JPH02181214A - Data input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To convert a signature and its date and hour to electronic data and to facilitate its confirmation on a computer by reading in the output of a clock device in accordance with the input of a hardwritten graphic, and storing it together with input handwritten graphic data in a storage medium. CONSTITUTION:A keyboard control circuit 40 transmits input data to a main control circuit 50 by synchronous or asynchronous communication. The circuit 50 collects input data in one and reads in the output of a calendar timepiece 42, and stores them together in a RAM 54. When a bar-code is printed in a delivery baggage and a slip, etc., the circuit 50 stores data read by a reader 46 in the RAM 54 by an instruction from a keyboard 16. In such a manner, data is inputted with regard to each item at every joint point of a work, and it is requested to a baggage consignee, as well to have him sign on a handwritten graphic input pad 20. At the same time as the foregoing, the output of the present date and hour data of the timepiece 42 is referred to and input data and date and hour data are stored in the RAM 54. A user carries it back to an office, and informs the data of the RAM 54 as information to a host computer by using a communication equipment 48.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a data input device, and more particularly to a data input device equipped with a storage medium that temporarily stores one or more input data.

[Background Art] With the development of communication technology, small and portable terminal devices and data input devices have come into general use. In addition, with the spread of computer systems, product inventory management,
Computers have come to be used for package management tasks in the parcel delivery industry, where data input devices are used to temporarily store multiple pieces of input data and later send it all together to a host computer via communication means. is used.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the fields of use of this type of data input device are as follows:
The input data itself is important, and only the input data is stored and transmitted.

However, in a parcel delivery business, for example, it is important not only to manage the location of each parcel that has been contracted for delivery, but also to manage the work status of the person in charge of delivery. In order to eliminate paper records, it is preferable to convert the receipt confirmation signature and its date and time into data.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a data input device that can automatically perform such time management.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A data input device according to the present invention includes an input means including a handwritten figure input canister, a clock device, a storage medium of a predetermined capacity, and a data input device according to the handwritten figure input of the input means. It is characterized by comprising a control means for reading the output of the clock device and storing it in the storage medium together with the input handwritten figure data.

[Operation] With the above means, when handwritten graphic data, for example, a signature is input, date and time data are also stored in the storage medium, so that the input date and time can be confirmed at a later date. Therefore, for example, the signature of the recipient of a parcel and the date and time of the signature can be converted into electronic data, the slip for signing can be wiped out, and the date and time can be memorized, making it possible to more reliably confirm the signer.

[Example code] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an external perspective view of a handy terminal device to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 2, 1o is a handy terminal device whose power source is a secondary battery (not shown). 12 is an acoustic cover, 14 is an LCD display device, 16
The keyboard is a flat keyboard, and in addition to a large number of key switches 18, it is equipped with a pad 20 for inputting handwritten figures. 22 is a power switch.

The flat keyboard 16 is designed to output a signal indicating the position of pen pressure when pressure is applied from a pen or the like on the keyboard surface, and its structure itself is based on Patent Application Publication No. 51298 of 1985 and Patent Application Publication No. 51298 of 1985. Patent Application Publication No. 43
No. 332, and 1988 Patent Application Publication No. 139027
It is known by the number etc. On the surface of the keyboard 16,
Key switches 18, such as key switches indicating certain work contents, alphabet (or kana) keys, and numeric keys (so-called numeric keys) for inputting general data, and a pad 20 for inputting handwritten figures are assigned. The key switches that indicate the work contents of the key switch 18 include, for example, Departure Arrival baggage delivery Baggage reception Break start Break end Refueling Refueling end Congestion encounter Congestion relief Delivered item No. 1 Delivery location (entrance, back entrance, manager, neighbor's house, etc.) ) and other items.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a base unit for supplying power to the secondary battery of the handy terminal device 1o by a magnetic coupling method, and by placing the handy terminal device 10 at a predetermined position on the pedestal 26, the power transmission coil 28 is activated. Power receiving coil of the handy terminal device 10 (not shown)
Electric power is supplied from the base unit 24 to the handy terminal device 10 by the magnetic coupling of these coils. The power feeding system using magnetic coupling is explained in detail in Utility Model Registration Application No. 48265 of 1988.

30 is an optical coupler (a light emitting element and a light receiving element) for communicating with the handy terminal device 10 using light as a communication medium. In addition to optical communication signals, the optical coupler 30 (the light receiving element thereof) receives, for example, the handy terminal device 10.
Receives a light signal indicating charging completion.

FIG. 1 shows a circuit configuration block diagram of the device 10 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 40 is a keyboard control circuit that controls the keyboard 16 shown in FIG.
44 is a display control circuit that controls the LCD display device 14, 46 is a barcode league, 48 is a modem circuit, an acoustic coupler, and an optical coupler. 30 is a communication device equipped with an optical coupler (facing 30), 50 is a 16-bit microcomputer, and is a main control circuit that controls the whole, 52 is a read-only memory (ROM), and 54 is a random access memory. (RAM). The ROM 52 stores the operating program of the main control circuit 50 and necessary data, and the RAM 54 stores temporary variables and communication data for controlling each part, as well as input data from the keyboard 16 and a calendar. Date and time data from the clock 42 is stored.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. The keyboard control circuit 40 is comprised of an 8-bit microcomputer, drives the flat keyboard 16, and detects the X and Y coordinates of pen touches. As mentioned above, the key switches 18 include key switches for indicating certain work contents, alphabet (or kana) keys for inputting general data, numeric keys (so-called numeric keys), etc., and the keyboard control circuit 40 When the pen pressure of a predetermined level or higher is detected by any of the key switches 18, a code corresponding to the content is generated.

When writing a signature on the handwritten figure input pad 20, first press a key switch that instructs to input a signature. Then, the keyboard control circuit 40 reads the signal from the handwritten graphic input pad 20, that is, the signature pattern to be written. When the key operation is performed to end the signature, it is determined that the signature is completed, and reading of the graphic pattern on the handwritten graphic input pad 20 is completed. In the illustrated example, while inputting to the handwritten figure input pad 20, inputs from other key switches 18 can be disabled, or inputs from other key switches 18 can of course be accepted. .

The keyboard control circuit 40 transmits the input data acquired in this way to the main control circuit 50 in a predetermined transmission format. In this embodiment, the key switch 18 has 16 inputs.
A 1-byte code of IC-7F is assigned in base number, and 3-byte D1. D2. D8 is used to allocate each bit b7 to b0 as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 However, X, ~XO indicates the X coordinate of the pen touch area,
y, ~yo indicate the Y coordinate. ud indicates pen up/pen down, and is set to 1 when the pen is down. The first bytes be and b2 are unused. 1st bye h of graphic data
The MSB of D is always set to 1 so that it can be distinguished from code data.

In this manner, the keyboard control circuit 40 transmits input data to the main control circuit 50 through synchronous or asynchronous communication. The main control circuit 50 divides the input data into one piece according to its contents, reads the output of the calendar clock 42, that is, the current date and time data, and stores them together in the RAM 54. The RAM 54 stores each data in the format shown in Table 2, for example. In Table 2, only the time is stored, but the date is not stored. However, if the storage is for a long period of time, such as one week or one month, the date should also be stored in the RAM 54. In this way, even when a person is traveling to a remote location, for example, by transmitting information through the communication device 48, the management department can grasp the status of business execution as well as the execution time.

The control circuit 50 also applies data from the keyboard control circuit 40 to the display control circuit 44 as necessary, and displays it on the LCD display device 14.

In addition, if a management barcode is printed on the delivery package or slip, the barcode can be input from the keyboard 16.
The main control circuit 50 is instructed to use the reader 46. The data read by the barcode reader 46 is sent to the main control circuit 50.
Similarly to the input data from the keyboard 16,
As shown in Table 2, it is stored in the RAM 54. In this way, for example, the trouble of inputting the identification code of the package handed over to the recipient from the keyboard 16 can be saved, and input errors can also be prevented.

Table 2 When an input cancellation code is received from the keyboard control circuit 50 as well as the main control circuit 50, the previous batch of input data is cleared and a new keyboard input is awaited. In order to clarify the group of input data, the end of a series of data input may be inputted to the main control circuit 50 via the keyboard control circuit 40, for example, by operating a return key or an enter key. .

As described above, data is input for each item at each turning point of the work, and the recipient is also informed using the handwritten figure input pad 2.
Have 0 sign. At the same time as these inputs, the current date and time data output of the calendar clock 42 is referenced, and the input data and this current date and time data are stored in the RAM 54.

When the user of device 10 returns to his office, distribution center, etc., he uses communication device 48 to transmit the data stored in RAM 54 to the host computer. This results in
The host computer can manually obtain detailed work content information of the worker along with time information.

Although the power supply system is omitted in Figure 1, it goes without saying that one of the
The RAM 54 is backed up by a battery so that input data is not lost even when the power of the 0 is turned off. Without battery backup of RAM54 itself,
Another battery-backed memory, non-volatile memory, magnetic recording medium, etc. may be prepared, and the data stored in the RAM 54 may be evacuated there before or when the device 10 is powered off. .

Although the invention has been explained using a handy terminal device as an example, it is clear that the present invention can also be applied to a data input device that only stores input data. Further, although the flat keyboard 16 is taken as an example of the input means, keyboards of other types and structures may be used. For example, it may be separately equipped with a keyboard consisting of ordinary key switches and a handwritten figure input pad.

[Effects of the Invention] As can be easily understood from the above explanation, according to the present invention, in response to input of handwritten graphic data, for example, a signature, the date and time are automatically stored in the storage medium, and the signature and the date and time are automatically stored in the storage medium. Can be converted into electronic data. Therefore, the date and time of the signature can be confirmed on the computer without any special input work. As a result, for example, the slip for signing can be wiped out, and by storing the date and time, the signer can be confirmed more reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is an external perspective view of a handy terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10: Handy terminal device 12: Sound Lubra 14: LCD display device 16: Flat keyboard 18: Key switch 20: Pad for inputting handwritten figures 22: Power switch 24: Base unit
26: Pedestal 28: Power transmission coil 30: Optical coupler 40
:Keyboard control circuit 42:Calendar clock 44:
Display control circuit 46: Barcode reader 48: Communication device 50: Main control circuit 52: ROM 54: RAM FIG.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An input means having a handwritten figure input area, a clock device, a storage medium having a predetermined capacity, and an output of the clock device that reads the output of the clock device in response to a handwritten figure input by the input means, and the storage medium together with the input handwritten figure data. 1. A data input device comprising: a control means for storing data in the data input device;