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This application comprises a microfiche appendix comprising 2 microfiche
including 99 frames of computer program source code listings for which
listings protection under all applicable copyright laws is asserted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to home information terminals and, more
particularly, to a portable personal banking system for providing a range
of banking information services via an automatically dialed telephone
connection from a portable personal banking terminal to a host bank
computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, financial institutions such as banks have been stigmatized
by humorous anecdotes related to the convenience to customers of obtaining
services. For example, the term "banking hours" has been used to describe
the limited nine o'clock to two o'clock banking day as well as the hours
of any other business which might provide limited customer access. In
order to make banking services more convenient, centrally located main
offices of banks have provided geographically distributed branch offices
to move their services closer to the customer. Furthermore, such
innovations as drive-up teller windows and automatic teller machines have
extended the hours of service availability. Such enhancements, however,
still require the bank customer to travel to the bank or automatic teller
machine to receive service.
Since the mid 1970's, there has been a trend toward the application of
existing communication facilities for the transmittal and retrieval of
information to and from a central source of information and data
processing capability. Because of the universality of the switched
telephone connection now available in the United States, AT&T,
Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Citibank, IBM, CBS and others have experimented
with home videotex and teletex services whereby an unintelligent home
information terminal comprising a video quality display, a full
alpha-numeric keyboard and a microprocessor-controlled interface is
automatically connected over the telephone line to a host computer and
database. Some of the services provided in such experiments included
instantaneous stock quotations, home shopping, and home banking, the
latter of these via an auxiliary connection from the host computer to a
bank computer also via a telephone line.
Because of the great expense and size of component elements of the home
information terminal such as the full alpha-numeric keyboard, video
display and microprocessor controlled telephone line interface, such
videotex experiments have, for the most part, proven to be commercially
impractical. It was generally found that the size and expense of such a
home information terminal could not be justified as the cost of
intelligent personal computers decreased. Furthermore, personal computers,
if equipped with a data modulator and demodulator or modem, now provide
access to database service providers including banks, retail
establishments, airline reservation systems and others at practically
equivalent cost. Nevertheless, the cost of a personal computer is still
beyond the budget of many families and cannot be economically justified.
Furthermore, even for individuals who may be able to afford a personal
computer, it is clear that a large segment of the population simply does
not desire to use a computer through their concern for data security, over
a user-unfriendly interface, or for other reasons. Consequently, there
remains a requirement for a low cost home information terminal which
provides a full range of information and data processing services.
As alluded to above, many banks have subscribed to a so-called network or
individually provide automatic teller machines at locations convenient to
customers which are accessible at all hours. A bank customer is able to
obtain currency, for example, from an automatic teller machine at a retail
establishment where the customer shops. Once a card bearing unique
personal information is verified and account information retrieved,
currency may be dispensed directly from the machine to the customer.
Furthermore, transaction verification is provided by paper printout of a
printer associated with the automatic teller machine. Such automatic
teller machines are limited in the type of transaction they are capable of
performing, i.e. currency dispensing, are expensive, must be maintained
and replenished, and are not portable. Furthermore, those which are
associated with a so-called network are inherently slow and are prone to
customer disatisfaction.
Yet another solution is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,276 to Benton et
al. which discloses a system for funds transfer which comprises a
combination telephone and data terminal. The telephone terminal is mated
with an intelligent personal card in order to accomplish a banking
transaction. Consequently, the disclosure of Benton et al. provides an
example of yet another trend toward transforming a plastic card into an
intelligent personal terminal which still requires the additional
telephone terminal with which it may magnetically or, in Benton et al.,
optically mate.
Still another solution is represented by the development in the computer
industry of smaller sized computers. The so-called laptop personal
computer today provides the features of yesterday's full size computers.
Furthermore, hand-held personal computers are known which provide
programmable personal diary, finance and communication link features, the
hand-held unit having a full alphanumeric thirty-six button keyboard and a
two line, sixteen character per line display.
In view of all of the above, there still remains a requirement for a
portable personal banking system including a portable personal terminal
which provides a range of banking services so that a bank customer need
not travel any further than the nearest universal telephone jack to obtain
service accessible at any hour.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus a primary object of the present invention to provide a portable
personal banking system including an inexpensive portable personal
terminal for providing a range of information and data processing
services.
To accomplish this object, it is a further object to minimize the key
requirements of any data entry input device and the size of any data
display while, at the same time, provide an easy-to-use, user friendly
interface to a bank customer from a host bank computer.
It is a still further object to maximize the range of bank information and
data processing services to comprise every practically deliverable
information retrieval and data processing function which may be
characterized as only excluding currency dispensing.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a personal
banking terminal serving system which is compatible with other customer
service delivery vehicles such as the provision of automatic teller
machines and the servicing of home or business customers equipped with
personal computers and data modems as well as with internal bank
operations such as credit or account verifications by authorized bank
employees.
It is a still further object of the present invention to maximize the
application of a portable banking terminal off-line in a local mode of
operation without prohibitive cost as, for example, an electronic banking
manager.
To accomplish these and other objects, a portable personal banking system
comprises a bank host computer and a portable personal terminal among
other personal or bank teller facilities. The portable personal banking
terminal in accordance with the present invention comprises a battery
power source and on/off switch, a data modulator/demodulator (modem), a
telephone line automatic dialer interface including at least one universal
modular jack, a two line, sixteen character per line liquid crystal
display, a sixteen key keyboard including numerical and function keys, a
non-volatile storage memory for software and unique terminal
identification, banking and certain log-on information, a random access
memory for temporary data storage comprising a ten to thirty-two line
screen memory, and a controller comprising a microprocessor coupled to
each of these components.
With respect to data input and output, it has been found that a thirty-two
character display is sufficient for all practical purposes while the
keyboard may simply comprise ten numerical keys and a reasonable number of
function keys without providing for upper and lower case input. In
implementing the display, two lines are scrolled at a time, it being found
that users are capable of reading two lines at a time more comfortably
than one. Altogether, the implementation meets objectives of being user
friendly and un-computer like while maximizing the possible quantity and
quality of input and output.
These components in mostly integrated circuit form may be housed in a
compact hand-held terminal. The terminal comprising the at least one
universal telephone jack may be plugged into any wall-mounted universal
jack to a telephone line and via a second jack to a separate optional
telephone set connected through the terminal to the telephone line if a
customer so desires. Because of built-in telephone dialing and line
supervision capability, there is no requirement for a separate telephone
set.
The reverse side of the hand-held terminal may provide a holder for banking
forms including checks, withdrawal and deposit slips and provide a
desk-like surface for writing checks. Consequently, in a local mode of
operation the terminal may serve as a personal banking manager.
The bank host computer accesses a database and controls the operation of
the portable personal terminal during a banking mode of operation. A
plurality of services including global or personal electronic messaging to
or from the user, account statement display, check or deposit verification
or bank information retrieval are controlled by the host computer while
during this mode the terminal acts as a slave to the host.
On the other hand, during the local mode of operation, the terminal is
disconnected from the telephone line and assists the user as a form of
personal banking manager, keeping track of checking or savings account
numbers, deposits, withdrawals, checks and balances and performing locally
programmed requests such as determining the value of the user's income
retirement account when the user reaches seniority. Also, during an
initialization mode of operation, the terminal automatically supervises
the establishment of a telecommunications link to the host and uploads
predetermined information requests for immediate response by the bank
during the banking mode. For example, the user may initiate a request to
determine if a check having a particular number has cleared.
The personal terminal may further comprise a timer implemented either via
normally provided clock control of the microprocessor or via host computer
clock control. The passage of a predetermined time period or count between
bank customer data entries may automatically cause a disconnection of the
terminal from the host computer and a power down of the terminal. For
example, the telephone line may be disconnected after ten minutes to free
the telephone line to incoming calls.
Optionally, the personal terminal may comprise an alerter or an audible
tone generator to provide audible feedback to a bank customer as the
customer enters data or makes choices. For example, a short tone may
indicate an acceptable entry while a tone of longer duration may indicate
an error. Commands to sound a short tone may also be transmitted by the
host toward the terminal periodically to indicate that the host is still
connected.
Upon initial turn on and telephone connection to a host computer at a bank,
the customer is prompted to move from a main menu numerically identifying
seven or more submenus by name: for example, view balance, account
information, bill payments, transfer funds, rates and bank or ATM
locations. Each feature or option item name clearly identifies the feature
in less than sixteen characters. Two lines or option items are displayed
at a time; however, at, for example, the end of a list, one line may
describe a menu item and the bottom line a customer prompt such as: "Your
choice?" The customer then depresses an appropriate numerical key 1-9 (or
more if additional options are provided) in the case of main menu item
entry and sequentially depresses an "enter" key to gain access to the
selected submenu.
In order to provide security of data communication between a personal
terminal and a host computer, a known packet data protocol, in particular,
the X.25 protocol or a more efficient and reliable asynchronous protocol
as herein described is used to transmit data selectively encrypted by a
standard or non-standard encryption algorithm stored in non-volatile
memory of the personal terminal. The herein described asynchronous
protocol is also considered to be more secure than the well-known X.25
communications protocol. Consequently, data transmitted between the host
bank computer and the personal terminal may be first selectively encrypted
and then encoded into data packets for transmission.
During the banking mode of operation as already indicated, the personal
terminal microprocessor acts as a slave to the bank host computer for data
input and display, interpreting host commands and transmitting, formatting
and encoding bank customer entered data for transmission to the host
computer. The host bank computer performs, for example, personal terminal,
account, and user number verification, bank and customer information
database inquiry and retrieval and account transfer requests.
During the initialization mode of operation, software control is first
lodged in the personal terminal for the purpose of establishing a
telephone connection and uploading data to the host bank computer. The
personal terminal software controls local data validation and display and
data encryption and encoding for transmission to the host computer in the
selected asynchronous packet data format. During the banking mode of
operation, control is lodged with the bank host computer which performs,
for example, customer verification, controls the personal terminal display
of menu options and features, interprets transmitted data and exercises
customer chosen option items. Consequently, there exists a partnership of
personal terminal and host computer software. On the other hand, control
over the provision of features and the exercise of chosen options are
lodged with the host bank computer.
Because the control over menu and submenu choice selection and option item
exercise during the banking mode of operation is lodged with the bank host
computer, new services may be implemented without any change in hardware
or software of the personal terminal.
On the other hand, the local mode of terminal operation as a personal
banking manager involves a periodic updating of terminal microprocessor
software. Most practically, the terminal software is permanently provided
in the form of a special application software customized integrated
circuit. Furthermore, the communication protocol permits the transmission
of an indication of the software version provided by a particular terminal
so that a host computer may be informed as to how to appropriately
respond. On the other hand, software may be downloaded to the terminal
from the host during the banking mode of operation. However, the greater
the feature capability and flexibility provided in the local mode of
operation, the more expensive the terminal becomes due to increased costs
of processor and memory integrated circuits.
As briefly described above in connection with the main menu description,
some of the information and data processing features available to a bank
customer utilizing the present invention include but are not limited to
account status inquiry, payment of bills, transfer of funds between
accounts, verification of the status of a particular check, credit, debit
or deposit, current loan interest rate information, bank hours, locations
of automatic teller machines and branch offices and such. Consequently,
practically, the only service which may not be providable from such a
terminal that is provided by automatic teller machines is cash deposit and
withdrawal.
One particularly important feature provided via the present invention is a
feature by which the user may obtain access to what is known in the
industry as the control disbursement package, i.e., checks which have not
cleared yet but which have arrived on a given day for posting. A submenu
under account information of the main menu assists the user to select from
the following choices: find check, find by date, find by amount, get
summary, all credits, all debits, all deposits and checks pending. The
user selects checks pending to receive data on control disbursements. In
this manner, a user obtains information so that appropriate funds may be
deposited immediately to permit the pending checks to clear.
The cost of a terminal in accordance with the present invention is reduced
from hundreds of dollars to dollars while further cost savings may be
achieved in time and inconvenience to bank customers of obtaining similar
services by known means. Furthermore, such a terminal is regarded as a
means for inducing new customers to bank at a given bank and may be given
free of charge to a new customer when the customer opens an account.
The present personal terminal arrangement is compatible with existing
arrangements for serving, for example, home or business customers equipped
with personal computers. The same bank host computer may serve either a
personal computer or a home terminal. The host computer, for example, may
determine from a unique terminal or personal computer identification how
it will properly serve either type of installation.
There is no requirement for either a separate card validation or a
requirement that any such card be "smart". Terminal identification and
software version data is stored in nonvolatile memory along with Personal
Account Number (PAN). Just as with a card or so-called smart card, the
terminal calls for hidden from display Personal Identification Number or
PIN verification before any banking services are provided.
These and other features of the present invention will become clear to one
of skill in the art from the following detailed discussion of the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a is a top pictorial view of a portable personal banking terminal in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the rear of the portable personal banking
terminal of FIG. 1a showing a check or other banking form dispenser or
holder and a flat, rigid table or writing surface;
FIG. 2 is a perspective pictorial view of the portable terminal of the
present invention connected via a modular jack to a telephone line and via
an optional modular jack connection to a customer telephone set;
FIG. 3 is an overall personal terminal serving system block diagram showing
connection of the portable personal banking terminal of FIG. 1 with a host
computer at, for example, a bank location over the telephone line;
FIG. 4 is yet another overall system block diagram showing the
compatibility of the present personal home terminal service with existent
home or business personal computer, automatic teller machine and branch
bank teller data terminal installations;
FIG. 5 is an overall system transaction control chart showing host and
personal terminal information flow;
FIG. 6 is a detailed schematic block diagram of the portable personal
banking terminal of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is an overall subroutine flowchart for the software algorithms of
the personal banking terminal;
FIGS. 7a through 7f provide in flowchart/algorithm format information of
use to one of ordinary skill in the art in providing algorithms of FIG. 7;
FIG. 8 is an overall subroutine flowchart for the software algorithms of
the bank host computer; and
FIG. 9 is a particularized subroutine diagram of the resource manager
algorithm of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown a top view of a portable personal
banking terminal in accordance with the present invention showing a data
input/output top surface. Referring to FIG. 1b, the reverse side of the
unit may comprise a pocket 101 or other dispenser for personal checks or
withdrawal and deposit slips and rigid table writing surface 102.
Similar reference characters are employed in all figures to identify
similar elements and so the portable terminal 1 is also shown in FIGS. 2-4
and a schematic block diagram of the terminal is shown in FIG. 6.
Referring again to FIG. 1a or 1b, the personal terminal 1 is designed to
be hand held or to be set on a flat surface during operation by a bank
customer. The rigidity of the reverse surface may serve as a portable desk
for check writing, for example. Keys are recessed into the top surface so
when the reverse side is employed as a writing table, the keys may not be
inadvertently actuated. Feet 100 provide further rigidity and support for
either side.
A two line, sixteen character per line, liquid crystal display 2 provides
current terminal status information to a banking customer as the customer
uses the terminal in a local mode and proceeds through a particular
transaction. The term "transaction" herein shall be defined to comprise
the duration from a customer's turning the terminal on by depressing
on-off button 3, and any use in a local mode of operation, through the
establishment of a switched telephone connection to a host computer (FIGS.
3 or 4), through the several possible interactions via the subroutines
identified in the information flowchart of FIG. 5 to turning the terminal
off again via on/off button 3.
In a local mode of operation, the terminal is unplugged from the telephone
network and operates similarly to a programmed computer. In accordance
with menu driven algorithms, the user may record items in personal banking
storage, for example, a numerically identified check at $25 for debiting
from a terminal stored account balance. Alternatively, the user may be led
to initialize the terminal to transmit a message to the host computer or
request status for another numerically identified check, all checks having
a particular dollar value or all checks of a particular date. The message
to the host computer may simple be a request for a return call from a bank
employee.
For example, during the banking mode of operation, display 2 of FIG. 1
shows the two line message, "Welcome to Portable Banker," wherein a
selected service name or mark is inserted, and/or a plurality of bank
marketing messages or personally addressed messages upon the successful
dial up of a host bank computer. At another time during a transaction, a
menu or submenu option item may be identified on the first line while a
simple customer prompt such as, "Your Choice?" will be displayed on a
second line with an empty data field for choice entry. At still other
times during a transaction, the second or bottom line will be provided in
the form of an empty data field into which field, for example, a dollar
and cents amount field may be completed between a dollar sign and a
decimal point by keyboard entries of a bank customer, most significant
digit first. Alternatively, a date may be inserted in month, day and year
format between forward slash marks. Alternatively, a day, month, year
format may be used in Europe or elsewhere if appropriate.
To accomplish numerical data entry, a complement of ten numeric keys 11-20
are provided. After the completion of the partial or complete line
comprising the data field is in agreement with the bank customer's desired
entry, the bank customer depresses the ENTER key 4. In the interim between
data entry and data display, the data is first locally verified to assure
accurate data transmission to the host computer. For example, if the user
inadvertently enters a month value greater than twelve, the user may be
informed of their mistake and requested to reenter the data appropriately.
In order to display the last or succeeding menu or submenu option item, a
bank customer utilizes the up or down arrow function keys 5 and 6
respectively. A bank customer may at any time return to the main menu by
depressing the "MENU" key 7. If the bank customer inadvertently enters a
wrong numerical value, it may be erased by depressing the backspace BKSP
key 8. This BKSP key 8 thus provides a local editing feature. If the user
wants to back up to a higher level or the preceding submenu selected, the
user may recall the previously displayed sub menu information by
depressing the back up BKUP key 9. Both the MENU and BKUP function keys
are controlled and implemented from the host in the banking mode of
operation and are controlled by terminal software during the local mode of
operation.
The two line display may be provided at an angle to the horizontal and so
slightly impressed in the terminal to facilitate viewing of the display
and alleviate effects of glare. When the main menu or submenu option items
are scrolled two items at a time, they may be displayed and scrolled at
predetermined intervals such as every two seconds to free the bank
customer from having to manually depress the up and down arrow keys 5 and
6. These intervals relate to the rate of data transmission such as 300
band between host and terminal but may be intentionally slowed by a
supplemental delay input by the user or set in default by the bank. Even
during scrolling, a menu or submenu choice may be entered and acted upon
by the host computer to save time.
When power is turned off, battery is still provided to ensure preservation
of temporary memory storage. Also, non-volatile memory is provided within
the terminal for storage of terminal software, personal banking
information, and unique terminal and user identification data. Within the
software are provided standard or non-standard data encryption algorithms
to selectively insure the security of data transmission over the telephone
line, for example, the so-called data encryption standard (DES) or a
simpler scheme such as one implemented via an exclusive or (XOR) gating of
data with a host and terminal shared random number table.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a pictorial representation showing
how the personal terminal 1 is easily connected to a telephone line 21 via
a standard single line modular jack 22, type RJ11C, available at most
telephone supply retail outlets and now typically provided in each room of
new home construction. The personal terminal 1 is equipped with two
parallel connected jacks 23 or 24 for connection to the single line jack
22 or to an optional telephone set 25. It should be noted that the
personal terminal requires no telephone set 25 as it comprises a
microprocessor controlled automatic dialer and telephone line supervised
interface.
Double-ended lines 26 and 27 equipped with standard universal pinch-type
locking plugs connect either the telephone 25 to the personal terminal 1
or the personal terminal 1 to the single line jack 22. Such lines 26, 27
are also generally available from telephone retail outlets in assorted
lengths and equipped with other types of plugs at one end. The arrangement
as shown in FIG. 2 is more descriptive of a permanent home office desk
installation than a portable installation. When it is desired to use the
personal terminal elsewhere including at a location outside one's home or
office, the telephone may be disconnected via line 27 from jack 22 and the
combination of terminal 1 and line 27 may comprise a portable hand held
banking terminal complete with electronic check book connectable whenever
desired to any compatible telephone jack installation. Also, the terminal
1 may be operated without line 27 in a local mode of operation as a
personal banking manager.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an overall block diagram showing
the connection of a personal terminal 1 at the home 28 of a bank customer
via the public switched telephone network 30 to the location of a banking
or other financial institution 40. Personal terminal 1 automatically dials
a prestored or customer entered telephone number of a line to financial
institution 40. At financial institution 40, a dial up port of host
computer 35 is accessed at which point the "Welcome to Pocket Teller"
message is caused to be displayed at personal terminal 1. At financial
institution 40, bank personnel access host computer 35 by way of a data
terminal or personal computer 36, for example, for updating customer or
bank information data stored in an associated database (not shown).
All communications between host 35 and terminal 1 are preferredly
asynchronous, 300 baud, 8 bit data, no parity, 1 stop, using Bell 103 or
212A compatible modems. While somewhat similar to the known X.25
communication protocol, the following described protocol is preferred for
its reliability, security, and efficiency.
CONTROL PACKETS are sent to and from the terminal with the following
format:
SOH/LENGTH/CONTROL/HEADER CKSUM/EOT.
DATA PACKETS are sent to and from the terminal with the following format:
SOH/LENGTH/CONTROL/HEADER CKSUM/DATA FIELD/CRC 16/EOT.
In these packets, SOH is the starting character of 01H.
LENGTH, 1 byte, defines the number of bytes in the data field DATA FIELD;
not including CRC, the length variable ranges from 0 to 255.
CONTROL, the control byte, is defined as:
Data packet--0.times.H Data packet with sequence number x, and
Control packet-- 8.times.H Acknowledge all previous packets, and 9.times.H
Reject previous packet numbered x where x is a 3 bit value in the range of
0-7 that numbers each packet, and is incremented on each new
(non-repeated) data packet.
HEADER CKSUM is defined as the 2's complement of the arithmetic 8 bit sum
without carry of SOH, LENGTH, and the CONTROL byte.
DATA is an optional field depending on LENGTH of up to 255 bytes.
CRC 16 is the 16 bit (2 bytes) of known cyclic redundancy check CRC
computed over the DATA FIELD only and transmitted low byte followed by
high byte. CRC is not sent if LENGTH=0.
EOT is the end of packet character of 04H.
The data field of each packet contains 8 bit ASCII data codes. Upper and
lower case alpha-numeric codes can be displayed at terminal 1. Codes
greater than 7FH and less than 20H are reserved for control codes. The
character codes and fonts are selected from well known codes and fonts for
efficiency and readability.
The following control codes CONTROL are accepted:
BEL (07H) Sound tone (or bell) for 0.5 sec, long BEL.
BS (08H) Backspace cursor, does not erase existing character.
HT (09H) Sound tone (or bell) for 0.2 seconds, short BEL.
FF (OCH) Form feed erases screen and resets display to top line.
CR (ODH) Carriage return performs auto line feed, then resets the cursor to
the left-most column.
SO (OEH) Disables encryption both ways, host to terminal or terminal to
host. This is the default state.
SI (OFH) Enables encryption of all data in packets transmitted to the host.
Default is encryption disabled.
DLE (10H) Enter hidden string mode; displays `*` for each number entered by
the user at the next prompt only. Resets after the prompt is completed.
DC1 (11H) Enter exact string length mode; user must fill all displayed
`.sub.-- ` prompt characters before ENTER is accepted at the next prompt
only. Resets after the prompt is completed.
DC2 (12H) Enable encryption of data from host to terminal starting with the
next data packet.
EM (19H) Instructs terminal to not display the current row position on the
top line of the display, always displays on the bottom line of the
display. Used to link two lines together for two line scrolling.
SUB (1AH) Resets the terminal to the same state as power-on. This command
will disconnect the terminal from the phone line. May be used as an exit
from the banking mode of operation.
FS (1CH) Select display page A. (default)
GS (1DH) Select display page B.
RS (1EH) Select cursor page A. (default)
US (1FH) Select cursor page B.
P# (8.times.H) Prompts user for numeric string input, maximum length of x+1
characters, terminated by the ENTER key. This code instructs the terminal
to display x+1 underline characters, where x is a four bit value in the
range of 0 to 15.
P$ (9.times.H) Prompts user for a dollar amount input, maximum length of
x+1 characters, terminated by ENTER key. This code instructs terminal to
display x+1 underline characters as `$.sub.--------..sub.-- `, where x is
a four bit value in the range of 0 to 15.
PM (A.times.H) Prompts user for a single menu selection input with a number
between and including 0 to x, where x is a value between 1 and 9. The
exception of x=0 is an invisible prompt for the ENTER key to be pressed
without any numeric entry.
P/(BOH) Prompts user for a date entry of 6 numbers. The terminal displays
`.sub.-- /.sub.-- /.sub.-- ` expecting either five or six numbers
terminated with the ENTER key.
ROW (C.times.H) Loads the screen row address to x, where 0 is the top line
of the display and x is a row number between 0 and 15.
COL (D.times.H) Loads screen column address to x, where 0 is the left-most
character position and x is a character number between 0 and 15.
DSP (E.times.H) Terminal displays from line number x, where x is between 0
and 15.
MEM (F.times.H) Save/Recall strings in/from terminal control memory.
F7H Recalls the terminal phone number storage.
F6H Recalls Host specified 16 character string.
FFH Saves the following 16 bytes of packet data in phone number memory
locations.
FEH Saves the following 16 bytes of packet data in a host specified 16
character string storage.
The terminal keyboard entered data returned from user prompts is ASCII
coded and placed in a data packet as previously defined in the
above-described COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL.
Examples of data from each type of prompt follows:
______________________________________
P# (string prompt)
`12345678`
P$ (dollar prompt)
`1234567` to be interpreted
by the
host as `12345.67`
PM (menu choice prompt)
`1`
P/ (date prompt) `120387` to be interpreted
by the
host as `12/03/87`
______________________________________
MENU returns a data byte to the host of 09H in a banking mode of operation,
BKUP returns a data byte to the host of OBH in a banking mode of operation,
BKSP is not returned as described above and is used locally for keyboard
entry editing,
ENTER terminates the prompt and does not generate any return data.
While at a user prompt during the banking mode, a pressing of the MENU or
BKUP keys will cause the terminal to ignore any data entered at the prompt
and keys will transmit the code for MENU or BKUP to the host in the data
field of a packet with LENGTH=1. While at a menu prompt (PM, A.times.H),
pressing ENTER without any numeric entry will return a packet with CR
(ODH) in the data field. Upon completion of a prompt, the next character
transmitted from the host to the terminal will be displayed in the first
character position to the right of the prompt.
In accordance with the above-described communications protocol, all packets
received by the terminal with a good CRC check will force an
acknowledgement packet to be transmitted to the host containing no data
field, i.e., having a length byte of 0 and the control byte indicating
acknowledgement. On the other hand, if the received data's CRC check
fails, a packet will be transmitted to the host with the control byte
indicating a packet rejection. If the host receives neither an
acknow | | |
