JPH0754519B2 - Text input device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] A text input device having a key board having a shift key such as a thumb shift key, and a shift key and a kana / kanji conversion key (hereinafter referred to as a conversion key), respectively. For the purpose of improving the existing point and enabling the conversion key to be omitted from the keyboard, the state where the shift key is not pressed in parallel with other character keys, that is, the shift key is substantially In response to the state of being pressed alone, it is assumed that the name / kanji conversion instruction is given and processed.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a text input device having a key board having shift keys such as a thumb shift key.

In a text input device having a shift key such as a thumb shift, the conversion key that gives a name / kanji conversion instruction is also pressed with the thumb, so in a relatively small and portable text input device, the keypad is used. It is desirable to omit one of the two keys.

[Conventional technology]

For example, in a text input device characterized as a thumb shift, the conversion key is also pressed with the thumb.
That is, FIG. 5 shows a conventional key board. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a key board, 2 is a character key, 3 is a shift key, and 4
-1 is a non-conversion key and 4-2 is a conversion key. When the keys 4-1 and 4-2 are collectively called, they are called conversion keys.

For example, if you press a character key that has "mi, ha" displayed on the key top, the character "ha" will be input and
When the character key displayed as "ha" and the right thumb shift key 3 in the figure are pressed in parallel, the character "mi" is input, and the character key displayed as "mi, ha" In the case of, when the left thumb shift key 3 is pressed in parallel, the character "ba" is input.

Further, when a name is input for a character, a word, a phrase or a sentence and the illustrated conversion key 4-2 is pressed, the name existing in the name input state is converted into kanji within a predetermined range. On the other hand, when the non-conversion key 4-1 is pressed instead of the illustrated conversion key 4-2, the input state of the previously input name is confirmed without conversion into Chinese characters.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional case, both the shift key 3 and the conversion key 4 are pressed with the thumb. And both keys are not pressed at the same time.

From this, it is desired to omit the one of the both keys 3 and 4 so that the key arrangement, which has 6 rows in the case shown in FIG. 5, is grouped into 5 rows.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the fact that the shift key and the conversion key were respectively present so that the conversion key can be omitted from the key board.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

FIG. 1 shows the principle configuration of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a key board, 3-1 is a left thumb shift key, 3-2 is a right thumb shift key, 5 is a key scanning unit, 6 is an input processor mechanism, 7 is a shift / conversion processing mechanism. , 8 is a code register, 9
Is a timer, 10 is a decoder, 11 is a code storage unit, 12 is a conversion processing unit, and 13 is a shift processing unit.

On the key board 1, left thumb shift key 3-1
Also serves as a non-conversion key, right thumb shift key 3-2
The non-conversion key and the conversion key are omitted from the key board 1 in consideration of the fact that they also serve as the conversion key.

The key scanning unit 5 scans and detects the pressed state of a key on the key board 1, and when a certain key is pressed, the key is pressed only when the first pressed is detected. The specifying code is supplied to the input processor mechanism 6.

The code register 8 temporarily holds the supplied code,
The decoder 10 decodes the code and determines whether at least the character key or the shift key is pressed. The code storage unit 11 stores the content set in the code register 8 for a predetermined period.

When the code from the key scanning unit 5 is supplied, the timer 9 is reset once and then measures the time to monitor the arrival of the next code. When the predetermined time is continued, a time out is issued.

The conversion processing unit 12 in the shift / conversion processing mechanism 7 is a conversion key or a non-conversion key (previously existed) when the character key is not pressed until the shift key 3 is pressed and the timer 9 times out. However, it does not exist in the present invention). That is, with respect to the contents stored in the code storage unit 11, the name / kanji conversion is performed (or confirmed without performing).

The shift processing unit 13 generates a shift character code based on the character code set in the code storage unit 11 in response to the shift key and the character key being pressed substantially in parallel.

[Action]

When only the left thumb shift key 3-1 is pressed substantially independently, the same processing as when the conventional non-conversion key is pressed is performed. When only the right thumb shift key 3-2 is pressed substantially independently, the same processing as when the conventional conversion key is pressed is performed.

When the shift key 3-1 or 3-2 and the character key are pressed substantially in parallel, the same processing as the conventional shift key pressing is performed. In determining whether or not the key is pressed substantially independently, the timer 9 monitors the time until the key below the shift key is pressed after the shift key is pressed. . However,
In addition to the monitoring, when the shift key is pressed independently and the pressing of the shift key is completed during timer monitoring,
Without waiting for the above time-out, it can be processed assuming that a conversion instruction has been given.

[Embodiment] FIG. 2 shows a key board of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a processing flowchart of one embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the non-conversion key 4-1 and the conversion key 4-2, which are present in the conventional case, are omitted, as can be seen in comparison with the conventional key board shown in FIG.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, in the case of the present invention, the shift / conversion processing mechanism 7 operates as follows.

(1) Initially, it is waiting for input as in processing.

(2) Whether or not an input has been made is detected in the processing, and it is determined whether (i) time out has occurred, (ii) a character key has been pressed, or (iii) a shift key has been pressed.

(3) When the character key is pressed, the code is stored in the code storage unit 11 in the process.

(4) Next, the process waits for input.

(5) Then, it is detected whether or not an input is made in the process, and it is determined whether (i) time out, (ii) a character key is pressed, or (iii) a shift key is pressed. .

(6) When the time is out, the character corresponding to the previously stored key (non-shifted character) is output on the display as input.

(7) When the shift key is pressed,
The shift character corresponding to the previously stored key is output on the display as if it was input.

(8) When the character key is pressed, the character corresponding to the previously stored key is output on the display as if the character corresponding to the previously stored key is input, and the code corresponding to the character key just input is stored (in the process). hand).

(9) When it is determined in the above process that the shift key has been input, the code of the shift key just input is stored in the process.

(10) Next, the process waits for input.

(11) Then, it is detected whether or not an input is made in the processing, and it is determined whether (i) time out, (ii) a character key is pressed, or (iii) a shift key is pressed. .

(12) At the time-out, the conversion code or the non-conversion code is issued in the processing based on the previously stored shift key code.

(13) When the character key is pressed, the shift character corresponding to the character key just input is output by the code of the previously stored shift key in the process.

(14) When the shift key is pressed, a conversion or non-conversion code is output according to the shift key code previously stored in the process, and the process returns.

FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B) show a flow chart of the second embodiment, which together form one figure.

In the case of the illustration in FIG. 4, a flow chart considering that a key that has been pressed once may be released and that a function key other than a character key or a shift key may be pressed It is shown.

In the figure, the processing ABCDE means the following processing, respectively.

Process A: The code of the function key just entered is output.

Process B: The character key code previously stored in X is output.

Process C: The shift key just input is added to the character key previously stored in X and output.

Process D: A conversion or non-conversion code is output depending on the type of shift key (right or left) previously stored in Y.

Process E: The shift key information previously stored in Y is added to the character key just input and output.

In the figure, “off → on” means that the key was turned off and then turned on. “On → off” means that the key was turned on and then turned off. It means that you have done it.

In the case shown in FIG. 4, when a key that has been pressed once is released, the pressing is invalidated. When the function key is pressed, the operation corresponding to the key is performed.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the conversion key in the conventional case can be omitted. It should be noted that the time to reach the above time-out should be empirically selected to be about 0.1 seconds.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a key diagram of the present invention.
Board, FIG. 3 is a flow chart of one embodiment, FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a conventional key board. In the figure, 1 is a key board, 2 is a character key, 3 is a shift key, and 5
Is a key scan unit, 6 is an input processor mechanism, 7 is a shift / conversion processing mechanism, 8 is a code register, 9 is a timer, 10 is a decoder, 11 is a code storage unit, 12 is a conversion processing unit, and 13 is a shift process. Represents a part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of character keys (2) and a shift key (3) for activating a control for instructing a shift character when pressed in parallel with the character keys (2). A key board (1), first means (5) for detecting a pressed state of a key on the key board (1) and generating a code corresponding to the pressed key, and the first means (5). In the sentence input device having an input processor mechanism (6) for receiving a code from the first means (5) and executing a process including a process of converting a kana into a kanji, Second means (10) for decoding the code and determining whether at least the character key (2) is pressed or the shift key (3) is pressed; the shift key (3) and the character key The fact that (2) and In response to the determination made by the means (10) of No. 2, the shift processing unit (13) that processes as if the shift character corresponding to the pressed character key (2) is input, and the shift key (3) ) Corresponding to the fact that the second means (10) has determined that only the above) has been pressed substantially independently, and the kana / kanji conversion processing is performed on the previously input character or word or phrase or sentence. A text input device comprising a conversion processing unit (12) for performing.