JP2006178737A - Key input operation supporting apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an erroneous operation and time and labor of correction due to the erroneous operation when keys can not be visually identified. <P>SOLUTION: The key input operation supporting apparatus 1 is provided with: a relative position table 26 in which relative positional information including the data of characters corresponding to respective keys of a keyboard and data indicating relative positions from a reference key is set, a key touch detection part 22 for detecting a key touched by an operator and reading the relative positional information corresponding to each key whose touch is detected from the relative position table 26; a touch key table generation part 24 for ordering the read relative position information corresponding to the respective keys; and touch key notification part 25 for outputting voice corresponding to the relative positional information ordered by the touch key table generation part 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a key input operation support device for supporting a key input operation of a visually impaired person.

  Various devices have been devised for assisting audio-visually impaired persons in key input operations. As one of such devices, there is an input device that reads out the key content in response to a key input. However, if an erroneous input occurs, an input operation for correction is required, so that the operability is poor. On the other hand, there is an apparatus that detects a key touched by an operator and outputs a guidance regarding the key content before the key is pressed (Patent Document 1). Also, there is a device that notifies key content by vibration and voice information when detecting a key contact (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3465062 (page 3, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent No. 3449153 (page 3, FIG. 3)

However, the above device only notifies the key contents and function of the key touched by the operator, and provides the operator with information for guiding correct key input when the operator makes a wrong key contact. The mechanism to do is not realized yet.
Furthermore, in the device described in Patent Document 1, it is not assumed that the operator touches a plurality of keys. When a plurality of keys are pressed in such a device, the key of the key that is first touched Only the contents are notified to the operator. In this regard, when the operator touches a plurality of keys, the device described in Patent Document 2 notifies the key content of the last touched key after notifying the key content of the first touched key. However, in this case, the operator has to remember the contact order of a plurality of keys. In addition, when the operator touches a plurality of keys almost simultaneously, there is a possibility that the judgment on the key contact order by the device and the judgment by the operator may be different, resulting in erroneous input. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a key input operation support device and the like that can reduce an error operation when a key cannot be visually identified or correction due to an error operation. To do.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a key input operation support device and the like that can accurately notify the operator of the touched key even when the operator touches a plurality of keys.

In order to achieve the above object, a key input operation support device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:
For each key of the keyboard, storage means for storing relative position information including corresponding character data and data indicating a relative position from the basic key;
Detection means for detecting a key touched by an operator;
Means for reading out relative position information corresponding to each key whose contact has been detected by the detection means from the storage means;
A notification means for outputting relative position information corresponding to each of the read keys by voice;
It is characterized by providing.

Means for storing key arrangement information indicating a rank assigned to each key of the keyboard based on the key arrangement;
Means for extracting a rank corresponding to each key whose contact is detected by the detection means from the key arrangement information;
A rank assigning unit that ranks keys detected by the detecting unit based on the ranks corresponding to the extracted keys;
The notification means may output the relative position information corresponding to each key by voice according to the order assigned by the order assignment means.

Means for generating the key arrangement information by assigning a rank to each key based on a distance from the basic key;
Means for generating the key arrangement information by giving a rank to each key based on the distance from the end of the keyboard;
You may provide at least one of these.

A key input operation support method according to the second aspect of the present invention includes:
A key input operation support method using a computer,
A detection step for detecting a key touched by an operator;
For each key of the keyboard, each of the contact detected by the detection step from the relative position information table in which the relative position information including the data of the corresponding character and the data indicating the relative position from the basic key is set. Reading the relative position information corresponding to the key;
A notification step of outputting relative position information corresponding to each of the read keys by voice;
It is characterized by providing.

Extracting from the key arrangement information indicating the order given to each key of the keyboard based on the key arrangement, the order corresponding to each key for which contact was detected by the detection step;
A ranking ordering step for ranking between the keys whose contact has been detected by the sensing step based on the rankings corresponding to the extracted keys;
In the notifying step, relative position information corresponding to each key may be output as a sound in accordance with the order given in the order giving step.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce an error operation when the key cannot be visually identified and a troublesome correction due to the error operation.

Hereinafter, a key input operation support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
An example of the physical configuration of the key input operation support device 1 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the key input operation support device 1 includes a control unit 11, a main storage unit 12, an input unit 13, an external storage unit 14, a D / A converter 15, and a speaker 16. Prepare.
The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, reads a program stored in the external storage unit 14 and data necessary for processing, and executes processing described later.
The main storage unit 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like, and is used as a work area for the control unit 11.
The input unit 13 includes an input device such as a keyboard, and supplies input information to the control unit 11. Each key in the keyboard is provided with a sensor that detects a touch on the key and notifies the controller 11 of a keyboard character corresponding to the touched key. The type of sensor is arbitrary, and may be, for example, pressure sensitive or electrostatic.
The external storage unit 14 includes a hard disk device or the like, and stores programs executed by the control unit 11 and various data, voice data corresponding to each keyboard character, and the like.
The D / A converter 15 performs digital / analog conversion on the audio data in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 11 and outputs it from the speaker 16.

  A block diagram of the key input operation support device 1 is shown in FIG. As illustrated, the key input operation support device 1 includes a relative position table generation unit 21, a key contact detection unit 22, a key arrangement information generation unit 23, a contact key table generation unit 24, a contact key notification unit 25, a relative position. A table 26, key arrangement information 27, a contact key table 28, and the like are provided.

  The relative position table generation unit 21 is realized by the control unit 11 reading and executing a program from the external storage unit 14. The relative position table generation unit 21 generates a relative position table 26 in which relative position information corresponding to each key is set based on the keyboard layout, and stores the relative position table 26 in the external storage unit 14. In the relative position table 26, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the character corresponding to each key, the character corresponding to a predetermined basic key, the relative position of each key from the basic key (for example, with reference to the basic key, Relative position information including data such as how many keys are separated in the left, right, upper, and lower directions is set. For example, in the relative position table 26 of FIG. 3, relative position information indicating that the key “A” is at a position separated from the basic key “F” by the number of keys “3” to the left is set. The basic key is a specific key on the keyboard, and may be fixed in advance or specified by the operator. The method specified by the operator is arbitrary. For example, the user may place a hand on the keyboard before the operation, and the key on which the left and right index fingers are placed may be determined as the basic key. If the basic key is fixed, such as the “F” key and “J” key with protrusions on the key surface, the longest “space key” common to each keyboard, etc. It is desirable to set a key that can be easily determined by an operator without relying on vision.

  The key contact detection unit 22 includes a control unit 11, an input unit 13, and the like, and is realized by the control unit 11 reading from the external storage unit 14 and executing it. When the key contact detection unit 22 receives the data of the keyboard character of each key touched by the operator from the sensor provided in each key of the keyboard, the key contact detection unit 22 obtains the relative position information corresponding to the keyboard character from the relative position table 26. Read and pass to the contact key table generator 24.

  The key arrangement information generation unit 23 is realized by the control unit 11 reading and executing a program from the external storage unit 14. The key arrangement information generation unit 23 generates key arrangement information 27 used when assigning ranks to the keys touched simultaneously by the operator and stores them in the external storage unit 14. The key arrangement information 27 is obtained by ordering each key in accordance with a predetermined rule. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, each key corresponds to a character (keyboard character) corresponding to the key and a basic key. Includes data such as the order of characters and keys. The content of the rules used to assign the order is arbitrary, and may be based on the distance between each key and the basic key (for example, in order of increasing distance or decreasing order), or the distance from the end of the keyboard ( Based on the number of keys) (for example, in order from the left, right, top, and bottom). For example, when the rule for assigning ranks in the order of the closest distance to the basic key “F” is set in the external storage unit 14, the key arrangement information generation unit 23 sets each key set in the relative position table 26. Using the relative position data with respect to the basic key (for example, the number of keys in each direction from the basic key as set in the relative position table 26 in FIG. 3), the distance from the basic key is determined for each key. It calculates and ranks in order of the calculated distance. For example, the key arrangement information 27 shown in FIG. 4 is generated in accordance with a rule that ranks are assigned in order of increasing distance from the basic key for each key.

  The contact key table generation unit 24 is realized by the control unit 11 reading and executing a program from the external storage unit 14. The contact key table generation unit 24 assigns a rank based on the key arrangement information 27 to each key (each contacted key) indicated by the relative position information received from the key contact detection unit 22, thereby making the contact key table 28. Is generated and stored in the external storage unit 14. Specifically, the contact key table generation unit 24 extracts keyboard characters from each relative position information received from the key contact detection unit 22, and extracts a rank corresponding to each keyboard character from the key arrangement information 27. Then, the touched keys are ranked in descending order. An example of the contact key table 28 is shown in FIG.

  The contact key notification unit 25 includes a control unit 11, a D / A converter 15, a speaker 16, and the like, and is realized by the control unit 11 reading from the external storage unit 14 and executing it. The contact key notification unit 25 includes a speech synthesis unit 25a, and inputs relative position information to the speech synthesis unit 25a according to the order set in the contact key table 28. The voice synthesizer 25a generates and generates voice data for notifying the corresponding character and the relative position from the basic key for each touched key based on the sequentially input relative position information. Audio data is converted from digital to analog and output from the speaker 16. In the voice data generation process, for example, voice data corresponding to the data values of the items “basic key”, “relative position from the basic key”, and “character of key” constituting the relative position information is stored from the external storage unit 14. The data is read out and applied to a predetermined pattern for synthesis. For example, when the relative position information “A” in the contact key table 28 of FIG. 5 is input, the voice data “A on the left 3 of F” is generated, and the relative position information “B” is input. In this case, voice data “1.5 to the right of F, B to the bottom of 1” is generated.

In the relative position table 26, relative position information (see FIG. 3) indicating the relative position of each key with respect to the basic key is set.
The key arrangement information 27 (see FIG. 4) indicates the order assigned to all keys on the keyboard according to a predetermined rule.
In the contact key table 28, contact key information (see FIG. 5) indicating the relative position information and the assigned rank is set for each key touched by the operator.

  Next, a touch key notification process for outputting a relative position from a basic key of a key touched by an operator by the key input operation support device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, it is assumed that the relative position table 26 and the key arrangement information 27 are generated in advance.

When the operator touches a key on the keyboard, the key contact detection unit 22 detects this, reads the relative position information of each touched key from the relative position table 26, and passes it to the contact key table generation unit 24 (step) S1). For example, when a plurality of keys “S” and “E” are touched, the relative position information corresponding to the key “S” and the relative position information corresponding to the key “E” are passed to the contact key table generation unit 24.
The contact key table generation unit 24 ranks the relative position information received from the key contact detection unit 22 with reference to the key arrangement information 27, and generates the contact key table 28 (step S2). For example, when the relative position information is received for the key “S” and the key “E”, the rank corresponding to the key “S” and the key “E” is extracted from the key arrangement information 27, and the higher rank is extracted. Is assigned a rank “1”, a rank “2” is assigned to the lower one, and a contact key table 28 in which each relative position information is associated with the rank is generated.

  When the generation of the contact key table 28 is completed, the contact key notifying unit 25 takes out the relative position information having a higher rank from the contact key table 28 and inputs it to the speech synthesizer 25a (step S3). The voice synthesizer 25a generates voice data indicating the key content and the relative position from the basic key for the touched key based on the input relative position information, and outputs the voice data (step S4). The contact key notification unit 25 determines whether or not the processing has been completed for all the relative position information in the contact key table 28 (step S5), and if completed (step S5: YES), ends the contact key notification processing and completes it. If not (step S5: NO), the process returns to step S3, and the above-described processing is performed for the next highest relative position information. As a result, in response to the touch of the key “S” and the key “E”, first, “F left 2 S” is output as audio, then “F left 1.5, top 1 E "is output as a voice.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by notifying the relative position from the basic key of the key that the user is in contact with, the correctness of the operation can be notified before the input, and it is troublesome to operate and correct the error. Can be reduced. Not only the contents but also the key position is notified. Thereby, since the operator can grasp how his / her hand is arranged with respect to the key, even when the operator makes a wrong key contact, the operator can lead to correct key input. . In addition, when a hand is placed at a position deviated from the target key, an expert who knows the key arrangement of the keyboard can quickly correct the multiple contact keys without listening to the key contents to the end. The key position can be found. Further, even when a plurality of keys are touched, notification is made for each touch key in the order based on the key arrangement, so that the key touched by the operator can be accurately notified.

The present invention can be variously modified and applied.
The ordering rules used in the generation of the key arrangement information 27 may be set in advance in the external storage unit 14 or the like as system specified values, or may be set by an operator or the like. In the generation of the key arrangement information 27, when the distance between each key and the basic key is obtained, relative position information may be used, and the arrangement of each key on the keyboard and the specific position of each key may be observed points ( Measurement may be made by calculating a straight line distance from the observation point of the basic key to the observation point of each key using data in which x, y) are set.
Moreover, the generation timing of the relative position table 26 is arbitrary, may be generated in advance, or may be generated at the time of starting the system or before operation.
Further, the contact key notifying unit 25 performs the ordering used in the generation of the key arrangement information 27 such as “present the contents of the keys in order from the right” before outputting the sound for each touched key. Voice guidance corresponding to the rules may be output. Further, the key may be vibrated together with the voice key content notification.

In addition, in detecting the contact of the key, erroneous operation of the key can be prevented in advance by prescribing the contact method such as touching a specific part of the key or tracing the entire surface of the key.
Also, for the keys that the operator has decided to input based on the voice guidance of the key contents, after the input is confirmed (after pressing of the key is detected), the voice output is also performed for the pressed key contents and relative position, etc. You may make it perform. Also, in this case, by changing the pitch, sound quality, etc., for the voice that outputs the contents of the pressed key, the relative position, etc., and the voice that outputs the contents of the touched key, the relative position, etc. , Whether the confirmation before input or the confirmation after input can be avoided.
Also, when a first press is detected for a key press, a confirmation guidance is given for that key, such as “Are you sure you want to input S,” and then a second press is detected for the same key. In this case, it is possible to prevent erroneous input by confirming the input. In addition, when the operator determines that the key is correct with respect to the guidance for confirming the input key before input confirmation, the input is confirmed by pressing a preset key such as the Enter key. Also good.
Further, when guidance is given for the contents of a key that has been confirmed to be entered, guidance may be provided for numbers such as full-width or half-width for numbers, and character types such as hiragana and katakana for characters.
Alternatively, after the input is confirmed, a process for predicting the next input key may be performed from the user's usage history or the like, and the relative position information of the predicted key may be read from the relative position table 26 and output as a voice.

The system of the present invention can be realized using a normal computer system, not a dedicated system. For example, a program for executing the above operation is stored and distributed in a computer-readable recording medium (FD, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), and the program is output to an input device provided with a sensor and an audio output. A key input operation support apparatus that performs the above-described processing may be configured by installing the apparatus on a computer to which the apparatus is connected. Alternatively, it may be stored in a disk device of a server device on a network such as the Internet and downloaded to a computer to which the audio input device and the audio output device are connected.
In addition, when the OS realizes the above functions by sharing the OS or jointly with the OS and the application, etc., only the part other than the OS may be stored and distributed in the medium, or may be downloaded to the computer. Good.

It is a figure which illustrates the physical structure of the key input operation assistance apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the key input operation assistance apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a relative position table. It is a figure which shows an example of key arrangement | positioning information. It is a figure which shows an example of a contact key table. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a contact key notification process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Key input operation assistance apparatus 11 Control part 12 Main memory part 13 Input part 14 External storage part 15 D / A converter 16 Speaker 21 Relative position table production | generation part 22 Key contact detection part 23 Key arrangement | positioning information generation part 24 Contact key table production | generation Unit 25 contact key notification unit 25a speech synthesis unit 26 relative position table 27 key arrangement information 28 contact key table

Claims (5)

For each key of the keyboard, storage means for storing relative position information including corresponding character data and data indicating a relative position from the basic key;
Detection means for detecting a key touched by an operator;
Means for reading out relative position information corresponding to each key whose contact has been detected by the detection means from the storage means;
A notification means for outputting relative position information corresponding to each of the read keys by voice;
A key input operation support device comprising: Means for storing key arrangement information indicating a rank assigned to each key of the keyboard based on the key arrangement;
Means for extracting a rank corresponding to each key whose contact is detected by the detection means from the key arrangement information;
A rank assigning unit that ranks the keys whose contact is detected by the detection unit based on the ranks corresponding to the extracted keys;
The notifying means outputs the relative position information corresponding to each key in accordance with the order given by the order giving means;
The key input operation support device according to claim 1. Means for generating the key arrangement information by assigning a rank to each key based on a distance from the basic key;
Means for generating the key arrangement information by giving a rank to each key based on the distance from the end of the keyboard;
The key input operation support device according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following. A key input operation support method using a computer,
A detection step for detecting a key touched by an operator;
For each key of the keyboard, each of the contacts detected by the detection step from the relative position information table in which the relative position information including the data of the corresponding character and the data indicating the relative position from the basic key is set. Reading the relative position information corresponding to the key;
A notification step of outputting relative position information corresponding to each of the read keys by voice;
A key input operation support method comprising: Extracting from the key arrangement information indicating the order given to each key of the keyboard based on the key arrangement, the order corresponding to each key for which contact was detected by the detection step;
A rank assigning step for performing ranking among the keys whose contact is detected by the detection step based on the rank corresponding to each of the extracted keys;
The notifying step outputs the relative position information corresponding to each key by voice according to the order given by the order giving step.
The key input operation support method according to claim 4, wherein:

Images