DISPOSITIF DE GUIDAGE ET DE COMMANDE POUR OPERATEUR

1,234,178. Input devices for signalling systems. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. 10 Feb., 1970 [28 March, 1969], No. 6226/70. Heading G4H. An input terminal for transmitting data to a control station comprises a plurality of input devices 24, 27, 29, a keyboard T1-Tn for identifying one of several possible transactions, each key being adapted to transmit a corresponding signal to the control station a store 52 for receiving from the control station a signal comprising a guidance code and a control code and means responsive to the guidance code for displaying a guidance instruction to the operator and means responsive to the control code for permitting one of the input devices to transmit data to the control station. When one of the transaction keys is pressed, the corresponding contact T1-Tn marks an associated lead to a transaction code encoder 34. This is passed by gate 35 over leads 36 to the control station. Gate 35 is under the control of send counter 41 and a Transmit instruction Ti from the control station. When the control station has received this code it returns a data received signal which resets latch 43 and disables gate 35 and step counter 41 to 9C. This causes gate 51 to open to read out the zero contents of the guidance code store to the control station over lines 36. No data is sent at this time since the store 52 is reset, and the counter 41 steps to the END position, setting latch 54 and opening gate 56 through gate 57. The next guidance code is then entered into the store 52 from the control station, according to the transaction specified by the operator. The counter then returns to the reset position. The guidance code in the store 52 is applied via decoder 58 is one of the four column leads and via decoder 59 to one of the eight row leads of the array of lamps 23. Each of the 32 lamps has an instruction panel over it to indicate to the operator what he should next do. He may put a job card in a card reader, a badge in a badge reader or key more data in another keyboard. These are shown as data inputs 24, 27 and 29. They are enabled by the second part of the guidance code, two bits of which are decoded at 62 to mark one of leads T1, T2, T3. The sixth bit of the guidance code signal illuminates a lamp 61 showing that further steps are necessary to complete the transaction. The counter 41 steps again to the TC position, sending the transaction code again to the control station. On the next step 9C the guidance code in store 52 is r