JPH11102247A - Keyboard with built-in track pad - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a keyboard capable of saving the space of an equipment having a function corresponding to the keyboard and mouse of a conventional computer and improving operation efficiency. SOLUTION: A track pad part 1 is arranged at the ten key part of the keyboard, and a MOUSE key 2 is newly provided. In this case, the track pad part 1 is ordinarily functioned as a ten key and functioned as a pointing device by continuously pressing the MOUSE key 2 and at such a time, operation corresponding to the button of the mouse can be performed by Q, W and E keys on the keyboard.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a keyboard with a built-in track pad, and more particularly to a keyboard with a built-in track pad having a keyboard function and a pointing device function in a computer peripheral device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a computer (a personal computer, a work station, or the like) requiring a mouse device, a mouse operation is performed by moving a mouse body, so that a necessary space on a desk is indispensable. Furthermore, since there is also a need for a space on a desk for installing a keyboard, a substantial amount of space on the desk must be secured for operating the computer.

Also, there are numeric keys on the keyboard, but these keys are mostly used for auxiliary input of numbers, and the same keys exist on alphanumeric keys of JIS arrangement. Therefore, it is hard to imagine that the numeric keypad is used as frequently as the area occupied on the keyboard.

[0004] In addition, there is generally no computer operation that requires the use of a keyboard and a pointing device simultaneously in parallel.
The value of the keyboard at the time of operating the pointing device seems to be wasted, and the same applies to the mouse device at the time of operating the keyboard.

Further, when shifting from keyboard operation to mouse operation (or vice versa), an operation of shifting the right hand from the keyboard to the mouse (or shifting from the mouse to the keyboard) is necessary. In consideration of this, the operation is not very efficient even though there is some familiarity.

[0006]

A first problem is that a computer that requires a mouse device requires a certain amount of desk space in addition to a keyboard installation area.

[0007] The reason is that when operating the mouse device, the mouse body must be moved on a desk.

[0008] The second problem is the existence value of the numeric keypad on the keyboard.

The reason for this is that, given the area occupied on the keyboard, the ten keys do not seem to be used as often as they do.

[0010] The third problem is independence of keyboard operation and pointing device operation.

The reason is that the pointing device is not operated when the keyboard operation is performed, and the keyboard operation is not performed even when the pointing device is operated.

The fourth problem is the operation efficiency of the keyboard operation and the pointing device operation.

The reason is that, when shifting from keyboard operation to mouse operation (or vice versa), an operation of shifting the right hand from the keyboard to the mouse (or from the mouse to the keyboard) is necessary. This is because the operation is not very efficient even though there is some familiarity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard with a built-in trackpad which realizes space saving of equipment for realizing functions corresponding to a conventional keyboard and mouse of a computer and improves operation efficiency.

[0015]

The trackpad built-in keyboard of the present invention has a newly-installed MO which is provided with a trackpad instead of a numeric keypad portion of a computer keyboard and is usually used as a touch panel numeric keypad.
By holding down the USE key, the pointing device can be operated on the trackpad. At this time, the “Q”, “W”, and “E” keys on the keyboard are the left buttons on the mouse device. Button functions corresponding to the, middle and right buttons are realized.

[Operation] A space for operating the mouse device from the desk is not required. By using the same keypad and pointing device that are not used at the same time, the number of peripheral devices constituting the computer is reduced. Since the operation of grasping the mouse is not required when operating the pointing device, improvement in operation efficiency is expected.

[0017]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a keyboard with a built-in track pad according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, this keyboard has a trackpad section 1 on which a key arrangement of a numeric keypad is arranged on a numeric keypad portion of a conventional keyboard.
New M on the part where the thumb of the left hand reaches the alphanumeric key of the layout
An OUSE key 2 is arranged.

The "track pad" is a device which is still used as a pointing device in a notebook personal computer and the like, and has a shape of one plane in appearance. Is a device that can detect a moving distance and a direction by tracing a finger or the like and specify a position on a screen. Currently, the name of this device is different depending on the manufacturer that manufactures the device having this device, such as "slide pad", "touch pad"
Are also used, but in the present specification, devices having the above functions are collectively referred to as a “track pad”.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the operation of one embodiment of the keyboard with a built-in trackpad of the present invention. Here, it is assumed that a key arrangement corresponding to a numeric keypad is drawn on the track pad unit 1. However, in order to clarify the operation, the expression of the key arrangement will be omitted in the following drawings.

In a normal state, the track pad section 1
Key input according to the key arrangement of the numeric keypad drawn there is possible, but the MOUSE key 2 shown is
It can be used as a trackpad mouse.

At this time, the keys "Q", "W" and "E" (according to the JIS arrangement) have the same functions as the "left button", "middle button" and "right button" of the conventional mouse, respectively. It will be.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing the operation of the first embodiment of the keyboard with a built-in track pad according to the present invention, which is an operation example as a track pad type mouse. It is an example of a screen operation corresponding thereto.

First, the pointing cursor 6 on the screen 3 can be operated by touching the track pad 1 with the finger of the right hand. At this time, when the right hand 4 touching the track pad unit 1 is moved like a locus of an arrow drawn by a solid line and is moved to the position of the right hand 5, the screen 3
The upper pointing cursor 6 moves to the position of the pointing cursor 7 corresponding to the locus of movement from the right hand 4 to the position of the right hand 5.

As described above, in the operation example of the trackpad type mouse, the input of the position information to the trackpad section 1 and the corresponding screen operation are realized.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing the operation of the second embodiment of the trackpad built-in keyboard according to the present invention, which is an operation example as a trackpad type mouse. This is an example of a procedure for moving a window on the screen by using a “Q” key having a function corresponding to the left button of FIG. Here, the left hand 11
This indicates that the OUSE key 2 and the “Q” key are kept depressed (the keys shown in gray in FIG. 4).

First, when the window 12 on the screen 8 is clicked by the trackpad unit 1 and the "Q" key corresponding to the left button of the conventional mouse device to which the function of moving the window is assigned. From the state, right hand 9
Is moved to the right hand 10 while clicking the “Q” key, like a locus of an arrow drawn by a solid line.
The upper window 12 corresponds to the path of movement of the right hand,
Move to window 13 position.

As described above, in the operation example of the trackpad mouse, the trackpad unit 1 and the "Q" key having the function corresponding to the left button of the conventional mouse device are used.
The procedure for moving the window on the screen is realized.

The operation of each of the "Q", "W", and "E" keys corresponding to the conventional mouse keys will be described. Usually, the functions of the keys provided on the mouse are used by the computer. Since the setting differs depending on the software used, it is omitted in this specification.

Also, depending on the hardware, the number of keys provided on the mouse may be one provided with only one, two provided, three provided, etc.
Since the number of provided keys varies, an example in which three keys are provided is described in this specification. In a computer using a mouse with fewer than three buttons, only the required number of keys out of the "Q", "W" and "E" keys are valid.

In the above description of the embodiment, the trackpad unit 1 switches between the input of the ten-key pad in a normal state and the input as a trackpad mouse by keeping the MOUSE key 2 pressed. The track pad unit 1 can be used as a track pad type mouse. When the key is not pressed, the keypad of the numeric keypad in a normal state is input. However, the MOUSE key 2 is pressed (instead of keeping the key pressed). Return immediately after pressing)
Each time, it is possible to switch between the key input of the ten-key pad in a normal state and the input as a track pad type mouse.

[0036]

As described above, the first effect of the keyboard with a built-in trackpad of the present invention is that the operation of the mouse device on the desk and the space required for it are not required. The reason is that the conventional keyboard has a built-in trackpad that can be used by switching between the function of a touch panel type numeric keypad and the function as a pointing device.

A second effect is that the frequency of using a portion of the conventional keyboard which was a numeric keypad is increased, and an effective space on the keyboard can be enlarged.

[0038] The reason is that the trackpad portion has the functions of a numeric keypad and a pointing device, and a portion that has conventionally been used only as a numeric keypad on a keyboard can be used as a pointing device.

A third effect is that an improvement in working efficiency is expected.

The reason is that, since the pointing device function is provided on the keyboard, it is not necessary to hold the mouse device when operating the pointing device, and the pointing device can be operated only by sliding the right hand on the keyboard. This is because the movement of the right hand is minimized.

A fourth effect is that the number of peripheral devices constituting the computer is reduced.

The reason is that as a minimum configuration of a computer, four basic devices (main body), a display, a keyboard, and a mouse were conventionally required. This is because of the configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a trackpad built-in keyboard of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing an operation of the embodiment of the keyboard with a built-in trackpad of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing the operation of the first embodiment of the keyboard with a built-in trackpad of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing the operation of a second embodiment of the keyboard with a built-in trackpad of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 track pad 2 MOUSE key

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard with a built-in track pad, wherein a keyboard for a computer has a built-in track pad, and the track pad performs an operation corresponding to a numeric keypad and an operation corresponding to a mouse. 2. When an operation corresponding to a numeric keypad and an operation equivalent to a mouse are performed on the trackpad, a switching key is provided on a keyboard, and the mouse is pressed on the trackpad by holding down the switching key. 2. The keyboard with a built-in trackpad according to claim 1, wherein a corresponding operation is performed, and when the key is not pressed, an operation corresponding to a ten key is performed using a trackpad. 3. When an operation corresponding to a numeric keypad and an operation corresponding to a mouse are performed on the trackpad, each time the switching key is pressed, an operation corresponding to the numeric keypad is performed on the trackpad, and 2. The keyboard with a built-in trackpad according to claim 1, wherein an operation corresponding to the above is switched. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when an operation corresponding to a mouse is performed by the switching key, a predetermined key on a keyboard is used to operate a button function provided in a mouse device. 2. The keyboard with a built-in trackpad according to 1.