JPH0336616A - Equipment operating panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the recognition of an input mode at the present time point and the input data of each input key and to prevent the malfunction of an equipment by displaying the input data at the present time point of each input key where plural input data are determined, on a display part. CONSTITUTION:A processor unit 11 outputs an input mode at the present time point, for instance, the alphabet by a portion of character input keys 141, 142,-14n through an input/output circuit 12. By a selecting circuit 13, A, B,-Z are dis played on display parts 151, 152,-15n, respectively in accordance with the contents of holding circuits 161, 162-16n, respectively. When a character input key is depressed, an input signal passes through a key input signal line 18 and the circuit 12 and a key input is recognized by the unit 11. By a mode switching key 17, it can be switched to the input/display of a numeral and the sign of equality, etc. Accordingly, the input character can be recognized and inputted easily and without an error.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial Application Field J The present invention relates to an equipment operation panel, and particularly to input data used in a computer system or the like. This invention relates to equipment operation panels for operating electrical equipment, such as keyboards for inputting numbers, alphabets, kana, and other characters (hereinafter referred to as characters). [Conventional technology]

The amount of input data handled by equipment operation panels is increasing, and on the other hand, equipment operation panels are becoming smaller, so it is currently possible to have each input key on the equipment operation panel hold multiple pieces of input data. It is common in FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a computer system having a conventional example of an equipment operation panel. The computer system 2 shown in FIG. 3 is composed of a processor unit 31 and a keyboard 41 which is an equipment operation panel. The keyboard 41 includes an input/output circuit 32, character input keys 34, 34s, 3411, a mode switching key 37, and a key input signal line 38. The processor unit 31 requests key input on the keyboard 41. The input/output circuit 32 controls key input. The character input keys 3L, 34a, . . . , 34n are 0 character input keys 341.3 for inputting characters as input data, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, one number, one alphabet, and one kana character are displayed on each surface of 4□, . . . , 34n. The mode switching key 37 is the character input key 34. ．． The input mode of 34a, . . . , 34n is switched. The key input signal line 38 is the character input key 34, 34□,
, 34n and the input signals of the mode switching key 37 are sent to the input/output circuit 32.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional device operation panel mentioned above displays all input data for each input mode on the surface of each input key, regardless of the current input mode, so just looking at the device operation panel shows the current input mode and There is a drawback that the input data of each input key in the current input mode cannot be recognized.

[Means to solve the problem]

The device operation panel of the present invention is provided with a plurality of input keys each having different input data determined for each of a plurality of input modes.A display indicating the input data of each of the input keys is displayed on the operation surface side. and a holding circuit that holds given display data and causes a corresponding display unit to display a display related to the held display data. and a control section that provides the holding circuit with display data for displaying input data of each input key in each input mode. [Operation] When the control section supplies display data indicating input data of the current input mode to the holding circuit, the holding circuit causes the display section to display the given display data. Therefore, the display section displays which input data the receiver currently has.

【Example】

Next, two embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a computer system as an embodiment of the device operation panel of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the display section 151 of FIG. tsz, ~, 15. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing how each display content of the screen is changed. The computer system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a processor unit 11 and a keyboard 21. The computer system 1 shown in FIG. The keyboard 21 includes an input/output circuit 12, a selection circuit 13, character input keys 14, 14, ..., 146, and a display section 151, 15,
~． 15. and holding circuit 161.16. , ~. 16. and mode switching key 17, key input signal $1118, and selection signal,! ! 19 and display data signal! It is equipped with I20. The processor unit 11 requests key input from the keyboard 21 . The processor unit 11 also serves as a control section that provides display data to the holding circuits 161.16g, . . . , 16.degree. through the input/output circuit 12. The input/output circuit 12 controls key input, and the 0 selection circuit 13 includes a holding circuit 1G.
16. , ~. 0 character input key 14 to select 1G;
, l'b, ~, 14. is a 0 display section 15□152. for inputting characters as input data. ~． 15. teeth. Oyster with letters-14+, 14g, ~, 14. A transparent cover (not shown) is placed over each of the six display sections Is, 15□, ~, Is, which are liquid crystal display boards capable of displaying one character and are provided so as to be visible from each operation surface. ing. Holding circuit 16. , 16. , ~. 169 each hold display data given via the selection circuit 13;
The display data held is displayed on the display units 15, 15, respectively.
□, ~, 15. to be displayed. The mode switching key 17 is the character input key 14. ．． 14. , ~. 14. Switch the input mode. Key input signal line 18 is character input key 141
, s4g, ~, 14. Input/output circuit for input signals of mode switching key 17! 1 selection signal line 19 is sent to 2. From the selection circuit 13, the holding circuit 16. , 16. , ~. 1
A holding circuit 16. holds a signal to select 6°. ,16□,~,1
The 0 display data signal 1120 sent to the input/output circuit 12
A circuit holding display data from 16. , 162. ~． 16
Send to o. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. The processor unit 11 inputs the display data of the current input mode via the input/output circuit 12 to the character input keys 14, .
Output for 140 minutes from t4a. Each display data is stored in a selection circuit 13 and a holding circuit 16. , 161. ~． 167, display data signal line 20 in divided form.
through the holding circuit IL, t6*, ~, 16. For example, when the current input mode is inputting alphabets, the holding circuits 161, 161 . ~
．． 16□, one display section 15. as shown in FIG. ．． Is2. ~． +5. , 14, 14t, 14n, in which the alphabets "A", "B", . The key input is recognized by the processor unit (11) through the output circuit (12). Mode switching is performed by pressing the mode switching key 17, then pressing the single character input key 14. ．． 14. ．． . . . , 14n are also recognized by the processor unit 11. The processor unit 11 inputs the display data of the changed input mode via the input/output circuit 12 to the character input keys 14, , 14 . ,~
．． Outputs 14゜. From then on, the same operation as in the input mode before the change is performed.For example, 0. If the input mode after the change is to input numbers or equal signs, as shown in Figure 2, the display sections 15゜15□, ~
,! 5. numbers and equal signs "l" and "2". to 6=" are displayed respectively. As explained above, by switching the input mode, the input characters that are the input data of each key of the input mode are displayed, so that the input characters can be recognized and input easily and without error. In this embodiment, an input keyboard for a computer system has been described, but the application is not limited to this, but it may also be applied to an electronic desktop calculator, a remote controller section of a home video tape recorder, etc. In that case, the control section is a processor. It may be integrated with a keyboard including input keys and the like without being independent as a unit. Further, as for the display section, in addition to the liquid crystal display panel, a fluorescent display tube, a Brasma display, etc. may be used. [Effects of the Invention J As explained above, the present invention displays the current input mode and the current input data by displaying which input data each input key, each of which has a plurality of input data, currently has. The input data of each input key in the current input mode can be easily recognized, and accordingly, the device can be operated easily and without errors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a computer system as an embodiment of the device operation panel of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the display section 15 of FIG. , 15□, ~. 15. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a computer system having a conventional example of an equipment operation panel. l... Computer system, l... Processor unit, 2... Input/output circuit, 3... Selection circuit, 4+, I4s, ~, 14n... Character input key-5+
, 15g, ~, 15rl...display section, 6,, 16
g, ~, 16. ,... Holding circuit, 7... Mode switching key 8... Key input signal line, 19... Selection signal line, 20... Display data signal line, 21... Keyboard.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an equipment operation panel equipped with a plurality of input keys each having different input data determined for each of a plurality of input modes, a display indicating the input data of each input key is displayed on the operation surface side. a holding circuit that holds the given display data and displays a display related to the held display data on the corresponding display section, and display data that displays the input data of each input key in each input mode. An equipment operation panel characterized in that it has a control unit that provides a holding circuit with the following properties.