PORTABLE PERSONAL TERMINAL AND SYSTEM FOR HANDLING TRANSACTIONS INCLUDING SUCH TERMINAL

摘要

A user-friendly, pocket-sized personal terminal (12) which may be used for handling a wide variety of financial, shopping, and other transactions. The terminal (12) includes a panel (24), a plurality of discrete switches (30) for entering data when actuated, storing means for storing data and machine instructions, and means for executing said machine instructions, and means for transferring data between the terminal (12) and another data handling device. A plurality of discrete display elements (26-1) are arranged to present user instructions and key information to a user of the terminal (12). The display elements (26-1) and the switches (30) are positioned in overlapping relationship relative to the panel (24). The display elements (26-1) are arranged to present on the panel (24) a variable user instruction format and a variable key format which are dependent on the machine instructions being executed.