JP2000029605A - Reflection keyboard input system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further advance weight reduction, miniaturization, shortening and thinning of a portable terminal. SOLUTION: A virtual keyboard constitution part 1 projects a virtual keyboard. An input key measurement part 2 is provided with a light emitter 21 and a light receiver 22 and measures waiting time required until light emitted from the light emitter 21 is received in the light receiver 22 as reflected light from a finger placed on the virtual keyboard and the incident angle of the reflected light delivered from the light receiver 22. An input key judgement part 3 specifies a key where the finger is placed by comparing the measured waiting time and incident angle with the waiting time and incident angle of the respective keys on the virtual keyboard prepared inside the virtual keyboard constitution part 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a virtual keyboard input method, and more particularly to a reflection keyboard input method utilizing reflection of light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art From the viewpoint of portability as well as performance, a portable terminal has been most emphasized on how to make it lighter, smaller and thinner, so-called lighter, smaller and thinner, in conjunction with advances in parts, materials and architecture. . As a result, keyboards, which are input devices for mobile terminals, have become smaller and thinner.However, if the keyboard is too small, it will affect the operability, such as narrowing the key interval and making it difficult to input. And weight reduction was limited.

As a typical method for solving this problem, for example, there is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-258886 “Data input method”.

In this publication, in order to solve the above problem, a virtual keyboard is displayed on a display screen, and when a key is pressed on the virtual keyboard, a code corresponding to the pressed virtual key is generated. The output method was used.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-2
Although the virtual keyboard input method by 58886 "Data input method" can reduce the physical capacity and weight of the keyboard, the display screen displaying the virtual keyboard is reduced only to the extent that the operability of the virtual keyboard is not affected. Was not possible, and it was a bottleneck for the miniaturization of mobile terminals.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a reflective keyboard input system, a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, a light emitter and a light receiver are provided, and light is emitted from the light emitter. An input key measuring unit for measuring a waiting time required for the received light to be received by the light receiver as reflected light from an object placed on the virtual keyboard and an incident angle of the reflected light passed from the light receiver; By comparing the measured waiting time and the incident angle with the waiting time and the incident angle of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared beforehand in the virtual keyboard component, the key placed on the object is determined. And an input key determining unit for specifying.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the object according to the first aspect is a finger.

[0008] In a third aspect of the present invention, in the virtual keyboard constituting section of the first aspect, the virtual keyboard is configured to project the virtual keyboard on a plane located at a fixed distance and in a predetermined direction from the light emitting device and the light receiving device. It is characterized by.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the reflective keyboard input system, a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, a light emitter and a light receiver corresponding to a row of keys on the virtual keyboard are provided. An input key measuring unit for measuring a waiting time until the light emitted from the device is received by the light receiver as reflected light from an object in a corresponding row placed on the virtual keyboard, and the measured waiting time An input key determining unit for identifying a key on which the object is placed by comparing a time with the waiting time of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the virtual keyboard configuration unit. .

A fifth invention of the present application is characterized in that the object of the fourth invention is a finger.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the virtual keyboard component according to the fourth aspect, the virtual keyboard component is configured to project the virtual keyboard on a plane at a predetermined distance and a predetermined direction from the light emitting device and the light receiving device. It is characterized by.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the reflective keyboard input method, a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, a sound generator and a sound receiver are provided, and the sound generated from the sound generator is used as the virtual sound. An input key measuring unit that measures a waiting time required for the sound receiving device to receive the reflected sound as a reflected sound from an object placed on a keyboard and an incident angle of the reflected sound passed from the sound receiving device; The key placed on the object is identified by comparing the set waiting time and the incident angle with the waiting time and the incident angle of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the virtual keyboard component. An input key determining unit is provided.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the object according to the seventh aspect is a finger.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the virtual keyboard constituting section of the seventh aspect, the virtual keyboard is configured to project the virtual keyboard on a plane at a predetermined distance and a predetermined direction from the sounding device and the sound receiving device. It is characterized by the following.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the reflective keyboard input system, a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, a sounder and a sound receiver corresponding to a row of keys on the virtual keyboard are provided. An input key measuring unit for measuring a waiting time required for the sound emitted from the sounding device to be received by the sound receiver as a reflected sound from a corresponding row of objects placed on the virtual keyboard; An input key determining unit that identifies the key on which the object is placed by comparing the waiting time with the waiting time of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the virtual keyboard configuration unit. Features.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the object according to the tenth aspect is a finger.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the virtual keyboard constituting section of the tenth aspect, the virtual keyboard is configured to project the virtual keyboard on a plane at a predetermined distance and in a predetermined direction from the sounding device and the sound receiving device. It is characterized by the following.

[0018]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing.

Referring to FIG. 1, the reflective keyboard input method of the present invention comprises a virtual keyboard forming unit 1, an input key measuring unit 2, and an input key judging unit 3.
The virtual keyboard configuration unit 1 inputs virtual keyboard configuration information (key positions: relative key positions from the light emitter 21 and the light receiver 22) and the virtual keyboard layout input device 11. Based on the virtual keyboard configuration information, virtual key arrangement information when each key is input on the virtual keyboard (waiting time: light emitting device 2
The time required for the light emitted from 1 to be received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light, the incident angle: the incident angle when the light emitted from the light emitter 21 is received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light) It comprises a virtual keyboard layout calculation circuit 12 to be calculated and a virtual keyboard layout storage device 13 which holds virtual key layout information calculated by the virtual keyboard layout calculation circuit 12.

The input key measuring section 2 has a timer function, issues a light emitting command to the light emitting device 21, receives a light receiving result from the light receiving device 22, and receives a key input measuring result (waiting time: light emitted from the light emitting device 21). The time required for the light to be received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light, the angle of incidence (the angle of incidence of the reflected light passed from the light receiver 22) to the input key determination unit 3 Receiving a light emission command,
The light-emitting device 21 includes a light-emitting device 21 that emits light, and a light-receiving device 22 that receives reflected light of light emitted from the light-emitting device 21 and sends an incident angle of the reflected light to a light-receiving measurement circuit 23 as a light-receiving result.

The input key judging section 3 compares the key input measurement result passed from the input key measuring section 2 with the waiting time and the incident angle of the virtual key arrangement information held in the virtual keyboard arrangement storage device 13, and The input circuit is determined and the output circuit 32
, And an output circuit 32 for outputting the input key passed from the determination circuit 31.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

First, virtual keyboard configuration information (key position: relative key position from the light emitting device / light receiving device) is input from the virtual keyboard arrangement input device 11. At this time, the virtual keyboard layout calculation circuit operates, and virtual key layout information (waiting time: light emitted from the light emitter 21 is received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light) when each key is input on the virtual keyboard. Time required to be performed, incident angle: light-emitting device 2
The incident angle at which the light emitted from No. 1 is received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light is calculated and stored in the virtual keyboard layout storage device 13.

When the above preparation is completed, key input from the virtual keyboard becomes possible. In the input key measuring section 2, the light receiving measuring circuit 23 periodically issues a light emitting command to the light emitting device 21 and receives a light receiving result (incident angle: light emitting device 21) from the light receiving device 22.
(The incident angle at the time when the light emitted from is received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light).

At this time, the waiting time (the time required for the light emitted from the light emitting device 21 to be received by the light receiving device 22 as reflected light) is measured using a timer function.

The light emission A reflects light emitted from the light emitting device 21 with a finger for key input. In this reflected light, the light receiver 22
The reflected light traveling toward is referred to as reflected light A. Light emission B reflects the light emitted from the light emitter 21 on the object 1. In this reflected light, the reflected light traveling toward the light receiver 22 is referred to as reflected light B.

The light receiver 22 receives the reflected light A and the reflected light B, measures the incident angle A and the incident angle B, and passes the result to the light receiving measuring circuit 23 as a light receiving result. That is, the input key measurement unit 2
As a set, the waiting time A and the incident angle A for the light emission A,
It is passed to the input key determination unit 3 as a key input measurement result. Similarly, the waiting time B and the incident angle B for the light emission B are set and passed to the input key determination unit 3 as a key input measurement result.

In the input key determination unit 3, the determination circuit 31 determines the input key measurement result passed from the input key measurement unit 2 and the virtual key arrangement information held in the virtual keyboard arrangement storage device 13 of the virtual keyboard construction unit 1. The input is determined by collating.

That is, since the key input measurement result for the light emission A matches the key "Z" in the virtual key arrangement information,
The input key is determined to be "Z". Since the key input measurement result for the light emission B does not exist in the virtual key arrangement information, the input key is determined to be “invalid”.

When the input key is specified by the judgment circuit 31, it is transferred to the output circuit 32 as an input key. And
The output circuit 32 outputs the input key received from the determination circuit.

Next, an example of a method of measuring the incident angle will be described with reference to FIG.

The light emission A1 emitted from the light emitter 21 is based on the finger placed on the virtual keyboard (the finger is coated with a paint that reflects light or a tape that reflects light is wound on the finger). A), the reflected light A1 and the reflected light A at the reflection point A
2. Diffuse reflection of reflected light A3, reflected light A4, and reflected light A5. The reflected light A1, A2, A5 is not received by the light receiving tube of the light receiver 22. The reflected light A4 passes through the entrance of the light receiving tube of the light receiver, but does not reach the light receiving point. For the reflected light A3 only,
The light reaches the light receiving point through the entrance of the light receiving tube of the light receiver 22.
By measuring the inclination of the light receiving tube at this time, the incident angle A can be measured.

Next, an example of the configuration of a virtual keyboard will be described with reference to FIG.

Each key of the virtual keyboard has virtual key arrangement information (waiting time: time required for the light emitted from the light emitter 21 to be received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light), and incident angle: light emission from the light emitter 21 (The incident angle when the received light is received by the light receiver 22 as reflected light). Therefore, each key position of the virtual keyboard must be fixed with respect to the input key measuring unit 2.

In FIG. 1, based on virtual key information (keyboard size and key position) held in the virtual keyboard layout storage device 13, the virtual keyboard component unit converts the virtual keyboard into the light emitter 21 and the light receiver of the input key measuring unit 2. 2
The image is projected onto a flat surface such as a desk at a certain distance and direction from 2, and the user is made to recognize the size and key position of the virtual keyboard. However, in order to use this method, a virtual keyboard mapping device is required as the virtual keyboard component 1, but this can be realized by a known technique.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the input key measuring section 4, a light emitting device (41, 43, 45,...) And a light receiving device (4
2, 44, 46...) As a set and divided into a plurality (for example, the number of columns of the virtual keyboard). In this case, since the input key can be determined without considering the incident angle of the reflected light in the light receiver, there is an effect that a more compact virtual keyboard can be realized by compression between rows.

In the above description of the embodiment of the present invention, light is used to measure the position input on the virtual keyboard. It goes without saying that any material having a reflecting property can be similarly used.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, the waiting time A and the incident angle until the light emission A emitted from the light emitting device is reflected by the finger for key input and is received as the reflected light A by the light receiving device. By summing A, collating it with virtual key arrangement information stored in advance, and determining an input key, the virtual keyboard has optimal operability in an area different from the portable terminal. This makes it possible to further reduce the size and thickness of the mobile terminal.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the input measuring unit of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Virtual keyboard composition part 2, 4 Input key measurement part 3 Input key judgment part 11 Virtual keyboard arrangement input device 12 Virtual keyboard arrangement calculation circuit 13 Virtual keyboard arrangement storage device 21, 41, 43, 45 Light emitter 22, 42, 44, 46 light receiver 23 light reception measurement circuit 31 judgment circuit 32 output circuit

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A reflective keyboard input system, comprising: a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard; and a light-emitting device and a light-receiving device, wherein light emitted from the light-emitting device is placed on the virtual keyboard. An input key measuring unit that measures the waiting time required for the light to be received by the light receiver as reflected light and the incident angle of the reflected light passed from the light receiver, and measures the measured waiting time and the incident angle. An input key determining unit that identifies a key on which the object is placed by comparing the waiting time and the incident angle of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the virtual keyboard configuration unit. Reflective keyboard input method. 2. The reflective keyboard input method according to claim 1, wherein said object is a finger. 3. The reflective keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard component maps the virtual keyboard to a plane that is at a certain distance and in a certain direction from the light emitting device and the light receiving device. Keyboard input method. 4. A reflective keyboard input system, comprising: a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard; and a light emitter and a light receiver corresponding to a row of keys on the virtual keyboard, and light emitted from the light emitter. An input key measuring unit for measuring a waiting time required for the received light to be received by the light receiver as reflected light from an object in a corresponding row placed on the virtual keyboard, and the measured virtual keyboard to determine the measured waiting time. An input key determining unit that identifies a key on which the object is placed by comparing the waiting time of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the unit. 5. The reflective keyboard input method according to claim 4, wherein said object is a finger. 6. The reflective keyboard according to claim 4, wherein the virtual keyboard component maps the virtual keyboard to a plane that is at a certain distance and in a certain direction from the light emitting device and the light receiving device. Keyboard input method. 7. A reflective keyboard input system, comprising: a virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, a sounder and a sound receiver, and a sound generated from the sounder is placed on the virtual keyboard. An input key measurement unit that measures the waiting time required for the sound receiving device to receive the reflected sound as the reflected sound from the object and the incident angle of the reflected sound passed from the sound receiving device, and the measured waiting time and An input key determining unit that identifies the key on which the object is placed by comparing the incident angle with the waiting time and the incident angle of each key on the virtual keyboard prepared in advance in the virtual keyboard configuration unit. A reflective keyboard input method, comprising: 8. The reflective keyboard input method according to claim 7, wherein the object is a finger. 9. The reflection according to claim 7, wherein the virtual keyboard component maps the virtual keyboard on a plane that is at a fixed distance and in a fixed direction from the sounding device and the sound receiving device. Type keyboard input method. 10. In a reflective keyboard input method,
A virtual keyboard component for projecting a virtual keyboard, and a corresponding row in which a sound produced by the sounder is provided on the virtual keyboard, with a sounder and a sound receiver corresponding to a row of keys on the virtual keyboard. An input key measuring unit for measuring a waiting time required until the sound is received by the sound receiver as a reflected sound from the object, and the virtual keyboard prepared beforehand in the virtual keyboard configuration unit using the measured waiting time. An input key determining unit for identifying a key on which the object is placed by comparing the waiting time of each of the above keys with the waiting time. 11. The reflective keyboard input method according to claim 10, wherein said object is a finger. 12. The reflection according to claim 10, wherein the virtual keyboard component maps the virtual keyboard to a plane that is at a certain distance and in a certain direction from the sounding device and the sound receiving device. Type keyboard input method.