JP2002149318A - Keyboard device and portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard device which enables an operator to perform character input operation as easily as possible. SOLUTION: In the keyboard device, a plurality of characters assigned to each numeric key are so displayed that they may correspond to the numeric key, and this numeric key is operated to input character information. This keyboard device is provided with a storage means where a character conversion table indicating relations between each character and a pair of figures which is determined by the number of the numeric key, to which the character is assigned, and the place of this character in the arrangement of a plurality of characters displayed so as to correspond to the numeric key is stored and an input character specifying means which refers to the character conversion table stored in the storage means to specify a character corresponding to a pair of numbers of two numeric keys as an input character when the two numeric keys are operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard device for inputting character information, and more particularly to a keyboard device used in a cellular phone and the like, in which a plurality of characters of another character type are assigned to one numeric key.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a portable terminal to which such a keyboard device is applied.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In a keyboard device used in a portable terminal, for example, a portable telephone, a plurality of English characters and hiragana characters as other character types are assigned to one numeric key. Then, on the key top of each numeric key, a plurality of English characters assigned to the numeral and the first character of the hiragana line (a, ka, sa, ta, na, ...) are displayed.

In such a keyboard device, when performing an input operation of an English character, if the number keys are operated by the number of arrangements of the English characters displayed on the key tops, the English character can be input. ing. For example, when the number key displayed as “ABC” on the key top is operated once, the alphabetical character “A” having the first arrangement order is input, and when the number key is operated twice, the arrangement order is two times. The English letter "B" is input.

According to such a keyboard device, it is possible to input more characters of other character types using a small number of numeric keys.

[0006]

However, in the above-described keyboard device, since the input character is specified by the number keys and the number of times of operation, the plurality of characters displayed on the key top of one number key are specified. In the case of continuously inputting characters, another operation (for example, a cursor moving operation) for delimiting a character must be performed for each character input operation. Also, when the number of characters assigned to the numeric key increases, the numeric key must be operated more times in order to input a character whose arrangement order is later.

In order to solve such a problem, a two-digit number is assigned to each character in advance, and the corresponding character can be input by performing an operation of inputting the two-digit number with a numeric key. Various keyboard devices have been proposed.

However, in such a keyboard device,
It is necessary for the user to know the correspondence between each character and the two-digit number. Therefore, when the number of characters that can be input is large and the user cannot remember the relationship between those characters and the two-digit number, the user refers to the table showing the correspondence between each character and the two-digit number. Input operation.

[0009] Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device capable of inputting characters as easily as possible.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal to which such a keyboard device is applied.

[0011]

According to the present invention, a plurality of characters assigned to each numeric key are assigned to the assigned numeric key. In a keyboard device in which character information is input by operating the numeric keys, each character is associated with the number of the numeric key to which the character is assigned and the numeric key. 2 determined by the order of the characters in the displayed array of characters
A storage unit storing a character conversion table indicating a relationship with a set of two numbers, and, when two numeric keys are operated, referring to the character conversion table stored in the storage unit, the two numbers are referred to. Input character specifying means for specifying a character corresponding to a set of key numbers as an input character.

In such a keyboard device, when two numeric keys are operated, a character defined in the conversion table is specified as an input character so as to correspond to a set of numbers of the two numeric keys. . Therefore, when a user inputs a certain character, the character represents the order of the character in an array of a plurality of characters displayed so as to be associated with the numeric key and the numeric key to which the character is associated with the display. By operating the numeric key of the number, the character can be input.

The display mode of a plurality of characters associated with each numeric key is not particularly limited, and may be displayed at the key top or in the vicinity of the numeric key.

The arrangement of the plurality of characters to be displayed is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, any of a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, an oblique direction, an arc shape, a single line, and a plurality of lines. In addition, even if the order of the characters in the arrangement can be naturally thought by the user (order from the left in the case of the horizontal arrangement, the order from the top in the case of the vertical arrangement), it is determined in advance as a device-specific specification It may be determined.

The above character conversion table does not indicate the relationship between the displayed character itself and each set of numbers.
It may indicate the relationship between the characters (small letters, capital letters, etc.) that are substantially the same as the displayed letters and each set of numbers.

In order to solve the above-mentioned second problem, the present invention provides, as described in claim 2, a method in which a plurality of characters assigned to each numeric key are associated with the assigned numeric key. In a portable terminal provided with a keyboard device on which a character is inputted by operating the numeric keys, the characters are displayed so as to be associated with the numeric keys to which the characters are assigned and the numeric keys. A storage unit for storing a character conversion table indicating a relationship between two character sets determined by the order of the characters in the arrangement of a plurality of characters; and a storage unit for storing two character keys when two numeric keys are operated. Referring to the character conversion table
Input character specifying means for specifying a character corresponding to the set of numbers of the two numeric keys as an input character.

[0017]

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

A keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured, for example, as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the keyboard device has an operation unit 11, a CPU 12, and a memory unit 13. When this keyboard device is applied to, for example, a mobile phone, the CPU 12 and the memory unit 13 are used for various processes in the mobile phone. The mobile phone has a display unit 14 controlled by the CPU 12.

The operation unit 11 has a predetermined number of keys arranged in accordance with a predetermined rule. The key group includes, for example, numeric keys 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6 as shown in FIG. 7,
8, 9, and 0 are included. Alphanumeric characters "A", "B", and "C" are assigned to the numeric key 2, and the alphanumeric characters "ABC" are displayed on the key top. Numeric keys 3 are assigned alphabetical characters "D", "E", "F",
The English letters “DEF” are displayed on the key top. Numeric keys 4 include English letters "G", "H", "I"
Is assigned, and the English characters “GH
"I" is displayed. Numeric key 5 contains alphanumeric characters "J",
“K” and “L” are assigned, and the English characters “JKL” are displayed on the key tops. Alphanumeric characters “M”, “N”, and “O” are assigned to the numeric keys 6, and the English characters “MNO” are displayed on the key tops.
In addition, the numeric keys 7 include English letters “P”, “Q”, “R”,
"S" is assigned, and the English characters "PQRS" are displayed on the key top. Alphanumeric characters "T", "U", and "V" are assigned to the numeric keys 8, and the English characters "TUV" are displayed on the key tops. Furthermore,
Numeric keys 9 include English characters “W”, “X”, “Y”, “Z”
Is assigned, and the English characters “WX
"YZ" is displayed.

The memory unit 13 has the configuration shown in FIG.
An English character conversion table as shown in (a) and (b) is stored.

The English character conversion table shown in FIG.
Figure 3 shows the relationship between small letters and input numbers (two digits).
The English character conversion table shown in (b) shows the relationship between English characters and input numbers (two digits). In each of the English character conversion tables, the numbers in the vertical direction correspond to the numbers of the numeric keys, and the numbers in the horizontal direction correspond to the arrangement order of the English characters in the numeric keys. One English character is assigned to two vertical and horizontal numbers in these English character conversion tables. That is, each English character is specified in the order of the number of the numeric key on which they are displayed and the arrangement of a plurality of English characters displayed on the key top of the numeric key.

For example, in the English character conversion table shown in FIG. 3B, numbers (21: vertical numbers and horizontal numbers)
Specifies the English character "A" and the numeral (52) specifies the English character "K". In these, the first "A" in the plurality of alphabetic characters "ABC" displayed on the key top of the numeric key 2 is specified by the numeral (21), and the plurality of alphabetical characters displayed on the key top of the numeric key 5 This means that the second “K” in “JKL” is specified by the numeral (52).

In each of the English character conversion tables shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, "reserved" indicates that no character is assigned.

A user of a portable telephone equipped with such a keyboard device inputs English characters as follows.

The user sets the two-touch input mode and the English character input mode by operating the keys on the operation unit 11. By these operations, the CPU 12 enters a state of waiting for the English character input process in the two-touch input mode. In this state, when the user wants to input, for example, the English character “C”, the user operates the numeric key 2 on which the “C” is displayed after performing a capital letter selection operation on the operation unit 11. Then, the user operates the numeric key 3 corresponding to the order 3 of "C" in the arrangement of the alphabetical characters "ABC" displayed on the numeric key 2.

The CPU 12 having input the operation signals of the numeric keys 2 and 3 as described above converts the English characters into the English characters shown in FIG. 3B stored in the memory unit 13 based on the above-mentioned capital letter selection operation. Referring to the conversion table, the English character corresponding to the set (23) of the vertical numeral 2 corresponding to the numerical key 2 operated first and the horizontal numeral 3 corresponding to the numerical key 3 operated later "C" is specified as an input character. Then, the CPU 12 sends a command for displaying the specified English letter “C” to the display unit 14. As a result, the display unit 14 displays the English letter “C” at the cursor position. Thereafter, the cursor position on the display unit 14 is moved by one character.

When the user wants to input, for example, the small English character z, this "z" is displayed after performing a lower case selection operation on the operation unit 11 (actually, the upper case "Z"). The user operates the numeric key 9, and further operates the numeric key 4 corresponding to the order 4 of "Z" in the arrangement of the English characters "WXYZ" displayed on the numeric key 9. The CPU 12 that has input the operation signals of the numeric keys 9 and 4 as described above,
Referring to the small-letter English character conversion table shown in FIG. 3A stored in the memory unit 13 based on the above-mentioned lowercase character selection operation, the vertical numeral corresponding to the numerical key 9 operated first. A small English letter "z" corresponding to a set (94) of 9 and a numeral 4 in the horizontal direction corresponding to the numeric key 4 operated later is specified as an input character. And the CPU 12
Sends a command to display the specified small English character “z” to the display unit 14. As a result, the small letter "z" is displayed on the display unit 14 at the cursor position moved by one character as described above. Thereafter, the cursor position on the display unit 14 is further moved by one character.

As described above, the user can specify one English character as an input character by operating two numeric keys. At that time, the user can recognize the numbers of the two numeric keys for specifying the English characters simply by looking at the arrangement of the English characters displayed on the key tops. It is possible to easily input English characters without looking at the conversion table showing the correspondence relationship with.

In the above example, the keyboard device for inputting English characters has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to input of other character types (characters of other languages, hiragana, symbols, etc.). In this case, the assigned character is displayed on the key top of each numeric key.

In the above example, the memory unit 13 corresponds to the storage means, and the function of the CPU 12 corresponds to the input character specifying means.

[0032]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when a user inputs a certain character, the user can use a numeric key associated with the displayed character,
By operating a numeric key of a number indicating the order of the character in the arrangement of a plurality of characters displayed in association with the numeric key, the character can be input. Therefore, the user can perform the input operation of the character without particularly looking at the conversion table indicating the correspondence between the two numeric keys and the character, and the character input operation is easier. Become.

According to the present invention described in claim 2,
A mobile terminal to which the above keyboard device is applied can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of keys included in an operation unit of the keyboard device illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an English character conversion table.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 operation unit 12 CPU 13 memory unit 14 display unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard device in which a plurality of characters assigned to each numeric key are displayed so as to be associated with the assigned numeric key, and character information is input by operating the numeric key. And a character conversion indicating a relationship between a set of two numbers determined by the number of the number key to which the character is assigned and the order of the character in the arrangement of a plurality of characters displayed so as to be associated with the number key Inputting a character corresponding to the set of numbers of the two numeric keys by referring to the character conversion table stored in the storage means storing the table and the character conversion table stored in the storage means when two numeric keys are operated A keyboard device having input character specifying means for specifying as a character. 2. A portable terminal having a keyboard device in which a plurality of characters assigned to each numeric key are displayed so as to be associated with the assigned numeric key, and a character is input by operating the numeric key. The relationship between each character and a set of two numbers determined by the number of the number key to which the character is assigned and the order of the character in the arrangement of a plurality of characters displayed so as to be associated with the number key When the operation of the two numeric keys is performed, the character conversion table stored in the storage means is referred to when the operation of the two numeric keys is performed. A mobile terminal having input character specifying means for specifying a character as an input character.