JPH0628074A - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the generation of misinput due to a keyboard and to remove size limitation in a computer system, a word processor, or the like. CONSTITUTION:An input device consists of switches for generating an ON/OFF signals by contact, a loading means 1 for loading the switches to finger tips and an interface part 2 for connecting the switches to a computer system B. When one of the switches fixed to the finger tips comes into contact with the upper face or the like of a desk, an ON/OFF signal is generated. The ON/OFF signal is inputted to the computer system B through the interface part 2. The ON/OFF signal is converted into a code number expressing a character or a code and inputted to the computer system B.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device having a CPU such as a personal computer, an electronic notebook, and a calculator and a memory for performing arithmetic processing and saving data, and instructing data input and arithmetic processing. The present invention relates to an input device for performing the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a keyboard, a numeric keypad, and other push-button type switches (keys) have been mainly used as input devices in electronic devices such as personal computers, electronic notebooks, and calculators. These input devices such as keyboards are for inputting characters or symbols into the above-mentioned electronic device as a predetermined code by pressing a push button type key in which characters or symbols such as kana, alphabets and numbers are written. there were.

In addition to the above-mentioned input devices, the input device is a mouse or light for instructing the position on the screen of the display device to input coordinates and selecting a command from the menu screen on the display. Pointing devices such as pens and digitizers are known.

Further, a handwriting input device for recognizing and inputting handwritten characters on a board or a device for recognizing characters read as an image from a scanner, or a voice input for recognizing words spoken by a person and inputting characters. Devices are being developed.

[0005]

By the way, the above-mentioned keyboard is the most common input device in a computer system, but it requires skill to input a sentence at a certain speed and is used by a beginner. It was difficult. For this reason, the keyboard has been a factor that keeps the general public away from computer systems and word processors.

Further, in the case where a push button such as a keyboard or a ten-key pad is arranged at a predetermined position, it is difficult to completely eliminate a touch error such as a pressing error of an adjacent key. And these touch mistakes are mistakes that are easy to make even in a calculator and an electronic notebook. Also,
Even in a system where input is performed by pressing a button or the like displayed on the display screen with a finger or the like,
You cannot avoid pressing the adjacent buttons incorrectly.

In addition, since it is difficult for a beginner to make a blind touch when inputting with the keyboard, the user has to enter the sentence while looking at the keyboard, and the line of sight moves between the keyboard and the screen of the display. It will be. Therefore, the confirmation of the characters input on the screen of the display is neglected, which is a cause of input error. In particular, when a user inputs a sentence while looking at a manuscript, a beginner has a line of sight between the keyboard, the screen of the display, and the manuscript, which slows down the input work and causes an input error.

In the computer system,
Although miniaturization is progressing such as laptop type, notebook type, palm top type, etc., when the keyboard is used as an input device, the size of a keyboard that can be comfortably used due to the size of a human hand and the thickness of fingers. However, the size of the computer system and word processor that can input sentences in earnest cannot be made smaller than the notebook type. Also,
Even when considering the weight reduction of the computer system, the keyboard needs to have some strength in order to prevent it from being damaged when it is used or carried, which makes it extremely difficult to reduce the weight, which is a bottleneck for weight reduction. .

The pointing device is mainly for inputting coordinates and selecting one option from a plurality of options, and it is difficult to input a sentence. Further, the handwriting input device described above allows a beginner to easily input a sentence, but since the characters have to be written, the speed of the document input is slow, and even if the user is skilled in the input work, the document input can be performed. I can't speed up my work. Further, the voice input device is currently in the development stage, and it is difficult for a general user to input a document by voice input.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and eliminates touch mistakes in input work.
An object of the present invention is to provide an input device that enables a beginner to perform relatively fast input work.

[0011]

The input device of the present invention is for inputting data to an electronic device such as a computer, and for mounting a switch for generating an on / off signal by contact and the switch at a fingertip. The means for solving the above-mentioned problems is provided with the mounting means and the interface section for transmitting the ON / OFF signal of the switch to the electronic device.

[0012]

According to the above construction, instead of pressing a key arranged on the board in advance like a keyboard or the like, the key is attached to the fingertip, and the adjacent key is not mistakenly pressed. That is, the code No. is previously assigned to the switch for each finger. Or the code number for the number of times the switch is turned on and off. Is provided, and this code No. By associating characters and symbols with, it is possible to input a sentence, instruct an electronic device, select an option, etc. by turning on / off the switch without pressing a key on the keyboard.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the input device A of this embodiment is connected to a palmtop type computer system B. As shown in FIG. 1, the input device A includes a ring-shaped mounting means 1 for mounting on a finger, and a well-known pressure-sensitive sensor mounted inside the ring-shaped mounting means 1. Switch (not shown) and an interface unit 2 for connecting the input device A to the computer system.

The mounting means 1 ... is made by processing a well-known elastic band-shaped cloth into a ring shape. Also,
The mounting means 1 ... has a double cloth, and the switch is fixed inside the cloth. The switch can be mounted on the fingertip by inserting the fingertip into the ring-shaped mounting means 1 ...

Further, in this embodiment, five mounting means 1 ... Are prepared and mounted on the five fingers of the left or right hand. The interface unit 2
Is composed of a connection terminal 3 for connecting the input device A to the computer system B, and cord lines 4a, 4b connecting the connection terminal 3 and a switch.

The switches attached to the mounting means 1 ... And the connection terminals 3 are connected by the cord wires 4a and 4b, so that the finger mounted with the switch composed of the pressure sensitive sensor by the mounting means 1 ... A signal from the switch is transmitted to the computer system B via the connection terminal 3 when the table is brought into contact with the table or the like.

The computer system B will now be described. The computer system is a well-known palmtop type computer, in which various electronic elements such as a CPU and a memory (not shown), a power supply device, and , Memory card as auxiliary storage device, liquid crystal display 5
Etc.

The computer system B is capable of performing word processing, a database (address book, etc.), spreadsheet, schedule management, etc. by various programs. In the computer system B of this embodiment, an on / off signal from the input device A will be described later.
Decimal code No. Converted to and this code N
o. Has a function of converting a character into a JIS code representing a character or a symbol, a shift JIS code, or a kuten code.

Further, in this embodiment, five switches are set to five.
By attaching it to two fingers, the pressure sensor can be turned on and off for each finger at the same time. Can be That is, it is possible to input five binary digits by turning on / off the five switches. The code represented by the five-digit number is 25 = 32, and 32 characters or symbols can be input.

In 32, since it is not possible to input all the alphabets and numbers together, for example, two of the codes of 32 are set as switching codes, and the signal after the switching code is set as alphabets and After the switching signal of, the numbers and symbols are used. By doing so, alphabets, numbers, and symbols can be input with five fingers, and Japanese can also be input by inputting Roman characters.

If switches are attached to all the ten fingers of both hands, it becomes possible to input 2 @ 10 = 1024 kinds of codes. Further, a switch may not be provided for the little finger that is difficult to move and 2 8 = 256 types of codes may be input.

Further, the code No. When deciding, for example, a matrix is formed from vowels and consonants, and for example, 10 fingers from the little finger of the left hand to the little finger of the right hand,
"Ah, sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa" is turned on, and after turning on the switch of one of the fingers, "Ah, oh, If you specify "ta" with the first input and then point "u" with the next input, "tsu" will be input to the computer. You may do it. Further, a foot switch or the like may be used together with the input device of this embodiment.

If the characters and symbols are input as described above, it is not necessary to press the key arranged at a predetermined position, so that it is necessary to direct the line of sight to the keyboard in order to find the location of the key. Instead, it is possible to concentrate the line of sight on the display or the document, and prevent input errors.

Further, since the key arranged at the predetermined position is not required, it is possible to prevent an input error such as pressing the adjacent key by mistake. Further, since it is not necessary to remember the position of the key, even a beginner can relatively easily and quickly input a sentence.

Further, by mastering the input work, it is not necessary to write the characters by hand, so that it is possible to obtain the input speed equivalent to that of the keyboard. In addition, since the keyboard as the input means of the word processor or the laptop computer can be eliminated, the size and weight restrictions of the keyboard can be removed, and the word processor and the laptop computer can be further downsized. be able to.

That is, in the word processor or the notebook type personal computer, the size of the input device of the present embodiment is limited mainly by the liquid crystal display if the storage place of the input device of the present embodiment is secured. A computer system capable of full-scale input of texts similar to a personal computer can be as small as or smaller than the palmtop computer system shown in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive sensor is used as the switch. However, the code No. is applied by applying a voltage between the mounting means of the fingertip and the surface with which the fingertip is brought into contact, and turning on / off the electric current. You may input. For example, the mounting means is an insulator, and a terminal capable of passing a slight current is attached to the surface of the mounting means as a switch,
The on / off signal may be input to the computer system depending on whether or not this terminal is brought into contact with a grounded object.

In the present embodiment, the data is input to the palmtop type computer system shown in FIG. 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a general-purpose computer terminal, workstation, personal computer, etc. It can be used as an input device such as a computer, an electronic notebook, and a calculator. Further, in the present embodiment, the on / off signal is sent to the computer system side with the code No. Although the function of converting the ON / OFF signal to the interface unit 2 of the input device is provided as the code No. You may make it provide the converter which has the function to convert into.

The code No. converted by the converter is also included. Is a code number entered by the keyboard of a commercially available computer system. And the connection terminal 3 of the interface unit 2 is the same as the connection terminal of the keyboard, that is, if the interface unit is the same as the interface of the keyboard of a commercially available computer system, The input device of this embodiment can be directly connected to a commercially available computer.

Further, the code No. of the keyboard, which differs depending on the product, is used. According to the code of the converter
o. If it is made switchable and can be replaced by a computer system that connects the connection terminals, it becomes possible to input a sentence or the like at any time using the input device of this embodiment, and especially how to use the keyboard. You don't need to be proficient in.

[0031]

As described above in detail, according to the input device of the present invention, since the switch for signal input is provided on the operator's finger side, the push buttons are adjacent to each other like a keyboard. By arranging the push buttons next to each other, it is possible to prevent a mistake such as pushing the adjacent push button.

Since the user is not familiar with the layout of the keyboard and inputs characters while checking the layout of the keyboard, the line of sight moves between the keyboard and the screen of the computer system display or between the keyboard and the document. It is possible to easily input a text and the like and to prevent input mistakes without making the confirmation of the input characters and the like unnecessarily due to the line of sight moving back and forth.

A keyboard is not required for inputting a text or the like, and it is possible to reduce the size of a notebook personal computer or word processor, which was limited by the size of the keyboard. Furthermore, by eliminating the need for a keyboard, it is possible to reduce the weight of laptop computers and word processors.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an input device of the above embodiment and a computer system to which the input device is connected.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A input device B computer system 1 mounting means 2 interface section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input device for inputting data to an electronic device such as a computer, the switch generating an on / off signal by contact, a mounting means for mounting the switch on a fingertip, and an on / off of the switch. An input device comprising: an interface unit for transmitting a signal to the electronic device.