JPH0728575A - Keyboard with pad and application system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a keyboard where a tracking operation is possible by one hand. CONSTITUTION:At the location of the palms of the right and left hands on a keyboard, pads 107 and 108 which are capable of shifting in the up-and-down, left and right and oblique directions are provided. By the combinations of a three-mode switching by twisting the pads and a pointing operation, a six- dimensional. parameter input is possible by a pad. A thumb rest which is capable of carrying the thumb is provided on the left and right, oblique and upper directions of a track ball and the erroneous operation of the track ball is prevented, and a pointing device input stoppage switch is provided on the thumb rest, and when the track ball and pads are not used, the erroneous operation can be completely prevented by stopping an input.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer keyboard device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 14 shows a conventional example. FIG. 14 shows an example of a conventional notebook type computer as shown in P6 to P11 of the monthly Mac Power December 1991 issue (published by Asner Co., Ltd.). In FIG. 14, 5
01 is a keyboard, 502 is a key on the keyboard, 50
3 is a display, 504 is a screen display area on the display 503, 505 is a cursor for pointing operation displayed in the screen display area 504, 506 is a palm rest, and 507 is a thumb position when a hand is placed on the keyboard. A trackball, 508 is a button, 509 is a computer main body, and 510 is an arm.

Next, the operation will be described. Normally, the keyboard 501 is used for key input. For pointing operation, operate the trackball 507 with your finger to move the cursor 50
By operating 5. The button operation is performed by pressing the button 508 with a finger. Pointing operation while pressing the button (hereinafter referred to as "dragging")
Hold down the button with your finger and press the trackball 5 with the other finger.
Operate 07.

Various drawing modes / submodes of the word processor are switched by pressing a plurality of keys on the keyboard 501 a plurality of times. Here, the mode is a function selection state determined by an application, and the sub-mode is a finer function selection item arranged hierarchically under the mode. Further, in an application in which a virtual hand is expressed inside the computer and an object inside the computer is grasped, moved, or deformed, it is difficult to operate the hand with the keyboard 501 or the trackball 507.
Usually, you use a data glove to control your virtual hand. Here, the data glove is a device in which a sensor is attached to the wrist and the spatial coordinates, direction, angle of the finger, etc. of the hand are detected, and the virtual hand inside the computer is controlled based on the data.

[0005]

In the conventional technique, since both the trackball 507 and the button 508 are operated by fingers, it is difficult to perform the docking with one hand. Further, since the trackball 507 is located at the thumb position, an erroneous operation is likely to occur due to an accidental touch. Further, the mode / sub-mode switching of the word processor is hierarchically assigned to the keys of the keyboard 501 and the keys must be pressed many times, and the keys are arranged in a horizontal row, which makes it difficult to operate. In the case of three-dimensional display with a computer, the keyboard 501 and the trackball 507 cannot be sufficiently controlled to control a virtual hand inside the computer. When using the data globe, there is a problem that the keyboard cannot be operated with the data globe.

The keyboard with a palm pad according to the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and enables a single-handed docking operation.
The purpose is to obtain a keyboard that reduces erroneous operation of pads and trackballs.

[0007]

A keyboard with a pad according to a first aspect of the present invention is a pad for shifting diagonally to the left, right, up, and down with the palm at the position where the left and right palms of a palm rest provided at the keyboard hand touch. And a first means for supporting the pad and detecting the shift amount and the shift direction of the pad.

In a keyboard with a pad according to a second aspect of the present invention, the pad is attached so as to be shiftable in a plurality of directions, and is movable in a plurality of directions in two steps. The means is characterized by detecting the first-stage shift and the next second-stage shift of the pad.

A keyboard with a pad according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the first means for detecting the shift amount is provided with a second means for detecting the rotation amount of the pad on the central axis supporting the pad. To do.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a keyboard with a pad is provided with a first means for supporting the pad and a third means for moving the pad to a position where the palm rest is exposed. To do.

A keyboard with a pad according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the palm rest of the keyboard is provided with the pad.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a keyboard with a pad is provided with a switch for stopping / restarting input of the pad.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard with a pad, which is provided on the near side of the keyboard and is provided with a thumb rest on which the thumbs of both hands are placed in the vicinity of the position where the thumb is placed during key input operation. It is characterized in that a switch for stopping / restarting the input is provided.

An application system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the above-described keyboard with pad is used for a three-dimensional application.

An application system according to a ninth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the keyboard with pad is used in a word processor system.

[0016]

A pad-equipped keyboard according to a first aspect of the present invention is a pad for supporting the pad and a pad for shifting diagonally to the left, right, up, and down with the palm at the position where the left and right palms of the palm rest provided at the keyboard hand touch. The first means for detecting the shift amount and the shift direction is provided. As a result, for the pad shift direction and amount,
Each function can be assigned.

In a keyboard with a pad according to a second aspect of the present invention, the pad is attached so as to be shiftable in a plurality of directions, and is movable in a plurality of directions in two steps. The means can detect the first stage shift and the next second stage shift of the pad. As a result, it is possible to assign a function to each of the first shift directions, and to assign a finer function hierarchically arranged below the function to the next shift.

In the keyboard with a pad according to a third aspect of the present invention, by providing the second means for detecting the amount of rotation of the pad, there are three types of right twist, no twist, and left twist with a simple movement of the palm. Mode switching is possible.

The keyboard with a pad according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided with the first means for supporting the pad and the third means for moving the pad to the position where the palm rest is exposed. Therefore, the pad can be moved to adjust the position. The pad can be moved to the position where the pad rests over the palm rest, so the pad that rests over the pad can be used as a palm rest during use.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard with a pad, wherein the palm rest of the keyboard is provided with the pad. Therefore, since the pad is arranged before the key arrangement of the keyboard, the pad operation and the key input operation can be performed with the minimum operation.

The keyboard with a pad according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is provided with a switch for stopping / restarting the input of the pad, so that when the input of the pad is not required, the switch for stopping / restarting the input completes the operation. It is possible to eliminate erroneous operation.

A keyboard with a pad according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is provided on the near side of the keyboard, and is provided with a thumb rest on which both thumbs are placed in the vicinity of the position where the thumb is placed during key input operation. A switch is provided to stop / restart input. Thus, by providing the thumb rest, the thumb can be stabilized and the hand can be stabilized when operating the keyboard. The switch can be easily turned on and off with the thumb.

In the application system according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the above-described keyboard with pad is used for a three-dimensional application. In a three-dimensional application, a complicated operation may be input, and the operation can be performed using the above-mentioned pad. For example, it is possible to efficiently operate a virtual hand inside a computer that grasps, moves, or deforms an object.

An application system according to a ninth aspect of the present invention uses the above-mentioned keyboard with pad in a word processor system. By switching the mode / sub-mode of the word processor and assigning the screen scroll to the movement of the pad, it becomes a word processor with good operability.

[0025]

【Example】

Example 1. Next, examples of the present invention will be described. A case where a trackball button function is assigned to a pad using a keyboard and a trackball will be described. FIG. 1 shows an example thereof. In FIG. 1, 101 is a space key, 1
02 is a jump key, 103 is a thumb rest, 104, 1
Reference numerals 05 and 106 denote a button 1, a button 2, and a button 3, respectively, which are used for the click operation of the trackball. 10
Reference numeral 7 is a left pad in which the pad is arranged at the position of the left palm of the palm rest 506, and 108 is a right pad arranged in the position of the right palm. 109 is a trackball 507 and pads 107, 1 provided on the thumb rest 103.
It is a pointing device input stop switch capable of stopping / restarting the input of 08.

Reference numeral 110 is a screen area assigned to each key by associating the screen display area 504 with the key arrangement rectangle of the keyboard 501, and 121 is the pads 107, 10.
8 is a button operation by shifting left and right, 122 is a pad position adjusting operation by moving the pads 107 and 108 downward in the palm rest 506, and 123 is a left pad left shift operation that shifts the left pad 107 to the left, 1
24 is a left pad right shift operation for shifting the left pad to the right, 125 is a right pad left shift operation for shifting the right pad to the left, 126 is a right pad right shift operation for shifting the right pad to the right, 127 is a jump key 102+ Key 502
Is a key jump operation for jumping the cursor 505 to the screen area 110 assigned to the key.

Next, the basic operation of the pad will be described with reference to FIGS.
Use to explain. In FIG. 2, 401 is a pad, 40
2 is a horizontal 360-degree shift operation of the pad, 431
Is a first means for supporting the pad, 432 is a second means provided on the central axis for supporting the pad of the first means, and 433 is a third means for supporting the first means.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 403 is a first movable area which is an inner movable area of the pad 401, and 404 is a second movable area which is an outer movable area. Here, the second movable area is a portion excluding the circumscribed rectangular area of the first movable area from the circumscribed rectangular area of the second movable area. In FIG. 4, 405 is the center of rotation that is the axis that supports the pad, 406 is the left twisting action of the pad, 407 is the right twisting action, 408 is the no twisting action, and 4 is the action.
Reference numeral 21 is a three-mode select for switching the state using three of 406, 407, and 408.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 409 denotes a four-mode selectable by left and right movements of the pad, and 411 a right-angle shift operation which is a shift operation orthogonal to the four-mode shift direction.
Reference numeral 10 is a three-select that allocates three sub-modes to each mode by utilizing a right-angle shift in two directions. 422 is 4
It is 4 modes × 3 selects, which is a combination of 3 selects for each mode of the mode 409. Here, the mode is a function selection state determined by the application, and the submode is a finer function selection item arranged hierarchically under the mode.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 412 denotes the first movable area 403.
The second movable area 404 and the 3 select 410 are combined to assign 6 sub modes. Reference numeral 423 is a 4 mode × 6 select in which the 4 mode 409 and the 6 select 412 are combined. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 413 is 4 modes × 6 select 423 in the left twist 406 state, left twist 4 mode 6 select, 414 is 4 mode × 6 select 423 in the right twist 407 state, right twist 4 mode 6
Select, 415 is 4 modes in 408 state without twist ×
6 select 423 is a twist-free 4 mode 6 select. Reference numeral 424 is a combination of three of 413, 414, and 415, and is a 12 mode × 6 select capable of expressing 12 modes.

Next, the operation of the pad will be described. The pad 401 is supported by the first means 431. First
The means 431 has a horizontal shift function in the direction of 360 degrees and can perform two-dimensional input equivalent to a joystick by a shift operation. The pad 401 is supported by a centrally provided shaft 405 which forms part of the first means 431. This shaft is supported by a mechanism similar to a joystick, and a change in the length of the shaft due to the inclination of the shaft due to the shift operation is absorbed by the piston structure. The shaft is pulled by springs from all four directions and returns to the center when the palm of the hand is released.
The movable area that is the shift range of the pad is divided into two areas, the inner movable area and the outer movable area, and unevenness is provided on the surface on which the pad slides so that the pad is lightly caught before moving to the outer movable area. The outer boundary is recognizable. The 6-select 412 realizes 6 sub-mode selections using this boundary.

First means 43 supporting the pad 401
The shaft 405, which is part of 1, has the mechanism of the second means 432. The second means is a means for detecting an angle attached to the central axis of the first means 431 for supporting the pad so that the left and right twists can be detected. The central axis is pulled from all sides by springs, so when the power of the palm is relaxed, it returns to the state of zero rotation angle. The rotation angle of the pad 401 is detected by the second means 432, and three states of left twist 406, right twist 407, and no twist 408 are created.

The pointing operation of the pad 401 is the first
The movable area 403 and the second movable area 404 include function switching and 360-degree shift operation 402. The pad 401 is shifted in an arbitrary horizontal direction with the palm of the hand to input two-dimensionally. At this time, if it is in the first movable area, make a small movement to the second
If it is in the movable area, a large movement is input.

When the pad 401 is used for mode / sub-mode switching, 12 modes × 6 select 424 is used. A function is selected from 12 modes by 3 mode selection 421 by twisting and up / down / left / right shift operation, and a sub mode in each mode is selected by 6 select 424. Depending on the application, the number of modes may not be so large, and in that case, 3 mode select 421, 4 mode × 3 select 422, 4 mode × 6 select 423 or the like may be used. Even in this case, the pad 401 can perform the 360-degree shift operation 402, but in the case of an ambiguous diagonal shift operation, it operates by detecting the shift angle and assigning it to either the top, bottom, left, or right.

Here, button 1 (104) is assigned to the left pad operation 123 and right pad operation 126, button 2 (105) is assigned to the left pad operation 124, and button 3 (106) is assigned to the right pad operation 125. This causes the pads 107, 108 to be in the shifted state 123, 1
24, 125, 126 correspond to the state where the jump key 102 is pressed.

Key input is performed by pressing a key on the keyboard 501. At this time, by placing the thumb on the thumb rest, it is possible to prevent the trackball 507 from being inadvertently touched and reduce erroneous operations. When the pointing operation is not necessary, the pointing device input stop switch 109 on the thumb rest can stop the input of the trackball 507 and the pads 107 and 108 to eliminate an erroneous operation.

When the pointing operation occurs, the cursor 505 is operated by the trackball 507.
When button operation is required, normal operation is possible by operating button 1 (104), button 2 (105), and button 3 (106). When a docking operation occurs, it is necessary to operate the trackball 507 while pressing the button 1 (104), the button 2 (105), and the button 3 (106). For example, the button 1 (104) with the thumb.
It is difficult to operate because it is necessary to operate the trackball 507 with the index finger while pressing.

Here, the pads 107 and 108 are used.
By shifting (126) the right pad 108 to the right with the palm of the hand, it is possible to make the state in which the button 1 is pressed and operate the trackball 507 with the fingers, leaving the palm equivalent to the button operation and letting the fingers move to the track. Ball 50
The operability is improved because the user can concentrate on the operation of 7. Further, when the pad is shifted, the jump key 102 is in a pressed state, and therefore, by touching the key 502 of the keyboard 501, the cursor 505 can be jumped to the screen area 110 assigned to the key. Also,
Since the state where the jump key is pressed is realized by operating the pad with the palm of the hand, the fingers of both hands can be used freely and the key 502 for moving to a desired place on the screen can be pressed freely.

The pads 107 and 108 are the palm rest 50.
6 can be adjusted to the protruding position and can be pushed up to a position that fits in the palm rest 506 when not in use, so the palm rest 506 can be made smaller than before, and the keyboard 501 and the notebook computer body 50 can be made smaller.
9 downsizing is possible. In key input from the keyboard 501, by placing a thumb on the thumb rest 103, it is possible to eliminate a malfunction caused by carelessly touching the trackball 507, and it is necessary to operate the trackball and the pad only by the key input. If not, the track ball 507 and the pad 1 are pressed by the pointing device input stop switch 109 on the thumb rest 103.
By stopping the input of 07 and 108, erroneous operation can be completely eliminated. Here, the pointing device stop switches 109 are respectively arranged on the left and right thumb rests 103, but they are the same, and either the left or right may be operated. As described above, this embodiment has the following features.

Pads that can be operated to shift diagonally in the front, rear, left, and right directions with the palms are provided at the portions of the palm rest portion of the keyboard where the palms of the left and right sides come into contact. Pad is first
The first means has the following structure. The pad is supported by a shaft provided at the center. This shaft is supported by a mechanism equivalent to a joystick, and a change in the longitudinal length of the shaft due to the inclination of the shaft due to an angle is absorbed by the piston structure. The shaft is pulled by springs from all four directions and returns to the center when the palm of the hand is released.

The movable area, which is the shift range of the pad, is divided into an inner movable area and an outer movable area, and the pad is lightly caught before moving to the outer movable area by providing unevenness on the sliding surface of the pad. The structure is adopted so that the boundary between the inner movable area and the outer movable area can be recognized.

The pad can be rotated right and left around the center. The pad detects the amount of rotation by the second means attached to the shaft bearing the pad of the first means. The second means has the following structure. The central axis of the first means for supporting the pad is attached to something like an angle detecting volume to detect left and right twists. The shaft is pulled by springs from all sides, and when the palm force is removed, it returns to the position where the rotation angle is zero.

Attach a third means that allows the first means portion, including the pad, to slide down the palm rest. The third means has a structure for mounting the pad and the first means on the rail. By this third means, the pad can be moved to adjust the position. Since the pad can be moved to the position where it protrudes from the palm rest, the original palm rest can be made smaller and the keyboard and notebook computer main body can be made smaller by using the pad that is exposed to the palm rest during use.

Thumb rests are provided diagonally above and below the trackball. The thumb rest stabilizes the thumb and stabilizes the hand when operating the keyboard, reducing erroneous trackball operation.

A switch for stopping / restarting the input of the pad and the trackball is provided on the thumb rest. pad,
When the input of the trackball is not necessary, the input stop / restart switch can completely eliminate erroneous operation.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to simultaneously perform two different pointing operations with the left and right palms while using the keyboard while keeping the hand on the keyboard. Since the pad is arranged in front of the key arrangement of the keyboard, the pad operation and the key input operation can be performed with the minimum operation. By separating the inner movable area and the outer movable area, two functions can be assigned to the shift operation in a single direction. By combining the key operation with a finger or the operation of a trackball and the operation of a pad of the palm, it is possible to construct an operation environment on the keyboard that was impossible in the past.

By combining the pointing operation with the three states of left twist, no twist, and right twist, six-dimensional input is possible with one pad.

Example 2. Next, an example of application to three dimensions will be shown. In a three-dimensional application, assume that a virtual hand inside the computer (hereinafter referred to as a hand cursor) is assumed and that this is operated on a keyboard.
This hand can move freely in the three-dimensional space and can grab an object and move or deform. Similarly, the position of the camera is controlled on the keyboard.

8 to 10, 201 is a three-dimensional display window which is a three-dimensional application, and 202 is a three-dimensional display window.
A three-dimensional coordinate axis in the three-dimensional display window, 203 is a displayed three-dimensional object, 204 is a viewpoint (camera), 20
Reference numerals 5 and 206 denote a hand cursor (right hand) and a hand cursor (left hand) that are virtual hands, respectively. 207, 2
Reference numerals 08, 209, 210 and 211 denote the thumb, forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the hand cursors 205 and 206, respectively.

Reference numeral 212 is a rotary shaft 1, 21 which is a rotary shaft passing through the center of the palm in the direction of the middle finger when the middle finger is extended.
Reference numeral 3 is a rotation axis that is a rotation axis that passes through the center of the palm that faces the same direction as the y axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axis, and rotation axes 2 and 214 that have the same direction as the line connecting the base of the index finger 208 and the little finger 211 and pass through the center of the palm The rotary shaft 3 is a rotary shaft.

221 is a space key 101 which is a thumb operation key, buttons 2 (105) and 222 are index finger operation keys Y, H, N, and 223 is a middle finger operation key U, J, M and 22.
4 is a ring finger operation key I, K, <, 225 is a little finger operation key O, L,>, 226 is a space key 101 or button 2
The operation of opening and closing the thumb 207 by pressing (105) (this operation is a toggle and is pressed once to close and pressed again to open) 227 opens each finger by pressing the keys Y, U, I and O Operation 228 is key H, J, K, L
It is an operation to close each finger halfway by pressing. Figure 10
Is an operation of closing each finger by pressing the keys N, M, <,>. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a position control operation for controlling the hand cursors 205, 206 or the camera 204 by operating the pads 107, 108.

Numeral 241 is the hand cursor 205, 206 or the rotation axis 1 left rotation operation of the camera 204, 242 is the rotation axis 1 right rotation, 243 is the upward parallel movement, 244 is the downward parallel movement, and 245 is the leftward parallel movement. 246 is a right parallel movement, 247 is a front parallel movement, 248 is a rearward parallel movement, 249 is a rotation axis 2 left rotation, 250 is a rotation axis 2 right rotation, 251 is a rotation axis 3 front rotation, 252 is a rotation axis. 3 backward rotation, 261, 262, 263 are pads 107,
It is an example of allocating functions to 108. 261 is an example in which the right cursor 205 is assigned to the right pad 108 and the camera 204 is assigned to the left pad 107, and 262 is the right pad 108.
An example in which the camera 204 is assigned to the left pad 107 and the hand cursor left hand 206 is assigned to the right pad 108, and an example in which the camera pad 204 is assigned to the right pad 108 is the hand cursor right hand 205 and the left pad 107 is assigned to the hand cursor left hand 206.

Next, the operation will be described. Allocation example 2
This will be described in 61. Various windows are displayed on the display 503, and one of them is the three-dimensional display window 201. By operating the trackball 507 and inserting the cursor 505 in the three-dimensional display window, the pads 107 and 108 and the keyboard 50 are
The function allocation 261 is assigned to 1. The three-dimensional display window 201 is a three-dimensional processing application, and defines, creates, registers, and combines the three-dimensional object 203 to create a three-dimensional image. In recent years, due to the high performance of computers, it has become possible to move three-dimensional space in real time.
It has become possible to create a virtual world inside a computer, walk around in it, and touch objects in it. At this time, it is necessary to think of a virtual hand and control this, but there are dedicated input devices such as data gloves,
It was impossible to control this virtual hand freely on the keyboard.

In the present invention, the hand cursors 205, 20
The virtual hand, which is called 6, can be freely operated by operating the keys of the keyboard 501 and the pads 107 and 108. The hand cursor 205 is displayed in the three-dimensional display window 201. Viewpoint is usually hand cursor 2
Behind 05, diagonally above, that is, from the perspective of the human being operating,
The hand cursor 205 is located at the lower right and looks like one's hand. When grasping the three-dimensional object 203, the position is determined by operating the right pad 108.

By shifting the pad 108 vertically and horizontally in the state of no twist 408, the horizontal movements 247, 248, 245 and 246 of the hand in the horizontal direction are controlled, and the pad 108 is vertically shifted in the state of left twist 406. Thus, the vertical movements 243 and 244 and the right and left movements 241 and 242 of the rotary shaft 1 (212) are controlled, and the pad 108 is vertically shifted in the state of the right twist 407 to rotate the rotary shaft 2 (213). ) Rotations 249, 250, and rotation 25 of the rotation shaft 3 (214) by shifting left and right.
1, 252 is controlled to determine the position of the hand cursor 205.

The viewpoint 204 is automatically controlled according to the amount of horizontal movement of the hand cursor 205 so that the viewpoint and the hand do not unnaturally separate from each other. The shift operation of the pad 108 is normally performed in the first movable area 403, but the horizontal movement operation 243, 244, 24 of the second movable area 404 is performed.
It is possible to intentionally move the hand cursor 205 and the viewpoint 204 simultaneously by controlling the positions of the viewpoint 204 in 5, 246, 247, and 248 so as to move in the same manner.

When the position of the hand cursor 205 is determined, the next grip operation is performed. Each finger 2 of the hand cursor 205
The open / close operation of 07, 208, 209, 210, 211 can be controlled by the keys on the keyboard 501. Since the pad 108 is on the palm rest 506, when the palm is placed on the pad 108, the operator's finger is on the keyboard 5
Since it is on 01, the position operation by the pad 108 and the grasping operation by the key are easy to shift. Thumb 2
07 is opened by pressing the space key 101 or the button 2 (105) once, and is closed by pressing the button again. The other fingers 208, 209, 210, 211 are opened by pressing the respective keys Y, U, I, O (227), and half closed by pressing the keys H, J, K, L (228), and the keys N, It is completely closed by pressing M, <,> (229).

Since a key is assigned to each finger, the operation can be performed for each finger. Also close keys N, M,
If you press <,> once, it will stay closed all the time. 3
The three-dimensional object 203 can be continuously grasped, and it is necessary to press the open keys Y, U, I and O to release it. The three-dimensional object 203 to be grabbed and the hand cursor 205 are always contact-determined and processed, so that the finger does not bite into the three-dimensional object and the closing operation at the stage of contact is suppressed. The thumb 207 is a finger 208, 209, 210,
Although the opening and closing control is automatically performed according to the opening degree of the finger 211, the space key 101 or the
It is operated by button 2 (105). Allocation example 26
In the case of 3, the left and right hand cursors are two 205 and 206, so the button 2 (105) controls the thumb of the right hand 205 and the button 3 (106) controls the thumb of the left hand 206.

Viewpoint 20 following hand cursor 205
It is not enough to use only 4; for example, there is a case where the viewpoint 204 is moved to an arbitrary position and it is desired to view from there. Left pad 107
The viewpoint 204 is assigned to the and the target viewpoint is obtained by intentionally moving the viewpoint. This viewpoint is represented by a camera. Camera 20
There may be a plurality of four, and any one of them may be selected on the application by selecting a camera by assigning it to a key on the keyboard 501. The camera 204 operates the right pad 1 by operating the left pad 107.
The same position control as that of the hand cursor 205 assigned to 08 can be performed. Camera 20 that is the current viewpoint
It is also possible to grab and move 4 with the hand cursor 205. This allows adjustment while looking at the viewpoint position. Further, by selecting the function of the application, the left pad 107 can be assigned to the camera 204 which is not the viewpoint, and the camera 204 can be moved while looking from another fixed viewpoint.

In allocation example 262, the roles of the pads in allocation example 261 are reversed. When the hand cursor 206 is desired to be operated with the left hand, such allocation is performed. In this case, the key arranged immediately above the left pad 107 is different from that on the right pad 108, so that a key that can be operated in the same manner as the case of the right pad 108 is selected and the function is assigned. Further, in the allocation example 261, the keys of the keyboard 501 are concretely shown, but it is not necessary to allocate the functions to the keys as in this example, and the keys suitable for various keyboards are selected and the function 2 is selected.
27, 228 and 229 may be allocated.

In the allocation example 263, the pads 107 and 10 are used.
8 to control the hand cursors 205 and 206 of both hands. Thus, the three-dimensional object 203 can be grasped by both hands, and more advanced work such as pulling with both hands to deform or bend can be realized on the keyboard 501. Further, the allocation of 261, 262, 263 can be freely switched and used when the application is executed.

As described above, this embodiment realizes an operation of grasping, moving, or deforming an object in the computer on the keyboard by expressing a virtual hand inside the computer.

Example 3. Next, an example of application to a word processor will be shown. Word processors often scroll the screen. Two
Due to the screen display, many inputs are made while looking at the reference screen. In addition, it has various modes such as character drawing, ruled lines, and drawing, and further has many sub-modes (function selection items) under it. By assigning a scroll to the right pad 108 and a mode selection function to the left pad 107, the work efficiency of the word processor is improved.

In FIG. 11, 301 is a mode selection function assigned to the left pad 107, and 302 is the right pad 10.
Scroll control function assigned to 8, 303 is a word processor display window displayed on the display 503, 304 is a normal word processor screen, 305 is a mode display unit that displays a selection branch of the currently operating mode, 306
Is a divided reference screen by screen division, 307 is a divided word processing screen, and 316 is a character cursor.

In FIG. 12, reference numerals 308, 309 and 310 indicate no twist 408, left twist 406 and right twist 407, respectively.
This is a scroll function assigned to the right pad 108 in the state. 311 is a cursor scroll by the shift operation of the pad 108 without twist 408, 312 is a candidate selection for selecting a candidate by the shift operation of the pad 108 at the time of selecting a word processor candidate, 313 is a pad 10 with a left twist 406
8 is a screen scroll by the shift operation, 314 is a page scroll by the shift operation of the pad 108 in the right twist 407, and is a split reference screen scroll 315 which is a scroll of the split reference screen 306 when the split reference screen 306 is used. .

In FIG. 13, reference numeral 321 is an example in which 12 mode × 6 select 424 is applied to the left pad 107, and the mode / sub-mode switching function of the word processor is assigned, and 322 is the 12 mode × 6 assigned to the pad 107.
The state of left twist 4 mode 6 select 413, which is one of the select 424, is shown as 323, 324, 325.
Reference numeral 326 denotes a character modification mode, a document editing mode, a display switching mode, and a ruled line mode, which are assigned to the 4 modes 409, respectively. 327, 328, 329, 330, 33
1 and 332 are submodes (function selection items) assigned to 6 select 412 of the character modification mode 323, respectively.
Italic, underlined, emphasized, enlarged, shaded, and reduced.
341 is 12 modes × 6 select 42 on the left pad 107
4 is a mode / submode selection procedure when No. 4 is applied, and 342, 343, and 344 are explanations of specific contents thereof.

Next, the operation will be described. Various windows are displayed on the display 503, and one of them is a word processor display window 303. By operating the trackball 507 and inserting the cursor 505 in the word processor display window, the pad 107,
Function assignments 301 and 302 are assigned to 108. Character input of a word processor is performed by a keyboard 501, and graphic input is performed by using a trackball 507.

The scroll control operation of the right pad 108 will be described. In 308, which is a pad operation without twist 408, the character cursor 316 can be moved by shifting the pad 108 vertically and horizontally. When the character cursor 316 is within the screen, the character cursor only moves, but when the character cursor 316 moves to the end of the screen, the screen is scrolled so that the character cursor 316 is on the screen. A small amount of movement is scrolled in the first movable region 403, and a large amount of movement is scrolled in the second movable region 404.

309 which is a pad operation with the left twist 406
In, the word processor screen scroll 313 can be performed by shifting the pad 108 vertically and horizontally. In the first movable area 403, the screen has a character width and the screen scrolls 313.
Then, in the second movable area 404, the page jumps to the edge of the page. In the first movable area 403 of 310, which is the pad operation of the right twist 407, the pad 108 is shifted upward to jump to the previous page, and the downward shift to jump to the next page. A shift to the left or right jumps to the edge of the page, similar to 313. In the second movable area 310, the up / down shift is a high-speed jump page designation by adding only the page number, and the left / right shift is a jump to the page edge as in the case of the first movable area 403. The word processing screen 304 is divided into divided reference screens 306,
When the split word processing screen 307 is displayed, the pad 108 is shifted in the first movable area 310 of the right twist 407, which is the pad operation, so that the screen scroll 315 of the divided reference screen 306 and the pad 1 in the second movable area are displayed.
The shift of 08 causes the page scroll 314 of the divided reference screen to operate.

The mode / sub-mode switching operation of the left pad 107 will be described according to the selection procedure 341. There are various word processor functions, and the functions are divided into 12 modes. These 12 modes are assigned to the pad 107 as 12 modes × 6 select 424. First, pad 1
07 twist left 406, right twist 407, no twist 40
Select 8. At this time, a left twist 406 and a right twist 40 are displayed on the mode display portion 305 arranged below the word processor screen 304.
7, 4 modes 409 assigned to no twist 408 are displayed (342). This display also shows information on which mode is selected when the pad 107 is shifted up, down, left or right. Next, the pad 107 is shifted to select one of the four modes 409. The contents of the 6 select 412 assigned to the selected mode and the shift direction for selecting the 6 select 412 are shown on the mode display portion 305 (343). Next, the mode / sub-mode switching is completed by selecting the sub-mode displayed on the mode display portion 305 from among the 4 select 612 (344). In the allocation example 322, the character modification mode 323 allocated to the left twist 406 upward shift and the 6 select allocated to it are shown.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the character input and the drawing of the word processor are performed, the mode /
Sub-mode switching can be performed only with the left pad 107, and scrolling can be performed only with the right pad, so operability is high, and the scrolling of the reference screen can be easily performed, which has the effect of reducing the load on the user and improving work efficiency. .

The pads 107, 108 may be anything that can be operated by the palm of the hand, and may be not flat but slightly dented or bulged in the center. Further, it is not always necessary to prepare both left and right pads, and for example, only the left pad 107 may be provided. Also, the rotation of the pad twists left,
Not only the three states of no twist and right twist, but also finer stages may be detected, and the pad shift operation may be detected in multiple stages instead of two stages. In game machines and the like, a game button may be placed instead of the keyboard, and a pad may be placed at the position of the palm of the hand when the hand is placed on the game button so that the combined operation of the game button and the pad can be performed. The same effect may be obtained by enlarging the pad so that the entire hand can be placed and the game button can be arranged at the position of the finger on the pad when the hand is placed on the pad.

As described above, in this embodiment, by assigning all the mode / sub-mode switching operations to the pads in the word processor, the mode / sub-mode switching can be performed with one pad, and the other pad can be used for screen scrolling. It is a thing.

Example 4. In the second embodiment, the case where the padded keyboard described in the first embodiment is used for a three-dimensional application has been described, and in the third embodiment, the case where the keyboard is used for a word processor has been described. It may be used for processing, graphic processing, or data processing.

[0075]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a keyboard capable of performing a racking operation with one hand by means of the shiftably attached pad. Further, since the pad shift directions are various, various functions can be achieved by using the shift directions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an operation of a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional application system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional application system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional application system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the word processor according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the word processor according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the word processor according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a conventional keyboard.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Space Key 102 Jump Key 103 Thumb Rest 104 Button 1 105 Button 2 106 Button 3 107 Left Pad 108 Right Pad 109 Pointing Device Input Stop Switch 201 3D Display Window 303 Word Processor Display Window 401 Pad 431 First Means 432 Second Means 433 Third means 501 Keyboard 502 Keys on keyboard 501 503 Display 504 Screen display area in display 503 505 Cursor 506 Palm rest 507 Trackball 508 Button 509 Notebook computer main body 510 Hand-lowering arm

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06F 3/033 380 A 7165-5B

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard with a pad comprising the following elements: (a) a keyboard for key input; (b) a pad provided on a part of the keyboard and mounted so as to be shiftable with respect to the surface of the keyboard; c) A first means for detecting the shift amount and the shift direction of the pad and inputting from the pad. 2. The pad is attached so as to be shiftable in a plurality of directions, and can be moved in a plurality of directions in two stages. The first means is a first stage shift and a next two stages. The keyboard with a pad according to claim 1, wherein the shift of the step is detected. 3. The keyboard with a pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad is rotatably attached to the surface of the keyboard, and comprises a second means for detecting the amount of rotation of the pad. 4. The keyboard with a pad further comprises a third pad for moving the pad until it sticks out of the surface of the keyboard.
The padded keyboard according to claim 1, further comprising: 5. The keyboard with a pad according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard includes a palm rest portion, and the pad is provided on the palm rest portion. 6. The keyboard with a pad according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard with a pad further includes a switch for controlling stop / restart of input from the pad. 7. The keyboard with pad according to claim 6, wherein the keyboard includes a thumb rest portion for locking the thumb, and the switch is provided on the thumb rest portion. 8. An application system using the keyboard with a pad according to claim 1 for a three-dimensional application. 9. An application system in which the padded keyboard according to claim 1 is used in a word processor system.