JPH01223525A - Portable terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily input desired graphic information by moving a pen or the like on a graphic display part and detecting the part depressed with this pen or the like to drive pertinent display picture elements. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 21 monitors a graphic mode (GPM) switch on a keyboard input part, and the GPM data input is displayed on a liquid crystal display device 25 when said switch is depressed. When a user sees this display to move the pen or the like on a GP operation display part, a coordinate detecting mechanism 26 detects the depressed part and coordinate data is temporarily stored in a RAM 24. Driving of display elements corresponding to detected coordinate data is started. This operation is repeated and coordinate data are successively stored till an end key is depressed, and a diagram or the like is displayed simultaneously. After depression of the end key, it is discriminated whether coordinate data temporarily stored in the RAM 24 should be preserved or not to perform processing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a small portable terminal device such as an electronic device called an electronic notebook.

[Conventional technology]

Due to the miniaturization of various electronic components and the increase in memory capacity, various non-day portable terminal devices such as so-called electronic notebooks are appearing.

Such devices are equipped with a keyboard on which various data such as date, code information, quantity, unit price, telephone number, etc. can be entered by selectively pressing keys on the keyboard. It has become. The input data can be stored in the memory built into the terminal device and also displayed on the liquid crystal display.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in such a portable terminal device, data is input according to a program built into the device, so the data that can be input is limited to items set in advance. Therefore, it is not possible to input graphic information such as a map, and there is a problem in that its use as a terminal device is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal device that can easily input graphic information.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the present invention, a portable terminal device includes (i) a keyboard input section, and (+1) a character display section that displays the content of character data input from the keyboard input section, and (iii) a large number of display pixels. (iv) coordinate detection means for detecting each pressed position in the graphic display section; (V) coordinates of each of the display pixels detected by the coordinate detection means; and display driving means for selectively displaying corresponding pixels.

That is, according to the present invention, by tracing the graphic display portion with a pen or the like, the pressed portion is detected and the corresponding display pixel is driven, thereby making it possible to draw a desired graphic. This displayed graphic can also be stored in the memory provided in the main body, if necessary.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Examples.

FIG. 2 shows a portable terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open state. This portable terminal device 1
1 has a keyboard input section 12 consisting of a plurality of keys, and a liquid crystal display section 13 for displaying input data, etc.
and are arranged.

Further, a graphic operation display section 14 is arranged on the right side surface of the portable terminal device 11.

When the user inputs predetermined items, etc.,
Keys on the keyboard input section 12 are selectively pressed to enter date and time data manually. The data inputted at this time and the data processed by calculations etc. are displayed on the liquid crystal display section 13 as a combination of characters or symbols as appropriate.

On the other hand, if manual input is required for graphic information such as a map or handwritten memo, the user presses a predetermined key on the keyboard input section 12 to set the graphic input mode, and then
The graphic operation display section 14 is operated. The graphic display unit 14 has a liquid crystal display whose surface portion is made of a flexible sheet, and a coordinate detection mechanism disposed below the liquid crystal display. These will be explained in FIG. 1 below.

FIG. 1 shows the main part of the circuit configuration of this portable terminal device. This portable terminal device 11 is CPtJ
(Central processing unit) 21.

The CPU 21 is connected to the following units via a bus 22 such as a data bus.

(i) ROM 23: This is a read-only memory that stores a program for controlling the portable terminal device 11.

(ii) RAM 24: Random memory backed up by a battery (not shown)
It is an access memory that temporarily stores working data and can store necessary data even when the power is turned off.

(iii) Keyboard input section 12: (iv) Liquid crystal display section 13: (v) Liquid crystal display 25: The liquid crystal display 25 consists of display pixels arranged in a matrix of MXN (M and N are both positive integers) in total. It is a display. Each display pixel has a side of 1~
It has a square or rectangular shape of several millimeters, and can display a mosaic-like graphic as a whole.

(vi) Coordinate detection mechanism 26: Although not shown, the coordinate detection mechanism 26 includes a first rubber pad on which a resistance line for specifying a position on the X-axis is arranged, and a first rubber pad on which a resistance line for specifying a position on the Y-axis is arranged. It has a structure in which two rubber pads are overlapped with each other with a spacer interposed therebetween. Therefore, when the user applies pressure to the liquid crystal display 25 with a finger, a pointed pen, etc., these positions will change to
, can be sensed as a value on the Y coordinate. Here, the pitch of the positions that can be detected in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is made to match the arrangement interval of each display pixel of the liquid crystal display 25.

(vii) Display drive circuit 27: This is a circuit that drives each display pixel corresponding to the position detected by the coordinate detection mechanism 26 so as to display "black".

(vii) Character generator 28: This is a circuit that generates a prespecified pattern of characters and symbols based on the keystrokes of the keyboard input section 12. The generated pattern will be displayed on the liquid crystal display 25.

FIG. 3 shows control when graphic information is handled by a portable terminal device having such a configuration.

The CPU 21 monitors whether a graphic mode switch (not shown) on the keyboard input unit 12 is pressed (step 2). If a switch for another mode (not shown) is pressed instead of the graphic mode switch (step 2: Y), a mode other than the graphic mode will be set (step 2).

On the other hand, if the graphic mode switch is pressed (step ■; Y), the portable terminal device is set to the graphic mode, and the characters "Graphic mode: data input" begin to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 25 ( Step ■). When the user traces the graphic operation display section 14 with a pen or the like at this stage, the coordinate detection mechanism 26 detects this (step (2)) and temporarily stores the coordinate data in the RAM 24 (step (2)). Then, driving of the display element corresponding to the detected coordinate data is started (step 2).

If the end key (not shown) on the keyboard input unit 12 is not pressed at this point (step ■; N), the same operation is repeated, coordinate data is sequentially stored, and newly detected coordinates are The display elements corresponding to are additionally driven to display line diagrams, etc. (steps ① to ②).

When the user presses the end key, the message "Graphic mode: data input" displayed on the liquid crystal display 25 changes to the question "Do you want to save the graphic?" (step ■). When the user presses a save key (not shown) in response to this (step ■; Y), R
These coordinate data temporarily written in AM24 are stored in the area for storing graphics. Along with this,
The question "Do you want to save the graphic?" will also be turned off. Thereafter, when the user presses a key (not shown) for turning off the graphic display, the currently displayed graphic is turned off. If the delete key (not shown) is pressed without the save key being pressed (
Step [Yes]; Y), the process proceeds to step ■ without going through step ■, and neither saving nor displaying the graphic is performed. In this case, it is possible to proceed from step 0 to step ■ as a control procedure, but simply continuing to display the graphic can be achieved without pressing the erase key, so the above-mentioned method can be used. Control takes place.

In the embodiment described above, only graphics are displayed on the liquid crystal display 25, but characters and symbols output from a character generator may be displayed as necessary. Furthermore, the control of graphic information is not limited to that described in the embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention. Among these, Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the main part of the circuit configuration of a portable terminal device, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a notebook-type portable terminal device. FIG. 3, which is a perspective view showing the opened state, is a flowchart showing control when inputting graphic information with this device. 12... Keyboard input section, 13... Liquid crystal display section, 14... Graphic operation display section, 21...
...cpu. 23...ROM. 24...RAM. 25...Liquid crystal display, 26...Coordinate detection mechanism, 27...Display drive circuit. Applicant NEC Corporation Agent
Patent Attorney Umeo Tsuta Yamauchi 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A keyboard input section, a character display section that displays the content of character data input from the keyboard input section, a graphic display section in which a large number of display pixels are arranged in a matrix, and this graphic display section. Coordinate detection means for detecting each pressed position in the display pixel, and display drive means for selectively displaying pixels corresponding to the respective coordinates detected by the coordinate detection means among the display pixels. portable terminal device.