International Business Machines Corporation

Robert A Kolpek

Dan M Howell

Walter S Rosenbaum

William M Schuller

David L MacDuffee

Elizabeth A Rush

Lisa S Trevathan

Howard G Kettler

Beth R Hopper

A word processor supports an unformatted mode which includes display of a partial page and supports a formatted mode which includes display of the displaying format of an entire page of text. Both modes impose minimal burden on the display allowing use, for example, of standard display chips with a variety of monitors including a standard TV set or TV monitor. Other advanced functions include simple addition, movement and deletion of text units or blocks; simplified underscore, underscore deletion, word underscore and word underscore deletion; and an uncluttered insert display regardless of the extent of inserted text. The hyphenate fuction is improved by informing the operator, via the display, of the relation between, not only the right margin and the hyphenate candidate, but also the relation between the hyphenate candidate and the actual preceding line endings.

Word processor with alternative formatted and unformatted display modes

A word processor supports two display modes, one unformatted mode comprising display of a partial page and another formatted mode displaying format of an entire page of text. Both modes impose minimal burden on the display allowing use, for example, of standard display chips with a variety of monitors including a standard TV set or TV monitor. Other advanced functions include simple addition, movement and deletion of text units or blocks; simplified underscore, underscore deletion, word underscore and word underscore deletion; and an uncluttered insert display regardless of the extent of inserted text. The hyphenate function is improved by informing the operator, via the display, of the relation between, not only the right margin and the hyphenate candidate, but also the relation between the hyphenate candidate and the actual preceding line endings.

Word processor and display

In an abbreviated typing system, in which a data processor (20) transfers abbreviations typed on the keyboard (10) into longer, full words, display of words in exceptional forms is efficiently achieved. Such special forms include initial capitalized, all capitalized, initial italics, all italics and combinations of these. The sequence for capitalization is typical. When the first letter only of the abbreviation is capitalized, decision (260) (FIG. 9) of the processor (20) results in action (264), by which only the first character of the full word is capitalized. When more than one letter is capitalized, decision (260) results in action (262) by which all characters of the full word are capitalized. Underlining is effected by underlining all characters when the first letter of the abbreviation is underlined and all of the characters plus the space following the word when more than one letter of the abbreviation is underlined.

Abbreviated typing with special form display

A combined communicating typewriter/dictation system which utilizes a common modem as an interface between an electronic typewriter, a mass media recorder and a communications line. The modem replaces digital logic and audio tones are recorded on the mass media recorder instead of digital tones. When the system is in a local mode, the digital keystroke signals from the typewriter are modulated by the modem and recorded by the mass media recorder. In a communications mode, the recorded keystroke signals are demodulated and then remodulated before transmission over the communications line to eliminate noise and other extraneous signals that tend to increase the error rate of the transmitted signals. When data is received by the system for storage on the mass media recorder, the transmitted data is demodulated and then remodulated by the modem to eliminate noise from the transmitted signal. In both communication paths, the analog signal input to the modem is processed twice before it is either forwarded to the mass media recorder or to the communications line. In addition to the foregoing recording functions, the mass media recorder can also be utilized to record and/or playback audio information. The dual utilization of the modem and the mass media recorder results in a low cost system without sacrificing much in the way of recording error rate.

Communicating typewriter and dictation system utilizing analog recording

The aesthetic characteristics of adjacent characters are used to enhance the quality of output in a proportional spacing printer and to provide right margin justification for composing. Spacing between characters is determined on the basis of the character being printed and the preceding character already printed on the page. An intercharacter displacement memory contains a list of ideal spacing for all combinations of characters to be printed. As each character is typed, it and the previously stored preceding character address the intercharacter displacement memory. The output of the intercharacter displacement memory is the ideal value of escapement for this combination of characters and font style. The printer positions the print head prior to printing the next character, rather than positioning the print head after the previous character is printed. Line ending decisions for composing are eliminated during initial and final typing of a document by adding to the intercharacter displacement memory recommendations for altering the ideal spacing between characters, where aesthetically possible, to eliminate the need for line ending hyphenation. During initial keying, escapements for adjacent pairs of characters are totaled in a memory for ideal, shortest (tight), and longest (loose) recommended escapements. The line is automatically terminated within the justification range by a carrier return function based on the escapement totals and the selected right margin. Final playout of the page from memory alters the intercharacter escapements from the ideal values to either longer or shorter escapements depending on whether the line is to be lengthened or shortened.

Variable character spacing matrix for proportional spacing printing

Spelling errors in a word processing system are detected and presented to the operator for correction at the end of a document page. A dictionary memory contains representations of the correct spellings for words most frequently used. As each word is typed, it is stored in a word queue where it is compared to the contents of the dictionary memory. If the compare is unequal, then the word and its location on the page are stored in an error memory. When an end of page indicator is set the printer automatically repositions the print head at the ending character of the first word in the error list. When the operator keys in the correct spelling, the printer is caused to remove the misspelled word from the page and type the correct spelling. The corresponding word in the error memory is also corrected. As each misspelled word in the error memory is corrected, the remainder of the memory is scanned and repetitions of the same spelling error are automatically corrected.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Robert A Kolpek