User`s manual

4,291,198
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FIG. 7 illustrates a mechanical interlocking arrange
ment for facilitating the assembling of the station set
elements into a compact integral housing;
FIG. 8 shows illustrative station set display sequences
in conjunction with screen-line buttons to demonstrate
use of the station set; and
FIGS. 9-15 are process diagrams illustrating opera
tion of the station set in several illustrative processes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1, the illustrated general-purpose electronic
telephone station set 10 comprises a housing including a
base 11 and a hood 12. The base encloses most of the
electric circuit components, to be described, and in
cludes a data processor for coordinating the interactions
among the other station set elements. The hood 12 is
attached to the base, as will be subsequently described,
and encloses display apparatus including a screen 13 of
a cathode ray tube enclosed within the hood 12. Thus,
the display accommodates page-type text displays for
?exible user-computer interaction. The station set in
cludes several different types of keys collectively desig
nated as a keypad. One of these types includes a plural
ity of screen-line-associated pushbutton keys, such as
the key 16, arrayed in two columns adjacent to the two
sides of the screen 13. A handset-receiving receptacle is
provided along one side of the station set adjacent to the
hood 12 for receiving a handset 17 which is electrically
connected through an electric circuit cord 18 to other
circuits of the station set. A loudspeaker (not shown) is
contained within the base portion 11 and acoustically
coupled through holes 19 in the receptacle beneath the
handset 17. The receptacle also contains an actuating
member (not shown) beneath the handset 17 for operat
ing a telephone system switchhook in a manner well
known in the art.
A keyboard 20 is provided and is advantageously
below and in front of the screen 13. The keyboard in
cludes a plurality of keys for various purposes as will
subsequently be described in connection with FIG. 2,
and it is advantageously of a width corresponding to the
width of the screen 13 and the two columns of keys 16.
A principal purpose of keyboard 20 is the entry of al
phanumeric text material for display on the screen and
for use otherwise in controlling data processing within
the set and within a host computer. The total width of
the keyboard depends upon the degree of convenience
desired for actuating the keys thereof and ranges from a
relatively narrow keyboard suitable for two-?nger,
full-text typing in one embodiment to a wider keyboard
which is more convenient for tough-typing. A separate
subscriber loop circuit 21 and data signal circuit 22 are
provided for the station set 10 to effect communication
with external systems. It is to be understood, however,
that in an appropriately controlled arrangement both
voice and data can be combined onto a single circuit
pair by either frequency or time multiplexing arrange
ments.
Handset 17 provides a convenient measure of the
station set size. In one embodiment using a Western
Electric Company K-type handset, the length of the
handset 17 is slightly less than the front-to-back depth of
the station set 10 (not including any rearward extension
to accommodate a portion of the neck of the cathode
ray tube providing the display screen 13). In a similar
context, the set depth is slightly less than the width
thereof assuming a cathode ray tube arrangement pro
viding a substantially square display screen 13 as illus
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trated. A rectangular display screen permits a larger
text display width and a wider keyboard for facilitating
more rapid touch-typing in the manner previously sug
gested. Thus, the set depth and width are less than one
and one-halftimes the handset length. The height of the
station set 10 is less by about one-quarter than the length
of the handset. In speci?c terms, the overall dimensions
(including rear extension) of one embodiment using the
mentioned K-type handset are about 9 inches wide, 10
inches deep, and 6 inches high.
The result of the described relative proportions in the
station set 10 is that it is convenient to place the set on
a desk or a table without obstructing the view of the rest
of a room where a set is used and without dominating
either the room or the table space. Furthermore, the
relatively low pro?le of the station set yields a low
center of gravity so that the set is not easily tipped over.
In using the station set in the embodiment of FIG. 1
for plain telephone communication purposes, dialing
signals are entered by utilizing the keyboard 20 after the
handset has been lifted. Upon completion of the calling
information input for each digit, multifrequency dialing
tone signals are automatically transmitted by the station
set 10. Apart from such telephone use, the keyboard 20
is useful for inputting information for other purposes.
Furthermore, the station set interacts with a tele
phone switching of?ce either in the telephone mode
already described or by utilizing the switching of?ce
control processor as a host computer-based service.
Likewise, other external host computer-based services
are accessible through the switching facilities of the
telephone switching office or by separate direct connec
tion to the station set 10. Many station set functions
considered herein depend for execution upon a host
computer. However, it will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that technological advances in minia
turizations will permit a greater proportion of such
functions to be performed by the set without the aid of
a host.
FIG. 2 illustrates in a flat plan type of view a rectan
gular display screen 13' and keyboard 20 opened to
form a ?at diagram to facilitate illustration. The keys 16
in the two columns of keys along the sides of the display
screen 13’ are each associated with a different adjacent
horizontal half-line-width region of the screen 13'.
These keys permit a station set user to select a certain
portion of the text in a display on the screen and corre
spondingly signal the selection to a station set proces
sor, and to a host computer to which the station set is
coupled at the time. Thus, actuation of the respective
keys 16 do not represent ?xed functions or cause corre
sponding characters to be displayed on the screen. Co
operative use of those keys 16 and screen 13' give the
telephone set user convenient access to computer ser
vices as will be described.
A row of keys, such as the key 23, is arrayed along
the bottom edge of the screen 13', and these are further
designated as screen steady function keys. The result of
actuation of a key 23 also does not appear as a particular
displayed text character. These keys permit user selec
tion of predetermined program control options which
frequently recur in different steps of various station set
processes. Some examples include display paging ac
tions such as restart the program, explain the choices
offered by the current display, back up to a prior pro
cess step, or display more information of the type al
ready displayed. Thus, keys 23 are display-action
associated keys whereas keys 16 are display-line