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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas overlying at least one
portion of at least some of the graphics which may be selected for display
of assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a corresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling searching
through the hierarchical organization for an assembly, subassembly, or
part needed for maintenance purposes wherein said means for controlling
responds to said means for selecting text to identify selected text; and
means for graphically indicating on said second monitor screen the
assembly, subassembly, or part corresponding to the selected text.
2. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for
graphically indicating includes:
means for linking the stored coordinate data with the selected text
corresponding to an assembly, subassembly, or part and generating, for the
selected text, an indicator line enclosing and identifying the assembly,
subassembly, or part on said second monitor screen corresponding to the
selected text.
3. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 2 wherein the indicator line
is a rectangle.
4. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 1 including means for
highlighting the selected text on said first monitor screen.
5. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 1 including means for storing
text information and graphics concerning assembly of a product and means
for detecting a selection of text information and graphics concerning
assembly of a product made by said means for selecting and for retrieving
from said means for storing information text information concerning
assembly of a product and graphics for display on said first and second
monitor screens, respectively.
6. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for
storing a plurality of graphics is a laser videodisc.
7. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 6 wherein said laser videodisc
includes frame numbers defining the locations of the graphics on said
laser videodisc and wherein said means for linking employs the frame
numbers for linking graphics and text files.
8. An Ems work station as set forth in claim 1 including means for entering
a known part identification number to display corresponding text file and
graphic.
9. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas overlying at least one
portion of at least some of the graphics which may be selected for display
of assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a corresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling searching
through the hierarchical organization for an assembly, subassembly, or
part needed for maintenance purposes wherein said means for controlling
responds to said means for selecting text to identify selected text;
means for graphically indicating on said second monitor screen the
assembly, subassembly, or part corresponding to the selected text;
means for placing orders to purchase an assembly, subassembly, or part
identified by a user from at least one of said screens; and
means for selecting said means for placing orders wherein said means for
displaying displays on said first monitor screen the predetermined data
associated with the identified assembly, subassembly, or part.
10. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 9 including central computer
means and means for transmitting to said central computer means entries
made through said means for placing order to purchase.
11. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas overlying at least one
portion of at least some of the graphics which may be selected for display
of assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a corresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling the
product structure to be searched through the hierarchical organization for
an assembly, subassembly, or part needed for maintenance purposes;
means for placing orders to purchase an assembly, subassembly, or part
identified by a user from at least one of said screens;
means for selecting said means for placing orders wherein said means for
displaying displays on said first monitor screen the predetermined data
associated with the identified assembly, subassembly, or part;
second selection means for selecting from said means for placing orders a
purchase order sequence and a request for quotation sequence for
displaying price information for ordering and for quoting the price of the
identified assembly, subassembly, or part, respectively; and
means for recording selections of price information for ordering and
quoting, for keeping a history of work station access to price
information.
12. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for
displaying on said first monitor screen the predetermined data includes
means for displaying predetermined logistic support information.
13. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 12 wherein the logistic
support information includes failure rate data and confidence level data
for spare availability relative to the number of spares on hand.
14. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 11 including third selection
means for displaying a selected one of user and supplier inventory
information.
15. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas overlying at least one
portion of at least some of the graphics which may be selected for display
of assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a corresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling searching
through the hierarchical organization for an assembly, subassembly, or
part needed for maintenance purposes;
means for placing orders for an assembly, subassembly, or part identified
by a user from at least one of said screens;
means for selecting said means for placing orders wherein said means for
displaying displays on said first monitor screen the predetermined data
associated with the identified assembly, subassembly, or part;
second selection means for selecting from said means for placing orders a
purchase order sequence and a request for quotation sequence for
displaying price information for ordering and for quoting the price of the
identified assembly, subassembly, or part, respectively; and
means for generating price information on the basis of an ordered or
quote-requested quantity, said price information including the price
resulting from the ordered or quote-requested quantity and the price of a
larger or smaller quantity resulting in a different price per unit of the
identified assembly, subassembly, or part.
16. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas overlying at least one
portion of at least some of the graphics which may be selected for display
of assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a corresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling the
product structure to be searched through the hierarchical organization for
an assembly, subassembly, or part needed for maintenance purposes;
means for placing orders to purchase an assembly, subassembly, or part
identified by a user from at least one of said screens;
means for selecting said means for placing orders wherein said means for
displaying displays on said first monitor screen the predetermined data
associated with the identified assembly, subassembly, or part;
second selection means for selecting from said means for placing orders a
purchase order sequence and a request for quotation sequence for
displaying price information for ordering and for quoting the price of the
identified assembly, subassembly, or part, respectively; and
means for enabling said second means for selecting when the text
information is displayed on said first monitor screen.
17. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 16 wherein said second means
for selecting includes a purchase order text screen and a request for
quote text screen, both text screens being displayed on said first monitor
screen.
18. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 16 including means for
prompting the user to enter selected item numbers, a purchase order
number, and a quantity to be ordered when a purchase order sequence is
selected.
19. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 16 including means for
prompting the user to enter a request for quotation number, an item
number, and a quantity required when the request for quote sequence is
selected.
20. An EMS work station as set forth in claim 18 wherein said means for
prompting prompts the user to update a user stock number if any change has
occurred.
21. An electronic maintenance support (EMS) work station comprising:
a first monitor screen for displaying text information related to a product
having a plurality of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies;
a second monitor screen for displaying graphic illustrations of the
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts of the product;
means for storing a plurality of text files, each text file containing
predetermined data associated with an assembly, subassembly, or part of
the product, the text files being arranged in an hierarchical organization
of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies of the product;
means for storing a plurality of graphics, each graphic containing an
illustration of an assembly, subassembly, or part within the hierarchical
organization;
means for storing coordinate data defining areas of such size and location
to enclose and overlie at least one of a graphic illustration of an
assembly, subassembly, or part which may be selected for displaying
assemblies, subassemblies, and parts in the hierarchical organization;
means for linking each text file with a coresponding graphic;
means for selecting text files relative to said first monitor screen;
means for selecting one of the areas overlying a portion of a graphic
relative to said second monitor screen for displaying a different graphic
in the hierarchical organization;
means for detecting each of the text files or areas of the graphics
selected by said means for selecting and for controlling said means for
storing to retrieve each of the selected text files or graphics and the
graphic or text file linked to each of the selected text files or
graphics, respectively, by said means for linking;
means for displaying on said screens each of the text files or graphics
selected by said means for selecting and the graphic or text file linked
to each of the selected text files or graphics, thereby enabling searching
through the hierarchical organization for an assembly, subassembly, or
part needed for maintenance purposes wherein said means for controlling
responds to said means for selecting text to identify selected text; and
means for graphically indicating on said second monitor screen the
assembly, subassembly, or part corresponding to the selected text. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic maintenance support (EMS)
technology and more particularly to computerized work stations employed at
customer, distributor or manufacturer locations to provide electronic
support for the maintenance and repair of manufactured products or
systems.
With increasing application of digital and electronic technology to
electronic product maintenance support, better management of product use
can be achieved through higher product/system availability, more economic
and more efficient control over product/system maintenance and repairs,
and more highly informed maintenance/repair decision making.
In an article entitled "Ordering Parts Via Video-disc and Computer" in the
June 1984, issue of EITV magazine, there is described a parts ordering
system that forms a basic element of an electronic product maintenance
support system. As described there, that system employs a screen that
displays text information and a second screen that displays graphic
illustrations of the assemblies, subassemblies and components of a system
or product supplied by a manufacturer to a user. The product, for example,
may be a power plant turbine supplied to an electric utility company, it
may be a transit car supplied to a public transit authority, or it may be
an automobile supplied to an end user.
The general idea applied in the EMS work station is that product parts
information normally made available by the manufacturer in a paper
catalog, is made available through electronic displays such so that the
information is more accessible and more usefully presented. The graphic
screen is operated to show the product configuration in hierarchical order
from the general to the most detailed level. Through coordinated control,
the text screen always shows text material related to the particular
product parts or assemblies shown on the graphic screen.
A laser disk is employed as the storage medium for the product graphics. A
programmed computer system controls the laser disc and data memories to
display graphic and text information on the two screens according to the
level of product information selected for display. Typically, the work
station operator may scroll through the product graphics and text in
hierarchical order as a search is made for the part or parts that may be
needed for a repair or for a scheduled maintenance. Once the part or parts
are identified, an order can be entered and submitted through a
communication link with the supplier's purchasing office.
To enhance EMS work stations like the integrated parts maintenance station
described in the EITV article, the data structures and the programming
used with the data structures in the operation of the work station may be
improved to provide better functionality from which maintenance and repair
decisions can be made by the user. Better functionality can be achieved
through better organization of data structures and through better
programmed coordination and sequencing and/or control of work station
hardware and the work station data base.
Thus, it is desirable that text and graphic displays be structured,
sequenced and interrelated to facilitate better parts identification and
better parts procurement operations and generally to facilitate better
management decision making. The present invention is accordingly directed
to achieving improvements in EMS work stations to realize these ends.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An EMS work station includes a first display screen for displaying text
information related to various assemblies, subassemblies and parts of a
product serviced by the station. A second display screen displays graphic
illustrations of the product assemblies, subassemblies and parts. Means
are provided for storing a plurality of text files with each text file
containing predetermined, i.e., statics data associated with a product
assembly, subassembly or part at a particular level of an hierarchical
organization of the product structure. Means are also provided for storing
a plurality of graphics with each graphic containing an illustration of a
product assembly, subassembly or part at a particular level of the
hierarchical organization of the product structure. Each text file is
linked with a corresponding graphic. User selections are made relative to
the text screen or the graphic screen. Means are provided for detecting
called text files or graphics and for controlling the storing means to
retrieve the called text files or graphics and its linked counterpart. The
text file and graphic accessed under call are displayed. The file and
graphics controlling means respond to the graphic selection means to
sequence through the product hierarchy as part selections are made from
the graphic screen, thereby enabling the product structure to be searched
for an assembly, subassembly or part needed for maintenance purposes. The
file and graphics controlling means respond to the text selection means to
identify a text field item selection. Means are provided for graphically
indicating on the graphic screen the assembly, subassembly or part
corresponding to the identified text field item.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A shows a functional block diagram of an electronic maintenance
support (EMS) work station arranged in accordance with the principles of
the invention;
FIG. 1B shows a hardware block diagram for the EMS work station;
FIGS. 2A-2C show flow diagrams for programming employed in operating the
EMS work station of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3A-3F show an illustrative hierarchical set of graphics which show a
transit car structure from the most general level to the lowest and most
detailed level.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
More particularly, there is shown in FIG. 1A an EMS work station 10 having
a plurality of screens, in this case text screen 12 and a graphics screen
14. The work station 10 is generally operable to provide assistance to the
user of a product in managing the use and maintenance of that product. To
this end, a computer based interactive video disk system is employed to
display graphics, i.e., up to three-dimensional images as in FIGS. 3C, 3D,
and 3E, of the serviced product on the screen 14 while displaying on the
screen 12 text information respectively pertaining to the displayed
graphic.
The new functionality described herein is specifically applied to the two
screens 12 and 14. However, with the use of windowing or other screen
sharing techniques, the new functionality of the present invention can be
applied to a single screen perhaps with some loss of visual facility for
the user. Therefore, when reference is made herein to two (or more)
screens with respect to application of the invention, it is meant to refer
to either one screen or a plurality of screens.
In FIGS. 3A-3B there is shown a tree diagram that illustrates the
hierarchical organization of the assemblies, subassemblies and parts for a
transit car. The illustrated portion of the tree diagram represents a
narrowing and broadening a knife switch assembly depending on the
direction of movement within the tree.
In FIGS. 3C-3F there is shown an exemplary hierarchical sequence of
graphics associated with a knife switch assembly. These graphics are
representative of a set of graphics that is resident on a laser video disk
15 for retrieval by a laser disk drive and control 16. The blade assembly
is the lowest level of the hierarchy. The box assembly and the base
assembly are different assemblies at the same level. See the text for
knife switch assembly in the Appendix. In the Appendix, text data in the
text files for the top car level and the knife switch, base, and blade
assemblies are set forth, and they are representative of a total set of
text files tied to the total set of graphics files and placed in a text
file storage 18 in the EMS work station 10. Generally, each text file
includes target coordinates, branching information, abbreviated part
descriptive information and additional fields for additional data
pointers. In addition, photographs of actual screen displayed graphics are
included in the Appendix and they include a hierarchy from a top level car
perspective to a bottom level exploded knife switch perspective.
Conventional computer controllable monitors having quality resolution may
be employed as the screens 12 and 14. For example, Sony high resolution
monitors may be employed.
The laser video disk 15 stores a large volume of graphic information.
Generally, the graphic illustrations for the various levels of the product
structure are appropriately prepared for recording on the laser disk. Each
graphic is stored at a particular frame, i.e., file, location on the disk.
Frame, i.e., file, indexing to the graphics thus provides the basis for
system access to particular graphics to be displayed on the graphics
screen 14. A similar process is employed for storing video sequences
employed in the job aids subsystem 30.
As shown in FIG. 1B, work station operation is controlled by one or more
digital computers 24 (preferably one, such as a conventional IBM PC or
AT). The computer 24 is programmed to perform various functions shown in
FIG. 1 and to interface with other hardware in controlling the operation
of the EMS work station. The computer 24 accordingly interfaces with
operator controls including an alphanumeric input device such as a
keyboard 20 or a bar code reader (not shown), the graphics screen 14
through video/graphics hardware 22, the text screen through the video
display interface hardware 22 which in some cases may be conventional or
in other cases may be modified as indicated in the patent application
identified below, a central computer 26 (FIG. 1A) for communications,
order entry, and the order entry functions described below, and input
selector devices such as interfacing employed for screen pad selectors,
interfacing for a mouse selector, etc. according to the particular
selector scheme employed in the work station.
One of the basic functions of the EMS work station is the identification of
needed parts. Generally, if the part number is known, the user may enter
the supplier's part number or the customer's stock number through the
keyboard 20 and the work station 10 displays text and graphic information
on the screens 12 and 14 pertaining to the known part or subassembly.
If the part number is not known, the user can use a select device 30 such
as a light pen, an electronic mouse or a touch screen to page through the
hierarchically organized graphics for the product from the top level
assembly downward until the needed part is identified.
With reference again to FIG. 1A, another basic function of the EMS work
station 10 can be used once a desired part or subassembly has been
identified by the user. Thus, a parts procurement subsystem 28 can be
employed to write an order for the part in the user's work station
computer 24 and transmit it to the central computer 26. The procurement
subsystem provides data structured in a highly useful and efficient format
and sequence to facilitate management and maintenance decision making.
Preferably, point-of-purchase (POP) marketing considerations are employed
in the structuring and sequencing of the data.
Another basic feature of the EMS work station 10 enables assembly job aids
to be provided to the user with appropriate access and sequencing.
Accordingly, an assembly job aids subsystem 30 employs text displays on
the screen 12 and audio and graphic displays or video sequences on the
graphics screen 14 to provide step-by-step instructions on maintenance and
repair, training and/or quality assurance and control procedures.
OPERATION OF THE EMS WORK STATION
The EMS work station 10 is operated and controlled by the computer 24 under
the direction of programming illustrated by flow charts in FIGS. 2A-2C.
Once the system is energized, the user enters the system by selecting in
block 50 the mode of search to be employed for a part or subassembly.
If direct entry is chosen as indicated by block 52, the keyboard 20 (FIG.
1A) is used to enter the supplier's part number or customer's stock number
as indicated by blocks 54 and 56. A routine in the graphics/keyboard
monitor program 32 (FIG. 1A) then searches the part files 37 for the
entered part number as indicated by block 58. If a customer stock number
has been entered, cross indexing is first used to identify the part
number.
Once the part record is found for the entered part number, i.e., file, a
frame number for a corresponding graphic is obtained from the part record
and the part record data is displayed on the text screen 12 and the
graphic is displayed on the graphics screen 14. The video disk drive and
control 16 (FIG. 1A) is operated to find the identified disk frame on the
laser video disk 15 and retrieve the graphic for display on the graphics
screen 14 through the interface hardware 22 and graphics display 23. Part
record data is displayed on the text screen 12 through display text block
33.
The graphics monitor program 32 which displays the part file and the parts
procurement subsystem 28 is placed in operation. Further detail on the
part detail files and parts procurement will be presented subsequently
herein.
When a standard search has been selected by the user as indicated by block
64 in FIG. 2A, the system generally operates under user control to scroll
through the hierarchical data structure for the various assemblies,
subassemblies and parts until the number for the needed part(s) is
identified by the user. Generally, scrolling through the hierarchical data
results in assembly explosion or breakdown as the search is narrowed to
the particular subassembly or part that is needed.
Hierarchical branching is achieved by pointing at the graphic screen 14
with the select device 30 to select an area of a displayed graphic to be
enlarged, i.e., exploded as successively indicated in FIGS. 3D to 3F,
through call-up of the next lower level graphic for that area. Operation
of the select device 30 results in generation of an interrupt as indicated
by block 66 and the monitor program 32 (FIG. 1A), including its graphics
screen sequence 70, is executed in response to this input.
If the text screen 12 is activated by the selector 39, an interrupt is
generated and a text screen sequence 68 of programmed steps is executed to
highlight the activated text and to identify the highlighted text item on
the graphics screen 14.
Reference is made to a copending patent application, Ser. No. 06/906,801,
now U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,068 entitled "Multiple Display System", and filed
by S. Matheny and G. Orwig, for disclosure of an intelligent light pen
usable with appropriate software to function both as a text selector on
the screen 12 and as a selector on the screen 14. Other light pens and
other input/output devices such as an electronic mouse or touch pads can
be employed in implementing the invention.
In the text screen sequence 68, a text field, and in this case a text line,
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