time data to a time output circuit TOP: and a time data unit TD for storing the time of a file to be subjected to an access. The CPU 14 and the CPU 1d are so constructed as to mutually transfer or copy the data stored in the user text memory 18 and those stored in the user text memory 10, respectively. A name data base DBS stores telephone numbers to be addressed by a name information entered from the keyboard 1a, and also functions as a number memory in the present invention. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the keyboard 1a shown in Fig. 1, wherein shown are a keyboard body 24; a line selector key 25 for selecting a line space of 1, 1 1 / 2, 2 or 3 inches in cyclic manner upon repeated actuation; a pitch selector key 26 for selecting a pitch of 10, 12 or 15 characters per inch in cyclic manner upon repeated actuations; a printer selector 27 for selecting the print form of underline; an auto adjust selector key 28 for selecting manual, automatic or just line feed mode; an operating selector 29 for selecting a character-by-character mode, at a position C, for executing a printing operation for each key actuation of the keyboard 1a, or a line-by-line mode, at a position L, for executing a printing operation when the character input of a line is completed; and a start key 30 for sending a stop code (control command) to the CRT display unit 3. Now reference is made to a flow chart shown in Fig. 5, for explaining the text editing and printing operations of the electronic typewriter system of the above-explained embodiment, wherein (1) to (18), (21) and (22) are steps of the control sequence. At first print parameters for a line are initialized by resetting the length counter LNG etc. to zero (step 1). Then character data of the user text memory 25 indicated by the current character address pointer PT1 are read (step 2), and there is made a discrimination whether thus read data are an end code (step 3). If affirmative, data from a position immediately following the printed character address pointer PT2 to a position indicated by the current character address pointer PT1 are transferred to the buffer 20 (step 4), then to the electronic typewriter 1 and the control sequence is terminated (step 5). On the other hand, if the discrimination in the step 3 turns out negative, there is made a discrimination whether the read data are a stop code (step 6), and, if not, the character pitch is read from the pitch table 19 (step 7), and the contents of the length counter LNG and the current character address pointer PT1 are renewed (step 8). Then there is made a discrimination whether the right margin is already used up (step 9) and the program returns to the step 2 if the result is negative, while, if the result is affirmative, there is discriminated whether a stop code is succeeding (step 10). If affirmative the program proceeds to a step 12, but, if negative, the current character address pointer P1 is reversed to a preceding word (step 11). Then the data from a position immediately following the indication of the printed character address pointer PT2 to a position indicated by the current character address pointer P1 are transferred to the buffer 20, and the content of said printed character address pointer PT2 is renewed (step 12). Then the data stored in the buffer memory 20 is transferred to the electronic typewriter 1 (step 13), and the program returns to the step 1. On the other hand, if the discrimination in the step 6 turns out affirmative, the data from a position immediately following the indication of the printed character address pointer PT2 to a position indicated by the current character address pointer P1 are transferred to the buffer 20, and the content of said printed character address pointer PT2 is renewed (step 14). Then the character mode is forcedly changed to the line-by-line mode (step 15) and data from the keyboard 1a are fetched (step 16). There is discriminated whether the actuated key is the start key 30 (step 17), and, if affirmative, the program returns to the step 13, but, if negative, the data of the actuated key are transferred to the CRT display unit 13 (step 18) and the program returns to the step 16. After said step 18, there may be added steps 21, 22 to be explained in the following. After the step 18, there is discriminated whether the user text memory 18 has an empty area (step 21), and, if negative the program returns to the step 16 while, if affirmative, the electronic typewriter 1 is shifted to the typewriter mode and text data entered from the keyboard are transferred to the text memory 18 (step 22). In this manner, even if the character-by-character mode is selected in advance, entry of a stop code automatically changes the printing mode to the line-by-line mode, so that an arbitrary text can be inserted into an already existing text. Also such insertion can be achieved precisely since the printing operation is suspended until the text of a line is completed. Also in case the auto-just selector key 28 is selected, text data stored in the user text memory 25 is automatically read and connected after the editing operation is completed. Now reference is made to Figs. 6A and 6B for explaining a text transfer control operation in the present invention. Figs. 6A and 6B are flow charts of the text transfer control operation of the electronic typewriter system of the foregoing embodiment, wherein steps (1) -(5) constitute a control sequence for the CRT display unit 3, while steps (11) - (17) constitute a control sequence for the electronic typewriter 1. A stop code is given as a control command for stopping the function of the printer unit 1b. The CRT display unit 3 starts to function according to a sequence shown in Fig. 6A. At first data is read from the user text memory 18 (step 1), then there is discriminated whether thus read data is a stop code (step 2), and, if negative, said data is supplied to the electronic typewriter 1 (step 3) and the program returns to the step 2. On the other hand, if the discrimination turns out positive, a type-writer mode designating command is sent to the electronic typewriter 1 (step 4), then the program awaits the entry of a release command generated by the actuation of the release key (step 5), and returns to the step 1 upon reception thereof. Consequently the electronic typewriter 1 is detached from the CRT display unit 3 and functions by itself until the release command is received. On the other hand, the electronic typewriter 1 starts to function according to the sequence shown in Fig. 6B. At first data are fetched from the outside (step 11), then there is discriminated whether the typewriter mode is designated (step 12), and, if negative, the received data are printed in the printer unit 1b (step 13) and the program returns to the step 11. On the other hand, if said discrimination turns out affirmative, a key input from the keyboard 1a is awaited (step 14), then there is discriminated whether the release key is actuated (step 15), and, if affirmative, a release command is sent to the CRT display unit 3 to initiate the sequence shown in Fig. 6A (step 16). On the other hand, if said discrimination turns out negative, a printing or displaying operation is conducted according to the key input from the keyboard la (step 17) and the program returns to the step 12. Now reference is made to Fig. 7 for explaining a mode change control operation of the electronic typewriter system of the present invention, wherein (1) to (5) represent process steps. At first switch information (information for emphasis such as line space and underline) of the keyboard la of the electronic typewriter 1 is read by the CPU 14 of the CRT display unit 3 (step 1) and is released. Then a key input from the keyboard 1a is awaited (step 2), and, in response to such key input, there is discriminated whether the switch information has been changed (step 3). If negative the program proceeds to a step 5, while, if affirmative, the changed switch information is released (step 4), then the key input data is processed according to said changed switch information and the program returns to the step 1. Now reference is made to Fig. 8 showing a flow chart of a text data communication control operation in the electronic typewriter system of the foregoing embodiment, wherein (1) to (8) indicate process steps. In response to a communication command from the keyboard la, there is conducted an initialization for the communication (step 1). Then the program awaits the entry of the name of a destination of communication (step 2), then there is discriminated whether the entered name is included in the registered name data base, and, if negative (step 3), the program returns to the step 2. In this case a new name registration into the name data base DB is conducted through the keyboard 1a. On the other hand, if the discrimination in the step 2 turns out affirmative, the telephone number corresponding to the entered name is retrieved from the name data base (step 4), and the communication channel 4a is set to the on-line state (step 5). This is achieved by automatic dialing according to the telephone number found by the CPU 1d. Subsequently. in response to a text data transmission command, the text data entered from the keyboard 1a and stored in the user text memory 16 are transmitted through the communication channel 4a (step 6). Then there is awaited the entry of an end code indicating the completion of text data communication (step7), and, in response to the entry of said end code, the communication channel 4a is separated from the electronic typewriter 1 (step 8). When the on-line state of the communication channel 4a is set by the step 5, the data entered from the keyboard la may be communicated for example to a personal computer or an electronic typewriter connectable with a modem, and in this manner text data can be transmitted from the keyboard la during the on-line state. Now reference is made to Fig. 9 showing a flow chart of a data renewal control sequence in the electronic typewriter system of the foregoing embodiment, wherein (1) to (7) indicate process steps. A time to be retrieved is entered from the keyboard la (step 1), then date and time are read from the timer circuit TM of the CPU 21 (step 2), and the time to be retrieved is detected from the data base DBS of personal information (step 3). Then there is discriminated whether the time of said timer circuit is smaller than the time to be retrieved (step 4), and, if the result is affirmative, the program returns to the step 2, while, if the result is negative, data are retrieved from the data base DBS including age information (step 5). Then there is discriminated whether the date fetched in advance corresponds to the birthday of the retrieved data (step 6), and, if not, the program returns to the step 2, but, if affirmative, an age is calculated from the current date and the birthday and the age data is renewed (step 7) and the program returns to the step 2. In this manner the age of each individual is automatically renewed at the retrieval. In the following reference is made to Fig. 10 showing a flow chart of a text retrieval control sequence in the electronic typewriter system of the foregoing embodiment, wherein (1) to (4) indicate process steps. At first a menu is displayed on the CRT display unit 3 (step 1), and the program awaits the entry of a latest file call command generated by the actuation of a particular key of the keyboard la (step 2). Upon entry of said command, the CPU 21 makes an access to a judgement code JC shown in Fig. 3, thus displaying a file stored in a memory area and indicated by said code JC (step 3) and initiating for example text editing (step 4). It is rendered possible to call the files time-sequentially on the display unit 3 by controlling the pointer so as to designate a file stored immediately before upon each entry of said command. Also the pointer may be so controlled as to designate the files in succession from the oldest one. In this manner it is rendered possible to retrieve a desired file and efficiently restart the text preparation or editing, even when the text preparation or editing is interrupted. Now reference is made to Fig. 11 showing a flow chart of a data processing operation in the electronic typewriter system of the foregoing embodiment, wherein (1) to (5) indicate process steps. At first a menu is displayed on the CRT display unit 3 (step 1), and the program awaits the entry of a command, from the keyboard la, indicating an access time for the file (step 2). In response to the entry of particular time data, the CPU 21 releases time data entered to the time output circuit TOP (step 3). Then an access is made to the time data unit TD to read the address of a corresponding file and a file stored in the predetermined memory area is displayed in the CRT display unit 3 (step 4), thus initiating for example text editing (step 5). In this operation the CPU 21 compares the current time supplied from the timer TM with the time of access to said file, and may display a suitable message such as "How are you?" or "It is a long time since we met before" according to the length of time between the current access and the preceding access. If the registered text is for example a letter, such message will give a suggestion on the starting portion of text to the user. Such administration, based on time, of the files registered in the memory area allows time-sequential retrieval of such files. The electronic typewriter system of the present invention, being capable of forcedly changing the printing mode to the line-by-line mode even if the character-by-character printing mode is initially selected, enables an efficient text editing operation by preventing a character-by-character printing operation during text editing, and also allows, after the typewriter mode is cancelled, to exactly connect text data stored in advance to text data prepared in said typewriter mode. Also, though the electronic typewriter and the display unit have independent CPU's, the text data displayed on the display unit can be easily edited from the electronic typewriter and can be transferred, after editing operation, to a text memory of the electronic typewriter, so that the memory of the electronic typewriter can be efficiently utilized. Furthermore said system can be utilized as a printer as it can process text data transmitted through a communication line. Furthermore the electronic typewriter system of the present invention can easily vary the print form of the text data stored in the text memory, without requiring an additional memory exclusive for the commands for changing the print form. Furthermore the electronic typewriter system of the present invention is capable of transmitting text data, prepared on the electronic typewriter, to a destination dialed according to an entered name information, and transmitting or receiving text data by the electronic typewriter or the display unit, thus significantly amplifying the functions of the electronic typewriter. Also it is capable of automatically renewing age data of registered personal information at the time or retrieval, and is therefore capable of precisely administering the age data of personal information and providing highly reliable personal information. Furthermore, it is capable of retrieving text data in the unit of each file according to input time data and retrieving the files in succession in response to each retrieval command entered from the keyboard, thus enabling to find desired text data without a text selection on a menu. Finally, it is capable of storing text data with a minimum memory capacity and inserting an arbitrary portion of text data stored in the text memory into other text data, thus significantly improving the efficiency of text editing.

Claims: An electronic typewriter system (1,3) including: input means (1a) for inputting character and command data; memory means (18) for storing the character and command data inputted by said input means (1a); setting means (29) for manually setting the system (1,3) into a line-by-line mode or a character-by-character mode; printing means (1b) for printing the character data stored in said memory means (18) in the mode set by said setting means wherein said electronic typewriter system (1,3) has: print control means (13) for interpretting the command data stored in said memory means (18) to control the printing of the character data stored in said memory means (18) by said printing means (1b), said print control means interpretting a stop code and stopping the printing of the character data stored in said memory means (18) and setting the system (1,3) into the line-by-line mode irrespective of the current print mode set by said setting means (29) and wherein said print control means (13) controls printing means (1b) to restart the printing of the character data stored in the memory means in response to inputting of control data according to a release command. An electronic typewriter system according to claim 1, wherein said print control means (13) controls printing means (1b) to print character data, inputted after stopping the printing of the character data stored in the memory means in response to the stop code, in the line-by-line mode. A method for printing a text data by an electronic typewriter system (1,3) comprising: inputting character and control data; storing the inputted character and control data in a memory (18); setting the system (1,3) into a line-by-line mode or a character-by-character mode by a manual switch (29); printing the character data stored in said memory (18) in the mode set by said manual switch (29) further comprising the steps of: interpretting a stop code stored in said memory (18) as control data; and stopping the printing of the character data stored in said memory (18) and setting the system (1,3) into the line-by-line mode irrespective of the current print mode set by said manual switch (29) in response to the interpretted stop code and further comprising the step of restarting the printing of the character data stored in the memory (18) in response to inputting of a control data according to a release command. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising the steps of: inputting character data after stopping the printing of the character data stored in the memory (18) in response to the stop code; printing the character data, inputted after stopping the printing of the character data stored in the memory (18), in the line-by-line mode.

Inventors: MAKITA MASARU, MATSUZAKI HIDEO, MAKITA, MASARU, MATSUZAKI, HIDEO
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G06F15
IPC codes: G06F17, G06F3, B41J21