JPH10154035A - Command input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a command input device in which an operation is easy and error inputs are not so many. SOLUTION: One noun separately corresponds to plural noun keys 1, similarly, one verb separately corresponds to plural verb keys 2, and key switches 41 and 42 detect which key is operated among plural noun and verb keys 1 and 2. There, a target command is generated by specifying the noun and the verb which are selected by an operator and combining them in a CPU 13 based on stored contents on ROM 12 which stores the correspondence relation of a noun and a verb which individually corresponds to the keys 1 and 2 and its detecting signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a command input device used for terminal equipment such as a personal computer and a video game machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for inputting a command to a terminal device and performing various operations, a method using a keyboard, displaying pictograms (icons) on a display screen of the terminal device, a mouse, etc. A method of selecting and determining a pointer such as an arrow according to the pictograms or the like by using the pointing device is known.

[0003]

However, the input method using the keyboard requires a long time if the user does not remember the spelling and grammar of the command to be input and performs the input operation while looking at the manual or the like. , A great deal of time had to be spent to learn the correspondence between the characters and the keys for more than 50 keys and to learn the keyboard operation.

[0004] In the input method using a pointing device, since a command corresponding to a pictogram or the like displayed on the screen must be remembered in advance, a beginner cannot understand the meaning of a certain pictogram even if he or she looks at it. There is a problem that is difficult. Further, when aligning a pointer such as an arrow with a pictogram on the screen, there are many input mistakes in which the next one is selected by mistake, and when trying to accurately position the pointer to the position of the pictogram, The problem of tired eyes caused by staring at the camera.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a command input device which is easy to operate and has few erroneous inputs.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, a command input device according to a first aspect of the present invention corresponds to a word group of one type for each of a plurality of switches. Command generating means for generating a single command based on a plurality of words corresponding to each switch by operating a desired switch in each set of the word input means. It is characterized by having.

[0007] That is, each of a plurality of switches provided in one word input means is assigned one word from a word group consisting of a plurality of words belonging to the same category. When the operator operates at least one or more desired switches in each of the plurality of word input devices provided in the command input device, at least one word is selected in each word input device. Is done. The command generation means generates one command based on the selected plural words.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the command input device, a plurality of switches of each of the word input units are arranged so as to correspond to a word group classified into one type by a linguistic part of speech. It is characterized by. For example, each of a plurality of switches provided in one word input unit corresponds to a word classified as a “noun” in linguistics, and is classified as a “verb” in other word input units. The words to be executed are arranged correspondingly.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration and outline of a command input device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the command input device 10.

The command input device 10 includes a noun key 1,
It is composed of a verb key 2, a main body case 3, key switches 41 and 42, a ROM 12, a CPU 13, and a cable 18.

In FIG. 1, five noun keys 1 are arranged in a vertical line on the left side of the main body case 3. Similarly, five verb keys 2 are arranged on the right side of the main body case 3 in one vertical line.

The key switch 41 detects which key of the five noun keys 1 has been pressed, and
This is a means for transmitting the detection result to U13, and is configured as a switch unit including five push button switches (not shown) connected to each of the five noun keys 1.

The ROM 12 stores the correspondence between the position of each noun key 1 and the selected noun. For example, five nouns of “sentence”, “picture”, “table”, “graph”, and “range” are associated in order from the top of the five noun keys 1 in FIG. Therefore, when the operator presses a desired key among the five noun keys 1, for example, the top “text” key and the third “table” key in FIG. The switch 41 detects that the first and third push button switches have been pressed, and
Are the corresponding nouns “sentence” and “table” based on the detection result and the correspondence stored in the ROM 12.
It is determined that is selected.

As described above, one word input unit according to the present invention includes the noun key 1 as a plurality of switches, the plurality of push button switches provided in the key switch 41, and the plurality of push button switches. The key switch 41, the ROM 12, and the CPU 13 are means for associating a word with each of a plurality of switches.

Similarly, the verb key 2 and the key switch 42
, ROM 12 and CPU 13 constitute another word input means.

And a CPU as a command generating means.
A unit 13 combines words selected from each of the two word input units and generates a command for controlling software running on a terminal device such as a computer. The command is output to the terminal device via the cable 18.

The conversion rule for generating a command by combining a plurality of selected words in the CPU 13 is stored in the ROM 12 or a RAM (not shown) provided in the CPU 13 in advance. Therefore, when the software operating on the terminal device is changed, for example, the ROM 12 is replaced, or
When starting the software, the conversion rule is
From the medium storing the software, the R (not shown)
This can be handled by a method such as reading into an AM or the like.

Next, the operation of the command input device 10 will be specifically described.

First, the operator presses a desired noun key 1 and a desired verb key 2. At this time, the operator inputs a simple Japanese sentence such as "writing" the "sentence" or "printing" the "picture" and the "table" to the terminal device such as a computer. A desired command can be input.

Then, as described above, the key switch 41
And 42, which of the plurality of noun keys 1 and verb keys 2 is pressed is detected, and the detection signal and the ROM
CPU 13 generates a target command based on the correspondence between the key position and the word stored in
The command is output to the computer 22 as the terminal device shown in FIG.

The noun key 1 and the verb key 2 are LED
Each time the noun key 1 is pressed, the LED built in the key repeats a lighting state and a lighting state, and only the key in the lighting state is effectively selected, and the verb key 2 is pressed. When the noun key 1, the key switch 41, the verb key 2, and the key switch 42 are configured so that the LED is turned on when the command is generated and the transmission operation is completed in the CPU 13, the LED is automatically turned off. The input operation becomes easier.

For example, if the operator selects one of the noun keys 1
When only the “picture” key is turned on and the “print” key of the verb keys 2 is pressed to turn on the LED, the computer 22 prints a predetermined picture displayed on the display screen, and the process is completed. Then, only the LED of the "print" key is turned off. Subsequently, when the "Save" key is pressed, the "Picture" key is valid,
The predetermined picture is stored in a storage medium such as a magnetic disk. When the storing operation is completed, the L of the "save" key is
When the ED is turned off and the "write" key is pressed, an arbitrary drawing can be performed on the display screen.
As described above, by fixing the selection of the noun key 1 and sequentially selecting the verb key 2, the number of key operations by the operator is reduced, and the operability is improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the command input device of the above-described embodiment, two word input means are provided in one main body case, but they may be divided into separate casings and further provided in separate casings. The plurality of word input units may be configured to be arbitrarily connected by the operator.

In the above embodiment, two types of nouns and verbs in Japanese are used, but other parts of speech in Japanese and other languages may be used. For example, if a word input unit corresponding to an English preposition is used, “from
By using "m" key and "to" key properly,
There are advantages that the direction of data transfer and the transfer destination can be easily changed.

In the above embodiment, the number of keys provided in the two word input means is the same, but may be different.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the part-of-speech classification is used, but the classification may be based on the case element.
For example, by using word input means corresponding to a subject, a predicate, an object, an object complement, etc., more complicated command operations can be easily performed.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description, the command input device according to the first aspect of the present invention can be easily operated without having to remember the key arrangement, command spelling, grammar, etc., like a keyboard. This makes it possible for even beginners to use terminal devices such as computers without any inconvenience.

Further, the command input device according to the second aspect of the present invention can perform a command input similar to a plain text input, and can perform a simple command input operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a command input device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the command input device.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing a state of connection between the command input device and a terminal device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Noun key 2 Verb key 12 ROM 13 CPU 41 Key switch 42 Key switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of word input means, each of which is associated with one type of word group for each of a plurality of switches, wherein a desired switch operation in each set of the word input means is performed. A command input device comprising command generation means for generating one command based on a plurality of words corresponding to each switch. 2. The command according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of switches of each of the word input means are arranged in correspondence with a group of words classified into one type according to a linguistic part of speech. Input device.