JPH02105215A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly respond to desired key arrangement by storing data with respect to the arrangement of a keyboard on a memory card, and setting key arrangement by exchanging the memory card or changing a readout area. CONSTITUTION:When the memory card 16 is inserted, a CPU 21 detects it, and clears a card information storage area on a RAM 24. After that, the read-in of the data from the card 16 is performed, and the data is stored in the card information storage area on the RAM 24, and when the read-in of the data is completed, the card 16 is ejected. When the read-in of the data is performed, a character generator 26 generates a character pattern to display the content of each key based on the above data, and stores it in the RAM 24, and a liquid crystal display part 25 displays the pattern successively. When a touch panel 12 is used in such display state, the data input work of displayed key arrangement is executed, and it follows that code information corresponding to the key arrangement is outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a keyboard device used for data input in a computer or the like.

[Conventional technology]

A keyboard device generates necessary code information by sequentially selecting and pressing a plurality of keys arranged on a board surface, and supplies it as human data to a data processing device such as a computer or word processor.

Several key layouts have been proposed for keyboard devices.
It has also been put into practical use. Typical examples of these include the JIS keyboard layout defined by the Japanese Industrial Standards, the ABC layout, and the like.

Department stores and supermarkets also have POS (Poi)
nt Of 5ales) There is a PQS array prepared for the terminal.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, the key arrangement of keyboard devices has conventionally been fixed for each device. Therefore, if several key layouts are required due to different users or purposes of use, it is necessary to replace the keyboard device connected to one data processing device each time the key layout differs. Providing a plurality of keyboard devices in this manner is not economical and also requires storage space for the devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that can support various key layouts with one device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the present invention, (i) a memory card storage section, (11) a reading means for reading out array data as data regarding the keyboard layout from a memory card stored in the memory card storage section, and (iii) array data arranged on a board surface. The keyboard device is provided with a key layout setting means for setting the relationship between each key and the generated code information in accordance with the aforementioned layout data.

That is, in the present invention, data regarding the keyboard layout is stored in a memory card, and by replacing the memory card or changing the readout area of the memory card,
By selecting data related to the keyboard layout and setting the keyboard layout based on this selection, it is now possible to immediately respond to the desired keyboard layout.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 2 shows the external appearance of this keyboard device. A so-called touch panel (touch-sensitive panel) 12 is arranged on the upper surface of the main body 11 of this keyboard device. A transparent sheet-like member is used for the touch panel 12, and the liquid crystal panel 13 disposed below can be seen through. When the operator presses a desired crease on the touch panel 12 with a pen tip, finger, etc. based on the characters and symbols (not shown) displayed on the liquid crystal panel 13, the coordinate position is detected and the corresponding code information is displayed. is output from this keyboard device. On the front of the main body 11, there is a memory card insertion slot 1.
5 is arranged, and a memory card 16 is inserted here. In this embodiment, the memory cards 16 are prepared for each type of key layout. For example, when realizing a JIS layout, a JIS layout card is inserted as the memory card 16 from the memory card insertion slot 15. .

FIG. 1 shows an outline of the circuit configuration when this keyboard device is connected to a data processing device as a host device. That is, this keyboard device is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, and is connected to the following sections through a bus 22 such as a data bus.

(i) ROM 23: This is a read-only memory that stores a program for controlling this device. However, it is also possible to store a control program in a part of the memory card 16 described above.

(ii) RAM 24: Random access memory for storing temporary data for performing various operations. However, it is possible to use a part of the storage area of the memory card 16 for this purpose.

(iii) Touch panel 12: Detects the area on the panel surface where pressure is applied, and detects its coordinate data.

(iv) Liquid crystal display section 25: This section is equipped with the above-mentioned liquid crystal panel, and is a section that displays characters and symbols indicating the contents of each key at each designated position.

(v) Character generator 26: This is a circuit that receives a character code and generates a corresponding character pattern.

(vi) Memory card interface 27: Data read from the memory card 16 such as an IC card is transferred to the bus 2.
This is an interface (1/F) circuit for sending data to 2.

(vj) Higher-level device interface 28: This is an interface circuit for sending data to a higher-level device such as a computer main body.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of the operation when a memory card is inserted into this keyboard device.

The CPU 21 shown in FIG. 1 detects when the memory card 16 is inserted from the memory card insertion slot 15 (
Step ■; Y). Then, the card information storage area in the RAM 24 is cleared (step 2). This is to erase the previous data since a new memory card 16 has been inserted. After this, data is read from the inserted memory card 16 (step ■),
This data is stored in the card information storage area of the RAM 24. When reading is completed, the memory card 16 may be ejected.

When the data is read, based on this data, the character generator 26 generates a character pattern to represent the contents of each key (step 2). These character patterns are R
The pattern is stored on the AM 24, and the liquid crystal display section 25 continuously displays this pattern (step 2). In this display state,
When the touch panel 12 is used, the data manual operation for the displayed key arrangement is executed (step 2), and code information corresponding to this key arrangement is output.

For example, when a memory card for POSI terminals is set, the keyboard device of this embodiment operates as a POS keyboard.

When the operator wishes to change the key arrangement, by inserting a memory card containing data for the changed key arrangement into the memory card insertion slot 15, data can be entered by displaying the new key arrangement. will be done.

In the embodiment described above, the key arrangement was changed using the liquid crystal display, but it is also possible to change the key arrangement by covering the touch panel with a sheet-like member with the key arrangement corresponding to the memory card written on it. You can also do this.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the key arrangement can be easily changed by simply preparing multiple memory cards, and it is possible to construct a system that is more economical than when multiple keyboards are used. There is no need to replace the keyboard, so the key arrangement can be changed easily and quickly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings are for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, of which FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main part of the circuit configuration of the keyboard device, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the keyboard device, and FIG. The figure is a flowchart outlining the operation of the device. 11...Keyboard device, 16...Memory card, 12...Touch panel, 21...CPU, 24...R
A.M. 25...Liquid crystal display unit, 26...Character generator, 27...Memory card interface. Applicant: NEC Corporation Kofu NEC Co., Ltd. Representative: Patent Attorney Umeo Yamauchi 1 Figure High 2 Figure 1 ◇

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A memory card storage section that stores a memory card in which predetermined data is stored in a sheet-like member, and array data as data related to the key arrangement of a keyboard is read from the memory card stored in the memory card storage section. A keyboard device comprising: reading means; and key arrangement setting means for setting a relationship between each key arranged on a board surface and generated code information according to the arrangement data.