JP2004046517A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment which permits key entry while maintaining compactness and input operability. <P>SOLUTION: A personal digital assistant 1 is provided with a main body 100 having a liquid crystal screen 110 on which a character or the like is displayed; and a cover 200 which is disposed so as to cover a part of the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100. The cover 200 is provided at a position where the cover overlaps a part of the liquid crystal screen 110, and is provided with a keyboard 211 having a plurality of keys for inputting a character or the like. On the cover 200, a window part is formed which includes a transparent plate 220 through which the liquid crystal screen 110 is visible. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device.
[0002]
[Background Art]
In recent years, electronic devices such as portable personal computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs), which have been rapidly becoming smaller and smaller than B5 and B6 sizes, have decided to give up on “key input” that hinders miniaturization. Pen input, in which the user touches the screen with a “pen” to perform input, has become mainstream.
In such pen input, for example, a “soft key input” in which a small virtual keyboard (soft key area) is displayed on a display screen and a key of the virtual keyboard is touched with a pen for input is often used. This soft key input does not require the use of a physical keyboard, and can be reduced in size without being bulky and convenient for carrying.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in view of input operability, there is still a high demand for a device provided with a physical keyboard for directly inputting with a finger. In this case, for example, a device including a keyboard at the lower side of the main body is configured to be detachable, or a foldable shape like a mobile phone, and one surface which is inside when folded is provided on one side. There are screens provided with a screen and a keyboard provided on the other surface. In any case, when characters and the like are input on the screen using the keyboard, the screen and the keyboard are arranged side by side, and there is a problem that the size of the entire electronic device becomes large.
[0004]
Therefore, in consideration of miniaturization of the entire electronic device, in this case, it is necessary to make the screen or keyboard smaller, and if the screen is made smaller, even a person who does not use the keyboard must use a smaller screen. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to see tables and images and the operability is poor. On the other hand, when the size of the keyboard is reduced, the size of the keys is also reduced, which causes a problem that the keys are hard to press and the operability is poor.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of key input while maintaining compactness and input operability.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The electronic device 1 according to the present invention is an electronic device including a main body 100 having a screen 110 on which characters and the like are displayed, and a cover 200 arranged so as to cover the screen of the main body. It is provided with a window part 220 which allows a part of the screen to be visually recognized, and a keyboard part 211 which is provided at a position overlapping with another part of the screen and has a plurality of character keys 21 to 32 for inputting characters and the like. Features.
[0007]
Here, as the electronic device, for example, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable personal computer (mobile personal computer), a notebook personal computer, a mobile phone, and the like can be considered.
Further, the screen of the main body constituting the electronic apparatus can be configured as, for example, a liquid crystal screen or the like that can detect a touch operation with a stylus pen or the like, and can be formed, for example, in a rectangular shape over substantially the entire surface of the main body. At this time, a soft key is displayed on the screen, and a character or the like can be input by touching the soft key with a stylus pen.
[0008]
Further, the window formed in the cover can be formed, for example, by forming a rectangular opening in the cover and providing a transparent plate made of synthetic resin or glass in the opening. At this time, a configuration in which the size of the opening formed in the cover and the size of a region on the screen of the main body where the above-described soft keys are not displayed (a display region described later) can be adopted. Note that a configuration in which a transparent plate is not provided in the opening may be employed. With such a window, a part of the screen that should be covered by the cover can be visually recognized.
[0009]
According to the present invention, since the keyboard portion is configured at a position overlapping a part of the screen, the overall size of the electronic device can be reduced and the size can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which a keyboard is provided outside the screen of the main body. Nature can be secured. At this time, while visually recognizing the screen through the window formed on the cover, characters and the like are input using the character keys of the keyboard unit provided on the cover, and the characters are input using a physical keyboard with a simple operation. Etc. can be entered.
Further, for example, by setting the window portion and the keyboard portion to appropriate dimensions, the operability as a keyboard and the usability as a screen can be sufficiently ensured.
[0010]
Further, when it is not necessary to input characters or the like using a keyboard, the entire screen can be largely used by removing the cover or the like, so that the browsability of the electronic device can be improved. In particular, in portable information terminals, etc., it is more common to view data and the like stored in advance from a computer and the like than to input characters and the like using character keys. Then, the browsability can be further improved.
[0011]
In addition, if the configuration is such that soft keys are displayed on the screen of the main body, both input of characters and the like using the character keys on the keyboard portion and soft key input using the soft keys displayed on the screen are performed. Can be used properly according to the user's preference and application.
[0012]
As described above, on the screen, a soft key area 111 for inputting characters and the like by touching at least one of the plurality of soft keys is displayed, and areas other than the soft key area on this screen are input by the soft keys. It is preferable that the display area is configured as a display area 112 for displaying the displayed characters and the like, and the window portion of the cover is formed in substantially the same size and position as the display area.
[0013]
Here, substantially the same size as the display area means that, in addition to the dimensions that match the dimensions of the display area, the dimensions that include the design error in the matching dimensions and the dimensions that are larger than the display area by a predetermined margin. And the size reduced by a predetermined amount so as not to impair the display function.
The soft key area is, for example, an area occupied by an entire rectangular keyboard formed by arranging a plurality of rectangular soft keys, and is displayed at a position on the lower side of the screen.
[0014]
According to such a configuration, even when comparing the case where the cover is attached to the main body and the case where the cover is removed from the main body and the soft keys are displayed, the size and position of the screen on which the characters and the like are displayed are substantially the same. As a result, even when characters are input with the cover attached, the same operability as when the cover is removed can be ensured, and there is no waste.
[0015]
In the above, the keyboard unit may be provided with twelve character keys in upper, lower, right, left, and three columns in which at least two types of characters among three types of characters, numerals, alphabets, and symbols are respectively written. preferable.
[0016]
Here, as the character keys of the keyboard section, for example, a configuration in which a plurality of English characters (Roman characters and alphabets) are set to one character key can be adopted. In this case, it is possible to perform a Japanese roman alphabet input by selecting a character to be input by performing a switching operation based on the number of times each character key is pressed, pressing a mode switching key, or the like.
[0017]
In this case, by setting a plurality of types of characters for one character key, the number of character keys can be reduced as compared with a conventional keyboard, and portability can be improved. Further, since the number of character keys can be reduced as described above, each character key can be increased in size, so that input operability can be further improved.
[0018]
In the above description, five character keys 21 to 25 of the twelve character keys correspond to the letters “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O”, which are alphabets representing vowels. Is preferably individually written on each character key, and the other seven character keys 26 to 32 preferably have the other 21 characters of the alphabet written on each character key by three characters.
In such a configuration, the most frequently used vowels "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O" in both Japanese and English are set as separate character keys, so You can set to input each character by key operation of. For this reason, the operability at the time of inputting Japanese romaji and English can be improved, and high-speed input becomes possible.
[0019]
In the above, among the twelve character keys, "A", "I", and "U" are respectively described in order from the left character key to the three character keys 21 to 23 in the first row. “E”, “O”, and “YWX” are respectively written in order from the left key to the three character keys 24 to 26 in the second row, and the three character keys 27 to 29 in the third row are “KGF”, “SZJ”, and “TDV” are described in order from the left key, and “NCQ”, “HBP”, “HQ”, RML "is preferably described.
[0020]
Here, in a character key in which characters other than vowels are described, that is, in a character key in which three consonants (alphabet) are described, input characters are sequentially switched according to the number of times the character key is pressed. It can be.
[0021]
According to such a configuration, a character can be input only by pressing the character key up to three times, most of the time, once or twice. That is, it is set so that seven keys of “K, S, T, N, H, M, Y, R, W” written on the other seven character keys can be input by one press. Because you can do it, you need only press the consonant key and the vowel key once each for Japanese clear sounds (for example, ka line, sa line, ta line, na line, ha line, ya line, wa line characters). , Can be entered very easily. Therefore, the number of times the character key is pressed during character input can be reduced, the input operation can be simplified, and the kana character can be input very efficiently.
[0022]
In addition, since the vowels are on the upper side of the character key group (first and second steps) and the consonants are on the lower side (second to fourth steps), the position of each character key can be easily grasped, and operability is improved. Can be improved. In particular, since the vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, and “O” are arranged from the first stage to the second stage and from left to right, It is easy to remember the key position of the vowel, and the operability can be further improved.
In addition, since each consonant is arranged in the order of the Japanese syllabary from the third row to the fourth row, "K" for inputting "ka row" and "S" for inputting "sa row", The key position of each consonant can be easily grasped.
[0023]
In the above, it is preferable that a number or a symbol for which an input is set for each character key is written near each of the character keys.
In this case, for example, on the keyboard, in addition to the 12 character keys, a mode switching key for switching characters and the like input from each character key is provided, and in a state where the mode is switched by the mode switching key, By setting the numbers and the like written near each character key to be inputtable, the number of characters and the like written on each character key can be reduced, and the written characters can be made large and easy to see. In addition, by displaying the numbers and the like set for each character key near each character key, it is possible to easily confirm and grasp what numbers and the like are set for each character key.
[0024]
In the above, it is preferable that the cover is configured to be detachable from the main body.
According to such a configuration, when the user wants to view the entire screen without using the keyboard provided on the cover, the cover can be removed and the main body can be used with a reduced weight.
[0025]
In the above, it is preferable that the cover is configured to be rotatable with respect to the main body.
In this case, for example, if you want to see the entire screen when using the keyboard on the cover, simply rotate the cover with respect to the main unit without removing the cover from the main unit. it can. When the user wants to use the keyboard of the cover again, the keyboard can be easily rotated by rotating the keyboard in the direction opposite to the above.
[0026]
In the above description, the cover 200 may include two keyboard units, a keyboard unit 211A provided on the front surface of the cover and a keyboard unit 211B provided on the back surface of the cover.
Here, in a state where the cover is opened, characters and the like can be input using the keyboard portion on the back surface of the cover. In this case, since the entire screen can be exposed to the outside, the input area can be enlarged. On the other hand, when the cover is closed, input can be performed using a keyboard provided on the surface of the cover. In this case, the electronic device can be used in a compact state.
Therefore, the user can appropriately select the two types of input methods using the keyboard unit each time according to the situation or the like, so that it is possible to provide a user-friendly electronic device.
[0027]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A portable information terminal as an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the portable information terminal 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the portable information terminal 1 includes a box-shaped main body 100 made of metal or the like, and a plate-shaped cover 200 attached to the surface 100 </ b> A of the box-shaped main body 100.
[0028]
On a front surface 100A of the main body 100, a rectangular liquid crystal screen 110 on which characters and the like are displayed, and operation buttons 120 including a cursor button 120A provided below the liquid crystal screen 110 are provided.
The liquid crystal screen 110 is capable of detecting a touch operation with a stylus pen (not shown) and is configured substantially over the entire surface 100A of the main body 100. The liquid crystal screen 110 displays input characters by such a touch operation, and displays a communication line, a recording medium, and the like. And various data such as images acquired via the PC.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 1, a rectangular soft keyboard 111 is displayed on the lower side of the liquid crystal screen 110 by pressing an operation button 120 or the like. At this time, on the liquid crystal screen 110, a rectangular display area 112 for displaying characters and the like input by a touch operation of the soft keyboard 111 is provided at a position above the soft keyboard 111.
[0030]
The soft keyboard 111 includes a plurality of keys (soft keys) as software. By touching these soft keys with the stylus pen, it is possible to input characters displayed in each soft key. . On the liquid crystal screen 110, an area occupied by the soft keyboard 111 is a soft key area.
[0031]
In addition, a connection portion 130 for connecting the cover 200 is formed at the upper end of the surface 100A of the main body 100. The connection section 130 is configured to be detachable from the connection section 212 of the cover 200 by operating the attachment / detachment buttons 130A provided on the left and right ends of the main body 100.
[0032]
Although not shown, the main body 100 is connected to an infrared port for communicating with an external device, a slot for connecting a recording medium (a memory card, a PC card, etc.), a connection port for a mobile phone, and a cradle. Various interfaces for connecting external devices such as ports are provided. A speaker for outputting sound is also provided.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 200 is a member that covers the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100, and has a size corresponding to the surface 100 </ b> A of the main body 100 and is formed as a plate made of metal or resin. The cover 200 includes a cover main body 210 in which a rectangular opening 210A is formed on the upper side, and a transparent plate 220 made of synthetic resin fitted in the opening 210A.
[0034]
The cover body 210 includes a keyboard 211 as a keyboard provided below the opening 210 </ b> A on the surface thereof, and a connection part 212 formed at the upper end for connection to the body 100.
When the cover 200 is attached to the main body 100, the keyboard 211 is provided at a position overlapping a part of the liquid crystal screen 110, that is, a part where the soft keyboard 111 is displayed.
[0035]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a keyboard of cover 200 of portable information terminal 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the keyboard 211 includes twelve circular character keys 21 to 32 arranged in four rows and three columns, and circular or elliptical 11 keys provided on both sides of the character keys 21 to 32. Function keys 51 to 61.
[0036]
Above the key top of each of the character keys 21 to 32, the left side (upper left side with respect to the key top center), the middle (upper side with respect to the key top center), and the right side (upper right with respect to the key top center) In this order, the character key 21 is “() ′”, the character key 22 is “｛｝”, the character key 23 is “” ＾ ”, the character key 24 is“ <> ｀ ”, "[] Tilde symbol" for the key 25, "/% │" for the character key 26, "-+ _" for the character key 27, "@ * #" for the character key 28, "@ &@" for the character key 29, and the character The key 30 indicates “• :;”, the character key 31 indicates “, = 〜”, and the character key 32 indicates “.!?”.
[0037]
The vowels "A", "I", and "U" are provided on the lower left side (the lower left side with respect to the center of the key top) of the five character keys 21 to 25 out of the 12 character keys 21 to 32. , "E", and "O" are represented alone. On the right side of “A” of the character key 24, “tsu” for inputting a prompt is described.
[0038]
On the other seven character keys 26 to 32, three other 21 characters of the alphabet are written. Specifically, when the key top center is shown in the order of the lower left side, the lower side, and the lower right side, "YWX" is assigned to the character key 26, "KGF" is assigned to the character key 27, and "KGF" is assigned to the character key 28. “SZJ”, “TDV” on the character key 29, “NCQ” on the character key 30, “HBP” on the character key 31, and “RML” on the character key 32.
[0039]
That is, in Japanese Roman alphabet input, a consonant "K, S, T, N, H, R, Y" for inputting "ka line, sa line, ta line, na line, wa line, ra line, ya line" Is displayed on the lower left side of each of the character keys 26 to 32, and the consonants "G, Z, D, B" and "ma line, wa line" for inputting "ga line, za line, da line, ba line" are displayed. The consonants “M, W” and “C” to be input are displayed below the character keys 26 to 32, and the consonants “P” and “F, J, V, Q, L, “X” is written on the lower right side of each of the character keys 26 to 32.
[0040]
In the three first-stage character keys 21 to 23, a numeral “1” is located near the upper left of the character key 21, a numeral “2” is located near the upper left of the character key 22, and a numeral “2” is located at the upper left of the character key 23. The number “3” is written near the side. In the vicinity of the upper right side of the character key 23, an arrow “←” indicating a cursor is described.
[0041]
In the three character keys 24 to 26 in the second row, a numeral “4” is located near the upper left of the character key 24, a numeral “5” is located near the upper left of the character key 25, and a numeral “5” is located near the upper left of the character key 26. The numeral "6" is written near the side. In the vicinity of the upper right side of the character key 26, an arrow “→” indicating a cursor is described.
[0042]
In the three character keys 27 to 29 in the third row, the numeral “7” is located near the upper left of the character key 27, the numeral “8” is located near the upper left of the character key 28, and the numeral “8” is located in the upper left of the character key 29. The numeral "9" is written near the side. In the vicinity of the upper right side of the character key 29, an arrow “↑” indicating a cursor is described.
[0043]
In the three character keys 30 to 32 of the fourth row, a numeral “0” is located near the upper left of the character key 30, a numeral “,” is located near the upper left of the character key 31, and a numeral “,” is located near the upper left of the character key 32. A number “.” Is written near the side. In the vicinity of the upper right side of the character key 32, an arrow “↓” indicating a cursor is described.
[0044]
Note that “←”, “→”, “↑”, and “↓” written near the upper right of the character keys 23, 26, 29, and 32 are used together with a function key 56 written with “Fn” described later. Pressing the button enables use.
[0045]
In the function keys 51 to 61, various functions to be used at the time of switching input modes and inputting characters are set. That is, on the key tops of the function keys 51 to 61, symbols and characters indicating functions input when the function keys 51 to 61 are individually pressed are displayed. Note that there are four input modes, “kana mode (hiragana mode, katakana mode)”, “alphabet mode”, “numeric mode”, and “symbol mode”.
[0046]
At the key top of the function key 51, a function of switching the input mode to a "numerical mode" for inputting a numeral is set.
“Symbol” is displayed on the key top of the function key 52, and a function of switching the input mode to “symbol mode” for inputting a symbol is set.
[0047]
In the key top of the function key 53, "alphabet" is written, and in addition to the function of switching the input mode to the "alphabet mode", the function of switching the "alphabet mode" to the "lowercase mode" or "uppercase mode" Is also set.
The key top of the function key 54 is described as “A / A”, and in addition to the function of switching the input mode to “Kana mode”, the function of switching this “Kana mode” to “Hiragana mode” or “Katakana mode” Is also set.
[0048]
In the key top of the function key 55, "Shift" is written, and a general shift key function is set. A function is set to switch the kana (kana) to uppercase or lowercase when one character is input in "mode" and "katakana mode".
At the key top of the function key 56, "Fn" is written, and a function as an Fn key that enables use of a function assigned to each key in combination with another key is set.
[0049]
At the key top of the function key 57, a “Space conversion ⇒” shape is described, and in addition to a function as a space key for inserting a space, an input character is converted to a kanji or the like, and conversion candidates are input continuously and converted. Or a function as a conversion key for displaying. The function key 57 is formed in an elliptical shape, unlike the other function keys 51 to 56 and 58 to 61, which are circular.
[0050]
At the key top of the function key 58, "BS" is written, and a function of a backspace key for deleting one character to the left of the cursor position (input position) is set.
The key top of the function key 59 is described as “Alt”, and a function as an alt key that performs a predetermined function in combination with another character key is set.
[0051]
The function key 60 is described as “Ctrl”, and a function as a control key for performing a predetermined function such as a shortcut function in combination with another character key is set.
In the function key 61, a symbol indicating an arrow is written, and a function of determining an undetermined character and performing a line feed after the determination is set.
[0052]
In the vicinity of the upper right side of each of the function keys 51 to 55 and 58 to 61, characters and symbols indicating functions are written. These characters and the like can be used by pressing them together with the function key 56 described as “Fn”.
[0053]
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 51, “ESC” is written, and a function as an escape key used to cancel an erroneous operation or exit from a situation is set in the function key 51.
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 52, “half” is written, and the function key 52 is set with a function of switching an input character to half size or full size.
[0054]
“Tab” is written near the upper right side of the function key 53, and a function as a tab key for moving a cursor during document creation is set in the function key 53.
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 54, “small” is written, and the function key 54 is set with a function of switching an input alphabetic character or the like to lowercase or uppercase.
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 55, "Caps" is written, and a function as a caps lock key for making the input alphabet letters all uppercase is set in the function key 55.
[0055]
“Del” is written near the upper right side of the function key 58, and a function as a delete key for deleting a file or the like is set in the function key 58.
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 59, a symbol such as “△ □ △” is written, and the function key 59 is set with a function of repeating a character input immediately before.
[0056]
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 60, “PgUp” is written, and a function as a page up key for moving a cursor to a previous page side during document creation is set in the function key 60.
In the vicinity of the upper right side of the function key 61, “PgDn” is written, and a function as a page down key for moving a cursor to a rear page side during creation of a document is set in the function key 61.
[0057]
Hereinafter, a procedure for inputting characters and the like using these keys 21 to 32 and 51 to 61 will be described.
In the case of inputting a symbol or the like written in the upper part of the key top in the character keys 21 to 32, first, the function key 52 written as “symbol” is depressed to set “symbol mode”. In this state, when each of the character keys 21 to 32 is pressed, the upper symbols and the like written on each of the character keys 21 to 32 can be input in order from the left according to the number of times of pressing. For example, when the character key 26 is pressed twice, “%” can be input, and when the character key 31 is pressed three times, “〜” can be input. Thereafter, a symbol or the like is input by depressing the function key 61 to determine it.
[0058]
Next, in the case of inputting an English character by a character or the like written in the lower part of the key top, the user presses the function key 53 described as “English character”, sets “English mode”, and performs the input as described above. Characters and the like are selected and fixed according to the number of times of pressing, and characters and the like are input. For example, when the character key 27 is pressed twice, "G" can be input.
[0059]
When inputting Japanese Roman characters using characters or the like written in the lower part of the key top, the user presses the function key 54 written as "A / A" to select "Hiragana mode" or "Katakana mode". Is set, and the input characters and the like are selected and fixed according to the number of presses, and the characters and the like are input as described above.
[0060]
For example, in the case where the "Hiragana mode" is set, if the character key 28 is pressed three times and then the character key 21 is pressed once, "Ja" can be input, and "Ja" is input by confirmation.
Further, for example, in the case where the “Katakana mode” is set, if the character key 27 is pressed once and then the character key 25 is pressed once, “U” can be input, and “U” is input when confirmed.
[0061]
As described above, in the case of Japanese romaji input, the characters of kana (hiragana, katakana) are pressed one to three times by pressing the character keys 27 to 32 and then the character keys 21 to 25 indicating vowels are pressed. Press once to enter. Therefore, kana (kana) characters can be input with an average of two presses, and “line (ka line, sa line, ta line...)” Is set for one key as in a general mobile phone. The average number of times of pressing at the time of input can be reduced as compared with the case where an input character is selected by the number of times of pressing.
[0062]
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the portable information terminal 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the transparent plate 220 functions as a rectangular window, and the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100 can be visually recognized through the transparent plate 220. As shown in FIG. 1, the size of the window formed by the transparent plate 220 is the same as the size of the display area 112 of the liquid crystal screen 110. Thus, the entire display area 112 on the liquid crystal screen 110 can be used without waste.
[0063]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover 200 is attached to the main body 100, the display area 112 of the liquid crystal screen 110 and the window of the cover 200 coincide with each other. Can be input.
[0064]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing how the cover 200 rotates with respect to the main body 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 200 and the main body 100 are attached to each other by engagement of a pin (not shown) provided in the connection portion 130 of the main body 100 with a hole formed in the connection portion 212 of the cover 200. I have.
[0065]
Further, when the detachable buttons 130A provided on both side surfaces of the main body 100 are pressed in a direction approaching each other, the pins are retracted into the inner side of the main body 100, and these pins are disengaged from the holes of the cover 200. The cover 200 can be removed from the cover 100.
[0066]
On the other hand, when the cover 200 is attached to the main body 100, the connection portions 130 and 212 connected to each other function as a hinge due to the engagement between the pin and the hole. It is configured to be rotatable with respect to 100.
[0067]
Next, a procedure for using the portable information terminal 1 in each case will be described.
<1> When inputting characters, etc. using the soft keyboard 111
First, the user makes the entire liquid crystal screen 110 exposed so that the entire liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100 can be visually recognized. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover 200 is removed from the main body 100 by pressing the attach / detach button 130A, or the cover 200 is rotated with respect to the main body 100 as shown in FIG.
[0068]
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the user presses a predetermined operation button 120 in this state to display a soft keyboard 111 on the liquid crystal screen 110, and touches each soft key with a stylus pen (not shown). To input characters and the like.
[0069]
When the input of characters and the like is completed in this manner, the user presses the operation button 120 again to turn off the soft keyboard 111 from the liquid crystal screen 110, and ends the input operation.
[0070]
<2> When inputting characters and the like using the keyboard 211 of the cover 200
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the user arranges the cover 200 so as to cover the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100 as shown in FIG. Then, the keyboard 211 is electrically connected to the main body 100 side, and the soft keyboard 111 can be used. In addition, as such a configuration, for example, when the cover 200 is mounted on the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100, the connection portions 130 and 212 are electrically connected, It is conceivable that a predetermined projection is formed, and the projection is brought into contact with the liquid crystal screen 110 and is electrically connected to the liquid crystal screen 110. By such means, it is possible to set such that the keyboard 211 can be used.
[0071]
Next, the user inputs characters and the like by pressing the keys 21 to 32 and 51 to 61 of the keyboard 211 while visually checking the display area 112 of the liquid crystal screen 110 through the window of the cover 200. Specifically, for example, when a schedule is input in Japanese into a schedule as shown in FIG. 3, the function key 54 is pressed to set the mode to “Hiragana input mode”, and in this state, the character keys 21 to 32 are set. By pressing the key, the function key 57 is appropriately pressed to convert the character into a kanji, thereby inputting a Japanese Roman character. When the input of characters and the like is completed in this way, the user turns or removes the cover 200 from the main body 100, and ends the input operation.
[0072]
<3> When viewing the entire LCD screen 110 (when character input is not required)
The user presses the attach / detach button 130A as shown in FIG. 1 to remove the cover 200 from the main body 100 so that the entire liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100 can be visually recognized, or as shown in FIG. The cover 200 is rotated with respect to the main body 100. In this way, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, substantially the entire schedule can be displayed on the liquid crystal screen 110. At this time, the operation button 120 is appropriately pressed to display the schedule on the liquid crystal screen 110. By scrolling, the display screen can be efficiently viewed. When the visual recognition of the screen is completed in this way, the user returns the cover 200 to the original state and ends the operation.
[0073]
According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the keyboard 211 is configured at a position overlapping a part of the liquid crystal screen 110, the overall size of the portable information terminal 1 can be reduced as compared with a conventional configuration in which a keyboard is provided outside the main body screen. Compactness can be secured. At this time, while visually recognizing the liquid crystal screen 110 through a window formed by the transparent plate 220 formed on the cover 200, characters and the like are formed using the keys 21 to 32 and 51 to 61 of the keyboard 211 provided on the cover 200. By inputting, characters and the like can be input using the physical keyboard 211 with a simple operation.
[0074]
(2) When it is not necessary to input characters or the like using the keyboard 211, the cover 200 is removed from the liquid crystal screen 110, so that the entire liquid crystal screen 110 is largely used and the browsability of the portable information terminal 1 can be improved. . In particular, in the portable information terminal 1, there are more cases in which data or the like stored in advance from a computer or the like is viewed than when characters or the like are input using the keys 21 to 32, 51 to 61, and thus a GUI (graphical user interface) is used. By performing a touch operation using an icon on the liquid crystal screen 110 in accordance with, for example, it is possible to further enhance the browsability of data or the like that requires viewing the entirety of a table or image.
[0075]
(3) Since the soft keyboard 111 is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 110 of the main body 100, input of characters and the like using the keys 21 to 32, 51 to 61 of the keyboard 211 and software displayed on the liquid crystal screen 110 are performed. Both the input method and the input method using the keyboard 111 can be used, and the method can be appropriately used depending on the user's preference and application.
[0076]
(4) Since the display area 112 of the liquid crystal screen 110 and the transparent plate 220 are configured to have substantially the same size and position, the case where the cover 200 is attached to the main body 100 and the case where the cover 200 is removed from the main body 100 are compared. Also, since the dimensions of the display area 112 in which characters and the like are displayed are substantially the same, even when the cover 200 is attached, the same operability as when the cover 200 is removed can be secured.
[0077]
(5) Since the size of the keyboard 211 and the size of the soft keyboard 111 are configured to be substantially the same, the same operability can be ensured when the keyboard 211 is used and when the soft keyboard 111 is used.
[0078]
(6) By setting a plurality of types of characters to one character key 21 to 32, the number of character keys 21 to 32 can be reduced as compared with a conventional keyboard, and portability can be improved. Further, since the number of character keys 21 to 32 can be reduced in this way, each character key 21 to 32 can be increased in size, and input operability can be further improved.
[0079]
(7) Since the most frequently used vowels "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O" in both Japanese and English are set in separate character keys 21 to 25, once Each key can be easily input with the key operation, and the operability of Japanese Roman alphabet input and English input can be improved, and high-speed input is also possible.
[0080]
(8) The character keys 26 to 32 include “YWX”, “KGF”, “SZJ”, “TDV”, “NCQ”, “HBP”, and “RML” from the upper left to the lower right. Because of the notation, characters can be input only by pressing the character keys 21 to 32 at most three times, most of them once or twice. That is, Japanese clear sounds (for example, characters of ka row, sa row, ta row, na row, ha row, ya row, wa row) are character keys 26 to 32 indicating consonants and character keys 21 to 21 indicating vowels. By simply pressing "1" and "25" once, the input can be made very easily. For this reason, the number of times the character keys 21 to 32 are pressed during character input can be reduced, and the input operation can be simplified and the character can be input very efficiently.
[0081]
(9) Since the character keys 21 to 25 indicating vowels are arranged on the upper side of the keyboard 211 and the character keys 26 to 32 indicating consonants are arranged on the lower side, the position of each character can be easily grasped, and operability is improved. Can be improved.
[0082]
(10) Since “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, and “O” indicating vowels are arranged from left to right from the first stage to the second stage, each vowel is It is easy to remember the positions of the indicated character keys 21 to 25, and the operability can be further improved.
[0083]
(11) Similarly, since the consonants are arranged in the order of the Japanese syllabary from the third row to the fourth row, "K" for inputting "ka row" and "S" for inputting "sa row" are arranged. The positions of the character keys 26 to 32 indicating the consonants can be easily grasped.
[0084]
(12) On the keyboard 211, the numbers or symbols set to be input to the respective character keys 21 to 32 are written in the vicinity of the respective character keys 21 to 32, so that these numbers and symbols are assigned to the character keys 21 to 32. Compared with the case of writing, the number of characters and the like written on each of the character keys 21 to 32 can be reduced, and the written characters can be large and easy to see. Furthermore, by displaying the numbers and the like set to the respective character keys 21 to 32 in the vicinity of the respective character keys 21 to 32, it is possible to easily confirm what numbers and the like are set to the respective character keys 21 to 32. Can understand.
[0085]
(13) Since the cover 200 and the main body 100 are configured to be detachable, when the user wants to view the entire liquid crystal screen 110 without using the keyboard 211 provided on the cover 200, the cover 200 is removed. The main body 100 can be used with its weight reduced.
[0086]
(14) Since the cover 200 is configured to rotate with respect to the main body 100, when the user wants to view the entire liquid crystal screen 110 while using the keyboard 211 of the cover 200, the cover 200 is bothersome. It can be easily implemented simply by rotating the cover 200 with respect to the main body 100 without removing the cover 200 from the main body 100. When the user wants to use the keyboard 211 of the cover 200 again, the keyboard 211 can be easily rotated by rotating the keyboard 211 in the opposite direction to that described above.
[0087]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description is omitted or simplified.
[0088]
The portable information terminal 1 according to the second embodiment includes the same main body 100 and the cover 200 as in the first embodiment. However, in the first embodiment, the keyboard 211 as a keyboard unit is provided only on the front side of the cover 200. In the present embodiment, however, the keyboard which is the first keyboard unit is provided on the front side of the cover 200. A keyboard 211B, which is a second keyboard unit, is provided on the back side of the cover 200, that is, a surface that can be used when the cover 200 is opened as shown in FIG. That is, the cover 200 is provided with two sets of keyboards 211A and 211B.
In this embodiment, each of the keyboards 211A and 211B has the same number of keys, the same character arrangement, and the like.
The cover 200 according to the second embodiment has one side surface rotatably attached to a side surface of the main body by a hinge or the like, and is configured to be opened and closed in a laterally open manner.
[0089]
In this embodiment, when the cover 200 is closed, as in the first embodiment, the first keyboard 211A is viewed while viewing the display area 112 of the liquid crystal screen 110 through the window of the cover 200. By pressing the keys 21 to 32 and 51 to 61, characters and the like are input.
[0090]
On the other hand, when the cover 200 is opened, characters and the like can be input using the second keyboard 211B on the back side of the cover 200. At this time, the entire liquid crystal screen 110 can be used as an area for displaying and inputting information.
When the cover 200 is opened, a soft keyboard 111 may be displayed on the liquid crystal screen 110 as in the first embodiment, and characters may be input by touching each soft key with a stylus pen (not shown). .
[0091]
In this embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
In addition, since the keyboard 211B is provided on the back side of the cover 200, the character input method using the keyboard 211B can be used while opening the cover 200 and using the entire screen 110 as an input or information display area. it can. For this reason, the user can input characters in a compact state by closing the cover 200 and using the keyboard 211A. By opening the cover 200 and using the keyboard 211B, the user can obtain a large input / information display area. The user can select an input method that can perform character input in a state in which the character is secured, or an input method in which the cover 200 is opened and character input is performed using the soft keyboard 111, according to the user's preference, the situation at the time of use, and the like. The portable information terminal 1 can be easily used.
[0092]
Furthermore, since the cover 200 is of the horizontal opening type, the size of the cover 200 is larger when the cover 200 is opened than when the cover 200 is closed, but since the cover 200 can be used as if a book is opened and read, Compared with the case where the cover 200 is closed, it is possible to realize the same ease of use.
[0093]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes modifications and improvements as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. For example, although a portable information terminal is used as the electronic device, other electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a portable or notebook personal computer, and the like may be used.
[0094]
In the cover 200 of the embodiment, the transparent plate 220 is provided on the upper side and the keyboard 211 is provided on the lower side. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transparent plate 220 is provided on the lower side and the keyboard 211 is provided on the upper side. Alternatively, for example, the main body 100 may be horizontally arranged so that the main body 100 is arranged on the left and right. Therefore, the positions where the transparent plate 220 and the keyboard 211 are arranged are not particularly limited.
In addition, the size of the window formed by the transparent plate 220 may include the display area 112 and be larger than the display area 112. For example, the size of the window may be a size that extends to a portion where the soft keyboard 111 is displayed.
[0095]
Further, in the keyboard 211 of the cover 200, the vowel is set on the upper side and the consonant is set on the lower side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vowel and the consonant may be set at opposite positions, and each character is set. The position of the character key is not particularly limited.
In the above embodiment, characters and the like are input using the soft keyboard 111, but the soft keyboard 111 does not always have to be used.
[0096]
In the above-described embodiment, the number of character keys 21 to 32 is set to 12, but is not limited to this. For example, the same number as a general keyboard arrangement (QWERTY arrangement), an alphabetical arrangement, or the like is used. May be provided. Further, the arrangement positions of the character keys 21 to 32 are not limited to the upper and lower four rows and the left and right three columns.
[0097]
Furthermore, in the character keys 21 to 32, the vowels are arranged in the order of "aiueo", and the consonants are arranged in the order of "ka, sa, ta, na ..." and "line". Is not limited. However, as in the above-described embodiment, the arrangement with a certain regularity has the advantage that the user can easily remember the settings and can input efficiently.
[0098]
A predetermined character or symbol is written near each of the character keys 21 to 32 or the function keys 51 to 55 and 58 to 61, and these characters and the like can be input by the keys in the vicinity, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the notation of such a neighborhood may not be required, and the notation of these neighborhoods may be directly written on each of the keys 21 to 32, 51 to 55, and 58 to 61. However, the notation in the vicinity makes it easier to see the notations of the keys 21 to 32, 51 to 55, and 58 to 61, and has the advantage of preventing erroneous input and enabling efficient input.
[0099]
Although the cover 200 is configured to be detachable and rotatable from the main body 100, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cover 200 may be configured to include only one of the rotating and detachable structures, or may be configured not to include any of the structures. . For example, a structure or the like in which the cover 200 is slid with respect to the main body 100 can be adopted.
[0100]
When the keyboards 211A and 211B are provided on both sides of the cover 200, the keyboards 211A and 211B having the same configuration are provided in the second embodiment. Each may be provided. For example, a keyboard for screen scrolling may be separately provided on the keyboard 211B on the back side.
[0101]
Further, in the second embodiment, the cover 200 is opened to the right with respect to the main body 100, so that it is easy to use particularly when operating the keyboard 211B with the right hand. The cover 200 may be opened to the left for easy operation.
Further, the lower end of the cover 200 may be rotatably attached to the lower end of the main body 100 so that the cover 200 is opened downward with respect to the main body 100. In this case, there is an advantage that the keyboard 211B on the back side can be input in the same manner with either the right hand or the left hand, and only one type of manufacturing is required.
[0102]
In addition, specific structures and shapes, dimensions, combinations, uses, and the like at the time of carrying out the present invention may be other structures and the like as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved.
[0103]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the screen and the keyboard overlap each other, the size of the entire electronic device can be reduced and the compactness can be reduced as compared with the conventional case where a keyboard is provided outside the screen. The effect is that it can secure. In addition, at the time of use, while visually recognizing the screen through the window formed on the cover, characters and the like are input using the character keys of the keyboard portion provided on the cover, so that characters and the like can be input with a simple operation. Can be entered.
[0104]
According to the invention described in claim 2, the size of the screen on which characters and the like are displayed is substantially the same even when the cover is attached to the main body and when the cover is removed from the main body. The same operability as when the character is removed can be secured even when the character is input with the character attached, and there is an effect that waste can be prevented.
[0105]
According to the third aspect of the invention, by setting a plurality of types of characters for one character key, the number of character keys can be reduced as compared with a conventional keyboard in which one character is assigned to one key. Performance can be improved. Furthermore, since the number of character keys can be reduced in this way, each character key can be increased in size, so that the input operability can be further improved.
[0106]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the frequently used vowels "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O" are set to different character keys, so that one time The setting can be made to input each character by a key operation, so that the operability at the time of inputting Japanese romaji and English can be improved, and there is an effect that high-speed input becomes possible.
[0107]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, characters can be input only by pressing the character key up to three times, and most of them once or twice, so that the number of times the character key is pressed at the time of character input can be reduced. Can be simplified, and the kana character can be input very efficiently.
[0108]
According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, since numbers and the like are written near each character key, the number of characters and the like written on each character key is smaller than when these numbers and the like are written on the character keys. This has the effect of reducing the number of characters and making the written characters large and easy to see.
[0109]
According to the invention as set forth in claim 7, when the user wants to view the entire screen without using the keyboard provided on the cover, the cover can be removed and the main body can be used with a reduced weight. is there.
[0110]
According to the invention described in claim 8, when using the keyboard of the cover, even if the user wants to see the entire screen, the user can simply rotate the cover with respect to the main body without removing the cover from the main body. There is an effect that it can be easily handled.
[0111]
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the cover is opened, characters and the like can be input using the keyboard on the back surface of the cover, and the entire screen can be exposed to the outside. can do. On the other hand, when the cover is closed, input can be performed using a keyboard provided on the surface of the cover, and the electronic device can be used in a compact state.
Therefore, the user can appropriately select the two types of input methods using the keyboard unit each time according to the situation or the like, so that it is possible to provide a user-friendly electronic device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a portable information terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a keyboard of a cover of the portable information terminal.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the portable information terminal.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover rotates with respect to the main body.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a portable information terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cover is opened in the second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 portable information terminals (electronic devices)
21-32 character keys
51 to 61 function keys
100 body
110 LCD screen
111 Soft keyboard (soft key area)
112 display area
200 cover
211, 211A, 211B Keyboard (keyboard part)
220 Transparent plate (window)

Claims (9)

An electronic device including a main body having a screen on which characters and the like are displayed, and a cover arranged to cover the screen of the main body,
The cover may include a window that allows a part of the screen to be viewed, and a keyboard that is provided at a position overlapping another part of the screen and has a plurality of character keys for inputting characters and the like. Electronic equipment characterized. The electronic device according to claim 1,
On the screen, a soft key area for inputting a character or the like by touching at least one of the plurality of soft keys is displayed, and an area other than the soft key area on this screen indicates a character or the like input by the soft key. The electronic device is configured as a display area for displaying the display area, and the window portion of the cover is formed at substantially the same size and position as the display area. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2,
The keyboard unit is provided with twelve character keys in four upper and lower rows and three left and right columns in which at least two types of characters among three types of characters of numbers, alphabets and symbols are respectively written. Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 3,
Five of the twelve character keys include the letters "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O", which represent vowels, individually for each character key. An electronic apparatus characterized in that the other seven character keys have the other 21 characters of the alphabet written in three characters on each character key. The electronic device according to claim 4,
Of the twelve character keys, "A", "I", and "U" are written in order from the left-side character key to the three character keys in the first row, respectively. "E", "O", and "YWX" are written in the character keys in order from the left key, and "KGF" and "SZJ" are written in the three character keys in the third row in order from the left key. , "TDV", respectively, and "NCQ", "HBP", "RML" are respectively described in the three character keys of the fourth row in order from the left key. . The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the vicinity of each of the character keys, a number or a symbol for which an input is set for each of the character keys is written. Electronics. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is configured to be detachable from the main body. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is configured to be rotatable with respect to the main body. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes two sets of a keyboard unit provided on a front surface of the cover and a keyboard unit provided on a back surface of the cover. Electronic equipment characterized.

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