Portable data storage and editing device

Abstract

Method and apparatus are described for outputting data from a device, such as a portable keyboard, directly to a keyboard interface 40 of a destination computer 42. The device may be detached from the computer and operate remotely therefrom, in an "active mode" wherein keystroke data is stored in internal memory thereof, for subsequent transfer to the destination computer. Alternatively, the device may be attached to the computer and function in a "bypass mode" (or in a keyboard emulation routine of the active mode) as a standard input keyboard therefor. The destination computer 42 may be a personal computer or a terminal of a mainframe computer. The internal circuitry of the device includes a programmable processor 28, a program memory 30, a working memory 32, an input switch device 34, a display 36 and an output interface 38. A bypass switch device 24 permits the device to operate in the bypass mode. A resident program stored in program memory 30 controls input, editing, translation and output of data. The processor 28 performs all control and data processing functions. The working memory 32 provides scratchpad and data memory required to execute the program steps, and storage for keystroke files input in the transfer mode. The device may record a sequence of keystrokes for subsequent output to the destination computer in the event that faulty operation of the destination computer prevents reception and / or storage of the same, thus providing fault-tolerant data transfer. The output interface 38 communicates data and provides handshaking to the keyboard interface 40 of the destination computer 42. The questions raised in reexamination request No. 09 / 004,214 filed Apr. 10, 1996, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to methods and apparatus of data storage and transfer, and more particularly to devices and processes for input of data from remote locations and for later transfer of the data to a destination computer.There is a long felt need in the business, industrial and scientific communities for a method and apparatus providing an ability to record thoughts and data in remote locations. Recent electronic advances have made possible a wide variety of devices which attempt to meet this need. Portable computers, laptop computers and portable dedicated data logging devices are now commonly found in all areas of our society. Input methods range from keyboard and bar code scanner entry to voice and optical character recognition systems.An important aspect of these devices is their ability to transfer the information stored therein to other devices. These other devices, such as desktop computers and mainframe computer...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

It is another object of the invention to provide a convenient and economical method of data transfer from a remote data entry device to a separate computer.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a method of data transfer which eliminates the need for the handling of diskettes or other removable storage media.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of data transfer which utilizes a standard port on the destination computer which is most easily recognized and understood by computer users and which generally requires a simple, identifiable and inexpensive cable.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of data transfer which delivers data directly, and in proper format, into application software in a destination computer to eliminate the need for import or parsing, and to provide the data to the proper file subdirectory for the application program.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of data transfer to mini or mainframe computers in a convenient and inexpensive manner.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a method of data transfer from remote data input and storage devices in a convenient and inexpensive manner which loads the power supply of the destination computer only to a level anticipated in its design.

Problems solved by technology

Often, however, the diskette drives of laptop and desktop computers are not compatible due to differences in the data format or type of disks.

Thus, data transfer via floppy diskette does not provide a truly effective method of data transfer from a remote data entry device to a computer having a data storage bank.

Such an arrangement often requires considerable manual dexterity, such as reaching or lifting, to gain access to the port.

This is a danger to expensive equipment and inconvenient for valuable personnel.

Thus, direct or cable data transfer is inefficient, time consumptive, and frequently difficult to achieve.

Data transfer between laptop computers and mini or mainframe computers is yet more difficult than the transfer described above.

Operating systems, file structures, diskette drives and communications protocols are less compatible for such computers than for transfers between laptop computers and desktop computers.

The transfer thus often requires additional hardware and software, which is generally expensive due to the wide variety of mini and mainframe computers and the correspondingly lower demand for a given transfer configuration.

Presently available remote data acquisition and storage devices, themselves, have still other problems in transferring data.

These devices generally do not have diskette drives or other removable storage media.

Purchase and installation of these boards is expensive and may tax the power supply capacity of the destination computer.

An additional problem of laptop computers, unrelated to data transfer, arises from the unique size and layout of the keyboard of a laptop computer, with respect to a keyboard of a destination computer.

After data is transferred to the destination computer, however, these users are required to adapt to an unfamiliar keyboard.

Greater typing effort, poorer quality work and increased keystroke error are common results of this deficiency.

Further, no capability is described for replacing keystroke characters by other single characters or by strings of characters, known as macros, or for providing translation in order to permit data transfer to various different application programs while using the specific control codes of the target application program.

Finally, the system fails to allow a bypass connection of the output of the keyboard to the keyboard interface of the slave processor.

However, the keyboard, which may also include an integrated bar code reader, a magnetic card reader or a mouse, is incapable of entering and editing data, such as barcode data, independently of its host PC.

Moreover, the keyboard includes neither a portable power supply nor software allowing the user to record, edit or translate character strings into formats compatible with various application programs operating on different computers.

Thus, the keyboard (which derives its power from the host PC) cannot be used as a portable device for data entry remote from the host.

However, the device is simply intended to convert a non-programmable calculator into a programmable calculator, rather than to provide a portable data storage and editing device.

None of the above described art, however, provides a device which may be used for both remote data entry and as a keyboard input device for a host computer.

Moreover, none of the art teaches that such a portable device may include editing capability and may provide output data simulating any of a plurality of application programs.

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