DE3436113C2 - - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an input device in the upper Concept of the claim described, from DE-OS 30 30 246 known art.

With different types of electronic devices, which contain a microcomputer, it is desired that the types of input keys to use to a minimum Number are limited. This requires an input button has several input functions, which are suitable be changed during input operation. Here, however, arise Restrictions on characters such as japani  "Kana" characters, Chinese characters or Like. With the help of a small number of input keys should be given. Especially when the frequency of Character input is relatively small or if the one given characters are relatively small in number, is the effort of a large number of input keys and cumbersome input operations undesirable.

DE-OS 26 07 274 is an input device for the Input of character data into an electronic device known where the provided 32 characters in their entirety a display unit are shown. Every sign is assigned a light emitting diode, which acts as a position transmitter serves. Only a setting serves as the input keyboard rocker and a release button. By repeatedly pressing the The rocker switch can have an up-down counter on each of its 32 possible states and thus each of the 32 lights diodes can be controlled selectively. Since every light emitting diode assigned to the specific state of the up-down counter is, the counter content is characteristic of that of the ever characters assigned to the activated light-emitting diode; d. H. the The output signal of the counter thus represents these characters in coded form for further processing. The input keyboard consists of only two elements, however all the characters to be used on the Display device are shown. In addition, for the  Choosing the character takes a lot of time because the Aus dialing in serial form.

From the aforementioned DE-OS 30 30 246 is still one Input device for the input of character data in a known electronic device, in which the total of 27 Characters can be divided into three groups of 9 characters each. The display unit has three fields for 3 characters each, which are each assigned a dialing organ. In the exit to the display unit, the first and the last character of each group, d. H. the limits of ever because of the group. As a result, one can easily Errors occur due to the fact that a to be entered, not directly displayed character is assigned to an incorrect group, so that the subsequent selection steps fail. Except a mental mapping process is required is time consuming.

The invention has for its object the input device device of the type mentioned above or so on form that input errors when entering various Characters using a small number of Input keys can be kept extremely low.

This task is characterized by the characteristics of the Claim resolved.  

In the invention, a number of groups of characters, to be entered in a character genera saved. This receives address assignments and gives a corresponding character to the address in Sequence as a pattern signal. In the invention can different types of characters, numbers, symbols and the like. easily using a small number of inputs buttons can be entered. The invention is therefore applicable even with small electronic devices with a small one Number of entry keys. Because a typed character Chen is played on a playback device and under Entered using a cursor (position indicator), are input errors compared to conventional input ver drive extremely low using the ASCII code.  

The invention is described below with reference to the drawing explained in more detail. It shows

Fig. 1 is an overview block diagram of an embodiment of an input device;

Fig. 2 is a detailed block diagram for an exporting approximately example of an input device;

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation for the arrangement of character groups in a memory and

Fig. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the exemplary embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a number of groups of characters to be entered are completely stored in a character generator 1 . This receives address assignments and generates a pattern signal for a corresponding character depending on the address assignment in succession. A group assignment device 2 optionally assigns an address to a character group belonging to a larger number of character groups in a batch process. The character group, which is addressed by the group assignment device 2 , is successively read by the character generator 1 . The pattern signal thereof is reproduced visually on a reproduction device 3 . The address of this group of characters is temporarily stored in a group address memory 4 . Since the characters belonging to an assigned character group are arranged and displayed on the playback device 3 , an operator can move a cursor along the characters using a character input means 5 and select a specific character whose address is passed to a cursor address memory 6 becomes. The address entered in the cursor addresses memory 6 is the address of the cursor on the playback device 3 . An address processing device 7 reads both the address of the cursor and the address of the character group in the group address memory 4 . The address processing device 7 determines the address of the character entered into the character generator 1 by the character input means 5 and stores the character address in an address memory 8 . The operator performs the above operation repeatedly, and in this way, a desired character is input and, if necessary, the character data stored in the address memory 8 can be read and reproduced on the reproducing apparatus 3 or transmitted by other means.

The embodiment will be explained in detail. In FIG. 2 is a keyboard 11 having a RS-button for a start or stop command when the character data input, a GN key for the allocation of a subsequent group, a GR-key for the allocation of a preceding group of characters, a CN- Key for guiding the cursor to the right by one step, a CR key for guiding the cursor to the left, an LD key for entering characters, an LA key for character correction and an LD key for Character data display equipped. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the characters that can be input into the device exist in 160 ways, including the spaces. Each character is addressed and stored in memory, as will be explained. The characters are classified in groups G 1 to G 20 . Each group contains eight characters. The address of each character is determined by the address assigned to each group and the address indicating the character arrangement in each group. The character groups are stored in a character generator 12 . The character generator 12 generates a pattern signal for the character, which corresponds to the address assignment coming from the keyboard 11 . A central processing unit (CPU) 13 contains an arithmetic unit 14 . The CPU is connected to a peripheral device via an address bus, a data bus and an R / W signal line. A read only memory (ROM) 15 stores the control program of the device.

A direct access memory (RAM) 16 is used as the data memory of the CPU. A group register 17 stores the address of the group of characters. A cursor register 18 stores the address of the cur sensor present on a playback device 19 , as will be described below. The group register 17 is counted with the help of the RS key, the GN key and the GR key on the keyboard 11 . The cursor register 18 is counted on the keyboard 11 using the RS key, the CN key and the CR key. The output signal of the group register 17 is passed to a coincidence circuit 20 , in which the coincidence of the output signal of the group register 17 and the clock pulses of a clock circuit 21 for specifying the grid number on the reproduction device 19 is determined. If there is coincidence, a cursor display signal 22 is generated. An image repetition memory 23 addresses the connected character generator 12 as a function of the timer pulse of the assigned character. The pattern signal of the character generator 12 is fed to a parallel-serial converter 24 and converted into a serial video signal.

The signal is then forwarded via a mixer 25 to a reproduction device 19 and reproduced there visually. Each address stored in the group register 17 and in the corsor register 18 is read out by the LS key on the keyboard 11 and processed in the arithmetic unit 14 and stored as a character address, which specifies a specific character in the character group, in a character register 26 .

A count register 27 counts the character data number stored in the character register 26 . The LD key is used to read out the character address in the character register 26 and to reproduce this character on the playback device 19 . The LA key is used to delete part of the data of the reproduced character from the character register 26 .

The operation of the device is explained in detail on the basis of the flow diagram shown in FIG. 4.

In step (1), each storage group that was described in the above is reset by an RS key input. The group register 17 and the cursor register 18 are set to "1", and the count register 27 is set to "0". The value (n) in the group register 17 then corresponds to the group (Gn) in FIG. 3.

In step (2), the character column "a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h" , which belongs to the set group (G 1 ), is reproduced on the display device 19 . The cursor then appears at the character "a" due to the content of the cursor register 18 .

In step (3), each time the CN key is pressed, the cursor is moved one step to the right. The cursor moves to the right by one character and 1 is added to the count value of the cursor register 18 .

At step (4), each time the CR key is operated, the cursor is moved one letter to the left, and 1 is subtracted from the value of the cursor register 18 .

In steps (5) and (6), if a desired character is not included in the character column "a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h" on the reproducing device 19 , the GN key becomes or the GR key is pressed to change the group playback. If the GN key is pressed once, the following group of characters (G 2 ) "i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p" is reproduced. The group register 17 is then set to "2". When the GR key is pressed once, the capital letter group (G 20 ) "S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z" is reproduced at the other end of the group display, and the group register 17 is set to "20" .

In step (7), the operator repeats in a more appropriate manner Follow steps (3) through (6). The cursor is then on the desired characters stop and the LD key becomes On given this character.

In step (8), the respective address data are read out from the group register 17 and the cursor register 18 and processed by the arithmetic unit 14 in the CPU 13 .

In step (9), the character address obtained in the data processing in the previous step is set in the character register 26 .

In step (10), the value of 1 is added to the value of the counting register 27 and the method returns to step 2.

The above steps are carried out until the desired character data has been entered. The steps are ended by pressing the RS key in step (11), or the steps are stopped when the count register 27 indicates an impossible input.

Claims (2)

Input device for the input of character data, in particular special characters, with an electronic device

• a character generator ( 1 ) for storing a number of character groups and for generating a pattern signal for a corresponding character as a function of an address assignment,
• a reproduction device ( 3 ) for the visual reproduction of the pattern signal generated by the character generator ( 1 ),
• - Character input means ( 5 ) for entering characters as a selection in a group of characters and reproduced by the playback device ( 3 )
• - an address memory ( 8 ) for storing the addresses determined by an address processing device ( 7 ) and assigned to the character groups or individual characters,

characterized by the combination of features:

• a group assignment device ( 2 ) for addressing a character group to be displayed which belongs to a larger number of character groups,
• - A group address memory ( 4 ) for storing this group address, which was specified by the group allocation device ( 2 ),
• a cursor on the playback device ( 3 ) for entering the characters,
• - A cursor address memory ( 6 ) for storing the cursor address of a character selected during the character input by the character input means ( 5 ) and
• - The address processing device ( 7 ) for processing the respective group address stored in the group address memory ( 4 ) and the respective cursor address stored in the cursor address memory ( 6 ) for determining the address of the character to be entered.