JPS5923417A - Key switch - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a key switch.

Conventionally, in editing operations on a CRT screen, the cursor is moved to the desired position using the ``-down, left, and right cursor movement keys.
Furthermore, the most popular type is one in which insertion, deletion, modification, etc. are performed using characters and function keys. These keys are placed in appropriate locations to allow for easy operation using both hands, but unless you are a particularly skilled operator, it is unavoidable that you will have to waste time visually checking each key and pressing the other keys. Met.

For this reason, various key switches have been devised that allow the cursor to be moved by operating a single key top, but in editing applications that require operating function keys placed separately, this is still time-consuming. However, it was a 3-0 loss.

The present invention has been proposed in view of these problems in the prior art, and provides a key switch configured to extract more electrical information from the natural movement of the fingertips through a single key top. is intended to provide. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a key switch that can use the obtained electrical information to move a cursor and specify a function.

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal combination coater equipped with an embodiment in which a key switch according to the present invention is used for moving a cursor and specifying a function. Inside the main body 1 of this personal combination coater, as shown in FIG.
, and a RAM 12 used by the CPU. Further, 2 is a display section, 3 is a keyboard section, and 4 is a switch unit including a key switch (R11) according to the present invention, which is connected to the main body 1 by a cable 5 having a built-in signal line and a DC power line.

Next, an example of the operation for moving the crane K on the display section 2 shown in FIG. 2 to the home position will be explained according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing details of the switch unit 4, and by sliding the key top 6 in the direction of arrow A, the cursor is moved in the direction shown in FIG. If necessary, the home position can be reached by further combining up, down, left, and right slide operations.

Another operation example is one in which the same function as the home clear key, which was provided independently in the past, can be performed by simply pressing point B marked with a circle from the direction perpendicular to the operation surface. In other words, the cursor moves to the home position,
And the screen information is also cleared.

This operation of the key top causes a displacement of the key top 6, and the displacement detection means outputs a corresponding electrical signal, which is read by the CPU 11 and used as an instruction signal to execute the different functions described above. However, the displacement detection means for detecting the displacement of the key top 6 will be explained below.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the structure of the key switch according to the present invention.

In the same figure (A), a spherical motion-conducting ball 7 and a leaf spring contact 8 are crotched around the key top 6.
When a horizontal sliding force is applied to the keys 1 to 6, the leaf spring contacts 8 come into contact as shown in Figure (C). Information based on this contact is read by the CPU 11 and used as a link for moving the cursor. Furthermore, Figure (1) is a top view, and in the figure, when the keys 1 to 6 are slid in the direction where the leaf spring contacts are not present, in the direction of arrow A, the leaf spring contacts 8X and 8Y are Power is added to both,
Both contacts 8X and 8Y come into contact at the same time. Information based on this contact is read by the CPU 11 and used to move the cursor K toward the upper left.

Next, a spherical motion conduction ball 9 and a leaf spring contact 10f) are provided on the lower side of the key top 6, and keys 1 to
When a pressing blade is applied to the tab 6 in the vertical direction and the plate springs provided at intervals are applied to the insulator 15, the plate spring contacts 10 come into contact as shown in Figure (B). Information based on this contact is read by the CPU 11 and used as a function designation signal. For example, the third
If point B (CLR) of key 1-butb 6 shown in the figure is pressed in the vertical direction, the CPU 11 can use this detection output as a function designation signal for performing the home clear function. Similarly, Figure 3 shows (INS
) inserts, (1-10MF) returns cursor to home,
(DEL) is displayed to indicate the pressed position for performing the deletion function.

Next, the means for detecting opening and opening of the leaf spring contact 8 will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG.

The leaf spring contact 8 has a pull-up resistance contact 81 as shown in FIG. 6(A).
and 82 included. These contacts 81 and 82 are connected as shown in Fig. 4 (C
). Therefore, the terminal 8t2 outputs O volts because it is short-circuited to the grounded terminal 8[1. However, if it is not closed, the pull-up resistor R
Due to the action of 5 pol 1~.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6(C), the leaf spring contact 10 has
Leaf spring contacts 101 spaced apart by insulators 15
and 102 are included.

These contacts 101 and 102 close as shown in FIG. 4(C) when the key top 6 is pressed. Therefore, the terminal 10[2 is the grounded terminal 10t1
It outputs 0 volts because it is short-circuited.

It is 5 volts due to the action of R.

The CPU 11 is configured to periodically check the terminals 8t2 and 1012 of the leaf spring contacts 8 and 10. Alternatively, when at least one contact is closed, an interrupt is input to the CPU 11, thereby starting service to the key switch, and when all contacts are opened, an interrupt is input to the CPU 11 again. It may be configured to terminate the service to the key switch. In any of the above cases, contact information of the contacts is taken into the CP'U11 at a predetermined period while the key switch is being serviced. Therefore, by monitoring the terminals of the leaf spring contacts, various types of information can be input from a single key top.

In the above explanation, the function specified by (D
Even if it is other than E L ), <INS>, (+-10M l2) and (CLR), commercially available switches can be used instead of the operating conductive balls 7 and 9 and leaf spring contacts 8 and 10. Needless to say, it doesn't matter if there is.

Further, according to this embodiment, eight types of first electrical binary signals are obtained by pressing the key top 6 in the vertical direction, and eight types of first electric binary signals are obtained by similarly pressing the key top 6 in the vertical direction. A leaf spring contact is arranged to obtain a second electrical binary value A8. Therefore, from the symmetry of the switch structure, it is clear that the first signal may be used for moving the cursor, and the second signal may be used for specifying the function.

As described above, according to the present invention, more information can be extracted as electrical output from the natural movement of the fingertips that an operator can perform with a key switch having a key top, and these different outputs By associating different functions with signals, the functions of keys that were conventionally arranged individually are brought together in one place, allowing quick selection operations with a blind touch on a single key.

As a more specific usage pattern, the first and second
By using one of the electrical output signals for cursor movement and the other for specifying a function, it was possible to greatly improve the operability in screen information processing. Although the configuration of the key switch is simple as described above, it can produce extremely large effects.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a personal computer equipped with an embodiment of a key switch according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are operation explanatory diagrams of the key switch according to the present invention, and FIG. ), (B) and (C) are sectional views of one embodiment of the key switch according to the present invention, FIG. 4(D) is a plan view of the same, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the personal computer of FIG. Figures 6A and 6B are circuit diagrams showing an example of the terminal structure of a leaf spring contact. Here, 4 is a key switch unit, 6 is a key top, 7.9 is an operation conduction ball, and 8.10 is a leaf spring contact. -tn dimension ω Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 130418 No. 2, Name of the invention Key switch 3, Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd. 4, Agent 1-11-10 Toramon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105 5, Procedural instructions Date October 26, 1980 6, Full text of the specification subject to amendment 76 Contents of amendment As per attached sheet

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A single key top and a second key top arranged to form different first electrical outputs in response to displacements of the key top in different positions due to selective depression in the vertical direction. a second displacement detecting means arranged to form different second electrical outputs in response to sliding displacements of the key top in different horizontal directions. 2. The key switch according to claim 1, wherein the first displacement detection means output signal is used as a cursor movement signal, and the second displacement detection means output signal is used as a function designation signal. 3. The key switch according to claim 1, wherein the first displacement detection means output signal is a function designation signal, and the second displacement detection means output signal is a cursor movement signal.