Remote display device for a microcomputer with optical communication

Abstract

A optically linked calculator system for displaying data generated by a local calculator at both the local calculator and at a detached display. The calculator system includes a plurality of transmitting calculators and receiving units. The receiving units include remote display receiving units and receiving calculators. Transmitting calculators transmit entered data and calculated results. Receiving units receive and display transmitted data entries and calculated results. A calculator includes a keyboard, keyboard logic, processing logic, display, display logic, transmit logic, infrared transmitter, switching means, infrared receiver receiver logic and converting logic. The switching means selectively enables components of the calculator for effecting a transmit mode, receive mode, and calculate mode. The remote receiver display unit includes an infrared receiver, data detection logic, processing logic, and a display.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a infrared linked network for receiving and transmitting data between a plurality of devices, each device having at least an infrared receiver for receiving pulses of infrared transmission, an infrared transmitter for atmospherically transmitting pulses of infrared transmissions, a calculator for performing calculations from data and command functions entered via a keyboard attached thereto, and a display for exhibiting data and calculated results, a method for displaying data generated at each device or received from another of the devices comprising the steps of: (a) generating electrical signals from a calculator in one of the devices representative of entered data and calculated results;   (b) transforming the electrical signals to a series of electrical pulses;   (c) applying the electrical pulses to an infrared transmitter in the one of the devices for generating a series of atmospherically transmitted infrared pulses;   (d) receiving the atmospherically transmitted infrared pulses with an infrared receiver in at least one other of the devices and generating a series of electrical pulses representative of the received infrared pulses;   (e) converting the series of electrical pulses to display signals for the display to exhibit the received data;   (f) operating on the received data at said at least one other of the devices in accordance with data and command functions entered into the calculator associated with said at least one other device to obtain further results;   (g) converting said further results into further electrical signals suitable for infrared transmissions; and   (h) transmitting said further electrical signals to at least another said one of the devices for displaying said further results thereat.   
     
     
       2. An optically linked portable calculator system comprising: a first calculator unit having a keyboard for manually entering data and command functions into said first calculator, processing means responsive to data and command functions entered into said calculator for operating thereon to generate corresponding results in a digital data format and display means coupled to said processing means for displaying said data and command functions and said results in a human readable form, said first calculator further including optical means for converting said digital data formatted results into atmospherically transmitted pulses of optical radiation within a predetermined optical frequency range;   at least one detached remote calculating means having a local keyboard for manually entering local data and command functions, a local processing means for receiving local data and command functions and for operating thereon to generate corresponding local results, a local display means coupled to said local processing means for displaying results obtained from said local processing means, said at least one remote calculating means further including optical means for receiving atmospherically transmitted pulses of optical radiation within the predetermined optical frequency range, said optical means converting received pulses into digitally formatted data and command functions for application to said local processing means, said local microcomputer means causing said data and command functions to be displayed on said local display means; said first calculator unit and each of said at least one detached remote calculating means including means for reversing the function of its respective optical means to either a transmit or receive mode for permitting signal transmission between said first calculator unit and; and at least one detached remote calculating means   means in each said first calculator unit and said at least one detached remote calculating means for selectively displaying data and command functions from its associated keyboard and from optically received pulses from said first calculator unit or said at least one detached remote calculating means.   
     
     
       3. The system of claim 2, wherein said optical means comprises at least one infrared transmission element and at least one infared receiving element. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 2 wherein said reversing means and said selectively displaying means comprises switching means mounted on each said first calculator and at least one detached said remote calculating means for respectively selectively placing said first calculator and said at least one detached remote calculating means into one of a transmitting and receiving mode. .Iadd. 
     
     
       5.  An optically linked data processing system comprising: a first processing unit having a keyboard for manually entering data and command functions into said first processing unit means responsive to data and command functions entered into said processing unit for operating thereon to generate corresponding results in a digital data format, said processing unit including display means coupled thereto for displaying said data and command functions and said results in a human readable form, said first processing unit further including optical means for converting said digital data formatted results into atmospherically transmitted pulses of optical radiation within a predetermined optical frequency range;   at least one detached remote data processing unit having an associated keyboard for manually entering local data and command functions, a local processing means for receiving local data and command functions and for operating thereon to generate corresponding local results, a local display means coupled to said local processing means, said at least one remote data processing unit further including optical means for atmospherically transmitting pulses of optical radiation within the predetermined optical frequency range, said optical means converting received pulses into digitally formatted data and command functions for application to said local processing means, said local processing means causing said data and command functions to be displayed on said local display means;   said first data processing unit and each of said at least one detached remote data processing unit including means for operating its respective optical means in both a transmit and a receive mode for permitting atmospheric optical signal transmission between said detached remote data processing unit and said first data processing unit; and   means in each said data processing unit and said detached remote processing unit for selectively displaying data and command functions from its associated keyboard and from optically received pulses from the other of said first data processing unit and said at least one detached remote data processing unit..Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       6.  The system of claim 5 wherein said means for operating in either a transmit and a receive mode comprises switching means mounted on each said first data processing unit and said at least one detached data processing unit for selectively placing said first data processing unit and said at least one detached data processing unit into one of a transmit and a receiving mode..Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The system of claim 5 wherein said optical means comprises at least one infrared transmission element and at least one infrared receiving element..Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A method for displaying common data at each of a plurality of data processing units in an optically linked data processing system, each of the processing units being adapted for operating on and displaying data generated internally and by one or more detached processing units, each of the processing units being positioned within a line of sight of others of the processing units, each processing unit including optical data receiving means for receiving optically encoded information and optical data transmitting means for atmospherically transmitting data as pulses of optically coded information, each processing unit further including a microcomputer for processing data, a keyboard for entering data and a display for exhibiting data, the method comprising the steps of: generating electrical signals in one of the processing units representative of entered and processed data;   transforming the electrical signals to a series of electrical pulses;   applying the electrical pulses to an optical data transmitting means in the one of the processing units for generating a series of atmospherically transmitted optically encoded pulses;   receiving the atmospherically transmitted pulses with the optical receiving means in at least one other of the processing units and generating a series of electrical pulses representative of the received optically encoded pulses;   converting the series of electrical pulses to display signals suitable for display on the display of the at least one other of the processing units;   operating on the received electrical pulses in the at least one other of the processing units in accordance with data and command functions entered into the microcomputer associated with the at least one other of the processing units to obtain other processed data,   converting the other processed data into other electrical signals in a form suitable for conversion to other optically encoded signals; and   atmospherically transmitting the other optically encoded signals to at least another one of the processing units for displaying the other processed data thereat..Iaddend. .Iadd.9. In an interactive data processing system comprising at least a first and a second microcomputer, each of said microcomputers having a data and a function command processing means, a keyboard for entering data and function commands into said processing means, and a display means coupled to said processing means for displaying data provided by said processing means, the improvement comprising at least first and second optical transmitting and receiving means connected to respective ones of the at least first and second microcomputers, each of the processing means being coupled to a corresponding one of said optical means for selectively transmitting and receiving data and command functions by atmospheric optical transmission between said microcomputers, each of said processing means displaying both received and transmitted data on its respective associated display means, and each of said processing means being responsive to data and command functions received via atmospheric optical transmission from the other of the processing means as though such data and command functions were entered from its respective associated keyboard..Iaddend.