JP2004318202A - External input device and information processing apparatus using this - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable an input from a mouse side by an easy operation. <P>SOLUTION: A mouse body is provided with a first operation button for soft keyboard display as a character input button and a second operation button 110 for character designation. The operation button 110 is composed of four operation buttons. A personal computer body is equipped with soft keyboard function. Using the soft keyboard and a click button of the mouse, a row of Japanese syllabic sounds is designated. A first syllabic sound in the same row (a vowel "a" and consonants having these vowels) is designated using the click button. Four Japanese syllabic sounds other than this (four vowels other than the "a" and four consonants having these vowels) are designated using corresponding operation buttons 110a to 110b (one of the four buttons). Characters are sequentially designated to create a simple sentence only by the operation of a mouse. When the mouse is of a wireless type, a person can create a sentence without using any keyboard of the personal computer body even from a place apart from the personal computer body while sitting on a sofa or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an external input device used for an information processing device main body such as a personal computer and an information processing device using the same. More specifically, this external input device is provided with a plurality of character input buttons on its main body, so that the user simply operates the character input buttons from a position away from the information processing device main body without using a keyboard or the like. It allows you to input simple characters. Further, in this information processing apparatus, a software keyboard can be displayed, and by using the above-described external input device, the keyboard provided in the information processing apparatus main body is not used, and furthermore, the information processing apparatus main body is used. Simple characters and sentences can be input from a position away from
[0002]
[Prior art]
The information processing device body using a computer device such as a personal computer includes an external input device in addition to a keyboard attached to the device as input means for instructing operation of the information processing device and acquiring information. May be used. A common external input device is a so-called mouse.
[0003]
The mouse starts or starts application software by moving a cursor (pointer) on the screen of the personal computer, which is an information processing device, in accordance with the movement of the mouse itself and specifying a specific icon or task bar. A specific process can be instructed to the application software, or the application software can be terminated.
[0004]
As is well known, there are a wired type and a wireless type, and among the wireless types, a mouse having a roller ball and an optical type using an optical sensor instead of the roller ball are known. Using a wireless mouse with optical sensor means allows the user to perform the various operations described above while sitting on a sofa at a position slightly away from the personal computer body, for example, on a sofa, etc. It is convenient.
[0005]
However, the operations that can be commanded from the mouse are limited, and commands similar to those using the keyboard cannot be issued.
[0006]
Therefore, in order to enable the mouse itself to perform an operation similar to the operation of the keyboard, an operation unit similar to the keyboard is provided on the mouse itself, or an operation unit having only ten keys (10 keys) capable of performing four arithmetic operations is provided. Proposals have been made (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-82755
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-196885
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is to provide an operation unit including a keyboard on a mouse itself and integrate the mouse and the keyboard. However, in this technique, since the mouse itself is small and has such a shape that the entire body is covered by the soul of the operator (palm), such a keyboard is provided at the top of the mouse body. As a matter of fact, not only is it technically difficult, but even if a keyboard is provided, the single key is too small, and it is difficult to operate the key, which is likely to cause erroneous operation.
[0009]
The technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a numeric keypad at the top of a mouse body, and can perform four arithmetic operations while using a mouse. However, it seems that the ten keys are not used frequently.
[0010]
Therefore, the present invention solves such a conventional problem. In particular, a character input button for inputting a simple character or a sentence can be provided to an external input device such as a mouse even from a place away from the information processing device main body. It is prepared for.
[0011]
According to the present invention, the external input device is further used, and a software keyboard is displayed on the display unit of the information processing apparatus main body. It can be created without using a keyboard provided in the processing apparatus main body.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an external input device according to the present invention described in claim 1 is an external input device for externally operating an information processing device main body having a display unit,
This external input device body is provided with a character input button including a first operation button and a second operation button in addition to the click button,
The first operation button is used as an operation button for instructing display of a software keyboard displayed on the display unit,
The second operation button is used as an operation button for confirming character information selected by the software keyboard.
[0013]
The information processing apparatus according to the present invention described in claim 6 includes an information processing apparatus main body having a display unit and an external input device for operating the information processing apparatus main body from outside.
The information processing apparatus main body incorporates application software for displaying a software keyboard on the display unit,
In addition to the click button, the external input device is provided with a character input button including a first operation button and a second operation button,
A software keyboard is displayed on the display unit by the first operation button,
When a specific character is selected from the character group specified by the movement of the external input device by the second operation button, character input is performed from the external input device using the software keyboard. It is characterized by having done.
[0014]
In the present invention, a character input button is provided on the external input device main body. A mouse is suitable as the external input device. The character input button is composed of first and second operation buttons. The first operation button is an operation button for displaying a software keyboard (soft keyboard) on a display unit provided in the information processing apparatus main body. . A personal computer is suitable as the information processing device.
[0015]
When performing character input using a soft keyboard, a screen (display unit) of a personal computer body, which is an information processing device, is used. A soft keyboard is displayed on the screen. Then, the character input mode is set. For example, a Japanese input mode (of which, for example, a Roman alphabet input mode) is set.
[0016]
Hiragana syllables are specified by specifying keys on the soft keyboard. First, specify the Japanese syllabary “line” as in the case of mobile phones. For example, to specify the “A” line, click the “A” key. Then, all the syllables (aiueo) of the line "a" are displayed on the screen.
The first syllable, the vowel "A", is blinked. To select "A", the user directly clicks using the click button. "A" and its consonants (consonants belonging to the same vowel as "A" such as "ka", "sa", "ta", "na") are determined by this click button.
[0017]
When selecting a vowel other than "A" and a consonant having the same vowel corresponding thereto, the second operation button is used.
[0018]
The second operation button is an operation button for deciding character input. In the following description, an operation button that assumes Roman character input is exemplified. Since there are a total of four syllables other than the first syllable in each row of the Japanese syllabary, there are four vowels, for example, "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O". , “Ka” row, there are four consonants belonging to the same vowel such as “ki”, “shi”, and “chi”, so the second operation button is composed of four.
[0019]
Then, each operation button is associated with a syllable (consonant) in each row. For example, the first operation button of the second operation buttons is the second syllable ("") of each row, such as "i" in row a, "ki" in row a, "shi" in row a, and so on. Vowel and a consonant having the same vowel).
[0020]
The second operation button is the third syllable (the vowel of "U", and the third syllable of each line, such as "U" in line A, "KU" in line K, "SU" in line S, and so on. This is used when selecting a consonant having the same vowel).
[0021]
By associating the syllables of each row with the operation buttons in this manner, it is sufficient to provide a total of four second operation buttons. The voiced sound, the sound repelling, the prompting sound, the murmur, and the like are used in combination with the operation buttons. However, since the purpose is to originally input a simple sentence, the ordinary sentence is performed using a keyboard.
[0022]
A simple sentence is a sentence used to compose a reply when an e-mail is received, and includes a muddy sound such as "when will you return" or "OK" Not intended for simple writing.
[0023]
When inputting characters and the like using a mouse which is an external input device, it is considered that the operation is performed from a position slightly away from the information processing device main body. Therefore, a wireless type is preferable to a wired type as the external input device. . Even if it is a wireless type, a power saving type external input device having an optical sensor means is preferable.
[0024]
In order to save power, the mouse body is provided with detection means for detecting the presence or absence of operation of the mouse body, and the detection output controls the supply of power to the built-in optical sensor means. When the operation of the main body is detected by moving the mouse main body, an operating voltage is supplied to the optical sensor means, and the light emitting element constituting the optical sensor means emits light with normal illuminance. Thus, the optical image can be detected, and the moving direction and the moving speed of the mouse can be calculated. The cursor displayed on the screen moves according to the moving direction and the moving speed of the mouse.
[0025]
When the operation of the main body is not detected, the mode is shifted to the sleep mode, and the light emission mode (lighting mode) at a lower illuminance than usual is controlled to reduce battery consumption.
[0026]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of an external input device according to the present invention and an information processing device using the external input device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A case where the present invention is applied to a so-called mouse as an external input device and a personal computer as an information processing device will be exemplified. Further, the mouse shown below is a case in which the present invention is applied to a wired type and a power saving type having optical sensor means.
[0027]
FIG. 1 shows an information processing apparatus 90 according to the present invention, which includes an information processing apparatus main body (personal computer main body) 100 and a mouse 10 which is an external input device attached thereto. FIG. 1 illustrates a so-called notebook personal computer as the personal computer body 100.
The personal computer main body 100 has a keyboard (operation unit) 102 integrated with the personal computer main body 101, and a display unit 103. As the display unit 103, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), or the like is used. Is used.
[0028]
A receiving unit 104 that receives a transmission signal (infrared or wireless) from the mouse 10 is provided in a part of the personal computer main unit 101. The receiving unit 104 can be provided on a part of the display unit 103 side. In FIG. 1, it is shown as 104 '.
[0029]
Various kinds of application software are stored in the personal computer main unit 101, and the corresponding processes can be executed by activating the software. As one of the software, application software for displaying a software keyboard (soft keyboard) on the display unit 103 is also incorporated. The details will be described later.
[0030]
The mouse 10, which is an external input device, is provided with a click button and a rotating wheel to realize well-known functions. In this embodiment, the movement (position, direction, and moving speed) of the mouse itself is controlled by optical means. Is detected. Further, in order to achieve a power saving type, a means for detecting a use state of the mouse is provided.
[0031]
In addition, the mouse body is provided with a character input button. The character input button includes a first selection button 28 and a second selection button 110. The first selection button 28 is used to display a soft keyboard on the display unit 103 of the personal computer 100 as described later. Operation buttons.
[0032]
The second operation button 110 is an operation button for determining a character input, but the following description exemplifies an operation button based on a Roman character input. Since there are a total of four syllables other than the first syllable in each row of the Japanese syllabary (the "A" row has four vowels "I", "U", "E", and "O", In the case of the “ka” line, there are four consonants “ki”, “ku”, “ke”, and “ko” having the same vowel.) And four second operation buttons (110a to 110d). Be composed. The configuration and operation of such a character input button will be described later.
[0033]
First, a configuration of the mouse 10 suitable for application to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 12 of the mouse 10 has an oval or murine shape as a whole, and the main body 12 includes an upper half 12A and a lower half 12B. The upper half portion 12A also functions as a gripping portion. As shown in FIG. 5, a rotating wheel 14 having a part protruding upward is provided at the center of the upper half portion 12A as shown in FIG. , A right-click button 16R is provided on the right side thereof, and a left-click button 16L is provided on the left side thereof.
[0034]
As is well known, the rotating wheel 14 is an operation button used when scrolling the display screen displayed on the display unit 103 up and down, and the left and right click buttons 16R and 16L are used when confirming selection processing or operation processing. Operation buttons used for
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 2, the lower half portion 12B has a bottom central portion 22a shaped to be in contact with the horizontal surface HL, and is shaped so as to move away from the horizontal surface HL toward the rear end of the rear surface portion 22b. As shown in FIG. 3, the front portion 22c is formed as a curved portion such as a bow so as to gradually move away from the horizontal plane HL. A transmission hole 20 having a predetermined size as shown in FIG. 4 is provided in the bottom center portion 22a, and an optical sensor means 18 is attached and fixed inside the lower half portion 12B so as to sandwich the transmission hole 20. ing.
[0036]
The optical sensor means 18 is excited by a built-in power supply 19. As the power source 19, a primary battery or a rechargeable secondary battery can be used. However, since the power consumption is reduced and the battery life is extended as described later, the primary battery can be used. It is more economical.
[0037]
The optical sensor means 18 includes a light emitting element 18a functioning as a light source and a light receiving element 18b. As the light emitting element 18a, a small and lightweight element such as an LED that emits light with a certain illuminance can be used, and as the light receiving element 18b, a semiconductor element such as a photodiode or a phototransistor can be used.
[0038]
When the light emitting element 18a is excited, the light (infrared light or the like) emitted from the light emitting element 18a passes through the transmission hole 19 and passes through the transmission hole 19 as shown in FIG. In this case, the reflected light is received by the light receiving element 18b. At this time, by scanning the surface over a predetermined range, a scan image of a certain range can be obtained. By comparing and discriminating with the immediately preceding scan image, the presence or absence of mouse operation and the moving direction of the mouse when the mouse is operated And the moving speed (moving distance) can be calculated.
[0039]
The calculated operation information (determination information) is transmitted to the information processing device (external device) such as a personal computer through the transmission unit 40 shown in FIG. 2 as the mouse position information. As the transmission means 40, a wireless type is exemplified. Therefore, in FIG. 2, an optical transmission unit is used as the transmission unit 40, and the operation information is transmitted to the personal computer main body 100 side by an optical signal (such as infrared rays).
[0040]
An operation button (first operation button) 28 as shown in FIG. 5 is provided substantially at the center upper surface of the upper half 12A of the mouse 10. By clicking the first operation button 28, a soft keyboard in which a plurality of main keys are arranged is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 103 as described above. By specifying the keys on the soft keyboard with the mouse 10, key operations become possible.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 2, the mouse 10 is further provided with a detecting means 24 for detecting the presence or absence of operation of the main body at a predetermined position on the bottom surface side of the lower half portion 12B, in this example, on the front surface portion 22c side.
[0042]
In the embodiment, the detection unit 24 is provided at a position on the front surface portion 22c which does not come into contact with the horizontal surface HL when placed on the horizontal surface HL. In this example, a tact switch is used as the detection means 24, and the operation element 24a is attached and fixed in a state protruding toward the horizontal surface HL.
[0043]
By arranging in such a position, when the mouse 10 is not used, the tact switch 24 maintains a non-contact state with the horizontal plane HL as shown in FIG. Therefore, the tact switch 24 is kept off. This off state is a state in which the main body operation of the mouse 10 is not performed.
[0044]
On the other hand, when the mouse 10 is moved and slightly tilted so that, for example, the tip end side of the mouse 10 contacts the horizontal plane HL as shown in FIG. 7, the operator 24a of the tact switch 24 presses the horizontal plane HL. Therefore, at that moment, the tact switch 24 is turned on. This ON state indicates a state in which the mouse body is operated.
[0045]
The operating voltage for the optical sensor means 18 is controlled based on the detection output indicating the on / off state of the tact switch 24.
When the tact switch 24 is turned on, it means that the mouse 10 is in a use state. At this time, an excitation voltage (drive voltage) is applied to the light emitting element 18a to emit light with a predetermined illuminance. The predetermined illuminance is sufficient brightness to scan a surface and obtain a scanned image.
[0046]
Although it is possible to control the excitation voltage completely in conjunction with the on / off of the tact switch 24, the light emission (lighting) and light off of the light emitting element 18a are frequently repeated, which is not preferable.
[0047]
Therefore, firstly, it is considered that once the tact switch 24 is turned on, the excitation voltage is continuously supplied to the light emitting element 18a for a predetermined time (specified time). It does not depend on ON / OFF of the tact switch 24 repeated within a predetermined time.
[0048]
Secondly, each time the tact switch 24 is turned on, the point in time at which a predetermined time is counted is updated. For example, when the tact switch 24 is turned on at the first time point ta as shown in FIG. 8, the supply state of the excitation voltage is continued for a predetermined time T (for example, a predetermined time such as 30 minutes or 1 hour). I do. Thereafter, when the tact switch 24 is turned on again at time tb, the predetermined time T is updated at this time tb, and the counting of the predetermined time T is restarted from time tb, so that the lighting time is extended by T1. Therefore, when the tact switch 24 is turned on again at the next time point tc, the count of the specified time T is restarted, and the specified time is further extended by T2.
[0049]
Either the first method or the second method can be adopted. The embodiment is a case where the lighting state of the light emitting element 18a is controlled by employing the second method. In any case, when the specified time T elapses, the supply of the excitation voltage to the light emitting element 18a stops, and the light emitting element 18a is completely turned off. Consumption will be zero.
[0050]
Even when the prescribed time T is determined in this way, the mouse 10 is not necessarily in use during that time. It is useless to excite the light emitting element 18a in a normal state even when it is not used. Therefore, when the mouse 10 is not used while the counting of the specified time T is started, the sleep mode is transited to the above-described sleep mode, and the excitation voltage is normally set so that the light emitting element 18a is excited with low illuminance. Drop more. To detect the non-use state of the mouse 10, for example, a vibration detection sensor 29 (see FIG. 9) is used in the main body 12. This is because the presence or absence of the use state of the mouse 10 can be detected by detecting the vibration transmitted to the main body 12 when the mouse 10 is gripped by the vibration detection sensor 29. Instead of the vibration detection sensor 29, the minimum illuminance at which a scanned image can be detected may be selected as the low illuminance value described above. In this way, the operation state of the mouse 10 can be detected in the low power consumption mode.
[0051]
By using the sleep function in this manner, the effect of reducing power consumption is further exhibited, and it is possible to contribute to prolonging the life of the battery. By the way, when a 1.5-volt battery is used as a driving battery, an 8-hour-per-day specification, a sleep mode is also used, and a continuously lit optical sensor means is used. According to this embodiment, the battery life can be extended by one year or more. When the mouse 10 is not used at all, the battery life can be extended from about one year to about five years in theory.
[0052]
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the processing device mounted in the main body 12. This processing device includes a control unit (CPU) 30 for controlling the entire device, and a processing program and data for comparing captured scan images to refer to the moving direction of the mouse 10 and the like. A memory means (ROM) 32 storing a processing program for transmission to a computer, a working memory means (RAM) 34 used for processing a scanned image, and the like are connected to the bus 42. . Further, a timer circuit 36 is provided as needed. The timer circuit 36 is used to count a specified time T based on the output detected by the tact switch 24.
[0053]
Further, the rotating wheel 14, the left and right click buttons 16L and 16R, the first and second operation buttons 28 and 110, the vibration detection sensor 29, and the like are connected to the bus 42, and the optical sensor unit 18 and its power supply 19 are connected to the bus 42. Connected. The scanning image captured by the light receiving element 18b is used for the working memory means 34 and the mouse movement discrimination processing section 38, including the control of the excitation voltage from the power supply 19 to the light emitting element 18a constituting the optical sensor means 18. Then, the presence / absence of a mouse operation, the presence / absence of movement of the scanned image when the mouse 10 is operated, the movement direction and the movement speed of the mouse 10 are calculated, and the calculated position information of the mouse (operation information ) Is transmitted to the PC main body 100 via the transmission unit 40.
[0054]
FIG. 10 shows an example of controlling the excited state of the light emitting element 18a. When this processing program is started, first, the state of the tact switch 24 is checked, and when the tact switch 24 is in the off state, the power supply to the light emitting element 18a (the supply source of the excitation voltage, a battery in this example, not shown) is turned off. Then, the light emitting element 18a is turned off (steps 52 and 54). Although not shown, it is clear that the supply of the operating voltage to the light receiving element 18b is stopped at the same time.
[0055]
When the tact switch 24 is turned on, immediately after a predetermined continuous lighting time T of the light emitting element 18a is set (step 56), the power is turned on to turn on the light emitting element 18a, and the mode shifts to the optical scanning mode (step 56). Step 58). In the optical scanning mode, when it is determined that the mouse body 12 itself is stationary for a predetermined time (step 60), that is, when it is determined that the mouse 10 has not been used for a predetermined time, light emission is performed. The power supply to the element 18a is shifted to the sleep mode, and is switched to the excitation state by the constant voltage (step 64). For example, the excitation voltage is reduced to about 1/2 to 1/3 of the normal excitation voltage, and the mode is shifted to the low illumination light emission mode. The predetermined time here can be set to any time, for example, between 1 minute and 5 to 10 minutes.
[0056]
If the tact switch 24 is turned on while the mouse main body 12 is being used in step 60 or is in the sleep mode (step 62), the continuous lighting time T for the light emitting element 18a is set to the specified time. Are reset (steps 62 and 56). Thereby, the continuous lighting time T is further extended as shown in FIG.
[0057]
On the other hand, if the continuous lighting time T exceeds the specified time without turning on the tactile switch 24 again while the main body 12 is being used (steps 62 and 64), it is checked again whether the mouse 10 is being used. If it is in use, resetting is performed to update the continuous lighting time T (steps 68 and 56). In this process, continuous use of the mouse 10 is ensured.
[0058]
If the mouse body 12 is being used and the tactile switch 24 is not turned on again and the continuous lighting time T is reached (steps 62 and 66), the flow returns to step 60 to check again whether the mouse 10 is being used. become. When not in use, the sleep mode is maintained (steps 60 and 64).
[0059]
On the other hand, when the mouse body 12 is in use and the tactile switch 24 is not turned on again and the continuous lighting time T has elapsed (steps 62 and 66), it is checked again whether the mouse 10 is in use. (Step 68) When it is determined in step 68 that the mouse 10 is not used, the process returns to the first determination processing step 52, and the same control processing is executed.
[0060]
The external input device according to the present invention is capable of inputting and determining characters even from itself, and furthermore, the information processing device according to the present invention controls the information processing device main body and the main body. The external input device is configured to be able to input and determine a character from itself. As described above, the personal computer main body 100 is used as the information processing apparatus main body, and the mouse 10 is used as the external input device.
[0061]
FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram of a processing block of the personal computer main body 100, and has a main body processing section 120 which is the heart of the personal computer main body 100. The main body processing unit 120 includes a CPU 120a for controlling the personal computer 100, a processing program for performing keyboard processing by software, a processing program for performing external communication processing (such as e-mail communication), and various other processing programs. , A memory means (ROM) 120b storing fixed data and the like, and a working memory means (RAM) 120c.
[0062]
In connection with the main body processing unit 120, a receiving unit 104 for receiving information from a mouse, a display unit 103, an e-mail transmitting / receiving unit 122, and the like are provided, and the personal computer main body 100 is configured.
[0063]
Now, in order to enable a character input decision using the mouse 10, the mouse 10 is further provided with the following configuration. The description will be made again with reference to FIGS.
[0064]
According to the present invention, a character input button constituted by the first operation button 28 and the second operation button 110 is provided so that characters can be input from the mouse 10 as described above.
[0065]
As described above, the first selection button 28 is an operation button for displaying a soft keyboard on the display unit 103 of the personal computer 100. When the first operation button 28 is clicked, the personal computer 100 detects this and starts up a processing program for a soft keyboard. When the processing program is started, a sub-screen Sc is displayed over the main screen (parent screen) Sp, as shown in FIG. 12, and a soft keyboard 124 is displayed on the sub-screen Sc. The soft keyboard 124 has the same key arrangement as the normal keyboard 102, and has the same function.
[0066]
In addition to this, the soft keyboard 124 has a character input determination display field 126 in which the determined character string (a character string of only hiragana, a character string of mixed hiragana and kanji) is displayed. FIG. 13 is an example in which the selected and determined hiragana “i” is displayed. A task bar 130 and the like are displayed on the upper part of the main screen Sp.
[0067]
The second operation button 110 is an operation button for determining a character input. In the following description, an operation button that assumes Roman character input is exemplified as described above. The second operation button 110 is composed of a plurality of operation buttons, which are provided on one of the left and right side surfaces of the mouse main body 12 or on the top.
[0068]
In the example of FIG. 2, the mouse body 12 is provided in a row on the right side surface of the mouse main body 12 and in the lower half portion 12B. Since the operation buttons themselves are not so large, a space for arranging the four operation buttons 110a to 110d in a row as described later can be sufficiently secured without impairing the operability.
[0069]
Here, there are five syllables in each row of the Japanese syllabary. The "A" line is composed of five vowels "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O". Of these, the first syllable of each line, the vowel "A" and a consonant having the same vowel ("ka", "sa", "ta", "na", etc.) A button, for example, the left click button 16L is also used.
[0070]
There are a total of four syllables other than the first syllable. In the "A" line, there are four vowels "I", "U", "E", and "O". In the "KA" line, "K", "K", "K", These are the four consonants of "ko". As an operation button for determining (fixing) each of these syllables, a second operation button 110 shown in FIG. 2 is used. Therefore, the second operation button 110 is composed of four (110a to 110d).
[0071]
Then, each of the operation buttons 110a to 110d is associated with a syllable (vowel or consonant) in each row. For example, among the second operation buttons 110, the first operation button 110a located at the top of each row is "i" in row A, "ki" in row A, "shi" in row A, and so on. Used to select the second syllable ("I" vowel and consonant having the same vowel).
[0072]
In addition, the second operation button 110b has a third syllable (a vowel of “U”) in each line, such as “U” in line A, “KU” in line K, “SU” in line S, and so on. , A consonant having the same vowel).
[0073]
The third operation button 110c is composed of the fourth syllable (the vowel of “e”, the fourth syllable in each row) such as “e” in row a, “ke” in row Used to select a consonant having the same vowel), and the last operation button 110d is called "O" in line A, "KO" in line A, "SO" in line S, and so on. The fifth syllable in each row (the last syllable, which is the vowel of “O” and a consonant having the same vowel) is used.
[0074]
By associating the syllables of each row with the operation buttons 110a to 110d in this way, a total of four second operation buttons 110 may be provided. The voiced sound, the sound-repelling sound, the prompting sound, the murmur sound, etc. are used in combination with the operation buttons 110a to 110d. I will use it.
[0075]
Next, a specific example of character input will be described. The following example is an example of e-mail transmission. The e-mail is received, and the text of the received e-mail is displayed on the display unit 103 using the mouse 10. Then, an e-mail is sent to the same person. The sentence is created using the mouse 10 and the soft keyboard.
[0076]
The sentence is “when will you return (?)”. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 14, "i" and "tsu" are inputted as a first sentence input step, and these are determined without conversion. Next, as a second sentence input step, "ka", "e", "ru", and "no" are input, and these are converted into kanji and converted into "go home". Send (reply) the entire sentence "When will you return?"
[0077]
Therefore, first, when the cursor is placed on the "A" key of the soft keyboard 124 and the left click button 16L is clicked, the syllables in the "A" line are displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 15A, the first syllable (the vowel of “A”) is in a blinking state (shown by oblique lines).
[0078]
Next, when the first operation button 110a of the second operation buttons 110 is pressed, the “i” designated by the first operation button 110a blinks as shown in FIG. ), The character that is this syllable is determined. To correct an input error or a character, a delete key or a backspace key of the soft keyboard 124 is used.
[0079]
Such a character input process is performed for all syllables. FIG. 16 illustrates the processing procedure. FIG. 16 shows a relationship between a line selected for each of the operation steps 1 to 6 and a left click button 16L or operation buttons 110a to 110d used for selecting a syllable (character) in the line. The syllables shown with diagonal lines are the determined characters.
[0080]
Therefore, the character input processing on the personal computer main body 100 side is as shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an outline of the character input process. It is assumed that the OS (operation system) of the personal computer body 10 has already been started and is ready to execute various application software according to the input instruction. . In this embodiment, a description will be given of an example of a character input process limited to a process of creating an electronic mail transmission sentence for convenience of explanation.
[0081]
First, the e-mail transmission mode is opened by an instruction of the mouse 10 (step 141), and the operation state of the first operation button 28 is checked (step 142). When the first operation button 28 is operated and its input state is confirmed, an e-mail text (transmission text) creation process is started according to an instruction from the mouse 10 (step 143). The process of creating the sentence is performed by the character input button using the left click button 16L and the second operation button 110 as described above.
[0082]
When the creation of the sentence is completed, an e-mail transmission process is performed by the mouse 10 (step 144), and the completion of the e-mail transmission process is confirmed, and the e-mail transmission mode is closed (step 145).
[0083]
All of the above processing is performed by remote control using the soft keyboard 124 displayed on the personal computer 100 and the mouse 10 placed at a position away from the personal computer 100.
[0084]
The mouse 10 provided with the character input buttons and the soft keyboard 124 are used, and the second operation button 110 constituting the character input buttons is constituted by a plurality of operation buttons 110a to 110d. By making the 110a to 110d correspond to the syllables (vowels and consonants) of each row of the Japanese syllabary, a simple sentence can be input from the mouse 10 using the soft keyboard 124 with a very simple operation. In addition, since characters can be input even if the user is slightly away from the personal computer 100, functions not inherent in the mouse 10, such as e-mail transmission, can be easily executed while sitting on a sofa, for example. Usually, when sending an e-mail, the user must use the keyboard 102 provided on the personal computer 100, so that the user does not have to use the keyboard 102 to move to the place where the personal computer 100 is installed. However, according to the present invention, such inconvenience can be eliminated.
[0085]
In the above-described embodiment, the second operation button 110 is composed of four operation buttons 110a to 110d in order to select four vowels and consonants having these four vowels as the second operation button 110, respectively. , The second operation button 110 can be constituted by five operation buttons corresponding to all vowels (five).
[0086]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the external input device according to the present invention is provided with the first and second operation buttons required for the character input process, in addition to the buttons for achieving the functions of the external input device.
[0087]
According to this, on the premise that a soft keyboard provided on the information processing apparatus main body is used, simple text creation can be realized by a simple operation of an operation button.
[0088]
Further, in the information processing apparatus according to the present invention, in cooperation with an external input apparatus having a character input button, while using a soft keyboard provided in the information processing apparatus main body, a sentence is formed based on an instruction from the external input apparatus. Can be entered.
[0089]
According to this, it is possible to input a simple sentence without using a keyboard provided on the information processing apparatus main body side and by a simple operation of only the external input device. In particular, when using a wireless external input device having an optical sensor means, it is possible to operate the external input device by placing the external input device on a knee or the like while sitting on a sofa or the like. Since simple sentences can be input, it is possible to easily input sentences.
[0090]
Therefore, the present invention is very suitable when applied to an information processing apparatus for inputting characters using a personal computer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an embodiment of the external input device according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof.
FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 2 for explaining the optical sensor means.
FIG. 7 is a side view similar to FIG. 2, showing an example of a use starting state.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a continuous lighting time.
FIG. 9 is a system diagram of a main part showing an embodiment of a processing system of the external input device.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation processing.
FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of the information processing apparatus main body side.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a soft keyboard.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display example when a character is selected when a soft keyboard is used.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a text input step.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a display example on a soft keyboard when a character is input.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a relationship between operation steps at the time of character input and character input buttons used at that time.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a text input process.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 10 external input device (mouse), 12 main body, 12A upper half, 12B lower half, 14 rotating wheel, 16L, 16R click button, 18 ... Optical sensor means, 18a ... Light-emitting element, 18b ... Light-receiving element, 22a ... Bottom center part, 22b ... Back surface part, 22c ... Front part, 24 ... Detection means ( Tact switch), 30 ... control unit, 40 ... transmission unit
100: Information processing device main body, 102: Keyboard, 103: Display unit, 120: Main unit processing unit, 122: E-mail transmission / reception unit, 124: Soft keyboard, 126 ... Character input decision display field

Claims (8)

An external input device for externally operating an information processing device main body having a display unit,
This external input device body is provided with a character input button including a first operation button and a second operation button in addition to the click button,
The first operation button is used as an operation button for instructing display of a software keyboard displayed on the display unit,
The external input device, wherein the second operation button is used as an operation button for confirming character information selected by the software keyboard. The external input device according to claim 1, wherein the first operation button is provided on a top side of the external input device main body. The external input device according to claim 1, wherein the second operation button includes a plurality of operation buttons. When the second operation button is for confirming Japanese input,
The second operation button includes four vowels and four operation buttons for selecting a syllable corresponding to a consonant having the same vowel.
4. The external input device according to claim 3, wherein a Japanese input process is performed by the click button and the four operation buttons. 2. The external input device according to claim 1, wherein the second operation button is provided on one of right and left side portions of the main body of the external input device or on a top thereof. 3. An information processing apparatus main body having a display unit, and an external input device for operating the information processing apparatus main body from the outside,
The information processing apparatus main body incorporates application software for displaying a software keyboard on the display unit,
In addition to the click button, the external input device is provided with a character input button including a first operation button and a second operation button,
A software keyboard is displayed on the display unit by the first operation button,
When a specific character is selected by the second operation button from the character group specified by the movement of the external input device, the character input is performed from the external input device using the software keyboard. An information processing apparatus, characterized in that: When the character input is Japanese character input, a specific syllable of a syllable group specified by the movement of the external input device is selected by the second operation button. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein When the second operation button is for confirming Japanese input,
The second operation button includes four vowels and four operation buttons for selecting a syllable corresponding to a consonant having the same vowel.
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a Japanese input process is performed by selecting a Japanese syllabary using the click button and the four operation buttons.

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