JP2001242993A - Operational device having cross shift key - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operational device having a cross shift key by which a selection item on a screen can be selected quickly. SOLUTION: The cross shift key 80 having push portions 81 to 84 has lamps 71 to 74 at its circumference, and each lamp 71 to 74 corresponds to each push portion 81 to 84. A lighting or blinking of a lamp among the lamps 71 to 74 notifies which operation of a push portion among the push portions 81 to 84 is effective.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an operating device having a cross shift key applied to a facsimile machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a copy apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, or a copy / facsimile multifunction machine having both copy and facsimile functions has an operation panel provided with a display screen composed of a liquid crystal or the like and various operation keys. It is equipped so that multifunctional operation can be easily performed.

Some operation panels have a cross-shift key that allows the cursor to be moved up, down, left, and right in order to easily select a function or the like displayed on the screen. For example, in a facsimile apparatus provided with a cross shift key, various selection items of facsimile such as “time designation”, “relay instruction”, “batch transmission”, “confidential transmission”
Are displayed on the screen, and the cursor is moved with the cross shift key so that one of the functions can be selected.

[0004]

When operating the cross shift key, the direction in which the operation can be performed may be limited depending on the arrangement of selection items on the screen and the position of the cursor. For example, when the selection items are displayed in one vertical column, the cursor is limited to vertical movement, and when the cursor position is at the upper end, only the downward movement is limited.

In such a case, there is a device in which when a key in a direction in which input is not possible is pressed, the user is notified by sound after input. However, there is a problem that unless the key is pressed, it cannot be understood that the input is impossible, and it is difficult for the user to operate.

The present invention has been proposed in view of such a problem, and has as its object to provide an operation device that allows quick selection of a selection item on a screen by a cross shift key.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation device with a cross shift key for moving a cursor on a screen up, down, left, and right. A cross shift key having four depressed portions is provided, and four lamps corresponding to each depressed portion are provided around the cross shift key, and it is determined whether the operation of which depressed portion is valid by turning on or off the lamp. It flashes and informs.

In the second aspect, the cross shift key body includes:
Four built-in lamps corresponding to each pressed portion are built in, and which of the pressed portions is effective is notified by lighting or blinking of the lamp.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the operation of any one of the pressed portions of the cross shift key becomes effective, the luminescent color of the lamp corresponding to the pressed portion is changed or the luminescent color is changed at a predetermined cycle. I try to make it.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an operating device with a cross shift key according to the present invention. Here, a case is shown in which the operating device is applied to the facsimile device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to other screen forming devices, telephones, and the like.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU and the like.
A main control unit for controlling each unit, 2 an NCU for controlling a network to a communication line, 3 a modem for modulating / demodulating a signal for facsimile communication of image data, 4 an image memory for storing image data, 5 Is a RAM that stores print output information and the like, and 6 is an R that stores a control program.
OM.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a display unit composed of a liquid crystal screen or the like, 8 denotes an operation unit composed of numeric keys and various operation switches, 9 denotes a reading unit for reading an original, and 10 denotes a recording unit for printing and outputting image data. is there. The operation unit 8 includes a cross shift key 80. The cross shift key 80 includes four pressing units 81 to 84 for moving a cursor up, down, left, and right.
have. The display unit 7 includes lamps 71 to 74 corresponding to the pressing units 81 to 84 of the cross shift key 80 and configured by LEDs or the like.

In the facsimile apparatus 20, the image data read by the reading section 9 is sequentially encoded, then temporarily stored in the image memory 4, and transmitted to the other party's facsimile apparatus or personal computer via the modem 3 and the NCU 2. On the other hand, when the image data is received while being transmitted, the basic operation of storing the received image data in the image memory 4, sequentially reading and decoding the data, and printing out by the recording unit 10 is executed.

The cross shift key 80 provided on the operation unit 8 has cursors for selecting items on a liquid crystal screen (7a in FIG. 2 (a)) constituting the display unit 7, and is provided up, down, left and right. By operating the pressed parts 81 to 84, the user can move up, down, left and right.

Further, the lamps 71 to 74 provided corresponding to the respective pressing sections 81 to 84 are configured to light or blink only in the direction in which the cursor on the liquid crystal screen can be moved. , The effective pressed part of the operation is notified. This is the most important feature of the present invention.

FIG. 2A shows a configuration example of an operation panel of the facsimile machine 20. The operation panel 8 includes a liquid crystal screen 7a as the display unit 7. A cross shift key 80 is provided near the liquid crystal screen 7a so that the cross shift key 80 can be easily operated while looking at the screen.

The facsimile machine 20 including the operation panel 8 also has a high-performance copy function.

In the figure, reference numeral 8b denotes a start key for instructing the start of facsimile transmission or copy start, 8c a plurality of speed dial keys, and 8d a speed / telephone operated to execute a speed dial function or a telephone directory function. Book key, 8e
Is a numeric keypad for inputting a dial number and the number of copies, 8f is a reset key for resetting an input operation, 8g is a stop key for stopping a predetermined operation being executed, and 8h is an operation menu on the screen 7a. This is a menu key for making

8i is a soft key whose function changes according to the content displayed on the screen 7a, 8j is an image quality selection key for selecting facsimile transmission image quality or copy recording image quality, and 8k is a copy recording density. A density selection key 8l is a magnification selection key for selecting a copy recording magnification, 8m is a copy key for switching to a copy mode, and 8n is a facsimile key for switching to a facsimile mode.

A portion A shown by a dotted line in FIG.
Includes a cross shift key 80 and four LED lamps, which are characteristic parts of the present invention, and details are shown in FIG. The cross shift key 80 has four pressing portions 81 to 84 at the top, bottom, left and right, and around the cross shift key 80 on the operation panel 8, four LED lamps correspond to the four pressing portions 81 to 84. 71 to 74 are provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a cross key with a lamp. 3 (a) to 3 (d), lamps 71 'to 74' indicating up, down, left and right are incorporated in the cross shift key, and are arranged at the positions of the four pressing sections 81 to 84, respectively. In particular, the cross key shown in FIG. 3D further includes a determination key 85 at the center for determining the item selected by moving the cursor.

When these cross shift keys with lamps are employed, LED lamps 71 to 74 are provided on the operation panel.
It is not necessary to provide.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of displaying the LED lamp when the cross shift key is operated. If each of the upper, lower, left and right pressing units can be operated, the corresponding lamp is turned on (101, 102, 104, 105, 107, 10).
8, 110, 111), and if the operation is not possible, the lamp is turned off (101, 103, 104, 10).
6, 107, 109, 110, 112).

Although the lamp is turned on when the operation is valid, it may be turned on and off.

Also, for example, using a two-color light emitting LED,
The emission color may be switched by controlling the LED in the direction in which the operation is effective. Further, the emission color may be changed periodically, for example, green, red, green, red.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a lighting pattern of a lamp. The figure on the left shows a mode in which selection items of two columns and five columns are displayed on the liquid crystal screen 7a.
Indicates that the item is selected with the cursor. The hatched portions in the right diagram indicate the state in which the lamps 71 to 74 are lit to notify the pressed portions 81 to 84 of the effective cross shift key 80 in the state in the left diagram.

In FIG. 5A, since the cursor cannot be moved rightward, the upper, lower and left lamps 71 to 73 are turned on. In FIG. 5B, since the cursor is at the upper left position, the right and lower lamps 72 and 74 are turned on. Similarly,
In (c), the upper and right lamps 71 and 74, (d)
The upper, lower and right lamps 71, 72, 74 are turned on.

Note that the array of selection items is such an mx
The matrix is not limited to the matrix of n, but may be a matrix of one row or one row. When the selection item is one vertical line, the up and down lamps are lit, when it is one horizontal line, the left and right lamps are lit, and when the cursor is located at the top and bottom edges and the left and right edges, only the lamps in the movable direction are displayed. You only need to light it.

The selection items are not limited to those of the type displayed at a fixed position on the screen, but may be of the type that can be scrolled up, down, left and right. For example, even if the cursor is at the lower end on the screen, if there is an item that can be selected further downward, the lower lamp 72 is turned on to notify the user that the downward operation is valid.

In the above embodiment, an example in which a function item is selected has been described. However, the present invention may be used to specify a character position in the case of inputting a character string, such as a destination name or a transmission source name.

[0032]

As can be understood from the above description, in the operation device with the cross shift key according to the first aspect, the direction in which the cursor on the screen can be moved is turned on by four lamps provided around the cross shift key. Alternatively, the notification can be made by blinking, so that the user does not needlessly perform the operation. Further, when the selection items on the screen are scrolled, it is more effective.

In the second aspect, since four lamps are built in the cross shift key, it is not necessary to newly provide a space for the lamps on the operation panel. Therefore, as long as the same size cross key is used, it is not necessary to rearrange and redesign the screen and various keys on the operation panel.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the light emission color of the lamp in the direction in which the operation is effective is switched, or the light emission color is changed so as to be notified periodically. The operation direction of the cross shift key can be known.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an internal configuration of an operating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation panel including a cross shift key with a lamp.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross shift key with a lamp.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a basic operation of the operating device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a lighting pattern of a lamp.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 Operating device with cross shift key 7 Display unit 71-74 Up / Down / Left / Right LED lamp 7a Liquid crystal screen 8 Operation unit 80 Cross shift key 81-84 Up / Down / Left / Right pressing unit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Tomoyuki Honda 136 Takeda Mukoshirocho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Murata Machinery Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C061 AP03 AP07 BB10 CQ02 CQ22 5B020 DD02 GG15 HH22 5B087 AA09 AB04 BC08 DD03 DD06 DE03 DE06 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB20 AB23 AC05

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An operating device comprising a cross shift key having four pressing portions corresponding to respective directions for moving a cursor on a screen up, down, left and right, and each pressing portion is provided around the cross shift key. An operation device with a cross-shift key, comprising: four lamps corresponding to (1) and (2), and which of the pressing units is effective is notified by lighting or blinking of the lamps. 2. An operation device comprising a cross shift key having a plurality of pressing portions corresponding to each direction for moving a cursor on a screen in each direction. An operating device with a cross-shift key, which has four built-in lamps and notifies which of the pressing units is effective by lighting or blinking the lamps. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the operation of any one of the pressed parts of the cross shift key is enabled, the luminescent color of the lamp corresponding to the pressed part is changed or the luminescent color is changed at a predetermined cycle. The operation device with a cross shift key according to claim 1 or 2, which performs the operation.