US006650317B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,650,317 B1 Boone et al. (45) Date of Patent: Nov. 18,2003 (54) VARIABLE FUNCTION PROGRAMMED (56) References Cited CALCULATOR U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Gary W Boone, Houston, TX (US); 2,918,669 A 12/1959 Klein Michael J Cochran, Houston, TX (US) 2,989,729 A 6/1961 Schafer .................... .. 340/147 (73) Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated, (List continued on next page.) Dallas, TX (US) ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS patent is extended or adjusted under 35 DE 1549395 5/1967 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. DE 1255174 11/1967 (21) Appl. N0.: 08/369,572 (List continued on next page.) (22) Filed: Jan. 5, 1995 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Related US. Application Data “Computers and Computing—Past, Present and Future, IEEE Spectrum, Jan. 1968. (63) Continuation of application No. 08/034,634, ?led on Mar. 22, 1993, now abandoned, which is a continuation of appli (List continued on next page.) cation No. 07/846,962, ?led on Mar. 6, 1992, now aban doned, which is a continuation of application No. 07/537, Primary Examiner—Amare Mengistu 214, ?led on Jun. 11, 1990, now abandoned, which is a (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Lawrence J. Bassuk; W. continuation of application No. 07/373,111, ?led on Jun. 28, James Brady; Frederick J. Telecky, Jr. 1989, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. 07/097,480, ?led on Sep. 15, 1987, now abandoned, (57) ABSTRACT which is a division of application No. 06/915,857, ?led on A variable function calculator utilizes a ?xed program Oct. 6, 1986, now abandoned, which is a continuation of memory array such as a programmed read only memory in application No. 06/750,647, ?led on Jun. 28, 1985, now which a number of programs are stored depending upon the abandoned, which is a continuation of application No. desired functions of the calculator. The calculator also 06/604,404, ?led on Apr. 27, 1984, now abandoned, which includes a program counter, an instruction register, control is a continuation of application No. 06/002,815, ?led on Jan. decoders, jump-condition circuits, a clock generator, a tim 12, 1979, now abandoned, which is a division of application ing generator, digit and FLAG mask decoders, key input No. 05/856,932, ?led on Dec. 2, 1977, now Pat. No. 4,242, logic, a register and FLAG data storage array, a decimal and 675, which is a continuation of application No. 05/420,999, FLAG arithmetic logic unit, an output decoder, and a digit ?led on Dec. 3, 1973, now abandoned, which is a continu scanner which scans both the keyboard and display outputs. ation of application No. 05/163,565, ?led on Jul. 19, 1971, Aside from providing basic desk top calculator functions, now abandoned. the read only memory may be programmed so that the (51) Int. Cl.7 ................................................ .. G09G 5/00 system provides metering functions, arithmetic teaching (52) us. Cl. ....................... .. 345/168; 341/26; 708/100; functions, control functions, etc.. Apreferred embodiment of 708/190 the invention is capable of being fabricated as a monolithic (58) Field of Search ............................ .. 341/22, 26, 23, integrated semiconductor system utilizing contemporary 341/24; 178/17, 18; 84/684, 682, 617, 655, metal-insulator-semiconductor techniques. 656; 364/709.16, 706, 927; 365/189.07; 395/144; 345/168, 169, 172; 708/100, 190 91 Claims, 54 Drawing Sheets US 6,650,317 B1 Page 2 US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 3,641,501 A 2/1972 Lloyd et a1. ........... .. 340/172.5 3,641,511 A 2/1972 Cricchi et a1. ........ .. 340/173 R 3,028,659 A 4/1962 Chow 3,646,522 A 2/1972 Furman et a1. ........ .. 340/172.5 3,036,773 A 5/1962 Brown ..................... .. 235/157 3,648,246 A 3/1972 Zurla __________ u ' 34O/172'5 3,094,610 A 6/1963 Humphrey et a1. 235/157 3,651,484 A 3/1972 Smeallie __ _ 364/200 3,210,733 A 10/1965 TerZian et a1. .. 340/172.5 3,657,529 A 4/1972 Hamano ______ u 235/159 3,231,725 A 1/1966 Davis et a1. .............. .. 235/153 3,657,706 A 4/1972 Horgan et aL _ 34O/172'5 3,248,711 A 4/1966 LeWin 3,659,275 A 4/1972 Marshall ...... .. 340/1725 X 3,263,219 A 7/1966 Brun et a1. ............ .. 340/172.5 3,662,346 A 5/1972 Tada ________ u 34O/172'5 3,266,0233,286,239 A 11/19668/1966 WCIIICThompson ........... et a1- .. -- 340/172-5 3,668,6533,671,727 A 6/19'726/1972 FairRhoades et a1 .. 235/151.11 3,309,672 A 3/1967 Brun et a1 -- 340/172-5 3,673,576 A 6/1972 Donaldson, Jr. .. 340/172.5 3,309,679 A 3/1967 Weisbecker ---- -- -- 340/172-5 3,673,577 A 6/1972 Edstrom et a1. .. 340/172.5 3,315,235 A 4/1967 Carnevale et a1. ..... .. 340/172.5 3,675,213 A 7/1972 spangler _________ u ' 34O/172'5 3,332,071 A 7/1967 Goldman et @1- 3,676,656 A 7/1972 Schmidt ...... .. 364/900 X 3,368,205 A 2/1968 Hunter et a1. ....... .. 340/172.5 3,680,054 A 7/1972 Bunker et aL _ 34O/172'5 3,370,276 A 2/1968 $011611, JI -~ 340/172-5 3,681,755 A 8/1972 Stone et a1. 340/172.5 3,400,259 A 9/1968 MaCZO . .. 235/156 3,681,757 A 8/1972 Allen et aL ' 34O/172'5 3,415,981 A 12/1968 Smith et a1 - 340/172-5 X 3,683,371 A 8/1972 Holtz ....................... .. 340/365 3,416,139 A 12/1968 MarX . .. 340/172.5 3,686,637 A 8/1972 Zachar et aL 3,427,445 A 2/1969 Bailey - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- 235/175 3,702,988 A 11/1972 Haney et a1. .......... .. 340/172.5 3,430,209 A 2/1969 GOShOIIl et a1. .. 3,704,454 A 11/1972 MCCOy et a1' _ n 340/173 SP 3,440,618 A 4/1969 Chinlund ------- -- -- 340/172-5 3,710,326 A 1/1973 NeZu et a1. ..... .. 340/172.5 3,454,310 A 7/1969 Wilhelm, JI ~~~~ -- 238/92 3,715,416 A 2/1973 Campbell et a1. ....... .. 264/39 3,460,094 A 8/1969 Pryor --------- -- -- 340/172-5 3,715,746 A * 2/1973 Hatano ........... .. 340/711 X 3461434 A 8/1969 Barton 91 a1~ - -- 340/172-5 3,717,871 A 2/1973 Hatano et a1. 340/365 E 3462742 A 8/1969 Miller et a1- -- 340/172-5 3,720,820 A 3/1973 Cochran ...... .. 340/172.5 3,470,540 A 9/1969 Levy .......... .. .. 340/172.5 3,725,873 A 4/1973 Hare _____ u 34O/172'5 3,473,160 A 10/1969 Wahlstrom . .. 340/1725 3,728,710 A 4/1973 Berg _ 340/172'5 X 3,492,656 A * 1/1970 Volker . .. 340/711 3,733,588 A 5/1973 Conn 34O/172'5 3,493,936 A 2/1970 Gunderson et a1. .... .. 340/172.5 3745536 A * 7/1973 Klehm ________ __ __ 341/26 X 3,517,171 A 6/1970 AviZienis ....... .. 340/172.5 X 3,753,007 A * 8/1973 Viswanathan __ __ 341/24X 3,535,683 A 10/1970 Woods et a1~ - -- 340/172-5 3,757,306 A 9/1973 Boone ......... .. 340/172.5 3,548,172 A 12/1970 Centner et al. 235/151.11 3,757,308 A 9/1973 Fosdick ' 340/1725 3,548,382 A 12/1970 Lichty et a1. .......... .. 340/172.5 3,760,370 A 9/1973 Cochran _ 34O/172'5 3,555,519 A 1/1971 Nercessian ............. .. 340/172.5 3760375 A 9/1973 Irwin et aL 340/172_5 3,560,933 A 2/1971 Schwartz .... .. .. 340/172.5 3,761,918 A 9/1973 Hatano et aL _ 340665 E 3,560,940 A 2/1971 Gaenssien ................. .. 340/173 3,800,129 A 3/1974 Umstattd _____ u 235/156 3,562,714 A 2/1971 Miller et a1. ........... .. 340/1725 3,859,635 A 1/1975 Watson et aL _ _ 34O/172'5 3,566,097 A 2/1971 Hildebrandt - 235/159 3,951,028 A * 4/1976 Robinson ................ .. 84/682X 3,566,153 A 2/1971 Spencer -------------------- -- 307/205 3,976,975 A 8/1976 Cochran ................ .. 340/172.5 3,566,357 A 2/1971 Ling ..................... .. 340/172.5 4,001,566 A 1/1977 Stevenson _ 235/159 3566358 A 2/1971 Hasbrouck - -- 340/172-5 4,014,013 A 3/1977 McElroy ................... .. 340/336 3571581 A 3/1971 K9115 9t a1~ --------------- -- 235/153 4,016,540 A 4/1977 Hyatt .................... .. 340/172.5 3,573,741 A 4/1971 Gavril ................... .. 340/172.5 4,037,094 A 7/1977 Vandierendonck _ 235/175 3576984 A 5/1971 Gregg, Jr- - - - - - - - - -- 235/176 4,037,202 A 7/1977 TerZian ..................... .. 364/200 3,579,192 A 5/1971 Rasche 9t a1~ --------- -- 340/172-5 4,074,351 A 2/1978 Boone et a1. ............. .. 364/200 3,579,201 A Langley .................... .. 364/200 4,087,855 A Bennet et a1' ~~~~~ __ 364/20O 3,582,902 A 6/1971 Hirtle 9t a1~ -- 340/172-5 4,152,769 A 5/1979 Olander, Jr. et a1. ...... .. 364/709 3584207 A 6/1971 Huddinge 9t 91- -------- -- 235/175 4,152,771 A 5/1979 Olander, Jr.