JP2000105652A - Compact portable terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operating environment for compact portable terminal capable of maintaining the operation of a system through special menu display anytime in usual operation and preventing usual operation from being disturbed by an erroneous operation even when just a little key switches are provided on the main body of the portable terminal equipment. SOLUTION: In this compact portable terminal equipment composed of a display device composed of a liquid crystal display device and an input part arranging key switches, when any specified one of the key switches is pressed longer than a fixed time in the state of executing a predetermined processing while using the key switches, another menu is temporarily displayed on the display device and the other processing is selectively executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for selecting and inputting a setting operation of a small portable terminal at a data collection site in a small portable terminal for collecting data such as the type and quantity of goods for the purpose of distribution and inventory management. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, pen-type portable terminals have been known as small portable terminals. In the configuration of this small portable terminal, only a very small area can be secured in the display unit and the input unit. (As described above, the pen-shaped unit has only a limited area where each component can be arranged.) .). For example, a pen-type portable terminal equipped with a liquid crystal display unit capable of displaying 100 dots horizontally and 24 dots vertically as a display unit and four key switches as an input unit collects data, transmits data to a host computer, and has a small portable terminal. Dedicated operation switches are prepared for large mobile terminals as various settings of the terminal, but processing such as setting the density of the liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal display device, turning on the backlight of the liquid crystal display device, sounding the buzzer etc. In order to display a work menu necessary to perform the work menu, a key switch corresponding to the work menu is pressed to display the next work menu or execute the work menu.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, since the number of key switches provided in the small portable terminal is small, the number of work menus that can be selected at a time is reduced, and the key switch is operated (the operation of repeatedly pressing the key switch). ) Process has increased. In addition, the liquid crystal density setting of the liquid crystal display device provided in the small portable terminal, the backlight of the liquid crystal display device, the volume of the buzzer of the warning sound, etc. can be freely set at any time while operating the small portable terminal. Although it is desirable to prepare a dedicated key, the dedicated key cannot be installed because the number of key switches is small, so that the operation cannot be executed unless a work menu is selected and designated.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and is directed to a small portable terminal device comprising a display device constituted by a liquid crystal display device and an input section in which key switches are arranged. When a specific key switch among the key switches is pressed for a certain period of time or more while performing a predetermined process using the key switch, another menu is temporarily displayed on the display device. And
It is intended to propose a small portable terminal device for selectively executing another process.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a small portable terminal comprising a display unit for displaying a small number of characters and numbers and a small number of key switches. Or the operation corresponding to the key switch is distinguished according to the key operation in combination with another key), and various operations can be easily performed without fail.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is an external perspective view of a small portable terminal embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the present invention, FIGS. 3 and 6 are liquid crystal display devices and key input switches provided in the small portable terminal, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a liquid crystal display unit, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a display character image, and FIG.

First, FIG. 1 will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes a small portable terminal, which has a pen shape as a whole. Reference numeral 2 denotes a pen tip, which has a built-in barcode scanner (not shown) for scanning a barcode (not shown). Reference numeral 3 denotes a control unit provided with various keys 4, 5, and 6, and a liquid crystal display device 7. A user (not shown) uses the keys 4, 5, and 6 to call a work menu. It is used when confirming a work menu or displaying data captured using the pen tip 2.

Next, a description will be given with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 8 denotes a CPU, which controls each component described later.
Reference numerals 4, 5, and 6 denote key switches such as numeric keys and character keys. Keys pressed by an operator (not shown) are converted into electric signals, transmitted to the CPU 8, and stored in the ROM 9 and the RAM 10 incorporating various programs. Is started, and the small portable terminal body 1 is started. Reference numeral 7 denotes the above-mentioned liquid crystal display unit which displays various messages and collected data. Reference numeral 11 denotes a backlight of a liquid crystal display portion, and the key switches 4, 5,
By performing the operation specified in 6, the backlight 1
1 can be turned on. Reference numeral 12 denotes a buzzer that emits a warning sound or the like to the user according to a command from the CPU 8.

Next, the application program executed by the CPU 8 stored in the ROM 9 shown in FIG. 2 displays a menu as shown in FIG. 3 on the liquid crystal display unit 7 as an example. One dot is RAM in the liquid crystal display
A VRAM (not shown) corresponding to 10 1-bits is built in, and when data is written to the VRAM in accordance with a command from the CPU 8, the data is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 7 as an image.
One byte of the above-mentioned VRAM corresponds to eight dots in the vertical direction of the liquid crystal display unit 7, and is configured to be treated as a horizontal image for each byte. Under this condition, when the firmware stored in the ROM 9 receives the character code data instructed from the application, for example, the character code data of A, the firmware reads the font image as shown in FIG.
By writing the image data to a predetermined address (not shown), the display as shown in FIG. 3 can be performed.

Next, the actual operation will be described. When the operator (not shown) uses the small portable terminal, for example, when the liquid crystal density of the liquid crystal display unit 7 changes during the key input waiting time, or when the operator uses the portable terminal in a dark place, the liquid crystal display unit is not used. When it is necessary to adjust the brightness of the backlight 7 or turn on the backlight 11 provided on the liquid crystal display unit 7, a specific key is determined for the switches of the menus 1 to 4 shown in FIG. The operation of the method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 in the case where one of the keys 4, 5, and 6 shown in FIG. 3 is a specific key.

An operator (not shown) turns on the main power supply (not shown) of the small portable terminal 1 and waits for normal key input, and any one of the key input switches 4, 5, and 6 is pressed. (S1). Here, when any of the keys 4, 5, and 6 provided on the main body of the small portable terminal 1 is pressed (S2), the pressed key is a specific key (in the example of the present application, the 1 key is a specific key). Key). If the key is other than 1, the normal input is made as S
The process moves to S11 and the process is performed from S1. If it is determined in S2 that the pressed key is a specific key (the key of 1), the display on the liquid crystal display unit 7 of the small portable terminal 1 becomes the state of FIG. 3, and the process proceeds to S3.

In steps S3 and S4, it is determined whether the state in which the key 1 has been pressed is pressed for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second or more. If one key is released and turned off in less than one second, the process proceeds to S11, where the CPU 8 determines that the key is a normal one key and performs selection and execution of an operation menu and the like.
If one second or more has elapsed while the 1 key is ON, the process moves to S5, where a temporary special menu is displayed. At this time, the content displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 7 is retained. VRAM data corresponding to
After the bytes are read and copied to the RAM 10, the process proceeds to S6, where a special menu as shown in the first line of the display unit in FIG. 6 is displayed.

After the menu is displayed in S6, the process proceeds to S7. While confirming that key 1 is ON,
In step S8, the control waits until another input key is pressed and turned on. C
When it is recognized that the PU 8 is turned on, the process proceeds to S8. For example, if two of the keys provided on the key input switches 4, 5, and 6 are continuously pressed, a liquid crystal display is displayed. If the brightness of the unit 7 is continuously changed and the input key 3 is pressed, the backlight 11 of the liquid crystal display unit 7 is turned on or off, and if the input key 4 is pressed. Then, a process of changing the volume of the buzzer for recognizing a warning or the like to the operator is executed, and the process returns to S7. When one key is released after the predetermined process is completed and the key is turned off, the process proceeds from S7 to S10. In S7, it is confirmed that a specific key is always pressed, and the temporary menu is immediately terminated when the specific key is released (when the operator's hand releases the switch key). Even if a normal operation is mistakenly performed to shift to the temporary menu without looking at the unit 7, the processing shifts at the time of menu selection and returns to the normal operation unless an operation for returning the processing is performed. There is no.

In a flowchart S10 shown in FIG. 7, the display changed by the temporary menu display is changed to an R in S5.
The data stored in the AM 10 is copied to a VRAM (not shown) provided in the liquid crystal display unit 7 to return to the original state, and the process returns to S1. By repeating the above procedure, not only the selection of the work menu but also the same operation can be performed, for example, when starting the normal processing or waiting for input of cancellation.

In this embodiment, the number input as a character code is received as it is as a menu number of an application program by inputting a normal input key, and processing is performed. However, when a specific key is determined and the same operation is performed. The function key input menu is displayed on the LCD 7
Then, when the remaining keys are pressed, for example, the characters A, B, and C are returned to the application program, thereby making it possible to increase the processing branch conditions.

[0016]

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, even when only a small number of key switches are provided on the main body of the portable terminal device, the operation of the system can be performed by displaying a special menu at any time during normal operation. Can be maintained,
Further, it is possible to provide an operation environment of a small portable terminal in which a normal operation is not hindered by an erroneous operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a small portable terminal.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a small portable terminal.

FIG. 3 Liquid crystal display and key input switch

FIG. 4 VRAM addressing direction

FIG. 5: Display on the liquid crystal display

FIG. 6: LCD and key input switch

FIG. 7 is a flowchart.

[Description of Signs] 1 Small portable terminal 2 Pen tip 3 Control part 4 Key 5 Key 6 Key 7 Liquid crystal display unit 8 CPU 9 ROM 10 RAM 11 Backlight 12 Buzzer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A small portable terminal device having a display device composed of a liquid crystal display device and an input unit in which a key switch is arranged, in a state where a predetermined process is executed using the key switch. When a specific key switch among the key switches is pressed for a predetermined time or more, another menu is temporarily displayed on the display device, and a process corresponding to the menu is selected and executed. Mobile terminal device. 2. The small portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a menu displayed on the display device is valid only while the key switch is pressed, and another process is selected and executed.