JP3899337B2 - Character input system, character input method, character input program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a character input system, a character input method, a character input program, and a recording medium used in the field of character input devices or input methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to a small electronic notebook, a small word processor (word processor), and a personal computer. The present invention relates to a character input system, a character input method, a character input program, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the character input program is recorded.

  In recent years, information devices such as personal computers have been widely used in businesses and homes. As such an information device, a desktop type or notebook type personal computer or PDA (personal digital assistant) is usually used.

  By the way, when inputting characters with these information devices, some small personal computers and PDAs may use a touch pen to input characters and numbers by hand. Has a keyboard.

  In keyboard input, alphabetic input is widely used. In other words, the input using 26 letters of the alphabet has a small number of keys to remember and can be easily performed with a blind touch. Therefore, not only English input but also Japanese input is widely used as Roman character input.

  However, the problem of keyboard allergy is particularly problematic for beginners when using a keyboard. That is, an ordinary keyboard has a complicated array of 80 or more keys, and it is necessary to input a large number of keys using both hands, which is difficult to master.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a character input system, a character input method, a character input program, and a recording medium on which the character input program is recorded, which can reduce the number of keys to make it easy to remember and type.

The character input system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Japanese vowels “A” and “I”
”,“ U ”,“ E ”,“ O ”, five vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, and 32, and the consonant“ K ”,“ S ”,“ T ”,“ N ”. , “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W”, nine consonant keys 28-30, 23-25, 33-35, and these consonant keys 28-30, 23- A shift key 51 for switching 25, 33 to 35 to a shift state. Among the consonant keys 28 to 30, 23 to 25, and 33 to 35, consonants "K", "S", "T", "H" In the shift state of each consonant key 28 to 30 and 24, the consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B” of the muddy sound is set, respectively, and the consonant “N” is set. In the shift state of the key 23, a semi-voiced consonant “P” is set, and vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” are set. In the shift state of the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, and 32, a stuttering sound and a long stuttering character are respectively set, and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, and 32 are independently input. Then, after the kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key is input and the consonant keys 28-30, 23-25, 33-35 are input, the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 are input. If is entered is entered kana characters Kiyone represented by the set vowels consonants and mother sound key is set in the child sound key, and the shift key 51, the voiced or semi-voiced sound consonant is set and a consonant key 28～30,24,23, if said vowel key 27,26,22,21,32 are inputted at the same time, consonants set voiced or semi-voiced sound the shift state of the child sound keys and Character kana represented by the vowel set to the vowel key is inputted, the while consonant key 28～30,23～25,33～35 is inputted, the vowel key and the shift key 51 27,26,22,21, 32 is input at the same time, the consonant set in the consonant key and the kana character indicated by the stuttering or long stuttering set in the shift state of the vowel key are input. The set consonant keys 28-30, 24, 23, the other consonant keys 29, 20, 24, 25 adjacent to the consonant keys, the shift key 51, and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 is input at the same time, a kana character indicated by a muffled or semi-voiced consonant set in the consonant key and a stuttering or long stuttering set in the shift state of the vowel key is input. It is characterized by being.

In such an invention, the consonant key is switched to the shift state by the input of the shift key, and the consonant of the clear sound and the muddy sound and the semi-voiced sound are set in the non-shifted state and the shifted state of these consonant keys. Can handle Japanese input with a small number of keys. In addition, since the consonant for clear sound that is frequently used among the consonants is set to the non-shift state of each consonant key, a shift operation is not required when inputting a frequent clear sound, and operability is improved.
Furthermore, in each shift state of the consonant keys 28-30, 24, 23 to which the consonant “K”, “S”, “T”, “H”, “N” is set, there are Japanese muddy sounds and semi-muddy sounds. Consonants “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B”, and “P” are set, respectively. For this reason, in the shift state of each consonant key corresponding to the input position of the "ka" line, "sa" line, "ta" line, "ha" line, and "na" line input in combination with the vowel key , “Ga” line, “za” line, “da” line, “ba” line, “pa” line, respectively. Therefore, it becomes easier to remember the positions of the consonant keys of the muddy sound and semi-voiced sound, and the operability is improved.

In the character input method of the present invention, the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, and 32 in which Japanese vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, and “O” are set are independent. Input, the kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key is input, and the consonants "K", "S", "T", "N", "H", "M" ”,“ Y ”,“ R ”,“ W ”are set, and after the vowel key is input after the consonant key 28-30, 23-25, 33-35 is input, The set consonant and the kana character of the clear sound indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key are input, the shift key 51 for switching the vowel key and the consonant key to the shift state, and the consonants “K” and “S”. "," T "," H ", and the consonant key 28～30,24,23 the" N "is set, before If the vowel key is input at the same time, consonant, which is set in the child sound key "K", "S", "T", "H", set in the shift state of the child sound key corresponds to the "N" The voiced or semi-voiced consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B”, “P” and the kana character of the voiced or semi-voiced sound indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key are input, If the shift key 51 and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 are input at the same time while the consonant keys 28-30, 23-25, 33-35 are input, the consonant keys are set. And consonant keys 28-30, 24, 23 in which a kana character indicated by a stuttering sound or a long stuttering sound set in the shift state of the vowel key and the vowel key is input, Other consonant keys 29, 2 adjacent to the key , 24, 25, the shift key 51, and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 are input simultaneously, the consonant of the muddy or semi-voiced sound set in the consonant key and the vowel key A kana character indicated by a stuttering or a long stuttering set in a shift state is input.

  In the present invention, as in the case of the character input system described above, a consonant key is set to a clear consonant, a muddy sound, and a semi-voiced consonant, and these are switched by inputting a shift key. Can handle Japanese input with a small number of keys. In addition, because the consonant of clear sound and the consonant of muddy and semi-voiced sound are set correspondingly, the position of the key of muddy and semi-voiced sound is easy to remember, and even beginners can easily master and improve operability can do.

In addition, the character input program of the present invention includes a vowel key 27, 26, 22, 21, in which Japanese vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” are set on a computer. 32 is input independently, a function for inputting a kana character indicated by a vowel set in the vowel key, and a consonant “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “ When the vowel key is input after the consonant keys 28-30, 23-25, 33-35 set with “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W” are input , a function of inputting Kiyone kana character represented by a vowel set to the consonant and mother sound keys Kiyone set in the child sound keys, a shift key 51 for switching the vowel keys and the consonant keys in the shift state, the The child set with the consonants “K”, “S”, “T”, “H”, “N” Key 28～30,24,23, if said vowel key is simultaneously input, consonant set in the child sound key "K", the "S", "T", "H", "N" Correspondingly indicated by the consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B”, “P” and the vowel set in the vowel key set in the shift state of the consonant key. The shift key 51 and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, and 32 are input while the consonant keys 28 to 30, 23 to 25, and 33 to 35 are input. When input simultaneously, the consonant set in the consonant key and the kana character indicated by the stuttering or long stuttering set in the shift state of the vowel key, and the consonant of the muddy or semi-voiced sound are set Consonant keys 28-30, 24, 23 When the other consonant keys 29, 20, 24, 25 adjacent to the consonant key, the shift key 51, and the vowel keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 are simultaneously input, And a function of inputting a kana character indicated by a stuttering sound or a long stuttering sound that is set in the shift state of the vowel key.

  In the present invention, as in the case of the above-described character input method, the consonant keys are set to the clear consonant, the muddy sound and the semi-voiced consonant, and these are switched by the shift key. Can support Japanese input with the number of keys. In addition, the position of the consonant of the clear sound and the position of the consonant of the muddy sound and the semi-voiced sound correspond to each other, so that the position of the key is easy to remember, and even a beginner can easily learn and improve the operability. . Such a character input program can also be installed on a personal computer via a network such as personal computer communication or the Internet.

  The recording medium of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the character input program is recorded.

  In the present invention, FD, CD-ROM, DVD, or the like can be used as a recording medium, and can be installed in each personal computer or the like.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a special key input device 10 having a reduced key arrangement according to the present invention is used as an input device of a personal computer 1 having a personal computer main body 2 and a display 3 made of liquid crystal or CRT. Is used. The key input device 10 and the PC main body 2 are connected by a keyboard cable (not shown) or by radio such as radio waves or infrared rays.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the key input device 10 includes a main key area 20 composed of 15 main keys 21 to 35 arranged in three rows, five rows on the left and right, and one row on the left and right on the lower side of the main key area 20. The support key area 50 is composed mainly of five support keys 51 to 55 in five rows.

The key input device 10 is usually placed on a desk and input with the right hand. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the left two rows of keys 21, 22, 26, 27, 31, and 32 are input with the index finger that is easy to move, and the other three rows of keys 23 to 25 and 28 to 30. , 33 to 35 are input with the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger, respectively, and the support keys 51 to 55 are input with the thumb. However, this setting is only a basic operation, and when a plurality of keys are simultaneously pressed, the input may be performed using an appropriate finger. Further, the left hand may be used for input, or the key input device 10 may be input with the left hand supported without being placed on the desk.
The basic home position is set to keys 27 to 30 in the middle stage of the main key area 20 as shown in the figure.

Each character is set in the main keys 21 to 35 and the support keys 51 to 55 as shown in FIG.
In other words, alphabets used for Japanese input and English input in Roman characters are set at the top and bottom of the key tops of the main keys 21 to 35, numbers are on the left side, and functions and key numbers are on the bottom side of the key tops. Is set.

  Furthermore, the arrangement of the character keys in the main key area 20 is shown in FIG. 3 in the order of ease of typing of the keys in the main key area 20 and the use of alphabet vowels and consonants when inputting Roman characters. The vowels and consonants are arranged in the order of the frequency of use, in the order of ease of being put on this key layout, in the middle, upper, and lower stages. In addition, the keys of each stage are arranged from the reference side to the opposite side.

  Note that the support keys 51 to 55 mainly have functions such as conversion, no conversion, and shift, and are combined with 15 keys 21 to 35 arranged in the main key area 20 to provide various types of keys in the key input device 10. The function is to be executed.

Accordingly, the 15 keys 21 to 35 in the main key area 20 constitute character keys set with character codes, and the 5 keys 51 to 55 in the support key area 3B constitute function keys.
Note that the character code is not limited to a code representing an alphabet, but also includes a code representing a number, a symbol, a function, a key number, etc., a code distinguished by a lowercase letter or an uppercase letter, and the like.

As described above, the key input device 10 according to the present embodiment has a very characteristic key arrangement. However, when actually used, various notations are mixed, and it may be difficult to understand especially for beginners. Therefore, by switching the input mode, the arrangement of Japanese, English, numerals (NUM), and symbols (SYM) shown in FIGS. 4, 8, 11, and 12 is changed to the screen 3A of the display 3 as shown in FIG. Is displayed as a guide in a part of
Each key in each of these arrays is a soft key displayed on the screen 3A and is not an actual key 21-35, 51-55 of the key input device 10, but each key 21-35, 51-51. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for explanation.

These input modes are changed by hitting the main keys 31 to 34 set with “English, NUM, SYM, Kana” as functions simultaneously with the support key 52 set with “↓ FS”. Further, in the state of each arrangement of English, numerals, and symbols, as shown in FIGS. 8, 11, and 12, the key 52 can be switched to the kana arrangement by pressing the key 52 that displays “Kana”.
In the present embodiment, the symbol arrangement is not represented on the main keys 21 to 35 so that the key notation is not complicated, but each symbol may also be represented on the keys 21 to 35 of the key input device 3. Good.

  When the mode is switched to the Japanese input mode, the Japanese standard layout for Roman character input shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the screen 3A of the display 3. Romaji input is more time-consuming and time-consuming than entering Kana characters directly, but the number of characters is small, so it is easy to work on, and most users who input Japanese use Romaji to enter, so Romaji The input sequence was a standard sequence.

The important thing in keyboard design is how to make an arrangement that is easy to remember and type according to the frequency of appearance of characters. Fortunately, there is regularity in the appearance frequency of kana, the vowel frequency is the highest in romaji input, and the consonant appears almost in the order of 50 tones of “K, S, T, N.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the main keys 21 to 35 are divided into the vowel zone 20A and the consonant zone 20B, the most frequent vowel is assigned to the index finger, and the consonant is assigned to the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger. They are arranged in the order that they are easy to hit.
The index finger and thumb are particularly active, so when combined with other fingers, consonant and vowel keys can be pressed alternately and simultaneously without losing the finger position.

  Specifically, one side (the left side in the illustrated example) of the main key area 20 is a reference side where the index finger is the home position, and a zone composed of two groups of keys on the reference side is a vowel zone 20A for inputting vowels. The zone consisting of the remaining three rows of keys in the main key area 20 is set as a consonant zone 20B for inputting consonants.

The vowel zone 20A composed of two rows of keys on the reference side is provided with six keys 21, 22, 26, 27, 31, 32, and these keys 21, 22, 26, 27, 31, 32 are provided. The vowel keys "A", "I", "U", "E", and "O" representing vowels are arranged as follows.
That is, among the vowel keys, the middle keys 27 and 26 are respectively arranged with "A" and "I" keystroke keys, and the upper keys 22 and 21 are respectively arranged with "U" and "E" keystroke keys. Further, the lower keys 32 and 31 are arranged with “O” and “n” keystroke keys which are sound repellent.

  In this arrangement, when the right index finger is set to the home position of the vowel zone 20A, the key “A” that is frequently used is arranged on the key 27 at the position where the index finger is set to the home position. The key “I” is arranged, and the keys “U”, “E”, and “O” are arranged in order of frequency of use as going up and down. The arrangement on the vowel zone 20A takes into consideration the ease of remembering of the letters so that it becomes “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” as going to the middle, upper, and lower stages. Is set.

  On the other hand, the right three columns of consonant zones 20B include “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, which represent Japanese consonants. "W" consonant keys are arranged. More specifically, the middle-stage keys 28, 29, and 30 are the keys “K”, “S”, and “T” in order from the left side, and the upper-stage keys 23, 24, and 25 are “N” in order from the left side. , “H” and “M” keys, and the lower keys 33, 34 and 35 are “Y”, “R” and “W” keys in order from the left side. And these arrays are "ka" line, "sa" line, "ta" line, "na" line, "ha" line, "ma" line, "ya" line, "ra" line, "wa" This is because the consonants in the line are arranged in the order of red and white in the middle, upper, lower, and further from the reference side to the opposite side.

It should be noted that, like the vowel arrangement, such an arrangement is also set in consideration of the order of ease of typing and the order of frequency of use of Roman letters, and the right hand index finger is placed in the vowel zone 20A. When the home position is set, the key “K”, which is frequently used in Japanese, is arranged on the key 28 at the middle finger position of the middle finger.
A key 29 provided with “S” is provided next to the key 28 at the middle finger position, and a key “T” is arranged on the key 30 next to the key 29. Then, as going from the upper level to the lower level, “N” for the key 23, “H” for the key 24, and “H” for the key 24 in the order of frequency of use from the reference side to the opposite side. “M” is arranged at 25, “Y” is arranged at the key 33, “R” is arranged at the key 34, and “W” is arranged at the key 35.

Further, the vowel key and the consonant key are shifted (in the state where the shift key 51 arranged in the support key area 50 and switches each key of the main key area 20 to either the shifted state or the non-shifted state is simultaneously pressed and shifted. Yes, the upper character among the characters arranged above and below each of the keys 21 to 35 is input), a lower case letter, a prompt sound “tsu”, a punctuation mark “,”, a punctuation mark “.”, A long sound “−”, “P”, “B”, “G”, “Z”, and “D”, which constitute a semi-turbid sound and a muddy sound by combining the point “·” and the vowel, are assigned.
Specifically, the lowercase letters of each vowel are input to the keys 27, 26, 22, 21, 32 corresponding to “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” “a”. , “I”, “u”, “e”, “o” are arranged, and “N” key 31 is arranged with sound “tsu”, and “N”, “H”, “M” in the upper row of the consonant zone. "P", "B", and a dot "." Are arranged in the keystroke keys 23, 24, 25 corresponding to "", and the keystroke keys 28 corresponding to "K", "S", "T" in the middle row, 29, 30 are arranged with “G”, “Z”, “D”, and the keystroke keys 33, 34, 35 corresponding to “Y”, “R”, “W” in the lower row include “ ", A reading mark". ", And a long sound"-"are arranged.
In the present embodiment, the key arrangement is for the case of operating with the right hand, but it goes without saying that the reference side is arranged opposite to the illustrated example in the case of operating with the left hand.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the support key area 50 includes a key 51 having a shift function, a kana-kanji conversion function and a space input function from the reference side (left side), and a key 52 having a kana-kanji non-conversion function. A BS key 53 having a backspace input function, a DEL key 54 having a delete (DEL) function, and a return key 55 having a line feed input function.

  Incidentally, “F” and “V” are also set in the shift positions of the keys 33 and 34. When these keys 33 and 34 are pressed, punctuation marks are normally input, but “F” and “V” are set only when they are input simultaneously with vowels described later.

Next, functions in the key input device 10 having the key arrangement as described above will be described with reference to a block diagram shown in FIG. 5 and a flowchart shown in FIG.
First, the composite input detection unit 141 detects whether or not a key is input in the key input unit 140 including the main key area 20A and the support key area 20B. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a timer interrupt is performed at a constant cycle (for example, 1 to 10 ms) (step 1, hereinafter “step” is abbreviated as “S”), and each key of the key input unit 140 is assigned. The assigned I / O port (keyboard interface) is checked to see if there is a key input (S2).

  If it is determined that there is no key input, the timer interrupt (S1) is repeated in a certain cycle to wait for key input. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a key input, the character string generation processing unit 142 performs character string generation processing (S3). This character string generation process (S3) will be described in detail later.

When the character string is confirmed, a signal (character string) of the confirmed input key is sent to the display device control unit 143 and displayed on the screen 3A (S4). At this time, if the input key combination is wrong, an error display is performed.
Further, depending on the key operation, various functions such as cursor movement and backspace may be executed. When a key combination instructing such an operation is input, a function process (S5) is performed.

When the conversion key 51 or the non-conversion key 52 is pressed, various conversion processes (S6) such as kana-kanji conversion are performed.
As described above, the processing for one keystroke operation is completed, and if there is a next key input, the above processing is repeated and the key input is sequentially performed.

Note that the key input determination processing in the composite input detection means 141, particularly the determination processing including determination of simultaneous key pressing of a plurality of keys, for example, when there is a key input, the key number is stored in the memory and the timer allocation is performed. It is processed by checking the key input every time the key is pressed and determining that there is a key input when all the keys that have been pressed are released. In this way, if simultaneous keystrokes of a plurality of keys are recognized using the simultaneity at the moment when the finger leaves the key, variations in the fingers at the time of hitting can be absorbed, and key input can be reliably determined.
Note that if a key is pressed by mistake, if a new key is pressed before releasing all the pressed keys, the key released before the key is pressed is invalid. It is preferable to set so that.

As shown in FIG. 5, the character string generation processing unit 142 includes a character string selection unit 172 and a pattern recording unit 173, and the key combination pattern recorded in the pattern recording unit 173 and the corresponding character string. The character string selecting means 172 detects a combination pattern that matches the combination pattern of the input keys using the data table, and if a matching pattern is detected, the corresponding character string is selected and output. It is configured.
As a method for detecting the matching of the keystroke key combination pattern, for example, a key code is set for each key, and each key of the key that is simultaneously keyed is used to appropriately select from various pattern recognition methods. do it.

Next, the input operation in Japanese standard input will be described more specifically.
In Japanese standard input, the above-described standard arrangement in FIG. 4 is displayed on the screen 3A. Here, as in the case of a conventional keyboard, when inputting in units of one character, it is only necessary to input Roman consonants and vowels one by one while keeping the position of each finger. Since the index finger with a high amount of activity is struck alternately with other fingers, grasping the rhythm makes it easier to hit than the calculator.
The muddy sound, punctuation marks, lowercase letters, etc. above each key 21 to 35 are input by simultaneously pressing the shift key 51 with the thumb. In addition, in general Romaji input, the sound repellent “n” that is difficult to strike with “N” is made independent of the key 31 so that it can be played without hesitation.

In addition, since Roman characters can basically be input as a combination of consonants and vowels, when a key of the consonant zone 20B and a key of the vowel zone 20A are simultaneously input, the character string is always arranged in the order of the consonant and the vowel. Is set in the pattern recording means 173. As a result, it is possible to input kana-aware input while using Roman characters, and to input frequently vowels with a high-activity index finger and simultaneously input consonants with other fingers for efficient input. .
Note that the upper consonant of each of the keys 21 to 35 is input by simultaneously pressing the shift key 51 with the thumb, so when the shift key 51, the key of the consonant zone 20B, and the key of the vowel zone 20A are simultaneously pressed, The pattern is set so that a character string arranged in the order of consonant and vowel above the key of the consonant zone 20B is output.

In this embodiment, the pattern is set so that “T” in Katakana is entered by typing “T + Y”. Further, since “F” and “V” are in the same positions as the punctuation marks as described above, they are set to be effective only when they are struck simultaneously with vowels.
Fig. 7 shows an example of Japanese standard input. By simultaneously typing keys, the characters "Fit, Go, Wait, Exit, Article, Book Value, Fan, Tee" are entered with two keystrokes. can do. In addition, as in the input example of “Tee”, some main keys such as the “Y” key 33 that is normally input with the middle finger may be hit with the thumb, and the finger to be used depends on the combination of keys to be simultaneously pressed. May be changed as appropriate.

The following other input modes will be described.
When the mode is switched to the English input mode, the English standard arrangement shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the screen 3A of the display 3. The English sequence is almost the same as the Japanese sequence. Like English, English is composed of five vowels and many consonants, so if you apply a frequently occurring vowel to the index finger with high activity, and a consonant to the middle, ring, or little finger, you can use one hand. And vowels can be played alternately.

  Specifically, “E”, “U”, “I”, “A”, and “O” keys are set for the keys 21, 22, 26, 27, and 32 of the vowel zone 20A, respectively. In these shift positions, comma “,”, period “.”, “J”, “Q”, and “X” keys are set. The key 31 is set with a “CAPS” key.

On the other hand, in the consonant zone 20B, the middle keys 28, 29, and 30 are the keys “K”, “S”, and “T” in order from the left side, and the upper keys 23, 24, and 25 are “N” in order from the left side. ”,“ H ”, and“ M ”keys, and the lower keys 33, 34, and 35 are“ Y ”,“ R ”, and“ W ”keys in order from the left.
In the shift positions of these keys, “P” is set in the key 23, “B” is set in the key 24, “C” is set in the key 25, and “G” is set in the key 28 in order from the left side of the middle row. "," Z "is set to the key 29," D "is set to the key 30, and" F "is set to the key 33," V "is set to the key 34, and" L "is set to the key 35 sequentially from the lower left side. Has been.

  The support key area 50 is also slightly different from the standard Japanese layout. The key 51 has a “SHIFT / SPACE” key and the key 52 has a “Kana” key for switching to the Japanese layout. Yes. The other keys 53 to 55 are set with the same “BS”, “DEL”, and “Return” keys as in the Japanese layout.

Conventionally, there is a key layout called “Dvorak layout” as shown in FIG. 9, which is the easiest to type English among types of two-handed keyboards. This key arrangement concentrates high-frequency vowels in the middle of the left hand side and arranges the main consonants on the right hand side to increase the alternating keystroke rate with the left and right hands. That is, the same concept as this “Dvorak array” is applied to one-handed input, and the array of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is suitable for English input.
Also in the arrangement of this embodiment, “J · Q · X”, which is less frequent, is arranged on the left vowel side.

Here, when inputting in units of one character as in a conventional keyboard, it is only necessary to input consonants and vowels one by one while keeping the position of each finger. The upper consonant of each key is input by simultaneously pressing the shift key 51 with the thumb.
To switch between lowercase letters and uppercase letters, the “CAPS” key 31 is used. When the CAPS key 31 is hit alone, “CAPS LOCK” works, and subsequent input is capitalized. When the CAPS key 31 is pressed simultaneously with another character key (one character), only that character works so as to be capitalized. When the CAPS key 31 is pressed simultaneously with the other two character keys (two characters), the English high-speed input function described later is set to work.

Moreover, since English is also composed of consonants and vowels, the degree of appearance of the spelling of “consonant + vowel” is high. For example, there are “be, do, go, he, me, no, so, to, we”, and the first two letters such as “for, get, him, run, sea, you” It is used repeatedly for four-letter words such as “come, give, have, love, some, take”.
In this way, since the spelling of “consonant + vowel” is partially used in many words, a character string in the order of consonant and vowel is always output when the consonant key and vowel key are typed at the same time. Is set to be.
Further, the consonant on the upper side of each key is input by simultaneously pressing the shift key 51 with the thumb. That is, when the shift key 51, the consonant key, and the vowel key are pressed at the same time, a pattern is set so that a character string arranged in the order of the consonant and the vowel above the consonant key is output.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of English standard input. By simultaneously pressing keys, each character such as “you, for, take, joke, his, are, have, TV” is input with two keystrokes. be able to. For example, when the vowel key 26 set with “J / I”, the vowel key 32 set with “X / O”, and the shift key 51 are simultaneously pressed, two types of “J + O” or “X + I” are used. In such a case, the pattern recording unit 173 is set so that “J + O” is preferentially input according to the frequency in English.

When the number input mode is selected, the display 3 displays the number (NUM) arrangement shown in FIG.
In the numeric array, numeric keys are set in the central three columns of the main key area 20, and arithmetic symbol keys are set in the left and right columns. Specifically, in order from the upper left side of the main key area 20, the symbol “-” is displayed on the key 21, the number “7” is displayed on the key 22, the number “8” is displayed on the key 23, the number “9” is displayed on the key 24, The symbol “/” is set to the key 25, the symbol “+” is sequentially set to the key 26, the number “4” is set to the key 27, the number “5” is set to the key 28, and the number “6” is set to the key 29. However, the colon symbol “*” is set to the key 30, the number “0” is set to the key 31, the number “1” is set to the key 32, the number “2” is set to the key 33, and the number is set to the key 34. “3” is set in the key 35 and the symbol “.” Is set.

  On the other hand, the support key area 50 is almost the same as the English layout, and the keys 51 to 55 are, in order from the left side, “SPACE” key, “Kana” key, “BS” key, “DEL” key, “Return”. The key is set.

  The numeric layout is the same key layout as a calculator and is easy to understand, so you can hit it without looking at your hand without moving your hand. In this numerical arrangement, the character at the shift position is not set, and it is not necessary to input the numbers at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to input one character at a time.

When the symbol input mode is selected, the symbol (SYM) arrangement shown in FIG.
In the symbol arrangement, parenthesis symbol keys are set in the left two columns of the main key area 20, and various symbol keys are set in the right three columns. Specifically, in order from the upper left side of the main key area 20, the parenthesis symbol “<” is displayed on the key 21, the parenthesis symbol “>” is displayed on the key 22, the semicolon symbol “;” is displayed on the key 23, and the colon symbol “ : ", The symbol" / "is set in the key 25, the parenthesis symbol"("is in the key 26, the parenthesis symbol") "is in the key 27, and the modifier symbol" @ "is in the key 28. The sharp symbol “#” is set to the key 29, the asterisk symbol “*” is set to the key 30, the parenthesis symbol “[” is set to the key 31 and the parenthesis symbol “]” is set to the key 33 in order from the lower left side. The modifier symbol “!”, The question symbol “?” In the key 34, and the symbol “=” in the key 35 are set.

  On the other hand, at the shift position of each key in the main key area 20, the parenthesis symbol “′” is displayed on the key 21, the parenthesis symbol “′” is displayed on the key 22, and the parenthesis symbol ““ ”is displayed on the key 23. The parenthesis symbol “” ”is set for the key 24, the symbol“ \ ”is set for the key 25, the parenthesis symbol“ “” is set for the key 26, the parenthesis symbol “” ”is set for the key 27, and the AND symbol is set for the key 28. “&”, The symbol “˜” is set in the key 29, the symbol “%” is set in the key 30, and the parenthesis symbol “{” is in the key 31 and the parenthesis symbol “}” is in the key 32 in order from the lower left side. , The dollar sign “$” is set in the key 33, the yen sign “¥” is set in the key 34, and the sign “−” is set in the key 35.

  On the other hand, the support key area 50 is the same as the English layout, and the keys 51 to 55 are, in order from the left side, “SHIFT / SPACE” key, “Kana” key, “BS” key, “DEL” key, “Return”. "Key is set.

Since these symbols are not directly written on the key top of the key input device 10, the soft keys shown in FIG. 12 displayed on the screen 3A are input to the guide. At this time, the symbols on the upper side of each key are input by simultaneously pressing the shift key 51 with the thumb. That is, the pattern is set so that when the shift key 51 and the main keys 21 to 35 are pressed at the same time, the upper symbol of each key is output.
It should be noted that the symbol input is normally not repeated continuously, so that it is set to return to the previous input mode when one symbol is entered.

Next, a method for inputting various functions will be described.
Functions and key numbers are indicated on the main keys 21 to 35 of the key input device 10 as shown in FIGS. These arrangements are not displayed on the screen 3A of the display 3, but are input and mastered on the key input device 10.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the function keys are arranged in order from the upper left side of the main key area 20, the “UP” key serving as a function for moving to the previous page on the key 21, and the function for moving to the next page on the key 22. The “DOWN” key becomes a cursor key indicating the movement up by one line on the key 23, and the “upward movement cursor (indicated by a thick upward arrow in the drawing)” key is the key 24 in the insertion mode and the overwrite mode. An “INS” key for switching between and “MENU” key for displaying various menus is set for the key 25.

Further, in order from the left side of the middle row, a “TAB” key serving as a tab function is provided on the key 26, and a “left cursor (indicated by a left-pointing thick arrow in the drawing)” key serving as a left cursor movement key is provided on the key 27. A “downward cursor (indicated by a thick down arrow in the drawing)” key that is a cursor key for moving down one line on the key 28 is a “rightward moving cursor (in the drawing on the drawing). This is indicated by a right-pointing thick arrow.) ”Key is set to the key 30 and the“ ESC ”key is set.
Further, in order from the lower left side, an “English” key for switching the input mode to English input on the key 31, a “NUM” key for switching to numeric input on the key 32, and a “SYM” key for switching to symbol input on the key 33 are A “Kana” key for switching to Japanese input is set at 34, and a “half-width” key for setting each input mode to half-width input is set at the key 35.

These function keys are set in the pattern recording unit 173 so as to function by simultaneously pressing the “FS” key 52 of the support key area 50 and the main keys 21 to 35.
In such a key arrangement, the function keys are not distributed like a general keyboard, so the cursor (←, →, ↑, ↓) does not move the hand, and the hand is viewed around the home position. It can be hit without a hand and has high operability.

By combining each function key 21-35 and support keys 51-55, or by combining a plurality of function keys 21-35, it is possible to easily input a shortcut combining a plurality of functions with one hand. Is set to
For example, “Delete line left” is “DEL” key 54+ “←” key 27, “Page break” is “Return” key 55+ “DOWN” key 22, “HOME” is “ESC” key 30+ “UP” key 21+ “ “FS” key 52, “END” are set to “ESC” key 30+ “DOWN” key 22+ “FS” key 52, “Left tab move” is set to “TAB” key 26+ “←” key 27+ “FS” key 52, etc. ing.

  Furthermore, the input mode can be switched by simultaneously pressing the keys 31 to 34 set with the functions of “English, NUM, SYM, and Kana” and the “FS” key 52 that is pressed with the thumb. By simultaneously pressing the “half-width” key 35 with a little finger, it is possible to quickly switch modes including half-width.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, the key numbers are arranged in the order of “(1) to (15)” (indicated by circled numbers in the figure) from the upper left key 21 to the lower right key 35 in the main key area 20. Show) ". When the key numbers (1) to (15) are pressed at the same time as the “Fx” key 53, the functions “F1 to F15” on a normal keyboard can be input. These function keys are not set away from the home position as in a normal keyboard, but are stored in the main key area 20, so that they can be easily hit without looking at them. .

Next, high-speed input in Japanese and English will be described. These high-speed inputs take into consideration the characteristics of Japanese and English, so that you can input a character string such as a word consisting of multiple characters with a single keystroke by simultaneously typing multiple keys. It is intended.
These high-speed input modes are set so as to be switched by selecting from the menu displayed on the screen 3A by pressing the “MENU” key 25 of the function key.

"High-speed input mode for Japanese"
First, Japanese high-speed input will be explained. In the idiom of reading aloud often used in Japanese, a typical spelling frequency is high as in the following example.
・ Accounting (KAI KEI) ・ Estimation (SUI TEI) ・ Airport (KUU KOU)
・ Address (ZYUU SYO) ・ Ride (ZYOU SYA) ・ Claim (SYU TYOU)
・ Architecture (A SE) ・ Real feeling (ZI KA)

These spellings include double vowels "~ AI, ~ UI, ~ EI, ~ OU, ~ UU", roaring "~ YA, ~ YU, ~ YO", and chorus sound "~ YUU, ~ YOU". , Vowel sound "~ vowel + n", prompt sound "~ vowel + tsu", etc., and the standard reading order is pre-registered in the pattern registration means 173 and can be input with a single keystroke operation. Input efficiency is improved.
For this reason, in Japanese high-speed input, as shown in FIG. 15, a partial arrangement is different from the standard Japanese arrangement, and a stuttering sound and a long stuttering sound are also arranged. That is, “YUU, YU, YOU, YA, YO” roaring and long roaring are set at the shift positions of the keys 21, 22, 26, 27, 32 of the vowel zone 20A.

`` Input of muddy sound due to neighbor finger shift ''
In high-speed input, characters such as dwelling (ZYUU) such as dwelling or long stuttering at the shift position of the vowel zone 20A and consonant keys such as muddy sounds at the shift position of the consonant zone 20B can be input. The “SHIFT” key 51 works preferentially for character input at the shift position (upper side) of each key of the vowel zone 20A, and does not work for the key of the consonant zone 20B, except when the key of the consonant zone 20B is hit alone. To be locked.

Therefore, in the character input at the shift position of the consonant zone 20B, the character at the shift position is input by a method called “adjacent finger shift” instead of the method using the normal shift key 51. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when a muddy sound or punctuation mark in the shift state of each key in the consonant zone 20B is hit, the key to the right or upper left of that key (the input key and line in FIG. 16). The key at the shift position can be entered by simultaneously hitting the key with the ring finger or little finger.
Such “adjacent finger shift” is easier to hit the shift key 51 than hitting the thumb with the thumb because the keys to be pressed are adjacent to each other.

"High speed input of double vowels (~ AI, ~ UI, ~ EI, ~ OU, ~ UU)"
The double vowel “A + U • A + E • A + O • O + I • O + E” is input by simultaneously pressing each key of the vowel zone 20A with the index finger and the thumb. However, if a consonant is to be accompanied before, these consonant keys are input by simultaneously typing with the middle finger, the ring finger or the little finger.
Since “˜UU” is always accompanied by a consonant, it is set in the pattern recording means 173 so that it can be input by typing “consonant + n”.

"High-speed input of roaring sound (~ YA, ~ YU, ~ YO) and long roaring sound (~ YUU, ~ YOU)"
While hitting the consonant with the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger, the “SHIFT” key 51 is input with the thumb, and “YA, YU, YO, YUU, YOU” above each key of the vowel zone 20A is simultaneously input with the index finger.

"High-speed input of repellent sound (~ vowel + n) and prompt sound (~ vowel + tsu)"
Type "vowel + n" by typing with your index finger and thumb at the same time. In addition, the three keys of “vowel + tsu + SHIFT” are simultaneously input with the index finger, the tip of the thumb, and the side of the thumb joint. If any of them is accompanied by a consonant, enter it with the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger at the same time.

The pattern recording unit 173 is also set with a character string for high-speed input with respect to a combination pattern of a plurality of keys in consideration of various features in Japanese as described above.
FIG. 17 shows an example of high-speed input in Japanese. By simultaneously keying the above combinations, each key of “Economy, Video, Documents, Traffic, Parking, Receipt, General, Thinking” is keyed twice. Can be entered.

Next, high-speed input in English will be described. In English high-speed input, the same arrangement as the English standard input shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the screen 3A, and high-speed input is performed utilizing the spelling characteristics of consonants and vowels.
Specifically, in English standard input, two-letter words composed in the order of (consonant + vowel) can be “combinedly input” with a single stroke operation. However, there are other two-letter words in reverse order (vowels + consonants), double vowels (vowels + vowels), and double consonants (consonants + consonants). "If you can, you can speed up the input.
Accordingly, in the high-speed arrangement, each of these combinations can be input by a single keystroke operation.

"High-speed input in reverse order (vowel + consonant)"
In English, there is a spelling in which consonants and vowels are "in reverse order". For example, see the spelling of the two characters "am, an, as, at, if, in, is, it, of, on, or, up, us" and "also, enter, into, only, upon" The vowel precedes the consonant. Therefore, by hitting the “CAPS” key 31 simultaneously with the thumb while hitting two letters “vowel + consonant”, the spelling of “reverse order” can be input. In that case, in order to input the upper consonant of each key, the "SHIFT" key 51 may be input at the same time next to the thumb joint.
It should be noted that the reverse order input by the “CAPS” key 31 is performed in the reverse order to the combination of the input keys in which the two characters “vowel + consonant” and the “CAPS” key 31 are simultaneously input to the pattern recording unit 173. This may be realized by setting a column, or when the “CAPS” key 31 is pressed, the character string output from the pattern recording unit 173 is output in the reverse order by the character string selection unit 172. It may be realized in this way.

"High-speed input of double vowels (vowels + vowels)"
For words whose first two letters are “vowel + vowel”, for example, “air, aunt, east, eight, oak, oil, our”, etc., the standard double vowel “A + I, A + U, E” + A, E + I, O + A, O + I, O + U Therefore, this double vowel is registered in the pattern recording means 173 so that each vowel key can be input simultaneously with the index finger and thumb.
Also, if you add the lower consonant of each key before this standard double vowel, "consonants + vowels + vowels" such as "mail, sauce, tea, heir, road, soil, you" will be performed once. The pattern is recorded so that it can be hit.

"High-speed input of double consonant (consonant + consonant)"
There is a spelling of “consonant + consonant” in English. When simultaneously keying the character string of “consonant + consonant”, two keys of the consonant zone 20B are combined. However, if the character at the shift position is included, two characters are set for each key. The number of character strings generated when the keys are simultaneously input is eight, considering the order. It is difficult to distinguish and input such a combination using the support keys 51 to 55 because the operation becomes complicated.

For this reason, in each key combination, a frequently used character string is specified one by one and recorded in the pattern recording means 173 so that it can be easily input.
FIG. 18 shows a double consonant character string corresponding to each consonant key combination registered in the pattern recording means 173. These “consonant + consonant” portions can be input by simultaneously typing only the character keys without using the “SHIFT” key 51 even when the upper consonant of each key is included.

For example, “consonant + consonant” such as “by, back, my, long, very, most”, “chase, phone, price, story, these, should”, etc. Is used in the character string portion of “consonant + consonant + vowel (consonant)”.
When a double consonant is hit, it is necessary to use a part of the finger irregularly, such as “B + Y” for the ring finger and thumb, “N + G” for the middle finger and thumb, and “C + T” for the ring finger and little finger. In any case, it is better to memorize this high-speed input in “finger shape” from the spelling that is easy to type, and incorporate them in the order in which they are learned.

  FIG. 19 shows an example of high-speed input in English. By simultaneously pressing the above combinations, each character of “ssk, upom, east, your, story, thing, change, thought” can be pressed twice. Can be entered. In FIG. 18, a character string when two consonant keys are simultaneously pressed is set. However, a character string when three consonant keys are simultaneously pressed is also set in the pattern recording unit 173, and “G + H + T” or “ It is now possible to input a string of three consonant characters with high frequency such as “T + C + H”.

  20 and 21 show examples of high-speed input of Japanese and English sentences. The one-handed input type key input device 10 of the present embodiment may be adapted to gradually input high-speed inputs as necessary after getting used to the standard input for inputting one character or two characters “consonant + vowel”. In the illustrated sentence example, how to separate the spelling for high-speed input and how to use the finger are given as examples, and may be changed according to the proficiency level.

  According to this embodiment, when a plurality of keys are pressed simultaneously, the corresponding character string (a sequence of two or more characters) recorded in the pattern recording unit 173 based on the combination of the plurality of keys pressed. Is output. For this reason, the number of keystrokes can be reduced as compared with the conventional case of inputting characters one by one, the operability can be improved, and the input can be performed at high speed.

  Further, the input pattern when a plurality of keys are simultaneously pressed is compared with a combination pattern recorded in advance in the pattern recording unit 173 to detect a matching pattern, and a character string corresponding to the combination pattern is detected as a character string selection unit. Since it is configured to select and output at 172, the input pattern can be easily expanded or changed by adding or changing data to be registered in the pattern recording means 173, and various inputs can be made. It is possible to set a pattern corresponding to the mode and perform efficient input.

  Furthermore, since the output character string is set based on the key combination pattern, for example, the shift key 51 is used when a character at the shift position is included as in the consonant key combination shown in FIG. It is also possible to make settings so that it can be input without any restriction, and it is possible to freely set and input a frequently-used character string with a combination of keys that are easy to input, and the operability can be further improved.

Furthermore, since the character string corresponding to the combination of a plurality of keys is recorded in the pattern recording unit 173, for example, the processing when each key is input is ruled and compared with the case where the processing is performed each time. The generation process can be performed quickly. Therefore, the character string corresponding to the key input can be immediately displayed on the screen 3A, the response performance can be improved, the operability can be improved, and the high speed input can be sufficiently handled.
In addition, since the key input device 10 only needs to be able to select a character string, it is not necessary to employ a high-performance processing device, and the key input device 10 can be provided at a low cost.

Therefore, by simultaneously typing a plurality of keys, a character string of one syllable or two syllables can be input by one keystroke operation. Therefore, compared to the conventional input method in which each key is input, Since the input time can be shortened and the response is good, it is possible to input characters at high speed and with good operability.
In addition, Japanese and English input is provided with a high-speed input mode that allows easy input of reverse order, double vowels, double consonants, etc., for example in English. The character string can be easily input, and the input operability can be further improved.

  In addition, the input detection unit 141 checks whether a plurality of keys are pressed at the same time by detecting the release timing of a key with little variation during operation, so that the simultaneously pressed keys are reliably detected. It is possible to eliminate errors in character input due to erroneous detection.

Furthermore, since a plurality of character codes are set for each of the keys 21 to 35, the number of keys can be reduced and the operability can be further improved.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, even if only 15 main keys 21 to 35 are provided, each key 21 to 35 has at least two character codes (a character code set at a shift position and a normal position set). Character codes), that is, at least 30 character codes can be set as a whole. Therefore, the alphabet used when inputting Japanese Romaji, that is, the vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O”, and the vowel key are combined with “ “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W”, combined with vowels In addition to the 19 characters “G”, “Z”, “D”, “P”, “B” for inputting Japanese muddy and semi-voiced sounds, it is also possible to include up to the punctuation mark “,”, punctuation mark “.”, Etc. Each main key 21 to 35 can be set, and even a small number of keys can sufficiently handle Japanese input.
Similarly, in addition to the 26 letters of the alphabet, commas “,”, periods “.” And the like can be set for the main keys 21 to 35, and English input can be sufficiently handled.

  In this manner, Roman input and English input can be performed using 15 main keys 21 to 35, which are significantly fewer than conventional keyboards, so that the key input device 10 can be miniaturized and portable information can be obtained. It can be easily applied to devices and the like, and the key positions are easy to remember, and can be operated with one hand, so that even beginners can easily master it.

  Further, the key input device 10 includes a main key area 20 composed of at least 15 keys in three rows and five columns in the upper and lower sides, and one of the left and right sides is set as a reference side. A portion consisting of two rows of key groups is set as a vowel zone 20A for mainly inputting vowels, and a portion consisting of the remaining three rows of key groups of the main key area 20 is set as a consonant zone 20B for inputting consonants. So, if you place your hand on this 3-row, 5-row key when you enter a key, the vowel zone 20A will be the index finger position, and the consonant zone 20B will be the middle, ring finger, and little finger positions. Frequent vowel input operations can be performed, and operability can be further improved.

  In addition, because the consonant for clear sound that is used frequently among the consonants is set to the non-shift state of each key, a shift operation is not required when inputting a clear sound that is frequently used, and this improves operability. To do. Furthermore, in each of the consonant zones 20B, “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H” shift states include vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”. , “O” and “G”, “Z”, “D”, “P”, “B” for inputting Japanese muddy sound and semi-turbid sound are arranged, so “ka”, “sa”, “Ga”, “za”, “da”, “na”, “ha” corresponding to the input position of “ta”, “pa”, “ba” are respectively arranged corresponding to the input position of “ha”. Therefore, it becomes easier to remember the key positions of the muddy sound and semi-muddy sound, and the operability is further improved.

In the present embodiment, various input modes can be easily switched by using the function keys 31 to 34 and the menu key 25, and not only alphabets but also numbers and symbols can be easily input. .
That is, the arrangement of each key in the main key area 20 and the support key area 50 is as follows: Japanese romaji input (standard arrangement), English arrangement, numeric arrangement, symbol arrangement, functional arrangement, key number arrangement, Japanese high-speed arrangement, Even if there are only 15 main keys 21 to 35, it is possible to switch to 8 types of English high-speed arrays. By setting a code at the shift position and setting each array, 30 by the number of arrays A character code can be set, and each symbol (letter, number, symbol, etc.) can be easily input.

  Further, when each arrangement is switched, soft keys corresponding to each arrangement are displayed on the screen 3A of the display 3, so that the operability can be further improved.

  Furthermore, since the English sequence and the Japanese sequence are set to input Roman characters using alphabets as the Japanese sequence, the arrangement of many keys 21 to 35 can be matched. When these are switched and used together, the key layout is easy to remember, and the operability during key input can be further improved.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted or simplified.

This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that only the characters and functions set in the keys 21 to 55 are changed, and the basic character settings such as alphabet are the same. .
That is, as shown in FIG. 22, the same alphabet as in the first embodiment is set for the key tops of the main keys 21 to 35 of the key input device 10 of the present embodiment.

  Further, a function and an F number (function number: the same as the key number in the first embodiment) are set on the lower side of the key top of each main key 21 to 35. The support keys 51 to 55 are set with functions such as conversion, no conversion, and shift.

Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, by switching the input mode, the Japanese, English, numerals (NUM), symbols (Mark), and Japanese high-speed arrangement shown in FIGS. Each array is displayed as a guide on a part of the screen 3A of the display 3.
These input modes are changed by hitting the support keys 52 to 54 set with “Num, Mark, English” as functions simultaneously with the “Shift” key 51. Further, the Japanese high-speed arrangement is performed by pressing the “Menu” key 55 and selecting “Japanese high-speed arrangement” from the menu displayed on the screen 3A. Furthermore, an English high-speed array that displays the same array as the English standard array in FIG. 24 on the screen 3A can be selected from the menu using the “Menu” key 55.

In the present embodiment, the numeric array and the symbol array are not represented on the main keys 21 to 35 so that the key notation is complicated, but these symbols are also represented on the keys 21 to 35 of the key input device 10. May be.
Further, since the function array and the F number array are not displayed on the screen 3A, each function is input by simultaneously pressing the “FS” key 52 and the keys 21 to 35, and the F number is input by the “Fn” key 53 and each key 21. ... Are input at the same time. These key arrangements are also shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 for easy understanding.

The key arrangement of the main keys 21 to 35 in the “Japanese standard arrangement” shown in FIG. 23 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the support keys 51 to 55 are slightly different from those of the first embodiment, and the key 51 having a shift function, a kana-kanji conversion function, and a space input function from the reference side (left side), a kana-kanji non-conversion, and a “Num” array. Key 52 with the function to switch to, key 53 with the function to select the previous candidate for conversion candidate at the time of Kana-Kanji conversion, and the function to switch to the “Mark” layout, and the function to switch to the Help function and the alphabet layout And a key 55 having a Menu function and a function for switching to the half-width mode.

  The key arrangement of the main keys 21 to 35 in the “English standard arrangement” shown in FIG. 24 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The support keys 51 to 55 have a “Space” key set as the key 51, a “Kana” function for returning to the Japanese standard layout is set as the key 52, and a “Kana” function for switching to katakana input in the key 53. The set points are different from the Japanese standard arrangement shown in FIG. 23, but are otherwise the same.

  The key arrangement of the main keys 21 to 35 in the “number (Num) arrangement” shown in FIG. 25 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Further, the support keys 51 to 55 are the same as the English standard arrangement of FIG.

The key arrangement of the main keys 21 to 35 in the “symbol (Mark) arrangement” shown in FIG. 26 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Further, the support keys 51 to 55 are the same as the respective arrays in FIGS.
When inputting English, numbers and symbols, the “half-width” key 55 can be quickly switched with a little finger to quickly switch modes including half-width.

Of the main keys 21 to 35 in the “functional arrangement” shown in FIG. 27, the key arrangement of the keys 21 to 23 and 26 to 29 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Is set to
That is, the key 24 has a “Home” key for moving to the beginning of the file, the key 25 has an “End” key for moving to the end of the file, the key 30 has a “return” key, The key 31 has an “ESC” key, the key 32 has an “Ins” key, the key 33 has a “Pause” key for performing a pause, the key 34 has a “BS” key, and the key 35 has a “BS” key. DEL "key is set.

  Similar to the first embodiment, these function keys are provided in the pattern recording means 173 so as to function by simultaneously pressing the “FS” key 52 of the support key area 50 and the main keys 21 to 35. Is set.

  The main keys 21 to 35 in the “F number array” shown in FIG. 28 are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. These keys 21 to 35 are also set so that the functions “F1 to F15” of a normal keyboard can be input by pressing the “Fn” key 53 at the same time.

In the present embodiment, the “function” or “F number” of the main keys 21 to 35 and the “FS”, “Fn”, “Ctrl”, and “Alt” of the support keys 52 to 55 are combined. Also, shortcuts that combine multiple functions can be entered easily with one hand.
For example, “tab → (←) move” is [FS + TAB + → (←)], “end of line (head) move” is [Ctrl + → (←)], and “high speed ↓ (↑) scroll” is [Alt + ↓ (↑) ], “Delete line right (left)” is “Fs + Del + → (←)”, “Delete 1 line” is [Ctrl + Del], “Delete 1 sentence” is [Alt + Del], “Page break” is [Ctrl + Return], etc. Is set.
Furthermore, various functions can be set for shortcuts such as “FS + Fn + F number”, “Ctrl + Fn + F number”, “Alt + Fn + F number”, and the like.

29 is different from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 15 in that the positions of “YUU, YOU” set as the shift positions of the keys 21 and 26 are reversed. The key 31 is different in that the double vowel “UU” is set, but the other key arrangements are the same. The support keys 51 to 55 are the same as the key arrangement in FIG.
Furthermore, the English high-speed array is the same as the English standard array in FIG.

  Also in the second embodiment in which such a key arrangement is set, each character can be input by the same key operation as in the first embodiment, and the same operational effects can be obtained.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of the said embodiment. For example, the key input device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the small key input device 10 having 20 keys in the embodiment, but may be applied to a conventional key input device (keyboard). That is, even in a normal key input device having a large number of keys, a plurality of character codes are set for each key, and a combination pattern and character string data for each key that is simultaneously pressed are created, and pattern recording means It can be recorded in 173 and can be widely applied to various key input devices. At this time, a specific character string and key combination may be set as appropriate in accordance with an applicable key input device or the like.

Further, the key input device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and is also used for a key input device assembled integrally with the display 3 or the like, such as a notebook personal computer or a PDA (personal digital assistant) 100 shown in FIG. it can.
The PDA 100 has a vertically long shape, a screen 101 for displaying information is formed on the upper half side, and 20 keys 102 including a main key and a support key are provided on the lower half side as in the above embodiment. ing. As described above, since the characters can be input efficiently with the 20 keys 102, it is possible to provide the PDA 100 that is small in size, excellent in portability, and excellent in operability.

Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 31, a key input device 110 in which 20 keys 113 similar to those in the above embodiment are incorporated on the surface of a mouse 111 connected to a personal computer main body or the like by a cable 112 may be used.
The mouse 111 is also provided with about 1 to 3 buttons 114. When the mouse is operated, the mouse 111 is moved with a finger or the palm, and the button 114 is pushed with the finger to perform a key input operation. When performing, the operation which pushes each key 113 should just be performed in the state which put the mouse | mouth 111 on the desk etc.
If the key 113 is incorporated in the mouse 111 as described above, it is necessary to move the mouse and the keyboard to perform character operation as in a general input device in which a keyboard and a mouse are provided separately. Therefore, the operability can be further improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 32, for example, a trackball 122 may be provided on the left side of the key 121 similar to the above-described embodiment to form a key input device 120 in which a pointing device is integrated. The key input device 120 is further connected to a screen 123 so that it can be folded. Thereby, it is possible to form both a key input and a pointing operation and a PDA excellent in portability and operability.
Further, as shown in FIG. 33, a key input device 120 provided with a joystick-like pointing device 124 and two buttons 125 may be formed instead of the trackball.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 34, the present invention may be applied to a PDA 130 with a telephone.
In other words, in recent years, mobile phones have become widespread and it has become an era where calls can be made anywhere, but using a phone in a crowded place such as a conference table or on a train can be annoying and maintain privacy. Problems such as not remain.

On the other hand, if a mobile phone and a PDA are integrated and a quick “two-way communication” by electronic mail can be performed together with a telephone call function, business efficiency is dramatically improved. Some mobile phones and PDAs can input characters, but it is a method that takes time for input such as pen input, so it is not suitable for speedy character communication.
Therefore, by incorporating the key input device that can be operated with one hand of the present invention, a “mobile business tool” that is fast and easy to input can be realized.

This PDA 130 with a telephone is provided with a key 131 similar to that in the above embodiment and a screen 132 that becomes a character input area, etc., and can input various characters as in the above embodiments.
Further, when “telephone” is selected from the “Menu” key 55, as shown in FIG. 35, a key arrangement in which various keys suitable for the telephone function are set is displayed on the screen 132, and the telephone function can be realized. ing.
According to the PDA 130 of the present embodiment, the total of 20 keys including the main keys 21 to 35 and the support keys 51 to 55 are almost the same as the number of buttons of a general telephone, so Can be multiplied.

  In addition, the specific configuration of the key input device may be set as appropriate in the implementation, and the present invention can be widely used as an input device for various devices such as a personal computer, a word processor, and a PDA.

  Furthermore, the key input device of the present invention may be configured by incorporating hardware for realizing the composite detection means 141, the character string selection means 172, and the pattern recording means 173 in the key input device. The function may be realized by incorporating it into the personal computer 1 as software and using a CPU or the like of the personal computer. This software includes at least a function for detecting simultaneous keys of a plurality of keys, a function for recording a combination of inputted keys and a character string corresponding to the combination in a recording means such as a hard disk or a memory, and the combination of the keys. What is necessary is just to provide the character string selection function which takes out a corresponding character string from a recording means. Such software may be installed on each personal computer using various media on which software such as FD, CD-ROM, and DVD is recorded, or may be installed on a personal computer via a network such as personal computer communication or the Internet.

  In the key input device of the present invention, since each key layout is displayed on the screen of the display or PDA, as an option, not only the key input but also a key (soft key) displayed on the screen is a pen or a finger. It may be configured to be able to input by touching.

  By the way, even in a conventional PDA and some personal computers, a “pen input board” displayed on the screen is pen-touched to input characters. The general “pen input board” is a soft keyboard that is a normal keyboard (QWERTY type or 50-sound type), so the number of keys increases, and the small keys are long and dense, making them very difficult to touch. Met.

  On the other hand, since the key input device of the present invention can perform all input operations with only 20 keys, there are only 20 soft keys displayed on the screen, and the amount of movement of the hand when touching with a pen or the like is small. It can be a small, relatively large soft key, and can be a “pen input board” that is very easy to touch and has improved operability.

As shown in FIGS. 36 to 39, the Japanese, English, numeric, and symbol input boards displayed on the screen for touch input are arranged in the Japanese high-speed arrangement shown in FIG. 29 except for some support keys. 24, the numerical arrangement of FIG. 25, and the symbol arrangement of FIG. 26, and can be easily used together with the key input device.
Specifically, “Shift”, “Help”, and “Menu” in the support keys 51, 54, and 55 of the one-handed keyboard are set to “Enter”, “BS”, and “Del” necessary for touch input. The function has been changed. As a result, all the basic functions including “Num”, “Mark”, “English”, and “half-width” necessary for mode switching are incorporated in the support keys 51 to 55.

Each key 21 to 35 and 51 to 55 has two characters set up and down. For example, the lower character of each key is indicated by a dot “•” on each key. The characters on the upper side can be distinguished by entering them by touching a bar to draw a line, ie, changing the touch input method. That's fine.
It should be noted that the bar touch may be anywhere starting from the key, and the bar terminal may come out of the key. Further, the shape, direction, and length may be set free, and may be input so as to have a locus such as “\, /, |, ∨, ∧”. In this way, the input operability can be improved and a touch operation can be easily performed.

  In such touch input with a pen or the like, first, the support keys 52 to 55 are used to switch to each mode of letters, numbers, and symbols, and then the main keys 21 to 35 are input by “point touch” or “bar touch”. However, since “F”, “V”, and “UU” are in the same position as “,”, “.”, And “tsu”, the “point touch” is performed twice by “double touch” or the like. That's fine.

  In addition, the Japanese layout matches the “Japanese high-speed layout” of the key input device described above, and the roar “ya”, “yu”, “yo”, and the long roar “yuu”, “you” Since it can be input with a single “bar touch”, Japanese input can be performed efficiently.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the alphabet set for the main keys 21 to 35 of the key input device 10 is set separately for the vowel zone 20A and the consonant zone 20B. However, as shown in FIG. 40, the QWERTY array The alphabet of the main keys 21 to 35 may be set according to the above.

That is, keys 21 to 25 in the upper row of the main key area 20 are set with keys for inputting “Q”, “W”, “E”, “R”, and “T” in that order from the left side. In the normal position, keys for inputting “Y”, “U”, “I”, “O”, “P” are set, and the upper alphabet in a general keyboard having a QWERTY layout is set.
The keys 26-30 in the middle row of the main key area 20 have “A”, “S”, “D”, “F”, “G” at the shift position, and “H” at the normal position. Keys for inputting “J”, “K”, “L”, “; (semicolon) / − (long sound)” are set. Further, the keys 31 to 35 in the lower one row have “Z”, “X”, “C”, “V”, “B” at the shift position, and “N”, “M”, “,” at the normal position. Keys for inputting (comma) /, (punctuation), “. (Period) /. (Reading)”, and “Caps” are set.
The function, F number, and support keys 51 to 55 set on the lower side of the key top of each main key 21 to 35 are the same as those of the second embodiment shown in FIG.

  With such a key arrangement, the key sequence of the QWERTY layout, which has been widely used and familiar to the past, can be set to 15 main keys 21 to 35, making it easy for those who are familiar with the QWERTY layout. It can be remembered and used immediately. In addition, punctuation marks “,”, punctuation marks “.”, Repelling sound “n”, and long sound “-”, which are frequently used in Japanese, are also set, which can improve operability when inputting Japanese in Roman characters. it can.

  Furthermore, when the key input device of the present invention is used exclusively for English, as shown in FIG. 41, a key arrangement suitable for English input may be used. That is, only the letters “C”, “F”, “V”, and “L” are set at the shift positions of the keys 25 and 33 to 35, and “Shift / Space” and “Num” are set to the support keys 51 to 55, respectively. ”,“ Mark ”,“ Help ”, and“ Menu ”are set. Other keys have the same settings as in the second embodiment of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 42, the key input device 10 may have an English-only layout that matches the QWERTY layout. That is, the same keys as those in FIG. 40 are set for the main keys 21 to 35 except that only “;”, “,”, “.” Are set at the normal positions of the keys 30, 33, 34. The support keys 51 to 55 may have the same settings as those in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 41 and 42, if the key input device 10 dedicated to English is used, a simple key input device suitable for English input can be obtained.

  Further, in the key input device 10 shown in FIG. 22, two characters are set on the key tops of the main keys 21 to 35, and in the key input device 10 shown in FIG. 2, three characters are set by adding numbers in addition to the characters. However, as shown in FIG. 43, four or more characters may be set by adding symbols in addition to two characters and numbers.

Also in this case, as in the first and second embodiments, by switching the input mode, the arrangements of Japanese, English, numbers and symbols, a calculator, a telephone, and a Japanese high-speed arrangement shown in FIGS. A part of the screen 3A of the display 3 is displayed as a guide.
44 to 46 are performed by pressing the support keys 52 and 53 in which “kana, alphabetic characters, numerical symbols” is set as a function. Calculator, phone, and Japanese high-speed layout are performed by operating “Menu” set as the function of the key 34 and selecting “Calculator, phone, Japanese high-speed layout” from the menu displayed on the screen 3A. It is like that.

Even when such a key arrangement is set, each character can be input by the same key operation as in the first and second embodiments, and the same operational effects can be obtained. Furthermore, since “symbol” is also written on the key tops of the main keys 21 to 35, it is possible to improve operability when performing an input operation while looking at the keys.
As described above, the specific key arrangement set for the keys of the key input device may be set as appropriate during implementation.

Next, an experiment conducted for confirming the effect of the present invention will be described.
The key input device of the present invention uses the first stage (step 1) for inputting Japanese characters and English characters one by one, the second stage (step 2) for simultaneously inputting consonants and vowels, and each high-speed arrangement. The high-speed input can be used in three stages according to the proficiency level, and the three methods can be used in combination. For this reason, it is usually possible to input at step 1 or step 2 and gradually incorporate high-speed input as necessary after getting used to it.

  Actually, as a result of conducting a Japanese input experiment using the key input device of the present invention by two novice subjects, as shown in FIG. 50, compared to the Roman character input in a general QWERTY type keyboard, It was confirmed that the proficiency level with respect to the practice time is high and that the high-speed input can be easily mastered and utilized by the key input device of the present invention.

  The present invention can be used for input devices of various devices such as personal computers, word processors, and PDAs.

It is a perspective view of the key input device in a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the key arrangement | sequence of a key input device. It is a figure which shows the order of the ease of hitting in a key input device. It is a top view which shows the Japanese standard arrangement | sequence in a key input device. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the key input device of the said embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the key input device of the said embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of standard input of Japanese. It is a top view which shows the English standard arrangement | sequence in a key input device. It is a figure which shows Dvorak arrangement | sequence. It is a figure which shows the example of English standard input. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the number in a key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the symbol in a key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the function in a key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the key number in a key input device. It is a top view which shows the high-speed arrangement | sequence of the Japanese in a key input device. It is a top view explaining a neighboring finger shift function. It is a figure which shows the example of a Japanese high-speed input. It is a figure which shows the character string corresponding to each key combination of the consonant zone in English input. It is a figure which shows the example of a high-speed input of English. It is a figure which shows the example of input of a Japanese sentence. It is a figure which shows the example of input of an English sentence. It is a top view which shows the key arrangement | sequence of the key input device of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the Japanese standard arrangement | sequence in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the English standard arrangement | sequence in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the number in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the symbol in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the function in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of F number in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the high-speed arrangement | sequence of the Japanese in the said key input device. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of a key input device. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of a key input device. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of a key input device. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of a key input device. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment which used the key input device for PDA with a telephone. It is a top view which shows the telephone arrangement | sequence in PDA with a telephone. It is a top view which shows the Japanese input board for touch input. It is a top view which shows the English input board for touch inputs. It is a top view which shows the number input board for touch inputs. It is a top view which shows the symbol input board for touch inputs. It is a top view which shows the key arrangement | sequence for QWERTY arrangement | sequences in the key input device of this invention. It is a top view which shows the keyboard layout only for English in the key input device of this invention. It is a top view which shows the key arrangement | sequence for QWERTY arrangement | sequences only for English in the key input device of this invention. It is a top view which shows the key arrangement | sequence of the key input device of the modification of this invention. It is a top view which shows the Japanese standard arrangement | sequence in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the English standard arrangement | sequence in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the number and symbol in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the calculator function in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the telephone function in the said key input device. It is a top view which shows the high-speed arrangement | sequence of the Japanese in the said key input device. It is a figure which shows the proficiency level by practice time in this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 PC 3 Display 3A Screen 10, 110, 120 Key input device 20 Main key area 21-35 Main key 50 Support key area 51-55 Support key 100 PDA
130 PDA with telephone
140 Key Input Unit 141 Composite Input Detection Unit 142 Character String Generation Processing Unit 172 Character String Selection Unit 173 Pattern Recording Unit

Claims (4)

5 vowel keys to input Japanese vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O”;
Nine consonant keys for inputting the consonants of “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W”;
A shift key that switches these consonant keys to the shift state is arranged,
Among the consonant keys, the consonant keys to which consonant “K”, “S”, “T”, “H” are shifted are in a convoluted consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “ B ”is set for each,
In the shift state of the consonant key to which the consonant “N” is set, a semi-voiced consonant “P” is set,
In the shift state of the vowel keys to which vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” are set, a stuttering sound and a long stuttering character are respectively set.
When the vowel key is input independently, a kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key is input,
After the consonant key is input, if the vowel key is input, the consonant set in the consonant key and the clear kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key are input,
Said shift key, and the voiced or consonant key semi-voiced sound consonant is set, the case where the vowel keys are simultaneously input, dullness is set in the shift state of the child sound keys or semi-voiced sound consonant and mother sound The kana character indicated by the vowel set in the key is entered,
If the shift key and the vowel key are input at the same time while the consonant key is being input, it may be indicated by the consonant set for the consonant key and the stuttering or long stuttering set for the vowel key shift state. Characters are entered,
When the consonant key in which the consonant of the muddy sound or the semi-voiced sound is set, the other consonant key adjacent to the consonant key, the shift key, and the vowel key are input at the same time, the consonant key is set. A character input system in which a kana character indicated by a stuttering sound or a long stuttering sound that is set in a shifted state of the vowel key is input. When a vowel key set with Japanese vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” is independently input, it is indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key. Kana characters are entered,
After a consonant key set with “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W” is input, When the vowel key is input, a clear consonant set in the consonant key and a clear kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key are input,
A shift key for switching the shift state of the vowel keys and the consonant keys, the consonant "K", "S", "T", "H", and the consonant key "N" is set, and the said vowel key When they are input at the same time , the muffled sound set in the consonant key shift state corresponding to the consonant “K”, “S”, “T”, “H”, “N” set in the consonant key or The consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B”, “P” of the semi-voice sound and the kana character of the cloud sound or the semi-voice sound indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key are input,
If the shift key and the vowel key are input at the same time while the consonant key is being input, it may be indicated by the consonant set for the consonant key and the stuttering or long stuttering set for the vowel key shift state. Characters are entered,
When the consonant key in which the consonant of the muddy sound or the semi-turbid sound is set, the other consonant key adjacent to the consonant key, the shift key, and the vowel key are input simultaneously, the consonant key is set. A character input method, wherein a kana character indicated by a stuttering or semi-consonant consonant and a stuttering or long stuttering set in a shift state of the vowel key is input. On the computer,
When a vowel key set with Japanese vowels “A”, “I”, “U”, “E”, “O” is independently input, it is indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key. The ability to input kana characters,
After a consonant key set with “K”, “S”, “T”, “N”, “H”, “M”, “Y”, “R”, “W” is input, When the vowel key is input, a function for inputting a clear consonant set in the consonant key and a clear kana character indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key;
A shift key for switching the shift state of the vowel keys and the consonant keys, the consonant "K", "S", "T", "H", and the consonant key "N" is set, and the said vowel key When they are input at the same time , the muffled sound set in the consonant key shift state corresponding to the consonant “K”, “S”, “T”, “H”, “N” set in the consonant key or A function of inputting the consonant “G”, “Z”, “D”, “B”, “P” of the semi-voiced sound and the kana character of the cloudy or semi-voiced sound indicated by the vowel set in the vowel key;
If the shift key and the vowel key are input at the same time while the consonant key is being input, it may be indicated by the consonant set for the consonant key and the stuttering or long stuttering set for the shift state of the vowel key. The ability to enter characters,
When the consonant key in which the consonant of the muddy sound or the semi-turbid sound is set, the other consonant key adjacent to the consonant key, the shift key, and the vowel key are input simultaneously, the consonant key is set. A character input program for executing a kana character indicated by a stuttering sound or a long stuttering sound set in a shifted state of the vowel key.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the character input program according to claim 3 is recorded.

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