JP2002312114A - Character input device through key board, character input method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a character input device having a keyboard, a character input method, and a storage medium reducing the need for skill or memory related to keyboard input. SOLUTION: This device includes plural key members 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, including a switch and a key head surface receiving force applied by an operator of a key board character input device 10 and are movable between an on-position turning by every switch and off-position for turning off the same, a key board arrangement body arranging plural key members 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, and a means for energizing the key members 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e to retain the same at off positions. The key members 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e can be moved to on-position against the energizing force by operation force acting in a direction crossing the key head surface by a operator of the key board character input device 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard character input device, a character input method, and a storage medium that enable an operator to easily memorize data that requires input as a graphic with a high input speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A keyboard is used to input information to a device such as a computer. To use the keyboard to input information efficiently, special skills such as blind touch are required. It is. Without this special skill, efficient input of information is not easy. In particular, in the case of inputting a personal identification number, a telephone number, or the like using a numeric keypad, it is often difficult to memorize and store a number or password to be input.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard character input device, a character input method, and a storage medium that reduce the skill and the necessity of storage related to the keyboard input.

In particular, according to the present invention, characters can be input as graphics without having to memorize key positions required for blind touch or the like.
Provided is a keyboard character input device capable of inputting by a conventional keying method.

The present invention also provides a ten-keyboard character input device, a character input method, and a storage medium that can be used as a ten-key keyboard device of a portable or fixed telephone and can easily input characters as graphics.

Further, the present invention provides a keyboard character input device in which anyone can easily operate a telephone number, personal identification number, and the like in a form that can be easily stored as a figure by drawing the figure.

In the detailed description of the present invention, "character"
Is sometimes used to cover not only alphabets, kana, kanji, etc., but also numbers or symbols.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a switch and a key head surface which receives a stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device, and turns on each switch. A plurality of key members movable between an on position to be turned off and an off position to be turned off, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, and a biasing force for holding the key members in the off position. The key member can be moved to the on position against the urging force by an operating stress applied by the operator of the keyboard character input device in a direction across the key head surface. The operating stress is applied to the key member while the point crossing the key head surface is sequentially and gradually transitioning to the key head surface of the adjacent key member in the direction along the key head surface. When, the biasing force, provide a keyboard character input device and setting the range to overcome to allow movement to the on position of the sequentially adjacent key member by the operating stress.

The present invention further includes a step of generating a key member position display signal corresponding to the key member in response to the depression of the key member of the keyboard character input device 1). Temporarily storing 2) the stored n pieces of data from a database that compares the permutation of the key member position display signal with the character whose stroke is represented by the key member position display signal permutation on the keyboard character input device; 3) selecting a character including the key member signal in the permutation, displaying the selected character 4), repeating the above steps 1) to 4) n times 5) and inputting the displayed character A keyboard character input method comprising the step of selecting as a character to be performed 6).

According to the present invention, there is provided the above-described keyboard character input method, in which the keyboard character input device is a ten-key keyboard suitable for dialing a telephone. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a storage medium storing a program for realizing the keyboard character input method.

Further, the present invention has a switch and a key head surface which receives a stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device. A plurality of movable key members, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, means for applying a biasing force to the key members to hold the key members in the off position, and a plurality of key members. Means for generating a plurality of signals each indicating a position in the keyboard array, wherein the key member is acted upon by the operating force applied by the operator of the keyboard character input device in a direction transverse to the key head surface. When each switch is turned on, a position indicating signal of the corresponding key member is sent from the position signal generating means. Means for converting the plurality of position indication signals into a specific subscriber telephone number signal, means for dialing the subscriber telephone number generated by the subscriber telephone number conversion means, and the key head surface for the operating stress. When the operating stress is applied to the key member while the traversing point sequentially transitions to the key head surface of the adjacent key member in the direction along the key head surface, the urging force is sequentially applied by the operating stress. A keyboard character input device suitable for telephone number dialing, characterized in that a key member to be set is set in a range that can be overcome so as to be able to move to an ON position.

Furthermore, the present invention has a switch and a key head surface which receives a stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device, and switches between an on position for turning on each switch and an off position for turning off each switch. A plurality of movable key members, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, means for applying an urging force to hold the key members in the off position to the key members, and the plurality of key members Means for generating a plurality of signals each indicating a position in the keyboard array, wherein the key member is actuated by an operator of the keyboard character input device in a direction transverse to the key head surface. When each switch is turned on, the position indicating signal of the corresponding key member is transmitted to the position signal generating means. And a means for converting the plurality of position display signals into a door opening signal, wherein a point of the operation stress crossing the key head surface is adjacent to the key member in a direction along the key head surface. When the operating stress is applied to the key member while sequentially and progressively changing to the key head surface, the urging force is overcome so that the adjacent key member can be sequentially moved to the ON position by the operating stress. Provided is a keyboard character input device suitable for a door-opening dial, which is set within a range that can be set.

Further, the present invention further includes a switch and a key head surface which receives a stress applied by an operator of the keyboard input device, and has an ON position where each switch is turned on and an OFF position where each switch is turned off. A plurality of key members movable between the plurality of key members, a plurality of the key members in a matrix form, and a keyboard array in which the key members are arranged so as to be suitable for a known blind touch keyboarding; and Means for applying a holding bias to the key member, wherein the key member can be moved to the on position against the biasing force by an operating stress applied by the operator of the keyboard input device in a direction crossing the key head surface, The point at which the operation stress crosses the key head surface gradually advances to the key head surface of the adjacent key member in a direction along the key head surface. When the operating stress is applied to the key member while transitioning to the above, the urging force is set to a range that can be overcome so that the adjacent key member can be sequentially moved to the ON position by the operating stress. To provide a keyboard input device.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The keyboard character input device 10 of this embodiment has a keyboard base plate 11, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of key members 20a to 20z, another shift key member 20sh, a return key member 20re, and the like. And arranged on the keyboard base plate 11. For this purpose, bottomed recesses 10a to 10z, and 10 are arranged in a matrix on the base plate.
The key members corresponding to sh and 10re are fitted. Each key member has a spring 40a to 40z or the like and a key head surface 21a to 21z or the like.
Each keyboard member has a corresponding ON / OFF switch element (not shown). The key member is in the off position (20a, 20 in FIG. 1) for turning off the switch element.
(a position occupied by b) and an on position (a position occupied by 20c in FIG. 1) for turning on the switch element. A spring biases the key member to hold it in the off position. The biasing force may range from about 10 to 120 grams, preferably 20 to 50 grams, depending on the keyboard operator. Especially about 30 grams is desirable. The biasing force is based on a value measured as an applied force when the operator slides a finger or a pen on the keyboard along the keyboard surface.

A first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 is a means for generating a key display signal corresponding to a turned on key member when a key switch connected to the key member is turned on. 50, means 70 for storing the sequentially generated key display signals, means 90 for comparing the stored plurality of key display signals with separately stored characters, and the result of comparison with the plurality of key display signals. Means for extracting the corresponding candidate character and displaying it to the operator, and means 120 for selecting and fixing the candidate character displayed by the operator.
And further included. The determined character is passed to another system 140 that utilizes the character signal, such as word processing software. These means 70, means 90, means 110 and means 120 are known. In some cases, it is provided as part of word processing software.

The key display signal is sequentially generated as the key member is pressed, and when the operator applies a pressing force to the key head surface of the key member with his / her finger or the like across the key head surface, the spring is activated. The biasing force is defeated, and the key member moves from the off position to reach the switch on position. At this time, the switch of the key member is turned on, and a signal indicating that the key is pressed is generated. Next, the above operation is repeated for another key,
Another key member is moved to the on position, the associated switch is turned on, and a signal is generated indicating that another key has been pressed. When depressing one key from another,
Such keyboarding is performed, and data input is advanced. In the conventional keyboarding, most of the operating stress applied for key operation to push down one key member and another key member works in a direction across the key head surface. In other words, after one key member is pressed down, the other key members are pressed down, and there is a phase in which the operation stress of the finger acts in the direction along the key head surface. In the system, it is made as small as possible. In other words, the ten fingers are pressed to depress the key member that has been approached so that the stress in the direction along the key head surface is wasted and reduced. Since ten fingers are used, when the key member is sequentially pressed down by another finger, the operation stress acting in the direction along the key head surface is substantially zero.

In the keyboard character input device according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, input is performed by sliding keyboarding in which one key member and its adjacent key members are continuously pressed down by tracing characters imagined on the keyboard. It can be carried out.

In this slide type keyboarding, when a key member is continuously pushed down to an adjacent key member to the ON position, stress acting in a direction crossing the key head surface is always maintained, and the stress is applied along the key head surface. By making a horizontal transition from one key member to its adjacent key member, the biasing force of the spring biasing to the off position is overcome, and these two adjacent key members are pushed down to the on position. Are sequentially performed. Since the input is performed by tracing the figure on the keyboard, the phase of the operation stress in the direction along the key head surface becomes considerably large. Thereby, the stress in the direction crossing the key head surface, that is, the force for pressing the key becomes relatively small, but as described above,
Since the spring force urging the key member to the off position is set within a small range, a plurality of adjacent key members corresponding to the pattern of characters can be accurately pushed down to the on position.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the operator applies a pressing force in a direction crossing the key head surface of one key member 20c with his / her finger, and this is pushed down to the on position, and then the on position. The pressing force acting in the direction traversing the key head surface toward the adjacent key member 20h to be pressed down is applied to the key head surface of the next adjacent key member in a direction parallel to the key head surface of the key member while being applied. Moved towards. At this time, since the finger moves in the direction along the key head surface of the key member while pushing the finger in the direction across the key head surface, the operation stress in the cross direction, that is, the pressing force, tends to be small.
However, the urging force of the spring 40h to the off position is set as described above within a range where the urging force to the off position can be overcome even by the pressing force that is the operating stress across the reduced key member.
After the operator's finger reaches the key head surface of the key member 20h, the operator can reliably press down the key member 20h.

Further, as shown in the drawing, in the embodiment of the keyboard character input device according to the present invention, the key head surface of the key member is not only suitable for receiving an operation stress from a direction crossing the key member, but also the key head surface. It does not have a protrusion that interferes with the finger moving from the direction along the key, and also receives the finger moving from the direction along the key head surface, that is, from the direction along the extension surface of the key head surface. It is desirable to have a suitable shape. In this embodiment, the key head surface has a convex shape that is continuously upward toward the center thereof. Thus, the finger that applies the pressing force can smoothly move to the adjacent key member.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the kanji character "Small" is input by such sliding keyboarding, as described above, the adjacent key members 20c, 20h, and 20m are sequentially entered. , 20r, 20w and 20v are depressed to the on position. An operation procedure and a conversion method included in the character input method at this time are shown in a chart shown in FIG. A signal corresponding to each key member is generated each time by the key signal generating means 50 shown in FIG. This key signal generating means receives the generated key signal by means 70 and temporarily stores it. A candidate character is selected by comparing the stored key signal with a character separately stored in the means 200 by the means 90. The stored characters are indexed by a permutation of a key member position display signal corresponding to a key member depressed when the stroke is traced on the keyboard character input device, and stored in the database. As shown in FIG. 5, a key signal is generated, but the comparison and candidate character selection by the means 90 are not performed before the temporary storage of up to five characters, as shown in steps 51 and 52. That is, the key members 20c, 20
When h, 20m, 20r, and 20w are pressed, five character signals are generated, and five characters are temporarily stored,
For the first time, as in step 53, comparison and selection of candidate characters are performed. The selected candidate character is displayed to the operator by the display means 110 on the CRT, and enters a standby state until the operator selects a character. At this time, “1.
3. Top is displayed as a candidate. When the operator presses a corresponding numeric key from a numeric keypad or the like to make a selection, the means 120 inputs the selected character.
When no candidate character is selected and the key member 20v is pushed down to the ON position as shown in FIG. Performs a new comparison selection operation, and as a result, as shown in step 54, for example, "1.
"Small, 2.Small, 3.Decimal" is selected as a candidate, displayed on the CRT by means 110, and is put into a standby state for character selection by the operator. If the operator selects the character that he / she wants to input, the character is determined by the means 120 and the character is delivered to the system 140. Until the selection is made, if another key member, for example, the key member 201 is pressed, the key signal is stored in the temporary storage means 70, and the means 90 performs comparison selection on the seven key signals, and CR the candidate character through 110
T is displayed, and the apparatus enters a standby state for character selection by the operator.

From the above description, when inputting characters, there is no special training by "sliding type keyboarding" in which the key member of the keyboard device is continuously pushed down in a "sliding type" so as to trace the actual characters. Also,
Obviously, you can enter characters quickly. Characters particularly suitable for the character input device of the present invention are characters, symbols, symbols, and the like constituted by vertical, horizontal, and oblique line segments, such as kanji, katakana, and capital letters of the alphabet.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention, that is, a numeric keypad suitable for a telephone number dialing device. A key member signal obtained by pressing a switch of a series of key members is obtained from this numeric keyboard, the plurality of position display signals are converted into a specific subscriber telephone number signal, and the subscriber telephone number is dialed. It is obvious to use for These numeric keyboard devices also have exactly the same structure as the above-described embodiment shown and described in FIG. In particular, these key members also each have means for applying a biasing force to the key members to an off position for turning off the switch. This urging force is shifted from the key head surface of the key member in the direction along the key head surface to the key head surface of the adjacent key member at the point of application of the operation pressing force acting perpendicular to the key head surface across the key head surface. By doing so, since it is set within the range of the force that can be pressed down to the ON position of the adjacent key member, a plurality of adjacent key members are not intermittent,
The sliding key operation can be performed by continuously tracing the operating stress in the direction along the key head surface.

In the ten-keyboard character input device 60 in which the key members are arranged in a matrix in the embodiment of FIG. 6, for example, when the telephone number of a certain post office is set to 12345658, the ten-keypad can be slid by the present invention. By tracing a figure with a “〒” mark in a keyboarding manner, dialing to a telephone office becomes possible.
That is, the operator can memorize the telephone number as a figure and dial it in such a way as to draw it.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment arranged in a non-matrix form. That is, the ten-keyboard device 70 that provides a plurality of “0” key members and increases the possibility of inputting ten types of ten-key members in a one-stroke principle in a slide keyboarding manner.

Conventionally, telephone numbers are numerically regular, or telephone numbers having numerical characteristics are easy to memorize, so that they are worth advertising and publicity. It is clear that phone numbers that are graphically regular or characteristic in, open the way for similar value.

FIG. 8 shows the keypad device 60 for telephone dialing shown in FIG. 6, in which the key members are continuously depressed so as to follow the shape of katakana by the above-mentioned "sliding keyboarding". Is a table for explaining a “sliding type keyboarding” method in the case of performing. This table shows which key members are traced on the telephone's numeric keyboard device so that all katakana strokes can be entered on the numeric keyboard device for telephone dialing so that katakana can be entered. The first line is the katakana on line a, the second line is ka line, the third line is sa line, the fourth line is ta line, the fifth line is na line, the sixth line is c line. , The seventh line, the eighth line, the ya line, the ninth line, the strokes for inputting katakana of the la line, the tenth line, and the wa line are shown. A database in which all katakana are compared and indexed by the permutation of these key member position indicating signals corresponding to the strokes is provided.

When the numeric keypad device and input method of the telephone are constructed according to the present invention, katakana can be easily and quickly input to the telephone by tracing katakana figures as shown in FIG. The telephone is used not only as a telephone but also as a terminal device for e-mail or the like. When inputting characters into the e-mail, an extremely practical kana character input device is provided.

The input method for inputting katakana by sliding keyboarding is the same as the case of inputting kanji as described with reference to the chart of FIG. 5, but as an embodiment, the input method is described in the chart of FIG. See
The case where "i" is input will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, a signal corresponding to each key member is generated by the key signal generating means, and each time a key is pressed, a corresponding key signal is generated. When "A" is performed, first, the key member 93 is pressed down, and a signal recognizing "3" is obtained. Hereinafter, the key members 95, 97, 9
5, are continuously pressed, and a corresponding key signal is generated.

As shown in steps 911 and 921, conversion by comparison search using a database is not performed until four key signals are accumulated. In step 931, four key signals are accumulated, but if there is no corresponding key, the next key member is pressed and the apparatus enters a standby state for generation of the next key signal. In step 941, when the fifth key member 98 is pressed, a search is performed for the five stored signal strings. However, as in step 931, since there is no corresponding kana, the process returns to the standby state. When the next key member 90 is pressed and a corresponding key signal is generated, in step 951, “A” corresponding to the key signal sequence is detected and input. This "A" can be converted into Hiragana and Kanji by pressing a key member 9E separately provided on the keyboard device as shown in step 961.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a ten-key device for dialing a telephone can provide a telephone capable of easily inputting a character such as an e-mail by tracing katakana on a ten-key as a graphic.

It is apparent that the present invention can be applied to a numeric keypad of a telephone, whether it is a portable telephone or a fixed telephone. Further, the ten-key keyboard device according to the present invention can be used as a cipher character input device for opening a door of a safe or a lock requiring security. FIG. 10 shows an example of use of this door-opening encrypted character input device. By tracing the figure in a sliding manner, for example, by tracing a triangle, the means 59 generates key signals 5, 7, 8, 9, 5 and temporarily stores them in the means 79. Corresponding means 99 collates with the signal from ROM 209 which has been input as 5, 7, 8, 9, 5 in advance, and sends a door unlock signal to lock opening means 119 when they match. The lock opening means sends a drive signal for releasing the lock to the lock in response to the unlock signal. In this way, the door is unlocked.

Since it is relatively easy to memorize a cryptographic number of a safe or the like as a figure rather than memorizing it as a mere list of numbers, using the numeric keyboard of the present invention, a slide type that traces a figure on the numeric keyboard is used. Since input can be performed, an encrypted character input device with improved practicality and efficiency can be provided.

A keyboard device according to yet another embodiment is schematically illustrated in FIG. This keyboard device has 40 key members, and the keyboard device also has the same structure as that of the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 1 except for the key member arrangement schematically shown. In particular, these key members also each have means for applying a biasing force to the key members to an off position for turning off the switch. This biasing force is transferred from the key head surface of the key member in the direction along the key head surface to the key head surface of the adjacent key member at the point of application of the operation pressing force acting perpendicular to the key head surface across the key head surface. By doing so, the force is set within the range of a force that allows the adjacent key member to be pushed down to the ON position. These key members are arranged so as to be suitable for known blind touch keyboarding. That is, the key member at the home position of the finger and the key members assigned to the total of eight fingers of both hands assigned to the home position are arranged around the key member. Thereby, character input by a known blind touch is possible. At the same time, the key member array is configured in a matrix such that adjacent key members are not only aligned in the X-axis direction but also aligned in the Y-axis direction.

That is, in a known key member arrangement suitable for blind touch key boarding, the key member is usually
Only the X-axis direction is located on a straight line, and is not linear in the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, adjacent key members are arranged in a straight line also in the Y-axis direction. Thus, in this further embodiment, the sliding key operation can be performed by continuously tracing the operation stress in the direction along the key head surface instead of intermittently moving the plurality of adjacent key members. it can.

In other words, the keyboard character input device having the key member array shown in FIG. 11 can perform sliding-type keyboarding while at the same time enabling the well-known blind touch keyboarding, so that it is extremely useful. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows a line segment 1 of the keyboard device of FIG. 2 according to the invention;
It is a partial sectional view by -1.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the keyboard device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a character input device using the keyboard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the character input device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the character input device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the numeric keyboard device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of another numeric keyboard device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a table for explaining a “sliding keyboarding” method for performing katakana input on the numeric keyboard device 60 of FIG. 6 or 7;

9 is a chart showing an operation procedure and an operation method of katakana input using the numeric keyboard device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a door-open cipher character input device using the numeric keyboard device of FIG. 6 or FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a key member array of still another embodiment according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 60, 70 Keyboard character input device 11 Keyboard base plate 20 Key member 21 Key head surface 40 Spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/02 H04M 1/02 C

Claims (7)

[Claims] Claims 1. A keyboard character input device, comprising a switch and a key head surface which receives stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device, wherein each switch is turned on and turned off. A plurality of key members movable between the off positions, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, and means for applying a biasing force to the key members to hold the key members in the off position, The key member can be moved to the ON position against the urging force by the operation stress applied by the operator of the keyboard character input device in the direction crossing the key head surface, and the point of the operation stress crossing the key head surface is When the operation stress is applied to the key member while sequentially and gradually transitioning to the key head surface of the adjacent key member in the direction along the key head surface, Force and the keyboard character input device and setting the range to overcome to allow movement to the on position of the key member to sequentially flanked by the operation stress. 2. A character input method using a keyboard, wherein a key member position display signal corresponding to the key member is generated in response to a key member of the keyboard being depressed 1). 2) temporarily storing the stored key member signal from a database that compares a permutation of the key member position display signal with a character whose stroke is represented by the key member position display signal permutation on the keyboard. Step 3) of selecting a character included in the permutation, Step 4) of displaying the selected character,
Step 5) of repeating the above steps 1) to 4) and step 6) of selecting the displayed character as a character to be input
The keyboard character input method described above. 3. A keyboard character input device, comprising a switch and a key head surface which receives stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device, wherein an on position for turning on each switch and an off position for turning off each switch. A plurality of key members movable between positions, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, means for applying a biasing force to the key members to hold the key members in the off position, and the plurality of members Means for generating a plurality of signals each indicating the position of the key member in the keyboard array body, and the key member is operated by an operator of the keyboard character input device in a direction across the key head surface, whereby the key member is It can move to the on position against the urging force, and when each switch is turned on, the position display signal of the corresponding key member is the position signal. To be generated from the generation means,
Means for converting the plurality of position indication signals into a specific subscriber telephone number signal, means for dialing the subscriber telephone number generated by the subscriber telephone number conversion means, and the point at which the operating stress crosses the key head surface corresponds to the key. When the operating stress is applied to the key member while gradually changing to the key head surface of the adjacent key member in the direction along the head surface, the urging force is applied to sequentially turn on the adjacent key member by the operating stress. The keyboard character input device suitable for telephone number dialing, wherein the keyboard character input device is set in a range that can be overcome so as to be able to move to a position. 4. A keyboard character input device, comprising a switch and a key head surface which receives stress applied by an operator of the keyboard character input device, wherein an on position for turning on each switch and an off position for turning off each switch. A plurality of key members movable between positions, a keyboard array in which a plurality of the key members are arranged, and means for applying a biasing force to the key members to hold the key members in the off position;
And means for generating a plurality of signals respectively indicating the positions of the plurality of key members in the keyboard array, wherein an operating stress applied in a direction across the key head surface by an operator of the keyboard character input device. The key member can move to the on position against the urging force, and when each switch is turned on, a position display signal of the corresponding key member is generated from the position signal generating means. Means for converting a plurality of position display signals into door opening signals, wherein the point of the operating stress crossing the key head surface is progressively progressive to the key head surface of an adjacent key member in a direction along the key head surface. When the operating stress is applied to the key member while transitioning to, the urging force can be sequentially moved to the ON position of the adjacent key member by the operating stress. The keyboard character input device suitable for door opening the dial, characterized in that set in the range that can be overcome. 5. A keyboard input device, comprising a switch and a key head surface which receives stress applied by an operator of the keyboard input device, wherein an on position turns on each switch and an off position turns off each switch. A plurality of key members movable between, a plurality of the key members in a matrix, and a keyboard array arranged so as to be suitable for known blind touch keyboarding,
And a means for applying a biasing force to the key member to hold the key member in the off position, wherein the key member receives the biasing force by an operation stress applied by the operator of the keyboard input device in a direction crossing the key head surface. The operation stress can be moved to the on position, and the operating stress crosses the key head surface in a direction along the key head surface and gradually changes to the key head surface of the adjacent key member, and the operating stress changes to the key head surface. The keyboard input device according to claim 1, wherein when applied to the member, the urging force is set in a range that can be overcome so that the adjacent key members can be sequentially moved to the ON position by the operation stress. 6. The character input method according to claim 2, wherein said keyboard character input device is a numeric keypad suitable for dialing a telephone. 7. A storage medium storing a program for realizing the character input method according to claim 2.