JP2743837B2 - keyboard - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly, to a keyboard that can operate a mouse cursor on a screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An input device used in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer includes a keyboard and a mouse. When inputting information with the mouse, a mouse cursor on a display screen of the information processing apparatus is moved to an icon at a desired position. As described above, it is necessary to select the icon by clicking the mouse button after moving the mouse by hand.

When inputting information from a keyboard, it is necessary to manually operate keys on the keyboard. Therefore, when a keyboard and a mouse are used together, one hand moves between the keyboard and the mouse, so that the operability is poor and the processing efficiency is reduced.

In order to improve the operability and processing efficiency, the mouse cursor on the display screen is moved by using the "shift" key and the "cursor" key on the keyboard together, and the mouse cursor is displayed. After moving to one end of the screen, when a predetermined key operation on the keyboard is used to indicate that the mouse cursor should be moved outward, a device that moves the mouse cursor to the other end of the display screen has been conventionally used. It is known.
No. 79127).

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, the mouse cursor can be controlled to move without releasing the hand from the keyboard. However, in order to move the mouse cursor, "shift" on the keyboard is required. Since it is necessary to operate the key and the "cursor" key at the same time, one hand must be released from the home position of the keyboard, which causes a problem of impairing the operability of keyboard input.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
Without releasing your hand from the keyboard home position,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard that can control the movement of a mouse cursor on a screen.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a keyboard capable of finely controlling the movement of a cursor and securing the degree of freedom in controlling the movement of a mouse cursor.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention achieves the above object by placing both hands in a home position on a keyboard.
Use the buttons provided in a position that can be operated while placed
Mode switching means for selecting one of the keyboard mode and the mouse mode, and when the keyboard mode is selected by the mode switching means, data input by key operation is directly processed as data from a normal keyboard. Output to the device and when the mouse mode is selected, the home position
Key operated on the center point on the line connecting the two keys
Key operated in the direction corresponding to the
Screen of the information processing device at a faster speed as the distance to the
Data conversion means for converting data input by moving the mouse cursor above to data having the same code as that input from the mouse and outputting the same to the information processing apparatus.

[0009]

[0010]

In the keyboard of the present invention, when the mouse mode is selected by the mode switching means, the data conversion means converts the data inputted by the key operation into data of the same code as that inputted from the mouse. Since the information is output to the information processing device, the movement of the mouse cursor on the screen of the information processing device can be controlled without releasing one hand from the home position on the keyboard.

Further, in the present invention, the mode switching means is a button provided at a position operable with both hands placed on the home position on the keyboard. You can select the mode without releasing one hand from.

Further, in the present invention, the data conversion means is provided in the information processing apparatus in a direction and a speed corresponding to the position and distance of the key operated in the mouse mode with respect to the center point on the line connecting the two keys at the home position. Since the mouse cursor on the screen is moved, the movement of the mouse cursor can be finely controlled.

[0013]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure,
The keyboard 10 of the present embodiment includes a mode switching unit 11 and a data conversion unit 12, and is connected to the information processing device 20 so that output data thereof is input to the information processing device 20 such as a personal computer. .

The mode switching means 11 includes a keyboard 10
Means for selecting one of the keyboard mode and the mouse mode. For example, as shown in a schematic plan view of FIG. 3, a mode provided at a lower central position outside the key group of the keyboard 10 This is realized by the switching button 31. Therefore, this mode switching button 31
Can be operated with both hands placed on two keys at the home position on the keyboard 10.

Here, the "keyboard mode" is
Data input by key operation on the keyboard 10 is a mode in which the data input by the key operation of the keyboard 10 is output to the information processing apparatus 20 as it is. A mode in which the data is converted into the same code as the data input from the mouse by the conversion means 12 and output.

The data conversion means 12 does not perform data conversion when the mode input from the mode switching means 11 is the keyboard mode, and outputs the input data as it is.
When the input mode is the mouse mode, the mouse on the screen of the information processing device 20 has a direction and speed corresponding to the position and distance of the key operated in the mouse mode with respect to the center point on the line connecting the two keys at the home position. It is converted into data that moves the cursor and output.

For example, in a case where the keyboard 10 is a generally used "QWERTY" layout keyboard, as shown in an enlarged plan view of a main part of FIG. ) And the center point on the line connecting the two keys of the home position key 23 (“F”) of the left index finger is an intermediate position between the “H” key and the “G” key as indicated by 21 in FIG. It is in.

The data conversion means 12 converts the data input by key operations arranged on the right side of the center point 20 into
The mouse cursor is converted into data for moving to the right side of the screen, and data input by key operation arranged to the left of the center point 20 is converted to data for moving the mouse cursor to the left side of the screen.

Further, the data conversion means 12 has a central point 20.
The data input by operating a further distant key is converted into data in which the moving speed of the mouse cursor is faster and output. Therefore, for example, when the “L” key is operated rather than the “H” key, the moving speed of the mouse cursor is faster.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the keys of the keyboard 10 are operated to input the input data 15 as shown in FIG.
Is input to the data conversion means 12 (step 4).
1), the data conversion means 12 determines whether or not the mode input from the mode switching means 11 is the keyboard mode (step 42). As described above, the mode switching means 11 is realized by the mode switching button 31 of FIG. 3, and the mode is alternately switched to the keyboard mode and the mouse mode each time the user presses the mode switching button 31.

When the mode determined in step 42 of FIG.
Outputs the input data 15 as it is to the information processing device 20 as the keyboard input data (key code) 16 without conversion (step 43). Therefore, in the keyboard mode, the keyboard 10 operates as a normal keyboard.

On the other hand, when the mode determined in step 42 of FIG.
2 converts the key code into the mouse input data 17 having the same code as the mouse input data in the X and Y directions on the screen of the information processing device 20 based on the input data 15 and outputs it to the information processing device 20 (step 44). ).

For example, if the input data 15 is the center point 2 in FIG.
If the data is input by operating the "H" key on the right side of the
0 is converted to the mouse input data 17 in which the mouse cursor on the screen moves to the right at a low speed.
Is the data input by operating the "Y" key above the center point 21, the data is converted into mouse input data 17 in which the mouse cursor moves upward at a low speed.

Further, when the input data 15 is data input by operating the "L" key on the right side of the center point 21, the data conversion means 12 operates in the same manner as when the data is input by operating the "H" key. The data is converted into data for moving the mouse cursor to the right. However, since the distance from the center point 21 to the “L” key is greater than the distance to the “H” key, the mouse cursor is moved to the “H” key. Mouse input data 17 that moves to the right at a higher speed than when inputting
Convert to

When the input data 15 is data input by operating the "U" key located above and above the center point 21, the mouse cursor moves at a low speed to the upper right and the "N" at the lower right. In the case of input data by key operation, the input data is converted into mouse input data 17 which moves in the lower right direction at low speed.

In the same manner as described above, when data is input by another key operation, the data conversion means 12 operates in the direction corresponding to the position of the key and in accordance with the distance from the center point 21 to the key operated in the mouse mode. The mouse input data 17 for moving the mouse cursor on the screen of the information processing device 20 at the selected speed is generated and transmitted to the information processing device 20.

When moving the mouse cursor in the vertical direction, the data conversion means 12 moves the mouse cursor at a higher speed than when the "Y" key is operated because no other key exists directly above the "Y" key. Although it cannot be moved upward, for example, by simultaneously operating a predetermined control key, for example, a “Shift” key and a “6” key or a “7” key above the “Y” key, accurate It can be moved right above and at a higher speed than when the "Y" key is operated.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the keyboard user moves the mouse cursor on the screen of the information processing device 20 without releasing one of the two keys at the home position of the keyboard 10. Since control can be performed, operability of keyboard input can be improved as compared with the related art.

It is to be noted that there is also known a keyboard which is provided with a mode switching key on a keypad and can be input in a mouse mode (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-106031). There is no disclosure of a configuration for controlling the movement of the mouse cursor without releasing one hand from the home position on the keyboard.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the key layout is not limited to the "QWERTY" layout, and the present invention can be applied to keyboards having other key layouts. Of course you can.
After moving the mouse cursor to the desired icon position,
By operating a predetermined key, an icon can be selected.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the movement of the mouse cursor on the screen of the information processing device can be controlled without releasing one hand from the home position on the keyboard, operability of keyboard input can be improved as compared with the related art.

According to the present invention, a keyboard mode and a mouse mode can be selected by buttons provided at positions operable with both hands placed on a home position on the keyboard. Since the mode can be selected without releasing one hand from the upper home position, the operability of the keyboard can be secured even when the mode is selected.

Further, according to the present invention, the screen of the information processing apparatus is displayed in a direction and at a speed corresponding to the position and distance of the key operated in the mouse mode with respect to the center point on the line connecting the two keys at the home position. By moving the upper mouse cursor, the movement of the mouse cursor can be finely controlled, so that the degree of freedom of the movement control of the mouse cursor can be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the present invention for explaining a key operation in a mouse mode.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Keyboard 11 Mode switching means 12 Data conversion means 15 Input data 16 Keyboard input data 17 Mouse input data 20 Information processing device 21 Center point 22 Right index finger home position 23 Left index finger home position 31 Mode switching button

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hand in a home position on a keyboard
Use the buttons provided at the positions that can be operated with the
Mode switching means for selecting one of a keyboard mode and a mouse mode using the keyboard mode. When the keyboard mode is selected by the mode switching means, data input by key operation is used as data from a normal keyboard. When the mouse mode is selected, a line connecting the two keys of the home position is output to the information processing apparatus as it is.
Depending on the position of the key operated with respect to the center point of the minute
And the distance from the center point to the operated key
The farther the mouse is on the screen of the information processing device, the faster the speed
A keyboard that has data conversion means for converting data input by moving a cursor to data of the same code as that input from the mouse and outputting the data to the information processing apparatus.