JP2011081726A - Character input device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the convenience of a character converting function more than a conventional manner. <P>SOLUTION: A character input device includes a character conversion candidate registration means for, when an input character (initial input character) is converted into two or more characters, and then a part of the converted characters is deleted, and a new second character is added following the residual character (first character), registering the combination of "first character and second character" as the character conversion candidate of the initial input character when the first character and the second character are kanji, Chinese characters. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a character input device and an image forming apparatus.

  In recent years, some multifunction peripherals have an electronic mail function as well as a copy function, a print function, a facsimile function, and a scan function. By using this e-mail function, image data can be transmitted to the outside. In other words, by attaching image data created by scanning to an e-mail and transmitting the e-mail to the outside, the image data can be sent from the multifunction peripheral to an external personal computer or the like. The multifunction device is equipped with a character conversion function for creating such an e-mail. The character conversion function is a function for easily converting a character by displaying a character conversion candidate corresponding to the input character and selecting a desired kanji from the character conversion candidates. As the character conversion candidates, kanji and the like that are frequently converted by the user are registered. Then, the user can easily create a subject and a body consisting of hiragana, katakana, kanji and alphabet by using this character conversion function. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose character input devices having the above-described character conversion function.

JP 2008-299738 A JP 2008-305385 A

  By the way, in the above prior art, characters with high conversion frequency are registered as conversion candidates. However, for example, when the user wants to input “mountain bird”, the input of “sancho” is first converted to “mountain peak”, “top” is deleted from “mountain peak”, and then “bird” is input. In this case, even if “sancho” is input again, “Yamatori” is not registered as a conversion candidate. Therefore, when the user wants to input “Yamatori” again, “Yamatori” is not output as a conversion candidate even if “Sancho” is input, so he had to input “Yamatori” again in the same procedure. . Thus, the conventional character conversion function is very inconvenient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve the usability of the character conversion function as compared with the conventional art.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, as a first solving means related to a character input device, after an input character (initial input character) is converted into two or more characters, When some characters are erased and a new second character is added after the remaining character (first character), when the first character and the second character are Chinese characters, A means is provided which comprises character conversion candidate registration means for registering a combination of “the first character + the second character” as a character conversion candidate of the initial input character.

  In the present invention, as the second solving means relating to the character input device, in the first solving means, the character conversion candidate registering means sets the combination of “the first character + the second character” as the initial input. A means of registering as a character conversion candidate at the top of the character is adopted.

  In the present invention, as a solving means relating to the image forming apparatus, a means is adopted in which a character input device adopting the first or second solving means is provided, and characters are input by the character input device.

  According to the present invention, after the input character (initial input character) is converted into two or more characters, some of the converted characters are erased and the remaining characters (first characters) When a new second character is added after that, when the first character and the second character are kanji characters, the combination of “first character + second character” is converted into the character input of the initial input character. Register as a candidate. When the initial input character is input again, the present invention can output the registered “first character + second character” as a character conversion candidate. Thus, according to the present invention, when the user wants to input “first character + second character” again, it is not necessary to input “first character + second character” again in a troublesome procedure. Therefore, the usability of the character conversion function is much better than before.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a multifunction peripheral A according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view of the operation display unit 1 of the multifunction machine A according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a software keyboard of a multifunction machine A according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the multifunction peripheral A according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen transition of operation | movement of the multifunctional machine A which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The multifunction peripheral (image forming apparatus) A according to the present embodiment has a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a facsimile transmission / reception function, and an e-mail transmission function. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-function device A includes an operation display unit 1, an image reading unit 2, an image data storage unit 3, an image processing unit 4, a paper transport / image forming unit 5, a communication unit 6, and a main control unit 7. It has.

  The operation display unit 1 includes an operation key 11, a touch panel 12, and an operation display control unit 13, and functions as a man-machine interface that relates the user and the multifunction device A. The user operates the operation display unit 1 to cause the multifunction peripheral A to execute a user-desired operation. The operation display unit 1 will be described in detail later.

  The image reading unit 2 is a document automatically fed by an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) or an image of a document placed on a platen glass (document image) based on a control command input from a main control unit 7 described later. Is read by the line sensor and converted into document image data, and the document image data is output to the image data storage unit 3.

  The image data storage unit 3 is a semiconductor memory, a hard disk device, or the like, and receives document image data, print image data, and facsimile image data (received by the communication unit 6 from the outside) based on a control command input from the main control unit 7. The image data is stored and read out and output to the image processing unit 4.

  The image processing unit 4 performs various types of image processing (for example, image processing corresponding to enlargement / reduction copying) on the image data input from the image data storage unit 3 based on a control command input from the main control unit 7 described later. ), And the image data is converted into image data in an image forming format and output to the paper transport / image forming unit 5. When the image reading unit 2 reads a color original, the image data input from the image data storage unit 3 to the image processing unit 4 is RGB image data (color image data) corresponding to the three primary colors of light. Reference numeral 4 denotes image data corresponding to the image forming format using such RGB image data, for example, YMCK image data, that is, an image using Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) as reference colors. The data is converted and output to the paper transport / image forming unit 5.

  The paper transport / image forming unit 5 transports recording paper in a paper tray (not shown) based on a control command input from the main control unit 7, and image data in the image forming format input from the image processing unit 4. Based on the above, an image (image made of toner) is formed on a recording sheet, and the recording sheet is conveyed to a discharge tray (not shown). The sheet conveying / image forming unit 5 is formed by arranging, for example, four developing devices corresponding to the reference color toner on the secondary transfer belt, and forms an image based on a tandem system.

  The communication unit 6 communicates with an external multifunction device, a facsimile machine, a client computer, or the like using a LAN (Local Area Network) or a telephone line under the control of the main control unit 7. That is, the communication unit 6 has both a communication function compliant with a LAN standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and a communication function compliant with a facsimile standard such as G3. The communication unit 6 can send and receive e-mails, for example.

  The main control unit 7 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a main body internal memory, the operation display unit 1, an image reading unit 2, an image data storage unit 3, an image processing unit 4, a paper transport / image forming unit 5, and a communication unit 6. And an interface circuit for transmitting and receiving various signals. The main control unit 7 controls the overall operation of the multifunction peripheral A based on a control program stored in advance in the main body internal memory and an operation instruction input from the operation display unit 1. The main control unit 7 transmits and receives various signals in a predetermined communication format with the operation display control unit 13 of the operation display unit 1, thereby grasping and controlling the operation state of the operation display unit 1.

Next, the operation display unit 1 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 2, the operation display unit 1 includes an operation key 11, a touch panel 12, and an operation display control unit 13 (see FIG. 1). The operation display control unit 13 is a character conversion candidate registration unit in the present embodiment.

  The operation key 11 is physically provided in the operation display unit 1 as a hardware key. The operation keys 11 include, for example, a power key, a start key, a clear key for canceling operation contents, and a numeric keypad for inputting instructions regarding numbers. When the operation key 11 is pressed by the user, an operation signal of each operation key is output to the operation display control unit 13.

  As is well known, the touch panel 12 is provided with a transparent surface pressure sensor such as a resistive film type on the display surface of the display panel, and the user designates an operation button displayed on the display panel by the operation display control unit 13. When the pressure is pressed, the planar pressure sensor outputs an operation signal indicating the pressed position (pressed coordinate) to the operation display control unit 13.

The operation display control unit 13 is a control device that controls the operation keys 11 and the touch panel 12 under the control of the main control unit 7, and includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an internal memory, the operation keys 11, the touch panel 12, and the main touch panel 12. An interface circuit that exchanges various signals with the control unit 7 is provided.
The operation display control unit 13 displays operation buttons and various screens on the touch panel 12 based on an operation display control program stored in the internal memory under a control command input from the main control unit 7. Then, the operation display control unit 13 determines which operation button or operation key 11 is operated based on an operation signal input from the operation key 11 or the touch panel 12, and issues an operation instruction based on the determination result to the main control unit. 7 is output.

  Then, the operation display control unit 13 displays a software keyboard on the touch panel 12 as one of various screens. The software keyboard is used when inputting characters in the same manner as a general keyboard, and is displayed when an e-mail subject and text are input. As shown in FIG. 3, the software keyboard has the same layout (QWERTY layout) as that of a general keyboard, and character input buttons corresponding to the characters are arranged. A character input by pressing the character input button is displayed in the input character display area. The software keyboard can input various characters such as hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphabet, and various symbols by switching the character input mode.

On the software keyboard, an “uppercase” mode button and a “lowercase” mode button for selecting uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet to be input are displayed. When the “uppercase” mode button is pressed, the character type mode is changed to the “uppercase” mode, and the alphabet input by pressing the character input button is displayed in uppercase in the input character display area. When the “lowercase” mode button is pressed, the character type mode is changed to the “lowercase” mode, and the alphabet entered by pressing the character input button is displayed in lowercase in the input character display area. The dot pattern “lowercase” mode button in FIG. 3 indicates that the button is pressed and the character mode is in the lowercase mode.
The software keyboard also has a “backspace” button to delete the character to the left of the cursor in the input character display area, a “newline / confirm” button to enter a newline and confirm the entered character, A “Convert” button for converting to Kanji is displayed.

Next, the operation of the MFP A according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, a user who wants to create an e-mail using the multifunction device A operates the operation display unit 1 to display an e-mail creation screen on the touch panel 9. Then, the user starts inputting the subject and body of the e-mail.

The operation display control unit 13 displays a software keyboard (see FIG. 3) on the touch panel 12 when a text input start instruction is received by an operation of the touch panel 12 by the user.
The operation display control unit 13 accepts input of a character (initial input character) by pressing the character input button, converts the input character when the “conversion” button is pressed, and the “line feed / confirm” button is pressed. Then, the converted character is determined (step S1). After step S1, the operation display control unit 13 determines whether there are two or more characters after confirmation (step S2). If the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S2, that is, if there are two or more characters after confirmation, whether part or all of the converted characters have been deleted. It is determined whether or not (step S3). If the operation display control unit 13 determines “NO” in step S <b> 2, that is, if the determined character is not two or more characters, the operation display control unit 13 ends the process.

Steps S1 and S2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
For example, when the character input button is pressed in the hiragana input mode in step S1, “Sancho” is input to the input character display area as shown in FIG. 5A, and the “conversion” button and the “carriage return / confirmation” button are displayed. As a result, the “mountain peak” shown in FIG. In this case, since the confirmed character is a “mountain peak” of two or more characters, “YES” is determined in the step S2.

  Returning to FIG. 4, if the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S <b> 3, that is, if some or all of the characters after conversion are erased, the remaining characters after the erasure (the first character) It is determined whether there is 1 character) (step S4). If the operation display control unit 13 determines “NO” in step S3, that is, if the character is not erased, the operation display control unit 13 ends the process.

  If it is determined as “YES” in step S4, that is, if there is a remaining character (first character), the operation display control unit 13 inputs a new character by pressing the character input button. It is determined whether or not a new second character has been added after the first character by the conversion by pressing the “convert” button and the determination by pressing the “carriage return / confirm” button (step S5). If it is determined “NO” in step S4, that is, if there are no remaining characters, the operation display control unit 13 ends the process.

  When the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S5, that is, when a new second character is added after the first character, the first character and the second character are displayed. It is determined whether or not is a Chinese character (step S6). If the operation display control unit 13 determines “NO” in step S5, that is, if no new second character is added after the first character, the operation display control unit 13 ends the process.

If the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S6, that is, if the first character and the second character are kanji, “first character + second character”. The combination is stored in its own internal memory as the highest character conversion candidate of the initial input character, that is, the combination of “first character + second character” is registered as the highest character conversion candidate of the initial input character (step S7). If it is determined “NO” in step S6, that is, if the first character and the second character are not kanji, the operation display control unit 13 ends the process.
When the initial input character is input again after step S7 and the “conversion” button is pressed, the operation display control unit 13 sets the combination of “first character + second character” to the top of the initial input character. Are displayed on the touch panel as candidates for character conversion (step S8).

Steps S3 to S8 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the “top” of “mountain top” is deleted by pressing the “backspace” button, “YES” is determined in step S3, and “mountain (number "1") remains, so "YES" is determined in the step S4.

  Then, “tori” is input after “mountain” as shown in FIG. 5D, and “tori” is converted into “bird” and confirmed as shown in FIG. Since “bird (second character)” is added after “mountain (first character)”, “YES” is determined in step S5, and “bird (after the mountain (first character)” is determined. Since the “second character)” is a Chinese character, “YES” is determined in the step S6. In step S7, “Yamatori” is registered as the highest character conversion candidate of “Sancho (initial input character)” shown in FIG.

  In step S8, as shown in FIG. 5 (f), when “Sancho” is input and the “Conversion” button is pressed, the top character conversion candidate of “Sancho” is displayed as (g) in FIG. The “mountain bird” shown in FIG. When “mountain bird” is selected as a character conversion candidate, “mountain bird” is confirmed.

  As described above, in the MFP A according to the present embodiment, “sancho (initial input character)” is converted to “mountain peak”, then “top” is deleted, and then “mountain (first character)”. When “bird (second character)” is added after “”, “yamatori” is registered as the highest character conversion candidate of “sancho”. Then, when “Sancho” is input again, the multi-function device A displays “Yamatori” as the highest character conversion candidate of “Sancho”. As described above, since the multifunction peripheral A does not need to input “Yamatori” again in a troublesome procedure when the user wants to input “Yamatori” again, the user-friendliness of the character conversion function is much better than before.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the above embodiment, the character conversion candidate is registered when “top” is deleted by pressing the “backspace” button, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, when the “Delete” key exists like a normal hard keyboard, even when “top” is deleted by pressing the “Delete” key after the cursor is set to “top” in step S3. In addition, “Sancho” may be registered as a character conversion candidate of “Sancho” according to the subsequent processing after Step S4.
In addition, if there is a character input overwrite function, even if “top” erasure and “bird” input are performed as a series of actions by the overwrite function, “Sancho” character conversion candidates are “Yamatori” May be registered. That is, in the present invention, “Yamatori” is registered as a character conversion candidate for “Sancho” no matter what the key operation is when a character is erased.

(2) In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the multi-function peripheral A that is one of the image forming apparatuses, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to any device having a character conversion function such as a personal computer and a portable terminal.

  A ... MFP, 1 ... operation display unit, 2 ... image reading unit, 3 ... image data storage unit, 4 ... image processing unit, 5 ... paper transport / image forming unit, 6 ... communication unit, 7 ... main control unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Operation key, 12 ... Touch panel, 13 ... Operation display control part

Claims (3)

After the input character (initial input character) is converted into two or more characters, a part of the converted character is deleted, and a new second character is added after the remaining character (first character). When the first character and the second character are kanji characters, a combination of “the first character + the second character” is selected as a character conversion candidate for the initial input character. A character input device comprising character conversion candidate registration means for registering as:   2. The character input according to claim 1, wherein the character conversion candidate registration unit registers a combination of “the first character + the second character” as a top character conversion candidate of the initial input character. apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprising the character input device according to claim 1, wherein characters are input by the character input device.

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