Transaction terminal with unlimited range of functions

Abstract

A user transaction terminal which may be connected for communication with a large scale data processing system includes a card handling subsystem which receives and transports user information cards; a user communication subsystem which includes a keyboard and an optical display; a hardware control subsystem which operates terminal hardware, a transaction statement subsystem which prints and dispenses written records of user transactions; a terminal communication subsystem which provides communication with a data processing system; a processor support subsystem which assists a control subsystem by performing control functions which are more easily implemented with hardware than software; and a control subsystem which includes a programmed microprocessor which is connected to the other subsystems via an information bus to coordinate and control the operations of the other subsystems. The keyboard includes a plurality of mutually exclusive keyboard fields, each relating to a different type of information. These fields include a function selection field, a from account field, a to account field, and a numeric field. The transaction selection, from account, and to account fields each include an optional selection key, the activation of which permits a user to enter key modifier data corresponding to the field of an activated optional selection key by activating a selected, predetermined combination of keys within the numeric field in accordance with a prearranged schedule. This convenient, simple keyboard thus contains separate keys for the most commonly used information states for each field as well as optional selection keys which greatly expand the information which may be entered without a substantial increase in keyboard complexity.