JP2002374334A - Character input device and method for inputting character by lever switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a character input device which has proper operability. SOLUTION: The character input device A, by which a character corresponding to pressing of an operation part is displayed on a display by pressing the operation part 11, is provided with a body 10 having multifunction key switches 1 operated by operating operation parts 11, so as to tilt in a plurality of directions and a plurality of characters 2 which are provided on this body 10 and outside of the switches 1 and which are displayed respectively in a plurality of directions. When the operation part 11 is tilted in one direction among the plurality of directions, the switch 1 is operated and the character 2 corresponding to the one direction is displayed on the display.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a character input device and a character input method using a lever switch, and more particularly to a character input device with good operability and a character input method using a lever switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in keyboard input of a personal computer, one input key is assigned to one character, and once a key is pressed, one input key is assigned. Characters can be entered. However, in this case, it is necessary to grasp the key arrangement as to which key corresponds to which character, and there is a difficulty in this point. On the other hand, in the character input method that is currently widely used in many mobile phones, since one input key corresponds to several characters, the number of keys is small, and the position of the key is associated with the character. Excellent in that it is easy. But,
This is not convenient in that a key must be pressed many times to enter one character. For example, in the input method currently used in major mobile phones, to input the kana character "e", press the key of the "a" line four times,
After "I", "U" and "E" are displayed, the enter key must be pressed. Such a situation can be applied not only to Japanese kana input but also to English alphabet and other language character input. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a character input device with good operability and a character input method using a lever switch.

[0003]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a character input device, wherein a character corresponding to the pressing of the operation unit is displayed by pressing the operation unit.
A multi-function key which is operated by operating the operation unit so as to tilt the operation unit in a plurality of directions.
A main body having a switch, provided on the main body, outside the multi-function key switch, in each of the plurality of directions, in a plurality of displayed characters, and in one of the plurality of directions, When the operation unit is tilted, the multi-function key switch is operated, and the characters corresponding to the one direction are displayed on the display.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a character input device according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of displayed characters are alphabetic characters, and the plurality of directions are at least four directions of front, rear, left and right. In the plurality of directions, the alphabetic characters are 4 in alphabetical order.
Are displayed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the character input device according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of directions of the multi-function key switch include: a vertical direction at a central portion of the multi-function key switch; "A line", "ka line", which are Japanese phonetic characters on the surface of the central portion of the operation portion of the multi-function key switch in five directions, that is, four directions of front, rear, left and right of the central portion.
Japanese phonetic characters at the beginning of any one of the rows of “Sa row” are displayed, and outside of the operation section of the multi-function key switch, each of the four directions In addition, four characters are displayed in order following the head part, which is the Japanese phonetic character displayed on the surface of the center part.

A character input device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the character input device according to the first aspect, wherein the multi-function key switch is operated by operating the key switch so as to be tilted in a plurality of directions.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inputting a character by using a lever switch, wherein the lever switch is input in four directions of front, rear, left and right, and one character is associated with one direction. Four characters can be entered with the switch.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A character input device and a character input method using a lever switch according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, A is a character input device (for example, a keyboard), and the character input device A is pressed (operated) by an operation unit 11 (for example, a lever 11 shown in FIG. 3). Characters corresponding to the pressing of the operation unit 11 are displayed on a display (display unit).

Reference numeral 10 denotes a main body having a multi-function key switch 1 which operates by operating the operation unit 11 so as to tilt the operation unit 11 in a plurality of directions. The multi-function key switch 1 is, for example, a lever switch, By pressing the lever 11 (pressing down in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), the movable contact member (not shown) is moved to turn on the switch (not shown), and the signal corresponding to the pushing direction is turned on. Is to be entered. That is, when the operation unit 11 is tilted in one of a plurality of directions, the multi-function key switch 1 is operated, and the characters corresponding to the one direction are displayed on a display (not shown). You. For example, if the operation unit 11 is tilted in the direction a, the character “a” is displayed, and if the operation unit 11 is tilted in the direction b, the character “b” is displayed.
The character "c" is displayed on the display (not shown) by tilting the operation unit 11 in the direction c, and the character "d" by tilting the operation unit 11 in the direction d. .

The multi-function key switch 1 is not limited to a lever switch, and operates by operating the operation unit so as to tilt in a plurality of directions without using a lever.
"Multifunctional key switch device (1
0), multi-function key switch device (53) ”, JP-A-2000-3534
No. 56, "Multi-directional switch". And
A plurality of displayed characters 2 are provided on the main body 10 in each of a plurality of directions outside the multi-function key switch 1. The displayed plurality of characters 2 are alphabetic characters, and the plurality of directions are at least four directions of front, rear, left and right, and the four alphabetical characters are displayed in alphabetical order in each of the plurality of directions. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, four sequences in alphabetical order are “a, b, c, d”, “e, f, g, h”,
"I, j, k, l", "m, n, o, p" ...

In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of directions are the four directions of front, rear, left and right, and the plurality of characters 2 are displayed in alphabetical order in each of the plurality of directions. In the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a diagonal direction is further added to the direction shown in FIG. 2, and eight alphabet characters are displayed in the diagonal direction in alphabetical order (“a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h "," i, j,
k, l, m, n, o, p "," q, r, s, t, u,
v, w, x "). In short, in the present invention, the plurality of directions are at least four directions of front, rear, left and right, and it is sufficient that four alphabet characters are displayed in alphabetical order in each of the plurality of directions.

Next, an example in which the character input device 1 is applied to a mobile phone will be described (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In the character input device A shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, as described above,
By pressing (operating) the operation unit 11, characters corresponding to the pressing of the operation unit 11 are displayed on the display D.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a main body having a multi-function key switch 1 which operates by operating the operation unit 11 so as to tilt the operation unit 11 in a plurality of directions. The multi-function key switch 1 operates the operation unit 11 in a plurality of directions. It is operated by being operated so as to be inclined (including 0 °). For example, the multi-function key switch device (10) and the multi-function key switch device (5
3) "," Multi-directional switch "described in JP-A-2000-353456. The plurality of directions of the multi-function key switch 1 are: a vertical direction at a center of the multi-function key switch 1 (a direction perpendicular to the operation unit 11), and four directions of front, rear, left and right of the center.
Direction, and any one of the Japanese phonetic characters "A", "KA", and "SA" on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11 of the multi-function key switch 1. Are displayed as Japanese phonetic characters at the beginning of each of FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in, `` A '' on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11,
"KA" and "SA" are displayed. The head portion, which is a Japanese phonetic notation character displayed on the surface of the central portion in each of the four directions outside the operation portion 11 of the multi-function key switch 1 provided in the main body 10 (“A”, “KA”, or “SA”) followed by “Ai-O-O-U” are displayed. That is, FIGS. 5 and 6
As shown in FIG. 5, when “A” is displayed on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11, “I” is displayed in each of the four directions.
When “U”, “E”, and “O” are displayed, and “KA” is displayed on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11, “K”, “K”, “ When “S” is displayed on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11, “S”, “S”,
"Set" and "so" will be displayed.

Therefore, by pressing the operation unit 11 (in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 or by pressing "a" or "ka" shown in FIGS. 5 and 6).
"Push" in the vertical direction) to move the movable contact member (not shown) to turn on the switch (not shown),
A signal corresponding to the pressing direction is input. When the operation unit 11 is tilted (including 0 °) in the direction of “A”, the character “A” is displayed on the display D. I have.

As a result, on the surface of the central part of the operation unit 11, the Japanese phonetic characters at the head of any one of the rows, rows and rows are displayed, and the multi-function key switch is displayed. Outside of 1 and in each of the four directions, four characters of "Ai-O-O-Jo" are displayed following the head of the line, the line, and the line displayed on the surface of the central part. Therefore, it becomes easier to grasp the arrangement of the input Japanese characters.

The above description is, in other words, as follows. The lever switch 1 is a rod-shaped lever.
By pressing 11, a signal suitable for the direction in which the button is pressed is input, and is sometimes called a stick key. Push the lever switch 1 in four directions: front, rear, left and right.
There are a type that can input one signal, a type that can input eight signals by moving it diagonally in addition to front, rear, left, and right.
It is also commonly used in mobile phones. A multi-cursor key that can input 5 signals in the downward direction and in the 5 directions
Some are called. These have different shapes, but their functions are basically the same.

In the present invention, the input of the lever switch 1 is made to correspond to the character input, and one character is input by pressing the lever switch 1 once. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of the lever switch 1 for inputting in four directions, front, rear, left, and right, by making one character correspond to one direction,
Four characters can be input with one lever switch 1. As shown in FIG. 4, in the case of the lever switch 1 which can be input in eight directions, eight characters can be input with one lever switch 1.
In this case, if the English alphabet has 26 characters, all the characters can be input if there are four lever switches 1. Here, the correspondence to the alphabetic keys may be in the order of abc or other considerations. Also, as shown in FIG.
By using the multi-cursorki-1 which can be input in the downward direction, the front, rear, left and right, five characters can be input with one multi-cursorki-1. In this case, 46 Japanese Kana characters can be input using ten multi-keys. At this time, if the "a" line of the kana character is applied to one multi-cursor -1, then "a"
-Up to "O" can be input with one multi-cursor key-1, and the arrangement of characters can be easily remembered. However, the arrangement of the kana characters need not be this way. In addition, multi cursor
1 may be a separated type divided into five parts.

[0019]

According to the character input device of the first aspect,
Since a plurality of characters are made to correspond to the multi-function key switch, the arrangement of the input characters can be easily grasped, and one character can be input by one input operation, thereby improving the operability.

According to the character input device of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the plurality of directions are:
At least four alphabet characters are displayed in alphabetical order in each of the plurality of directions in at least the four directions of front, rear, left and right, so that the arrangement of the input alphabet characters can be more easily grasped.

Further, according to the character input device of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the surface of the central part of the operation unit of the multi-function key switch is a Japanese sound notation character. A Japanese phonetic notation character at the beginning of any one of "A line", "KA line", and "SA line" is displayed, and the outside of the operation unit of the multi-function key switch. In each of the four directions, the four Japanese characters "aiueo order" following the head part, which are the Japanese phonetic characters displayed on the surface of the central part, are displayed. It becomes easier to grasp the arrangement of the objects.

Further, according to the character input method using the lever switch according to the fifth aspect, by associating a number of input characters with one lever switch, it becomes easy to grasp the arrangement of the input characters, It becomes possible to input one character by the input operation of.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial plan view in which a character input device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a keyboard.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing a part of FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing another embodiment different from the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view in which the character input device of the present invention is applied to a mobile phone.

FIG. 6 is a schematic partially enlarged plan view showing a part of FIG. 5 in an enlarged manner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Character input device 1 Multi-function key switch 2 Characters 10 Main unit 11 Operation unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A character input device in which a character corresponding to a press of an operation unit is displayed on a display by pressing the operation unit, wherein the operation is performed by operating the operation unit so as to tilt the operation unit in a plurality of directions. A body provided with a multi-function key switch, and a plurality of characters displayed outside the multi-function key switch in each of the plurality of directions; When the operation unit is tilted in one direction, the multi-function key switch is operated, and the characters corresponding to the one direction are displayed on the display. 2. The plurality of displayed characters are alphabetic characters, and the plurality of directions are at least four directions of front, rear, left and right, and the four alphabetical characters are displayed in alphabetical order in each of the plurality of directions. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The multi-function key switch has a plurality of directions: a vertical direction at a central portion of the multi-function key switch, and four directions of front, rear, left, and right of the central portion. A Japanese sound at the beginning of any one of the Japanese sound notation characters "A line", "KA line", and "SA line" on the surface of the central part of the operation unit of the switch; Notation characters are displayed, outside the operation unit of the multi-function key switch,
2. The character according to claim 1, wherein in each of the four directions, four characters in alphabetical order following the head portion, which are Japanese phonetic characters displayed on the surface of the central portion, are displayed. Input device. 4. The character input device according to claim 1, wherein the multi-function key switch is a lever switch that is operated by being operated so as to tilt in a plurality of directions. 5. A lever switch for inputting in four directions in front, rear, left and right directions, and a character switch corresponding to one character in one direction, whereby four characters can be input with one lever switch. How to input characters by.