JPH0281115A - Key input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of input key switches and to ensure the input of many functions with high operability by moving a display sheet showing the key display corresponding to each function and setting the key display opposite to the corresponding key. CONSTITUTION:A display sheet 1 is moved with operations of key switches 8a - 8e of mode selection switches 8, and the detection areas 12a, 12b... of display parts 11a, 11b... corresponding to the selected modes are detected. Thus the sheet 1 is stopped. Then the key displays 16a, 16b... corresponding to the selected modes of the selected parts 11a, 11b... are set opposite to a pressure-sensitive key switch 22 of a keyboard 2. Thus the number of input key switches is decreased with operation of the switch 22. Then the input of many functions can be facilitated with high operability.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a key input device for devices having key switches such as copying machines, facsimile machines, and computers. The present invention relates to a key input device equipped with a display section.

[Conventional technology]

Key switches are used for home appliances such as VTRs and audio products,
It is widely used to provide various inputs to office automation products such as copiers, facsimile machines, word processors, and computers.

For example, a copying machine is provided with ten or more types of key switches in addition to a numeric keypad for inputting numerical values such as the number of copies, a print key for commanding the start of copying, a clear/stop key, and an interrupt key.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In products having key switches, such as the above-mentioned home appliances and products for office automation, the number of key switches has increased significantly as functions have become more diverse, complex, and complex.

For example, in copying machines, the number of key switches has increased with the shift to color and multifunction machines, and some have more than 40 types of key switches.

As a result, it has become difficult to visually recognize all the key switches and memorize their positions and functions, making key input inconvenient and making it difficult to make full use of the functions.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by displaying various functions separately on multiple display sections and reducing the number of key switches to be input, many functions can be easily operated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a key input device that allows input with improved performance.

[Means to solve the problem]

A key input device according to the present invention includes a plurality of display sections each having a predetermined key area, and selects one of the display sections and performs a key input based on the displayed contents. a display sheet having a display section; a keyboard having a plurality of key switches; a keyboard provided near the display sheet according to the key area of the display section of the display sheet; The present invention is characterized by comprising a moving means for moving the display sheet in order to correspond to the above.

(Function) In the present invention, by providing a display sheet with a plurality of display sections each having a predetermined key area, and moving the display sheet over a keyboard provided according to the key area,
Since many functions can be divided for each display section, the number of keys to be input at one time is reduced, and many functions can be inputted using keys with improved operability.

【Example〕

The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings showing one embodiment thereof. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a key input device according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a display sheet equipped with a plurality of display sections 11a, 11b, . . . having predetermined key areas. and two driven rollers 6 and 7, and is moved by rotation of the drive roller 5 in the direction of the arrow. Display section 11a
, llb, . , llb... Further, detection areas 12a, 12b... for detecting the position and mode of each display section 11a, 11b... are provided on the negative side of each display section 11a, 11b... of the display sheet l. Detection areas 12a, 12b... have rectangular holes 13a, 1 for position detection drilled at the tips in the moving direction.
3b, . . . and holes 14a, 14b, . . . coded with 3 bits for mode detection are formed. Furthermore, the display portions 11a, llb, . . . display keys 16 for each function.
a, 16b... are provided.

Further, below the display sheet 1 between the driven rollers 6.7, a keyboard 2 is fixed to a main body frame 4 of an apparatus such as a copying machine. The keyboard 2 consists of a fixed frame 21 and a pressure-sensitive switch provided on the fixed frame 21, and includes a key switch 22. which has protrusions 22a, 22a, .
22..., each display section 11a, llb
By pressing the key display 16a, 16b...,
One of the key switches 22, 22, . . . is turned on and a key is input.

On the other hand, a notch 4a of approximately the same size as the keyboard 2 is formed in the surface of the main body frame 4 facing the keyboard 2, and a notch 4a of approximately the same size as the keyboard 2 is formed in the surface of the main body frame 4 facing the keyboard 2. In this example, 11b) can be visually recognized. 5 above the notch 4a of the main body frame 4.
A moat switch 8 is provided for selecting five modes. Further, a control section 9 for controlling this key input device is provided at the lower part of the main body frame 4.

2 is a plan view showing the relationship between the display section and the keyboard, FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 2. Here, the display section 11b will be explained as an example.

The display section 11b shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The protrusion 15b shown in FIG. 3 is adapted to correspond to any one of the key switches 22, 22, . . .
5b... are formed at the positions indicated by black circles in FIG. Further, on the right side of the fixed station 21, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, there are four light receiving elements each consisting of a photodiode, two ports,
, PO2°PO2, PO2 are provided in a line in the moving direction of the display sheet 1. Photodetector PDI, P
O2... is from the light emitting element (not shown) to the holes 13b and 14.
It detects the light that has passed through b, and the light receiving element PDI
is the light that passed through the hole 13b and illuminates each display section 11a, llb,
The light receiving elements PD2 to PD4 detect each mode based on the combination of the detection results of the light passing through the hole 141.

In this example, a maximum of 8
Two modes can be detected. An example of this is shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Accordingly, the hole 14 for mode detection in the display section 11b in mode 2
b is formed only at a position facing the light receiving element PD4.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control section of the key input device of the present invention. The control unit 9 includes an interrupt attendant output controller 91 and a C which is bidirectionally connected to the controller 91.
Connected to PU 92 and CPU 92, and light receiving elements PD2~
A memory 94 that stores modes corresponding to combinations of detection results of the PD 4 as a database and the controller 91
The controller 91 includes key switches 8a, 8b, . . . of the mode switch 8 for selecting various modes. , the detection results of the light receiving elements PDI, PD2, . . . which detect the positions and modes of the respective display sections ILa, llb, . . . and output signals of the key switches 22, 22, .

Part 6 regarding the operation of the key input device configured in this way.
This will be explained based on the flowcharts in FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the main routine.

When the power is turned on, in step 1, the interrupt attendant output controller is initialized, and in step 2, an address to jump to when an interrupt occurs is set. Next, in step 3, a variable MODE for the initial operation mode is set. This setting is the variable MO when the power was recently turned off.
If DE is stored and its variable MODB=m, then m is assigned to the variable MODE. When these settings are completed, interrupts are permitted in step 4, and it is determined in step 5 whether the mode switch 8 is on. If the mode switch 8 is on, the process jumps to the mode interrupt subroutine in step 6, and if it is off, the process skips step 6 and proceeds to step 7. Step 7 is a mode execution subroutine, in which the mode set according to the variable MODE set at step 6 or step 3 is executed. And in step 8, the variable MODII! The value m is the memory 94
is stored and terminated.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mode interrupt subroutine. When jumping to the mode interrupt routine in step 6, the key switches 8a and 8 of the mode switch 8
It is determined in step 101 which one of b... has been pressed, and the mode is determined. Then, in steps 110 to 150, a value of 1 to 5 is assigned to the variable MODE depending on the mode, and after interrupts are enabled in step 102, the process returns.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mode execution subroutine. When the mode execution subroutine is jumped to in step 7, the value of the variable MODE is determined in step 201, and when the variable MODE=l, step 21 is executed.
At 0.211, step motor 3 and photodetector PDI are connected to hole 1.
It is driven until it detects 3a and turns on.

When detected, the step motor 3 is stopped in step 212, and in step 213, the light receiving elements PD2. PO2,
It is determined whether both PO2 are off, and if not, step 2
The process returns to step 210, and if it is off, mode l is executed in step 214 and the process returns. In the following modes 2 to 5, the conditions of step 213 of mode l are changed to step 2 depending on the mode.
23 to step 253 are only changed as shown in Table 1, so the explanation will be omitted.

As is clear from the above explanation, in this embodiment, the mode is selected by the mode switch that inputs the interrupt, so
You can transition to each mode from any state.

Further, since a protrusion is provided at one place on the back side of each key display on the display sheet, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the key display and the key switch of the keyboard.

In this embodiment, the display sheet is formed into a loop shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to any shape in which the display sheet can be rolled up at both ends, as long as the display sheet can be moved on the keyboard. Any configuration is acceptable.

Furthermore, although a step motor is used as the moving means in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. (The moving means may be any means as long as it can move the display sheet from display to display section.) Good too.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, by providing a movable display sheet having a plurality of display parts on the keyboard, the number of key switches on the keyboard can be reduced, and when inputting many functions, it is possible to reduce the number of key switches on the keyboard. This has the effect of providing a key input device with improved operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a key input device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the keyboard, FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2, and FIG.
The figure is a side view of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control section, and FIGS. 6 to 8 are flow charts showing control operations. 1...Display sheet) 11a, llb...
Display section 2...Keyboard 3...Step motor patent Applicant Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Noboru Kono Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 1 Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A key input device that includes a plurality of display sections each having a predetermined key area, and selects one of the display sections and performs a key input based on the displayed content, comprising: a display sheet having a display section; a keyboard having a plurality of key switches and provided near the display sheet according to a key area of the display section of the display sheet; and a keyboard that connects each display section of the display sheet to the keyboard. A key input device comprising a moving means for moving the display sheet in order to correspond to the display sheet.