JPH0477331B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides an easy-to-memorize,
The present invention also relates to a keyboard with a two-stroke key arrangement in the form of Kana-Kanji conversion, which allows for highly efficient input as one becomes proficient. [Prior art] The character layouts of Japanese word processors and computer keyboards for entering kana characters, which have been widely used in the past, can be roughly divided into the "Japanese syllabary layout," the "JIS layout,"
Direct input methods using a keyboard with engraved kana characters, such as the ``new JIS layout'' and ``thumb shift layout'', and Roman characters that can be displayed in principle with two strokes, such as the ``Romaji kana input'' and ``M-style''. Some users enter a pseudonym as an intermediary. As is well known, when operating information devices such as word processors and personal computers, what is required of the keyboard, which is the interface between humans and machines, is:
It can be summarized mainly into the following two points. (1) The character layout on the keyboard should be easy to memorize and learn, even for beginners. (2) Excellent operability, such as efficient input speed improvement through relatively short practice. From this point of view, when devising the above-mentioned models currently in practical use, the following problems can be pointed out. The "Japanese syllabary" system focuses on (1), and is familiar to the average Japanese and easy to remember.
On the other hand, since the kana characters are arranged on a keyboard with 50 characters arranged in four rows, the operability is significantly inferior, and highly efficient input is not possible. The ``JIS layout'' similarly has 48 kana characters arranged in four columns, so it not only has poor operability, but also has the disadvantage that it is difficult to memorize the keyboard layout. In contrast, the “thumb shift arrangement” method, the “new
In order to enable so-called blind touching, the JIS layout method reduces the number of keys to 3 by accommodating 2 characters for each key.
It is organized into 31-32 columns. In addition, as a result of seeking rationality in character placement by taking into consideration the frequency of use of each character, the movement lines of the fingers of both hands, etc., we have made improvements such as improving input speed for experienced users and shortening learning time. Results have been confirmed. However, these
In both cases, the main focus is on increasing efficiency, so the arrangement of letters on the keyboard has no relation to the daily writing life of ordinary Japanese people, so beginners simply focus on writing letters. I have no choice but to memorize the location. It cannot be denied that this is the biggest obstacle for ordinary amateurs trying to use word processors and personal computers for document processing. On the other hand, another group of Romaji input systems that can represent Japanese syllables with two strokes per syllable use 23 of the 26 alphanumeric keys to spell out Japanese sentences in Romaji. By converting it into kana, it indirectly expresses the Japanese text. This method is excellent because it has a small number of keys and is easy to learn for those who are accustomed to using the Roman alphabet, and it is also easy to blind-touch. To summarize the above, as long as the conventional technical method of placing approximately 58 characters and approximately 6 punctuation marks and other symbols necessary for writing Japanese sentences in kana as individual characters and symbols on the keyboard, (1) above,
It is essentially difficult to fully satisfy the two conditions (2). Even if it were possible to reduce the number of keys by storing two characters on one key, arrange them in three rows, and improve the operability of hands and fingers by using a shift key, etc., these characters and symbols There is no change in the fact that one is forced to bear a heavy mental burden in order to memorize the arrangement of the objects. In contrast, Roman alphabet input systems can represent Japanese syllables with two strokes per syllable, so even if the number of keystrokes increases, it can be said to be effective in solving the above problem. [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the kana characters normally used in Japanese are
In addition to 47 clear sounds, 20 voiced sounds, 5 semi-voiced sounds, 1 positive sound, 1 consonant character, and 4 small characters for persistent sounds "ya" and "yu"
Including ``yo'', ``wa'', 5 lowercase letters such as ``a'', ``i'', ``u'', ``e'', and ``o'', which are used to express foreign sounds, and 6 punctuation marks, the total is 89. It extends to a large number of individuals. Even if a system is adopted in which voiced and half-voiced sounds are displayed by adding voiced and half-voiced marks to clear sounds, the number cannot be reduced to less than 66. Therefore,
As long as we rely on the conventional method of engraving kana characters, symbols, etc. on the keyboard as they are and loading them, it is inevitable that we will be forced to memorize the arrangement of over 60 characters, symbols, etc. Furthermore, even with the Roman alphabet input system, which is considered to be better because it has fewer keys and is easier to learn, it requires at least three strokes (three keystrokes) to represent a persistent sound, and the Roman alphabet is not used to represent foreign sounds. In some cases, it was said that it was not possible to express this foreign sound, partly because the language had not yet been established. This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and consists of a specific key arrangement that can basically express all Japanese syllables made up of the 89 kana characters mentioned above in kana with two strokes. The purpose is to provide a keyboard. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention is based on an expanded 50-tone diagram, and the expanded 50-tone diagram will first be explained below. Table 1 below shows an expanded syllabary diagram newly devised by the inventor based on the above-mentioned request.

【table】

[Effect]

Basically, it uses the two-stroke method, so after the first stroke hits a key group or a key (corresponds to <row> in the expanded syllabary diagram, and corresponds to a consonant in the direct sound), the second stroke One syllable is expressed by pressing one key of the key group or row (which also corresponds to <column>, and corresponds to a vowel in direct tones). In the present invention, in principle, the first key group or row of keys corresponding to <row> and the second key group or row of keys corresponding to <column> are pressed (i.e., two strokes). It is also possible to express the consonant consonant and the consonant consonant of foreign words.
For example, if you want to express ``kiya'', you would press the ``ka'' key on the first stroke, and the ``ya'' key on the second stroke. Also, if you want to express ``hua'', you would hit the ``ha'' key on the first stroke, and the ``a'' key on the second stroke. In addition, for both voiced and semi-voiced sounds, use “″” and “°”.
This requires pressing 3 keys in total. Also, press the key 1 for each syllable, consonant, punctuation, etc.
All you have to do is type the keys, and the same goes for ``a'', ``i'', and ``u''.
When expressing “e” and “o”, use “a”, “i”, and “u”
Only one keystroke is needed: ``e'' and ``o.'' [Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 schematically shows the key arrangement of a keyboard according to an embodiment of the present invention. These are the 9 <rows> of the 10-syllable diagram, and can be expressed as consonants (ka, sa, ta,
Na,: ha, ma, ya, ra, wa) are placed. On the right hand side (second key group), there are five rows that can be expressed as vowels (a, i, u, e, o),
Nine strings (ya, yu, yo, wa, ya, yu, yo, wa,
Place A, B, C, E, O). In addition, as shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, the dakuten, semi-dakuten, and punctuation marks (,.) are placed on the left hand side, and the symbols for syllabary (n), consonant (tsu), punctuation marks, etc. (,.・-) are placed on the right hand side. They are placed on each side. In addition, in order for the keyboard layout to match the association of the "Japanese 50-on diagram" that Japanese people are familiar with, and considering operability as described later, the <row> is placed on the left hand side. On the C and D stages of the keyboard, (ka, sa, ta, na): (ha, ma, ya, la, wa), respectively.
As a general rule, the <columns> are grouped into groups of 5 characters and placed on the right hand side, in columns C, D, and B.
Each (a, i, u, e, o), sukuon (ya, yu,
yo, wa), promotion (tsu): (a, i, u, e, o), as well as syllables (n), punctuation marks, etc. (,.-・). For convenience of explanation, the characters on the keyboard for foreign words are shown in katakana, but in actual expression, you can freely convert between hiragana and katakana using a separate function key. It shall be possible to choose. The 14 characters (A, I, U, E, O: Ya, Yu, Yo, , I: A, I,
C, E, O), plucked sounds/promotions (N, TS), and symbols (, . . . -, .) are temporarily displayed by pressing each key individually. However, for the B row on the right hand side in which two characters or symbols are arranged on one key, the lower character or symbol is displayed by pressing it alone, and the key is pressed after the preceding stroke of the handakuten key. Let the upper A, B, C, E, and O be expressed by . For example, if you press the key [A], the kana <
A> is displayed, and when the key ``ya'' is pressed, the kana ``ya'' is displayed. Also, key [n/a]
In the case of , <n> is expressed by a single stroke,
It is assumed that <A> is expressed by the previous press of the handakuten key and the subsequent press of the key. For all other kana in the "Expanded Gojyuonzu" except for the cases mentioned above, in the case of Kiyone, after pressing the [line key] on the left hand side to which the character belongs, press the [line key] on the right hand side to which the character also belongs. For example, if you want to enter <K>, press the [column key] on the left hand side.
Press the [C] key on the row, and then press the [I] key on the C row on the right hand side. Also, in the case of <Shiyo>, hit the [Sa line] on the left hand side, then hit the [Yo] on the D stage of the right hand. In the case of the foreign word <hua>, the [ha line] on the left hand side
Hit , then hit [A] on the B row of the right hand. In other words, by double-clicking the [row key] on the left hand and the [column key] on the right hand, all 102 kana at the intersection of the rows and columns of Kiyone Castle in the "Expanded Illustrated Alphabet" are displayed. can do. Note that selection of hiragana and kanakana is performed by operating a separate conversion key. Next, if you want to enter <gi> in the voiced sound castle, press the [ka line] key on the left hand side, then press the dakuten key on the B row on the left hand side, and then press the [i] key on the right hand side. For <Jiyo>, press the [Sa line] key on the left hand side, then press the dakuten key, then press the [Yo] key on the right hand side. In the case of the kana for ``Handakuonjou'', the process is the same as for the kana for ``Dakuonjou'', except that instead of the above-mentioned ``dakuon'' key, the ``handakuon'' key is pressed. In the case of voiced and semi-voiced sounds, after pressing the [row key] on the left hand side, press the [column key] on the right hand side to bring out the clear sound, and then press the voiced and semi-dakuten keys to produce the voiced and semi-voiced sounds. This also includes batting techniques that convert to . However, if you want to represent a foreign word by writing the direct sounds and persistent sounds in the expanded 50-on diagram in katakana, for example, press the katakana conversion key before or after the katakana conversion key to make katakana one character at a time or numbers together. . Next, a one-handed input keyboard will be described as another embodiment of the present invention. Figures 2 a to d can be expressed as <rows>, that is, consonants, of the ``Extended Alphabetical Chart'' in Table 1 on an ordinary calculator keyboard consisting of 5 rows and 5 columns of 25 items. S, ta, na), (ha, ma,
ya, ra, wa) and consonant (tsu), respectively (B) stage,
(D) Five columns (A, I, U, E, O) that can be arranged in rows and expressed as vowels (C)
In the row, there are four columns that can represent the consonant sound when pressed with the <row> key according to the vowels.
yo, wa> and dakuten/handakuten are placed on the (E) stage, and when pressed together with the ``row'' key in the same manner as vowels, five ``sequences'' (a, i,
U, E, O), syllables (n), punctuation marks, etc. (,.・-)
FIG. 11 shows a keyboard for one-handed input according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. The keyboard of this embodiment compresses the 28 keys of the two-handed input keyboard of the previous embodiment to 25, and is combined with the 25 keys of an ordinary calculator. In this case, how to input kana characters, punctuation marks, etc.
Everything is the same as described in the description of the previous embodiment except that the operations are divided into left and right hands and are operated with one hand. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by pressing the number/symbol keys, the keyboard becomes a numeric/symbol keyboard with the key arrangement shown in Figure 2b, and by pressing the English uppercase/lowercase letters keys, the keyboard becomes the keyboard for numbers and symbols, as shown in Figure 2c. It becomes a keyboard for Roman letters and English capital letters, which has a key arrangement, and by pressing the calculator key, it becomes a calculator with the key arrangement shown in Figure d. Regarding the above two embodiments, the following two points mentioned in the evaluation of the conventional technical method will be considered first. (1) Reduced memory burden (2) Increased efficiency through improved operability (1) As mentioned above, the conventional keyboard for inputting Japanese text in the Kana-Kanji conversion format was designed with over 60 characters and symbols. In contrast, these embodiments are composed of 33 character/symbol elements, so the memory burden is significantly less. Furthermore, understanding Japanese kana as the intersection of the rows and columns of the 50-on diagram means that kana characters are learned through the 50-on diagram in the early stages of character acquisition. For Japanese people, there is no need to spend special time memorizing the character arrangement of the keyboard of this invention. Furthermore, both <row> and <column>
According to the custom of Japanese people when reading the "Illustrated Alphabet" aloud, they say <A, I, U, E, O>, <(a)ka,
As a general rule, the words are divided into groups of five syllables, such as sa, ta, na>, <ha, ma, ya, la, wa>, and are placed on the 28 keyboards in three rows on the left and right sides. Because of this, the sensation of speech sounds and the movements of the fingers are linked, and there is no physiological discomfort.
You can input rhythmically. (2) With the keyboard of this embodiment, there is no need to use the shift key function, and all kana can be displayed by pressing 28 keys in 3 rows, so it has excellent operability, so-called blind・Touching is extremely easy. In addition, most other kana syllables, excluding vowels, lowercase letters used to create consonant sounds, punctuation marks, etc. that can be expressed by single keystrokes, can be produced by alternately using the [row keys] on the left hand side and the [column keys] on the right hand side. Because the keystrokes are displayed in a straight line, keystrokes can be performed in an extremely rhythmic manner. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the keyboard of this embodiment uses a keying method that uses the <row> and <column> elements of the "Japanese 50-on diagram", which is the basis of the daily writing life of Japanese people. Although it is intended to minimize the number of keyboards and reduce the burden on memory, it is also objectively superior in terms of operability, allowing highly efficient input work as seen below. . In other words, in order to evaluate the efficiency of character positioning on the keyboard, it was used in the "Research Report on the Standardization of Japanese Information Processing" (March 1985) edited by the Japan Electronics Industry Promotion Association. , when the following indicators are verified, the keyboard of the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, shows that (a) the strain on the left hand is low (43.4%) and the strain on the right hand is high (56.6%); ). (b) The alternating batting rate between left and right hands reaches 96% of the total. (c) The burden on the home stage (C stage) is significantly high at 75.1%. (d) Less stress on the little finger (11.1%) and more stress on the index finger (53.7%). As such, it shows extremely excellent effects. [Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention achieves (1) reducing the memory burden of character arrangement and (2) increasing efficiency by improving operability, which were set as problems to be solved. Not only is it possible to solve the problem at the same time, but it is now possible to express foreign words that were a problem with a normal two-stroke keyboard, and it is also possible to express these foreign words and persistent sounds in principle with two strokes. It turns out. In addition, in the case of a keyboard in which the first key and second key are arranged in multiple rows, in order to enable one-handed input of kana characters, it is necessary to arrange the Roman letters as shown in Figure 2c above. By loading the normal calculator keyboard shown in Fig. 2 d with the arrangement of numbers and symbols as shown in Fig. 2 b above, Japanese kana, Roman letters, and numbers can be added to the calculation function of a normal calculator. - Document processing functions using symbols etc. can be provided. The present invention opens up a way for ordinary amateurs to be able to use advanced electronic information devices such as word processors and personal computers with the same feeling of operating a conventional writing instrument and abacus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the layout of the keyboard, Figure 2 a is a conceptual diagram of the layout of kana characters on a one-handed keyboard, Figure b is a conceptual diagram of the number symbol layout of a one-handed keyboard, and Figure c is a conceptual diagram of the layout of Roman characters on a one-handed keyboard. d is a conceptual diagram of the symbol arrangement of a one-handed keyboard calculator; Figure 3 is a graph showing the load ratio of the hand and fingers compared to the conventional technical method; and Figure 4 is a graph showing the load ratio of stages compared to the conventional technical method. , FIG. 5 is a graph showing the right-handed batting average, the batting average in the home row (c row), and the total number of at bats with the conventional technical method.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Of the direct sounds, the first key that represents a consonant is placed in the group on the left or right hand, and the second key that represents a vowel is placed in the group on the right or left hand. A keyboard with a two-stroke key arrangement in which the key is placed on a predetermined row among several rows, the second-stroke keys representing vowels are placed on other rows, and keys representing voiced and semi-voiced syllables are placed separately. , the keys for ``ya'', ``yu'', ``yo'', and ``wa'' can be pressed together with the first key to represent a ``sound'', and the keys can be pressed together with the first key to represent a foreign word ``sound''. "a", "i", "u", "e" that can be
,
A keyboard with a two-stroke key arrangement, characterized in that an "O" key is arranged in the second key group or key row.