JPH07295720A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a miniaturized information equipment which can input characters from a keyboard on the rear face by moving four fingers while holding the equipment with the right and left palms by arranging the keyboard on the rear face of a display device. CONSTITUTION:This input device is composed of a display device 1, keyboard arranged on the rear face side of the display device 1, and display managing part for managing an image to be displayed on the display device corresponding to keyboard operations. The image to be managed by the display managing part includes a keyboard arrangement diagram showing the arrangement of the keyboard, and that arrangement diagram showes the key arrangement observing the keyboard on the rear face from the front face side of the display device. This input device is provided with a feedback part for generating a feedback signal corresponding to the depressing state of the keyboard, and the display managing part visually feeds the keyboard depressing state back to a user. Further, the input device is provided with a means for the user to input the ON/OFF command of keyboard display, and it can be selected whether the keyboard arrangement diagram is displayed on the display device 1 or not.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device for information processing equipment, and more particularly to an input device suitable for a portable and small information processing equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Due to the miniaturization of electronic parts, compact and portable information processing equipment has been developed. The input method of these portable information processing devices is limited because they are portable. At present, the most commonly used input methods are input by a keyboard, so-called pen input that is performed by recognizing a character drawn by a contact sensor provided on the display unit, and voice recognition by a microphone. There are three methods. However, as a method for high-speed and accurate input, the input method using a keyboard is considered to be excellent.

[0003]

However, the keyboard requires a considerable area to be arranged, and when the display device and the keyboard are arranged on the same surface of the device,
Either the display or the keyboard area must be reduced. Even if it is a mobile device, the area for displaying it should be as large as possible in order to make the information easy to see.
However, if the area of the keyboard is reduced, high-speed input, which is an advantage of the keyboard, cannot be performed.

Therefore, the display device portion and the keyboard portion are separated from each other so that they can be folded, and when they are carried, they are folded, and when they are used, they are widened to secure the display area and the keyboard area. Be done. However, even in such a case, there is a drawback that it is not possible to input while holding the device. In other words, some kind of table for placing the device is required for input, and it is difficult to carry out input while holding the device by hand without placing it on the table.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a general object of the present invention is to provide an input device suitable for a small portable device capable of keyboard input while holding the device by hand. is there.

Further, a specific object of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of inputting a keyboard while holding a device by hand, which is convenient for both beginners who are not familiar with key input and experienced users. To provide a typical input device.

[0007]

An input device of the present invention includes a display device, a keyboard arranged on the back side of the display device, and a display management unit for managing an image displayed on the display device according to a keyboard operation. With.

[0008]

According to the input device of the present invention, since the keyboard is arranged on the back surface of the display device, the user moves four fingers while holding the device with the left and right palms to input characters from the keyboard on the back surface. Is possible. Since the entire front surface of the device can be used as a display device, it is possible to configure a portable information processing device that is small in size and easy to use.

By the way, in this input device, since the keyboard is provided on the back side, the key top faces the back side,
It is not possible to know which key is used to input what in normal use, and considerable training is required until the user learns the key layout and becomes familiar with key input.

Therefore, it is desirable to display on the display device a keyboard layout diagram showing the layout of the keyboard showing the key layout when the keyboard on the back surface of the display device is viewed from the front side. Then, the user feels as if he or she is looking at the back keyboard through the device, can visually recognize the key position, and can easily operate the keyboard.

More preferably, the key depression state is visually fed back to the user by changing the key display mode in the keyboard layout according to the keyboard depression state. This makes it easier for the user to operate the keyboard because the user knows whether he or she is pressing the key correctly. It also makes it easier for beginners to become familiar with keyboard operation.

Further, it is possible to allow the user to select whether or not to display the keyboard layout. This is convenient because a user who is proficient in keyboard operation can input data by fully using the front surface of the display device for displaying data without displaying the keyboard layout diagram.

Further, the display device is provided with a touch sensor,
By directly touching the keyboard layout diagram of the display device, the same input as the keyboard operation on the back surface can be performed. As a result, it becomes possible to perform input even when the operation of the rear keyboard is difficult, such as when the input device is placed on a desk.

Further, when the input device is held by hand so that the back side keyboard can be operated by four fingers, various keys can be arranged at a position where the thumb can touch. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform efficient input using five fingers.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the front surface of a portable information processing device to which the present invention is applied. A display device 1 such as a liquid crystal display is arranged in the center of the front surface. The user holds this device from both sides with both hands. Note that the display device 1 is held with both hands.
Display device 1 from both left and right sides of the device so that it is not hidden by your hands.
It is desirable to have an appropriate space between the left and right ends of the. Further, as will be described later, it is convenient to arrange the necessary function keys and control switches in this space or in the area 11 where the thumbs of both hands can reach in the upper edge portion of the device.

FIG. 2 shows the back side of this device. A keyboard 2 mainly composed of keys (alphabets and numbers) used for data input is arranged on the back surface.
The arrangement of the individual keys is selected at a position where it is easy to operate with four fingers while holding the device with both hands.

The number of keys on the keyboard 2 is
Since it is operated with four fingers, it is desirable that 15 per hand and about 30 with both hands. Therefore, it is appropriate to dispose 28 alphabetic keys as shown, and at most 10 numeric keys will be added to this limit. In some cases, some of the alphabet keys may be switched to numeric keys by operating the function keys arranged in the thumb area 11 of FIG. Also, other keys on a conventional keyboard may be arranged in the thumb area 11 of FIG. 1 according to the frequency of use or may be omitted.

FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of this device. The input conversion processing unit 3 includes a keyboard 2 and a thumb area 1 on the back of the device.
Signals from various keys arranged in No. 1 and a touch sensor 8 described later are converted into input data. The touch sensor 8 is arranged so as to cover the surface of the display device 1, and detects a touch-pointing operation on the surface of the display device 1 by a user's finger or an input pen.

The information processing section 4 processes the input data from the input conversion processing section 3 in accordance with a program suitable for the purpose of this equipment. The display management unit 5 is the information processing unit 4
In order to display a plurality of data necessary for the display device 1 on the basis of the processing result from the computer and a control signal from the keyboard display unit 6 which will be described later, an image of various data is managed, and an image selected from the images is displayed. It is developed in the image memory of. Some of the images managed here include
In addition to an image that a conventional device generally has such as a character font, an image of a keyboard layout diagram described later is included.

The feedback unit 7 detects the pressed state of the key of the keyboard 2 on the rear surface of the device based on the input data from the input conversion processing unit 3 in order to provide visual feedback to the user through the display device 1. The specified feedback signal is generated.

The keyboard display unit 6 is a keyboard display ON / OFF provided by the user through the information processing unit 4.
In response to the command, a control signal for displaying / erasing a keyboard layout diagram described later on the display device 1 is generated and given to the display management unit 5. The above keyboard display is ON
As a method of inputting the / OFF command, a method of performing a special key operation on the keyboard 2, or a method of turning on / off the dedicated switch by providing a dedicated switch, for example, in the thumb area 11 in FIG. Can be adopted.

Further, the keyboard display unit 6 displays the specified key in the keyboard layout based on the feedback signal from the feedback unit 7 in a special form (for example, in order to give the above-mentioned visual feedback of the pressed state of the key).
A control signal for displaying in reverse display) is generated and given to the display management unit 5.

In the above configuration, when the user inputs from the keyboard 2, first, the user performs the above-mentioned special key operation (or dedicated switch operation),
Input the keyboard display ON command. Then, the keyboard display unit 6 sends a control signal to the display management unit 5 to display the keyboard layout on the display device 1.

FIG. 4 shows a display example of the display device 1 at this time. As shown, the keyboard layout is Keyboard 2
The layout of the individual keys and the characters of each key are displayed. This keyboard layout is a mirror image of the keyboard 2 on the back side of the device, and therefore gives the user a feeling of looking at the keyboard 2 on the back side from the front side of the device. The user can easily press the key of the desired character by seeing this.

When the user presses a key on the keyboard 2 after displaying the keyboard layout drawing, input data corresponding to the pressed key is generated by the input conversion processing unit 3 and given to the information processing unit 4. , Is also input to the feedback unit 7.

Based on this input data, the feedback section 7 generates a signal for displaying the depressed key in reverse video and passes it to the keyboard display section 6. Through the display management unit 5, the keyboard display unit 6 changes the pressed key portion in the keyboard layout displayed on the display device 1 to reverse display. This gives the user visual feedback regarding key operations.

FIG. 5 shows a display example of the display device 1 when the user presses the key "E". By providing such visual feedback, it becomes possible for the user to know whether or not the currently pressed key is correct, and if it is incorrect, which key is deviated.

In particular, since it is considered that a user who has just started to use the key will often make a mistake in pressing the key, the input cancel key (for example, the DEL key or the BS key) is frequently placed on the surface of the device (for example, the DEL key or the BS key). It is desirable to arrange it at a position such that it can be easily touched by the thumb, such as the upper edge of the device in the thumb area 11 in FIG.

The result of processing the input data by the information processing section 4 is displayed on the display device 1 through the display management section 5. In this case, the keyboard layout diagram is displayed in a non-displayed region (for example, a region surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 4).

Further, when it is desired to delete the keyboard layout drawing in order to obtain a large display area of the processing result, or when it is used by an experienced user who does not need the keyboard layout drawing, the special key operation (or dedicated switch) described above is used. The keyboard layout diagram can be erased or not displayed from the beginning by (operation). As a result, since the entire surface of the display device 1 can be used for displaying the processing result, more information can be displayed, which is convenient.

Furthermore, by touching this layout drawing with a finger or an input pen while the keyboard layout drawing is displayed, the touched position is detected through the touch sensor 8 and notified to the conversion processing unit 3. As a result, the same input as pressing the key can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to input data even when it is difficult to input from the keyboard on the back surface such as when this device is placed on a desk.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be implemented in various modes other than this.

For example, the display device 1 is provided with an optical plate (for example, a hologram plate having a different refraction angle depending on the type of polarization) for separating the passing light into two directions according to the type, and the keyboard layout diagram and the processing result are provided. By configuring the display device 1 to generate an image with a different type of light, by changing the direction of the line of sight with respect to the display device 1, one of the keyboard layout diagram and the processing result can be selectively highlighted. You can also Accordingly, each of the keyboard layout diagram and the processing result can be displayed using the entire surface of the display device 1 without particularly performing the keyboard display ON / OFF operation, and the user can view one or both of them as needed. be able to. As a result, the keyboard 2 can be arranged by utilizing the entire rear surface of the device, which facilitates further downsizing of the device.

Alternatively, the keyboard layout diagram may be displayed as an image of a size smaller than the actual keyboard 2. As a result, a large area for displaying the processing result can be secured.

Regarding the keys and switches arranged in the thumb area 11 in FIG. 1, the keys that are operated more frequently during data input should be arranged in positions where they can be easily touched.
For example, a SHIFT key, a space key, a conversion command key, a return key, and the like in a general keyboard are frequently operated, so that the upper edge of the device or a position where the space between the display device 1 and the left and right ends of the device is relatively high. , Such as the CAPS key, the ROLL key, and the function keys, which are infrequently operated, are placed in a relatively low position in the space between the display device 1 and the left and right ends of the device. If the cursor is arranged, and a cursor movement key having an intermediate frequency of operation is arranged at an intermediate position between them, the whole operation becomes easy. In addition, by arranging various keys on the back surface and the entire surface of the device skillfully according to the operation frequency and purpose, the entire device has a simple shape and a small size and is easy to operate. Benefits are obtained.

Further, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 1 at the right and left ends of the device, where a band 12 for fixing the hand to the device is provided, the device can be firmly held by hand. You will be able to hold the device without grasping it. Therefore, since the movement of the thumb is particularly free, it is possible to secure a large thumb area 11 on the front surface of the device, the degree of freedom of key arrangement is increased, and the number of keys that can be arranged is increased. Further, since the positions of the four fingers on the back surface of the device with respect to the keyboard 2 are also unlikely to shift, the possibility of pressing a key incorrectly is reduced.
In addition, there is no fear of accidentally dropping the device during input. As described above, the provision of the hand-fixing band brings great advantages.

Furthermore, the input device of the present invention can be configured as a pure input device different from the main body of the information equipment. That is, it can be configured as a substitute for a conventional keyboard or joypad. In this case, since only the keyboard layout diagram needs to be displayed on the display device, the size can be further reduced. Further, in this case, the backside keyboard and the touch sensor on the front side of the display device are used together, and the four-finger input mode in which the layout diagram of the backside keyboard is displayed on the display device and the function keys and control not included in the backside keyboard By providing a thumb input mode for displaying layouts of keys, etc., it is possible to freely switch between the two modes by operating a predetermined key.
In the four-finger input mode, data can be input by operating the back keyboard with four fingers, switching to the thumb input mode as necessary, and operating the function keys and control keys using the touch sensor. As a result, it is possible to realize an input device whose size is significantly smaller than that of a conventional input device and which is functionally superior.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the keyboard is arranged on the back surface of the display device, it is possible to provide a small-sized information device capable of key input while holding it by hand.

Further, when the keyboard layout is displayed on the display device, the key layout can be visually grasped, so that even a beginner who is new to the equipment can easily use it, and the key input can be learned quickly. Also, with conventional keyboards,
When the user presses a certain key, the key top is hidden by the finger and cannot be seen. However, the present invention has an advantage that the contents of the key top can be confirmed even in the pressed state.

Further, if the pressed keys are visually fed back to the user in the keyboard layout, the key operation becomes easier.

Furthermore, if the keyboard layout is hidden as needed, a skilled user can fully use the display device to see more information, and the small information can be displayed. The valuable space of the equipment can be effectively used.

Further, when the input means such as a touch sensor provided in the display device is used together, information can be input even when it is difficult to input from the back surface.

When the keys are arranged also in the area that can be touched by the thumb on the front surface of the device, the disadvantage that the number of keys is limited because the keyboard on the rear surface is operated by four fingers, It becomes possible to arrange a larger number of keys as a whole, and moreover, it becomes possible to perform an efficient operation using all of the five fingers, which can contribute to improving the function while reducing the size of the information device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a front layout of a position embodiment of a portable information device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the layout of the back surface of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a display when a keyboard layout diagram is displayed on the display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display when a key “E” is pressed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 display device 2 keyboard 3 input conversion processing unit 4 information processing unit 5 display management unit 6 keyboard display unit 7 feedback display unit 8 touch sensor

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An input device comprising a display device, a keyboard arranged on the back side of the display device, and a display management unit for managing an image displayed on the display device in response to a keyboard operation. 2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein an image managed by the display management unit includes a keyboard layout diagram showing a layout of the keyboard, and the keyboard layout diagram is a front surface of the display device. An input device, which shows a key arrangement when the keyboard on the back side is viewed from the side. 3. The input device according to claim 2, further comprising a feedback unit that generates a feedback signal according to a pressed state of the keyboard, wherein the display management unit visually feeds back the pressed state of the keyboard to a user. Further, the input device is characterized in that the display mode of the keys in the keyboard layout diagram is changed based on the feedback signal. 4. The input device according to claim 2, further comprising means for a user to input the keyboard display ON / OFF command, wherein the display management unit is responsive to the keyboard display ON / OFF command. An input device for selecting whether or not to display the keyboard layout diagram on the display device. 5. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising an input conversion processing unit that detects input of a key in the keyboard to generate input data, and a touch sensor arranged in the display device. The input conversion processing unit, when the touch sensor detects a touch on a key in the keyboard layout, generates the same input data as when the corresponding key in the keyboard is pressed. . 6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein when the user holds the input device by hand so that the user can operate the keyboard with four fingers, the keyboard is located at a position where the user can touch with the thumb. An input device characterized in that keys not included in are arranged.