JPS59170930A - Key switch for controlling movement of cursor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control the moving direction and speed of a cursor and to improve the operability of a cursor moving key switch by detecting the displacement due to the operation of a key top and converting the detected result into an electric signal. CONSTITUTION:In the cursor movement controlling key switch 5, spherical operation transmitting balls 6 and plate spring contacts 7 are arranged around a key top part 51. If the key switch 5 is pushed in the direction to which the cursor is to be moved, force is applied to both the plate spring contacts 7x, 7y and a CPU determines the moving direction in accordance with the rate of the components of force. When the key switch 5 is pushed strongly, spring contacts 71, 72, 73 are contacted with spring contacts 72, 74, 76 successively and the CPU determines the moving speed on the basis of said contact information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a key switch for controlling cursor movement for moving a cursor displayed on a display screen of a CRT or the like.

<Prior art> Conventionally, among means for changing the display position on a CRT screen,
There is one in which four cursor movement key switches indicating up/down and left/right movement directions are arranged for easy operation in accordance with the human sense of direction. This is the most popular type of console for general-purpose computers because it is cheap and simple.

To change the display position on the screen using such key switches, for example, press the Up key with an upward arrow to move the cursor vertically upwards, then press the Left key to move the cursor horizontally to the left. It will be done.

For example, it is possible to check whether the mechanism consisting of keys specifying multiple directions matches the finger operations based on the direction specifying sense of the operator looking at the screen. You can understand it clearly by going there. In order to quickly move the cursor on a maze partitioned into rectangular shapes, one must be very skilled in operating the cursor movement keys. Although it has a reasonable functional configuration, it cannot be said that it necessarily matches the finger operations that come from the sense of direction designation of the operator looking at the screen.

Furthermore, when operating the cursor by sequentially changing the moving direction of the cursor toward a desired display position, operations such as visual selection and pressing of a key switch are required, which makes it difficult to move the cursor smoothly. Unfortunately, it takes time to set the cursor position.

<Purpose> The present invention has been proposed in view of these problems in the prior art, and its purpose is to move the cursor easily and quickly, and to move the cursor with a single key. An object of the present invention is to provide a key switch for controlling cursor movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key switch for controlling cursor movement, which improves operability and allows the cursor to be controlled even when operated from multiple directions.

Another object of the present invention is that the direction of movement of the cursor can be selected by sliding the V in the horizontal direction, and the speed of movement of the cursor can be easily changed by pressing the key top in the vertical direction. There are places that offer key switches like this.

Another object (σl) of the present invention is to provide a key switch for controlling cursor movement that allows cursor movement and function designation with a single key.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cursor movement control key switch that can be switched between cursor movement and function designation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key switch for controlling cursor movement, which allows cursor movement and control of cursor display size with a single key.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a key switch for controlling cursor movement that can move the cursor with a single key and also adjust the interval of a part of the speakers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a single key switch for controlling cursor movement, which allows the cursor to move with a single key, and allows the operator to freely use high-speed movement and low-speed movement. This is where we propose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a power system that allows the cursor to be moved using the ridge keys and also allows the brightness of the display section to be adjusted.
- Provides a key switch for crane movement control.

<Embodiments> Hereinafter, typical embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal computer equipped with a Keith inch for cursor movement control according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the internal VC of the main body 1 of this personal computer is a
9 and its control grograno, and store fkoR,OM 1.
1 and the RAM IO used by the CPU 9 are stored. Furthermore, a display section 2 and a keyboard section 3 are provided on the outside f. Note that FIG. 2 is a front view showing details of the keyboard section 3 including the cursor movement keys 5. As shown in FIG.

Next, a case will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display section 2 is moved 11J1 to the upper left or lower right as shown in FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the cursor 4 is moved by simply pressing the cursor movement control key switch 5 upward to the left (arrow A) or downward to the right (arrow B). If you want to move the cursor 4 quickly, you can press the cursor movement control key switch 5 strongly in the direction of movement. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the key switch 5 for controlling the movement of the cursor includes a spherical movement conduction ball 6 surrounding the key top portion 51.
and a leaf spring contact 7 are provided. The plate spring contact 7 has a plate spring contact 7 spaced apart by an insulator 8. -14 is 3゛1h6, these handling spring contacts 7
l-74i', li As the force applied to the top part 51 becomes stronger, the spring contact 71 becomes 7□, 7
2 contacts 73, and 73 contacts 74 one after another. Further, information based on the contact of the leaf spring contacts 71 to 74 (not shown in FIG. 8) is sensed by the CPU 9i, and based on the sensed contact information, the CPU 9 stores information on the moving direction and speed of the cursor. The moving direction and speed of the cursor 4 are determined by referring to the ROMII in which the cursor 4 is moved, and when the cursor moving key 5 is pressed in a direction for which the cursor is not provided, force is applied to both leaf spring contacts 7x- and 7y+. join. In this case, [as shown in Figure 7], component forces in the X direction and Y direction divided by the parallelogram of force are applied to the leaf spring contacts 7X- and 7Y-, respectively, and the ratio of the component forces is CI) U 9 senses the contact information, and based on the sensed contact information, the CPU 9 determines the moving direction of the cursor 4 by referring to the ROM II in which the cursor moving direction and speed information are stored. .

These operations related to cursor control by the CPU 9 are shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8(B).

Next, while referring to FIG.
x-)+7y (7y+, 7y-) and the detection of closure will be explained. The cursor movement CPU 9 periodically operates the spring contact terminals 7t, which are operated by pressing the cursor movement key 5.
7t4 is sequentially checked. When the cursor movement control key switch 5 is pressed and, for example, the spring contacts 71 and 72 are closed, the terminal 7t2I'i is short-circuited to the terminal 7t which is connected to the ground, so that oV is output.

However, when the spring contacts 72 and 73 are not open, the output of the terminal 7t3 is +5■ as is clear from the figure. Therefore, by examining the output terminals 7t2 to 7t4, it can be easily determined which contacts are closed. For example, when the cursor movement control key switch 5 is pressed down strongly, the outputs from 7t2 to 7t3 and then 7t4 will be 0■
Output. If the cursor movement control key switch 5 is not pressed down, all terminals 7tz to 7t4 are "-5".
■Output.

Therefore, the CPU 9 has terminals 7t2 to 7 of each of the four sets of leaf spring contacts.
By monitoring t4, each leaf spring contact point information is detected. Speed'C You can decide whether to move the cursor.0 The point detected in this way is pointed at 8i'', 'A' in the figure). Figure 7 shows the 7x- and 7Y-10 directions. In this case, the cursor movement control key switch 5 is pressed, for example, 7X+, 7Y.
→If U is pushed in the force direction, 7 X +, 7 Y''-
The arrow points in the direction of the resultant force of the parallelogram formed by (Z).

The following explanation is clear (It goes without saying that the display section 2 and the key switch 5 for controlling cursor movement may be disposed in a separate housing from the main body of the device). , 1 +-
History 1, the open state of the spring contact is output as (-7), and this -arnaud log t4j- is digitalized as pz=
(j〆() may be converted and given to the CPU.

As described above, according to the present invention, one key 1/fut i
You can control the movement of the cursor on the display by controlling the movement of the cursor on the display. Moreover, the cursor can be moved with a blind touch while looking at the display, and not only the cursor's moving direction but also its moving speed can be controlled with a single key (top).
This makes it possible to easily and quickly perform the following steps.

Next, a second embodiment, which has a 1.1 configuration different from the cursor movement control key switch of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, will be described. The A-switch υ for cursor movement control shown in this second embodiment improves operability and allows the cursor to move in a horizontal direction or vertically. It is something. Below is the second
An example will be explained in detail.

-4. According to the second embodiment of the present invention), as shown in Table 24<section;
Twenty or lower right IC4g 1171sa-1,,j-,4,
E ,, %-) (1c theory jlEJ t ?, (, (-
In this case, as shown in FIG. 10(A), simply move the cursor movement control key switch 105 upward to the left (arrow A).
Or push it horizontally downward to the right (arrow B) until it stops at t.
The cursor is moved by pressing point C1 at the upper left end and point C1 at the lower right end in a substantially vertical direction from above, as shown in FIG. 10(B). If you want to move the cursor quickly, you can press the cursor movement control key switch 105 strongly in the movement direction or press it from above. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the key switch 105 for controlling the movement of this Noy-Tsuru is
A spherical motion conduction ball 1 is placed below the key top portion 1051.
06 and a leaf spring contact 107 are provided. However, the leaf spring contact 107 includes leaf spring contacts 1071 to 1074 spaced apart by an insulator 108. These leaf spring contacts 1071 to 1074 are connected to the key top portion 1.
As the force applied to 051 becomes stronger, the spring contact 1
071 is 1072VC.

107z contacts 1073, and 1073 contacts 1074 one after another. Furthermore, information based on the contact of the leaf spring contact 1071 to the leaf spring contact 1074 is sensed by the CPU 9 shown in FIG. 8(A) according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8(B), thereby controlling the moving direction and speed of the cursor 4. Ru.

Also, as shown in the A direction in FIG. 10(A), the leaf spring contact 10
If the cursor movement control key switch 105 is pressed in a direction where 7 is not provided, or if the cursor movement control key switch 105 is pressed from above between the leaf spring contacts 1070 as shown at point 0 in FIG. 10(B), d3 Force is applied to both leaf spring contacts 107X- and 107Y+. In this case, similar to 17 shown in FIG. The moving direction and speed of the cursor 4 cannot be determined based on the ratio.

The cursor control in the CPU 9 described above is shown in Figure 8 (
This is carried out according to the flowchart shown in 5). The operation conduction ball 106 is housed in the guide 121 so that it always moves in a direction 120 that closes the leaf spring contact 107 when a key is operated regardless of whether the key top portion 1051 moves in the horizontal or vertical direction. ing. key top 1
A cam surface 122 is formed on the lower surface of 05I.
2 supports the key 105 in constant contact with the operating conductive ball.

Next, key operations will be explained according to the drawings in Figure 11 (A
) indicates the initial state, (B,) indicates that the cursor movement key is pressed in the vertical direction (arrow 123 direction) from one end of the top,
The motion-conducting ball is similarly pushed in the vertical direction 124, and the leaf spring contact 107 is shown closed. Return O to its initial state using the cursor movement key. When the key top 1051 is pressed in the horizontal direction (slide direction) 125 as shown in FIG. Spring contact 107 is closed. Next, when the operator's finger leaves the key top 1051, the spring force of the leaf spring contact pushes the cam surface 122 in the direction opposite to the arrow 125, and the cursor movement key 105 is moved as shown in FIG. 11(A).
Return to the initial position.

In addition, spring contacts 107x (107x+, 107x-),
The configuration and closure detection of 10'7y (107y+, 107y-) are the same as in FIG.

However, (7, in this second embodiment, Fig. 8(A)
((C) The cursor movement CPU 9 is configured to periodically check the terminals of the spring contacts operated by pressing the cursor movement key 105 in the horizontal or vertical direction 1.

In the above description of the embodiment of the tube 2, the display section 2 and the cursor movement key 1.05 may be configured as separate parts from the main body of the device, or the operation conduction ball 106 and the leaf spring contact 107 may be Of course, if a commercially available semiconductor switch is used instead, 1 or more may be used. Furthermore, the closed state of the spring contact is outputted as an analog value using a volume control, and this analog value is converted into a digital value to be sent to the CPU.
K. A force-strengthening configuration may be adopted.

The second embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a device that outputs information for specifying a position on a two-dimensional plane, and in addition to moving a cursor, it can also be applied to a pen on an This can be applied to mobile operation switches, etc.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to select from the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

Therefore, when specifying a position in the vertical direction, the operator only needs to move the switch in the horizontal direction, where it is easier for the operator to move his fingers.

Furthermore, when specifying a position in the left and right direction, instead of a horizontal selection operation, a vertical selection operation can be performed in which the finger moves naturally. As a result, the operation switch of the present invention has excellent operability, operation speed, and ease of learning. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the operation of the fingertip can be changed between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction depending on the direction of the position designation, thereby adding a sense of rhythm to the operation.

A third embodiment, which has a different configuration from the cursor movement control key switch shown in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, will be described. The cursor movement key switch shown in the third embodiment can control the movement of the cursor on the display section by operating only one key, and can easily move the cursor at high or low speed by pressing the key. It is capable of speed movement. Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be explained in detail. First, the operation for moving the cursor 4 of the display section 2 to the upper left as shown in FIG. 3 will be explained according to the third embodiment of the present invention. do. In the plan view of the cursor movement control key switch 204 shown in FIG.
If you place your finger near the center of 05 (point B) or apply sliding force to the edge in the upper left direction (arrow A) as if pinching with multiple fingers, cursor 4 will move toward the upper left of display section 2. Start. Here, if you want to move the cursor quickly and far away from the desired point, press the key top 20.
5 to the upper left, and then slide the center part (
Just add a push-down blade near point B). The cursor 4 increases its speed, and when the pressing blade is removed when it approaches a desired point, the cursor 4 returns to its original moving speed. Next, when the cursor 4 reaches the desired point, if the sliding force is removed, the cursor 4 stops at the desired point and finishes its movement.

The movement of the cursor 4 by operating the key top 205 is performed using the cursor movement key 2 of the third embodiment described below.
It is deeply related to the structure of 04. Figure 14 (A) (
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a four-cursor Korean key. In the figure, a spherical motion-conducting ball 207 and a leaf spring contact 208 are provided around the slide portion 206. Further, as shown in FIG. 15(A), the plate spring contacts 2081 and 208□ are provided with a gold wire and are spaced apart from each other by an insulator 209.

These leaf spring contacts 2081 and 2082 move the slide portion 2 when a horizontal force is applied to the key top 205.
06 is moved and makes contact as shown in FIG. 15(B). FIG. 14(D) is a plan view showing the arrangement of four leaf spring contacts 208 and one leaf spring contact 211 included in the cursor movement key 204. In the figure, assuming that the Y-axes are orthogonal to each other, for example, the leaf spring contacts 208X and 208X'l)i arranged on the X-axis
This is related to horizontal cursor movement on the display unit 2.

Also, leaf spring contacts 208Y and 20 arranged on the X axis
8 Y' is also associated with vertical cursor movement. Now, by sliding the key top 205 in any direction, one or two leaf spring contacts 208 come into contact, and information based on this contact is read by the CPU 9, taking FIG. 8(A) as an example. The direction of movement of the carnol 4 is thereby controlled. Similarly, a spherical motion-conducting ball 210 and a leaf spring contact 211 are provided on the lower side of the key top 205, which is attached to the slide portion 206 so as to be able to freely slide up and down. As shown in (A), plate holes (near contacts 2111 and 2
11□ is included. These leaf spring contacts 2111 and 2112 come into contact as shown in FIG. 16(B)K when a pressing blade is applied to the key top 205 from above. Furthermore, the arrangement of this leaf spring contact 211 is on the intersection of the X and Y axes in FIG. By pressing the key top 205 in the slid state,
(Ner point 211 makes contact with the plate), and information based on this contact is read by the CPU 9K shown in FIG. be done.

Cursor control by the CPU 9 in this third embodiment is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

This aspect will be specifically explained below using an example shown in FIG. When you place your finger near the center (point B) of the key top 205 and slide the key knob 205 in the direction of A, the leaf spring contacts 208X and 20
When force is applied to both 8Y and cursor movement direction information stored in the lungs to increase the force in the vertical downward direction to the finger placed near the medium heat of the leaf (Fig. 14 (C)), the leaf spring When you release your finger from the contact block 205, the key top 205I'i returns to its original position due to the spring effect of each leaf spring contact, and each contact opens. Next, an example of means for detecting opening and closing of the leaf spring contacts 208 and 211 will be explained with reference to FIG.

9 CPU boards that control cursor movement periodically (2 contacts)
It is configured so that it can go around the terminal 208t2 of 08 three times. When the cursor movement key 204 is pressed in the horizontal direction and the leaf spring contacts 2081 and 2082 are closed, the terminal 20
8tz outputs 0■ to be short-circuited to the grounded terminal 208t2. However, if it is not closed, the voltage is +5V due to the action of the resistor R. Therefore, by checking the output terminal 208t2, it is easy to determine whether the contact is open or not. Therefore, by monitoring the terminals 208t, 2 of the four sets of leaf spring contacts, it is possible
You can move the cursor 4 in the direction of . By monitoring the terminal 211t2 in the same way, it is possible to detect whether the cursor 4 is moved by the character ←th.
Even if the crane movement key 204 is configured in a separate casing from the main body of the device, the size is 617 + operation ball 20.
7 and 210 and the plate] (It goes without saying that commercially available switches may be used in place of the contacts 208 and 211. In this embodiment, the cursor movement speed selection signal is Although it is used to speed up the movement speed, if it is used to slow down the speed, accurate positioning in the vicinity of the cursor's arrival position can be facilitated.

According to the third embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to give a control input for moving the cursor on the display section by operating only one key top, and moreover, by pressing the entire key top. Since you can easily move at high speeds or low speeds, even beginners can quickly or accurately move the cursor to the target position by blind touching while looking at the display, with little time loss and very high intelligence. Furthermore, compared to the conventional model using four key switches, it better matches the natural operation of the fingers resulting from the operator's direction designation interval, and also extracts information from the up and down movement of the fingers (7). , which can be used to select the cursor movement speed.

In this way, it is possible to achieve extremely great effects, even though it is only a simple 6-strip version of the key suite.

Next, a fourth embodiment using the cursor movement control key switch shown in the previous embodiment will be described. The cursor movement key switch shown in the fourth embodiment can control cursor movement by operating one key, and furthermore,
A function can be specified by pressing a desired point on a key. The details of the fourth embodiment will be explained below.

First, an operation example will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display unit 2 shown in FIG. 3 is moved to the upper left (home position) according to the M4 embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing details of the cursor movement control key switch 304. By sliding the key top 306 in the direction of arrow A, the cursor is moved in the direction shown in FIG. If necessary, the home position can be reached by further performing up/down/left/right slide operations. Nao, in this example,
The cursor movement control key switch 304 and the main body of the personal computer are connected by a cable 305.

Another operation example is one in which the same function as the conventional home clear key provided independently can be performed by simply pressing point B marked with a circle from the direction perpendicular to the operation surface. In other words, cursor 4 moves to the home position,
And the screen information is also cleared.

This operation of the key top causes the key top 306 to be displaced, and the displacement producing means outputs a corresponding electrical signal. Taking FIG. 8(A) as an example, this causes the CP (
It is read by J9 and used as an instruction signal 7 to execute the different functions mentioned above.The control of the CPU 9 in accordance with the displacement of the key top 306 will be explained below using the cursor movement control keys shown in FIG. The explanation will be given using a sectional view of the switch and a 70-chart shown in FIG.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing the structure of a cursor movement control key switch according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure (A), a spherical motion-conducting ball 307 and a leaf spring contact 308 are provided around the key top 306, and when a horizontal sliding force is applied to the key top 306, the leaf spring contact 308 Used as a diagram. In this case, the CPU 9 stores the ROM 11 based on the contact information.
When the key top 30G is slid in the direction where the leaf spring contact is not located, that is, in the direction of arrow A, the leaf spring contact 30
Force is applied to both 8X and 308Y, and both contacts 308X and 308Y come into contact at the same time. Information based on this contact is read by the CPU 9 shown in FIG.
0 is provided, and when a pressing blade is applied from the vertical direction to the key top 306, the leaf spring contact 310 comes into contact as shown in FIG. 3(B). Information based on this contact is determined as a constant signal shown in FIG. 8, and it is further determined what kind of function designation information the fan A designation signal is.

The trace is from point B (CL) of the key top 306 shown in FIG.
R) from the vertical direction, this production output will be sent to the CPU.
9 can be used as a function designation signal for performing the home clear function.

Similarly, in Figure 18, (INS) is inserted and (HO
ME) is displayed to indicate the home return of the cursor, and (DEL) is displayed to indicate the pressed position to perform the deletion function.

Next, the means for opening the leaf spring contact 308 and exposing the closing metal will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 20 (Ill(F)).

The leaf spring contacts 308 are provided at intervals with an insulator 315 as shown in FIG.
1 and 308. is included. These contacts 3o8. and 308a close as shown in FIG. 20(C) when a sliding force is applied to the key top 306. Therefore, the terminal is 308t! outputs O volts because it is short-circuited to the grounded terminal 308tl. However, when it is not closed, the pull-up resistor operates at 95 volts.

The leaf spring contacts 310 also include leaf spring contacts 3101 and 31o, which are spaced apart by an insulator 315, as shown in FIG. 20 (F'').These contacts 31
0I and 310. When a pressing force is applied to the key top 306, it closes as shown in FIG. 20(C). Therefore, the terminal 310b outputs 0 volts because it is shorted to the grounded terminal 31.01+.

However, when it is not closed, the voltage is 5 volts due to the action of the pull-up resistor.

Note that the CPU 9 periodically connects these leaf spring contacts 8 and 10.
is configured to examine the terminals of

Alternatively, when at least one contact is closed, an interrupt is made to 90PU9, thereby starting service to the cursor movement control key switch, and when all contacts are opened, the CPU 9 is again interrupted. Komijin power, shi,
The configuration may be such that the service to the cursor movement control key switch is thereby terminated. In any of the above cases, contact information of the contacts is taken into the CPU 9 at predetermined intervals while the key switch is being serviced. Therefore, by monitoring the terminals of the leaf spring contacts, various types of information can be input from a single key top.

In the above explanation, the function specified by (D
EL), (INS), (HOME) and (CLft
), the motion conduction ball 307
and 309 and the plate spring contacts 308 and 310,
It goes without saying that a commercially available switch may be used.

Further, according to the fourth embodiment, eight types of first electrical binary signals can be obtained by selectively pressing the key top 306 in the vertical direction, and eight types can be obtained by similarly sliding the key top 306 in different horizontal directions. The leaf spring contact is arranged so as to obtain a second electrical binary signal of O.Thus, due to the symmetry of the switch structure, the first signal is used for cursor movement;
It is clear that the second signal may be used for specifying the function.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, a large amount of information can be electrically transmitted from the natural movement of the fingertips that an operator can perform with a key switch for controlling cursor movement having a single key top. By associating different functions with these different output signals, the functions of keys that were previously arranged individually can be brought together in one place, allowing for quick selection operations with a blind touch on a single key. It has been made possible.

As a more specific usage pattern, the first and second
By using one of the electrical output signals for cursor movement and the other for specifying a function, it is possible to greatly improve the operability in screen information processing. Although the configuration of the cursor movement control key switch is simple in this way, it can produce extremely great effects.

Next, the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
The key switch for controlling cursor movement in the embodiment of
It is also possible to execute various seven functions that are performed in parallel with finger operations on the same key and cursor movement operations.
It can be easily switched using a switch key.

The details of the fifth embodiment will be explained below.

First, a case will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display section 2-1 is moved to the upper left as shown in FIG. 3 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The operation in this case is as shown in Figure 22.
The cursor 4 is moved by simply pressing the key top 406 on the cursor movement control key switch 404 upward to the left (arrow A). If you want to use the function key as a clear key, for example, press the independently provided y'' key 407 from above and press the key top 406 to the left (arrow B). While erasing the entire upper screen, the cursor 4 can be moved to a specific location, for example, the upper left corner (clear home function).

In this embodiment, the cursor movement control key switch 404 and the main body of the personal computer are connected by a cable 405. Regarding the structure of this cursor movement control key switch 404,
As shown in FIG. 23, a spherical motion-conducting ball 408 and a leaf spring contact 409 are provided around the key top 406, and when a horizontal force is applied to the key top 406, the leaf spring contact 409 is activated. Contact. To explain the control regarding this contact information using FIG. 8(A), information based on this contact is sensed by the CPU 9, and the sensed contact information is processed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. . In this case, the CPU
When the contact information sensed at 9 includes contact information due to the operation of the rFJ key, the moving direction of the cursor 4 is controlled.

Here, when the key top 406 is pressed in a direction where the leaf spring contact 409 is not provided, such as the input direction in FIG. 20, force is applied to both the leaf spring contacts 409X and 409Y, and both contacts When the contact information is sensed by the CPU 9 (Sugudub, S/Tara), the contact information is sensed by the CPU 9 (Sugudub, S/Tara), and based on the contact information, the spherical conductive ball 410 and the leaf spring contact 411
is provided, and when a force is applied from above to the "F" key 407, the leaf spring contact 411 comes into contact. Furthermore, if the key top 406 is pressed in the direction B in FIG. 20 while pressing down on the CPU from above, the leaf spring contact 4]1 contacts first, and the leaf spring contact 409X remains in that state. Since this is a contact, it is handled in the same way as when a normal I-CLRJ key is pressed.

In the above explanation, the contents of the function keys are [
D E LJ, “lN8J, [HOM E J and 1
- not specific to CLRJ and also operating conduction ball 4
It goes without saying that commercially available switches may be used for the contacts 08 and 410 and the leaf spring contacts 409 and 411, or a locking mechanism of the "F" gear may be provided.

Note that the means for detecting the opening and closing of the leaf spring contacts 409 and 411 is the same as in FIG. 20 fE) and (1'').

In addition, in the above embodiment, the rFJ key is located at the key top 40.
6, but it can also be provided inside the key top in correspondence with the cursor movement system, individual key switch configuration, and [F and J key metal leaf spring contacts 211 as shown in Fig. 14]. .

As described above, according to the present invention, a single key top switch configured to extract a large amount of electrical information from the natural movement of a fingertip through a single key top is used.
For example, it is possible to quickly perform a frequently performed cursor movement operation using a blind touch. Furthermore, by having a shift signal output means, it is possible to easily switch between finger operations on the same key top and execution of various functions that are performed in parallel with the cursor movement operation. Moreover, it is very efficient with little time loss associated with the operation.

Also, having a shift signal output means has the advantage of being able to obtain output signals for executing more functions from the operation of the single key top, and conversely, it also has the advantage of being able to obtain output signals for executing more functions from the operation of the single key top. For example, it is advantageous to provide a single key top switch that can execute the functions divided by two. In other words, it is possible to make the structure and operation of a single key top switch as seamless as possible. As described above, although the structure of the present invention is simple, it has a very large effect.Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The cursor movement control key switch in the sixth embodiment is capable of moving the cursor and changing the cursor display size by operating a single key.

The details of the sixth embodiment will be explained below.

First, according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the operation for moving the cursor 4 on the display unit 2 to the upper left as shown in FIG. In Figure 26 (A), the key top 50
The cursor 4 is moved by pressing the point A on the key top 6 in a direction perpendicular to the key top surface. Next, if you want to change the display size of cursor 4, slide the key top 506 in the direction of arrow B. The display size of cursor 4 will start to increase, and when you release your finger at the desired size, the key top 506 returns to its original position, and a cursor of the desired display size is obtained. If you wish to reduce the display size of the cursor 4, you can similarly slide the key top 506 in the direction of arrow C. A mode of changing the size of the cursor displayed on the presentation screen is shown in FIG.

Such operation of the key top causes a displacement of the key top 506, and the displacement detection means outputs a corresponding different electrical signal, which is read by the OP U 9 shown in FIG. 8 to perform the different functions mentioned above. The detection means for detecting the displacement caused by the operation of the key top 506 will be explained below. In this embodiment, the cursor moving key switch 504 is connected by a cable 505.

A spherical motion conduction ball 50 is located on the underside of the key top 506.
7 and a leaf spring contact 508 are provided, and by applying JJ from above to the key top 506, the leaf contact 50)1 comes into contact as shown in IN (J'l). Furthermore, information based on this contact is shown in Figure 8 (A
, ) and the flow shown in FIG. 28, such as point A in FIG. 26,
While the leaf spring contact 508 is not provided, press the key knob 5.
When 06 is pressed down from "-", leaf spring contact 508X
When force is applied to both and 508Y and both contacts come into contact, -C1, the contact information is sensed by ○PU9, and the same control as described above is performed. A spherical motion conduction ball 509 and a leaf spring contact 510 are provided around the key top F.
)06 horizontally 5. i j that tJ is added
i) "1l-1 leaf spring contact 510C tJ
When the key top 506 is pressed in the direction B in FIG. 26 of 2.=, force is applied to the plate and spring contact 510
10X makes contact, the 0PU9 determines that the contact information is an instruction to change the cursor display size, and the cursor display size is determined by the contact time of the leaf spring contact, that is, the suppression time. To reduce the cursor display size, press the key top 506 in the direction C in FIG. d Note that the leaf spring contacts 508 and 510 are released.

[Fig. 20 (E) for means for detecting formation.

Same as (F).

0PU9 periodically connects these leaf spring contacts 508 and 51.
It is configured to check the 0 terminal. Therefore, by monitoring the terminal of the leaf spring contact 508, it is possible to detect in which direction the cursor 4 is moved, and by similarly monitoring the terminal of the leaf spring contact 510, information for controlling the cursor display size can be detected. can be detected. Furthermore, if the periodically captured contact information is the same, the 0PU9 repeats the same control.

In the explanation of the embodiment described above, the first electrical output signal outputted in response to a selection press on the key top 50G in the direction perpendicular to the operation surface is used for moving the cursor, and the first electrical output signal is used for moving the cursor, A case has been shown in which the second electrical output signal output in response to the cursor display is used for controlling the cursor display size, but conversely, the first electrical output signal is used for the cursor display size control, The second electrical output signal may be used for cursor movement. In the above description, the motion conducting balls 507 and 509
It goes without saying that commercially available switches may be used in place of the leaf spring contacts 508 and 510.

As described above, according to the present invention, an electrical output signal for moving the cursor and changing the cursor display size can be obtained by operating a key switch having a single key top. The cursor can now be moved using a blind touch, reducing operating time and making it more efficient.

Particularly when displaying graphics, you can use the same key switch to indicate letters and numbers of different sizes inserted in the graph 2, or to point out the position of the graph L. Since the cursor display size can be changed freely, it is possible to greatly improve the operability in cursor control.

Next, in the seventh embodiment of the present invention -X=) T-Explanation 1
It's true. Keys for controlling cursor movement in the seventh embodiment
The cursor can be moved and the brightness of the display can be adjusted by pressing the ``-'' key.

The details of the seventh embodiment will be explained below.

First, a case will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display section 2'' is moved to the upper left as shown in FIG. 3 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. The operation in this case is as shown in FIG. be exposed. If you want to brighten the brightness of the display section 2, just press and hold the key top 606 to the left (arrow B) until the screen reaches the desired brightness; if you want to make it darker, press the key top 6 to the right (arrow B).
Just press and hold arrow C) twice until the screen becomes completely dark. In this embodiment, the cursor movement control V-switch 604 and the personal computer main body are connected by a cable 605C.

This seventh embodiment ('used λ:',5,',;I'
+-4・4・・t・l;'l The configuration of the personal combination coater equipped with a switch for the brake section is as shown in Fig. 30, with a CPU 611 that handles the main control and an RO that stores the program.
RAM612 used by M613 and 0PU611
, a brightness control device 614 for changing the brightness of the display section under control from the CPU 611 is housed. Furthermore, 602 is the display part! , 603 is a keyboard section, and 604 is a cursor movement control key switch according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

The structure of this cursor movement control key switch 604 is as shown in FIG.
08, and when a force is applied to the key top 606 from above, the leaf spring contact 608 comes into contact.

This contact information is controlled by the 0PU 611 according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 32, and the direction of movement of the cursor is determined based on the contact information.If the key top 606 is pressed from above at a position where the spring contact 608 is not provided, , force is applied to both the leaf spring contacts 608X and 608Y shown in FIG.
Similar control is performed as described above, and like the cursor, a spherical motion-conducting ball 606 is placed around the key top 606. and a leaf spring contact 610 are provided, and the key top 6
The brightness of the display device 602 is controlled via the leaf spring contact 610 brightness control device 614 by applying a horizontal force to the brightness control device 614 . This brightness control device 614 is controlled by the CPU 6
The beam current of the display device 602 can be adjusted by the signal sent from the display device 11. for example,
When the key top 606 is pressed in the direction B in FIG. 29 (A), force is applied to the leaf spring contact 610X in FIG. The time is determined by the pressing time. To darken the brightness, press the key top 606 in the direction C in FIG.

The means for detecting closure is shown in FIG. 20(E).

Same as (F).

The CPU 611 is configured to periodically check the terminals of these leaf spring contacts 608 and 610.

Therefore, by monitoring the terminals of the four sets of leaf spring contacts 608, it is possible to detect in which direction the cursor 4 is moved, and similarly, by monitoring the terminals of the two sets of leaf spring contacts 610, the display unit 2 can be detected. can detect information to increase or decrease the brightness.

Furthermore, if the periodically acquired contact information is the same,
0PU611 repeats the same control.

Furthermore, since the structure of the key switch is symmetrical as described above, a signal for moving the cursor is output in response to the sliding displacement of the key top 606 in the horizontal direction, and a selection press displacement in the vertical direction is output. The operation for outputting a signal for brightness control in response to , as shown in FIG. 29 (13), is simply to press the key top 606 on the cursor movement control key switch 604 upward to the left (arrow A). As a result, the cursor 4 is moved.

Also, if you want to brighten the brightness of the display device 602, just press and hold the left part (point B) of the key top 606 from above until the screen reaches the desired brightness. Just keep pressing the right part (point C) from above until the screen reaches the desired darkness.

The structure of this cursor movement control key switch 604 is shown in FIG. 31(E).

In the above description, the motion conduction balls 607 and 609
It goes without saying that commercially available switches may be used in place of the leaf spring contacts 608 and 610.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide control input for moving the cursor on the display section by operating a single key top, and furthermore, the brightness of the display section can be freely adjusted by operating the same key top. Therefore, even if the brightness around the display changes suddenly, the brightness of the screen can be adjusted to a level that is easy to see, making it possible to move the cursor with a blind touch while looking at the display, saving time. It is very efficient with little loss. Furthermore, it is very convenient because such control can be performed via a cable at a location that is easy to operate and is away from the keyboard section of the main body of the electronic device. As described above, although the configuration of the present invention is simple, it can produce extremely unique effects.

Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The volume of the speaker used to control the cursor movement in the eighth embodiment can also be adjusted.

The details of the eighth embodiment will be explained below.

First, a case will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display section 2 is moved to the upper left as shown in FIG. 3 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In this case, as shown in FIG. 33(A), the cursor 4 is moved by pressing the upper left part (point A) of the key top 707 on the cursor movement control key switch 705. . Also, if you want to increase the volume of a part of the speaker, just press and hold the key top 707 to the left (arrow B) until the volume reaches the desired level; if you want to decrease the volume, press the key top 707
Simply press and hold to the right (arrow C) until the volume reaches the desired level. In this embodiment, the cursor movement control key switch 705 and the main body of the personal computer are connected by a cable 706.

The configuration of the personal computer equipped with the cursor movement switch used in this eighth embodiment is as shown in FIG. Volume control device 715 that adjusts the volume of the speaker part 704 under control from the RAM 713゜0PU 712
is stored. Furthermore, 702 is a display device, 703 is a keyboard section, and 705 is a cursor movement control key switch according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

The structure of this cursor movement control key switch 705 is as shown in FIG.
A spherical motion-conducting ball 708 and a leaf spring contact 709 are provided on the lower side of the key top 707, and the leaf spring contact 709 comes into contact with the key top 707 when a force is applied from above.

This contact information is controlled by the OPU 712 according to a flowchart as shown in FIG. 36, and the cursor movement direction is determined based on the contact information. If the leaf spring contact 709 shown in FIG. 35(D)
When force is applied to both X and 709Y and both contacts come into contact, 0PU712 senses this contact information, performs the same control as described above, determines the direction of cursor movement, and moves cursor 4 to the upper left. Similarly, a spherical motion conduction ball 710 and a leaf spring contact 711 are provided around the key top 707.
By applying a horizontal force to the leaf spring contact 7
The volume of the speaker part 704 is controlled via the No. 11 volume control device 715. This volume control device 715 is 0PU7
By the signal sent from 12, the speaker part 70
4 is configured so that the voltage input to it can be adjusted. For example, if the key top 707 is pressed in the direction B in FIG. 33(5), the leaf spring contact 711X in FIG. 35(D)
When force is applied to contact point 711X, CP
U712 controls the volume control device 715 so that the contact information is a volume adjustment instruction. In this case, the volume level is determined by the contact time of the leaf spring contact, that is, the pressing time. & fa is to be decreased, by pressing the key top 707 in the direction C in FIG. 33, the leaf spring contacts 709 and 711 are opened.

The means for detecting closure are shown in Figure 20 (T=i) and (F).
It is similar to

The CPU 712 is configured to periodically check the terminals of these leaf spring contacts 709 and 711. Therefore 4
By monitoring the terminals of the set of leaf spring contacts 709, it is possible to detect in which direction the cursor 4 is to be moved.
Similarly, by monitoring the terminals of the two sets of leaf spring contacts 711, information for increasing or decreasing the volume of the speaker part 704 can be detected. If the contact information roughly and periodically captured is the same, the 0PU 712 repeats the same control.

Furthermore, since the structure of the key switch is symmetrical as described above, in response to the sliding displacement of the key top 707 in the horizontal direction, a signal indicating that the cursor cannot be moved is outputted, and in response to the selection press displacement in the vertical direction. To output a signal for volume control, simply press the key top 707 on the cursor movement control key switch 705 upward to the left (arrow A), as shown in FIG. 33 [F]. to move the cursor.

Also, if you want to increase the volume of the speaker part 704,
Just keep pressing the left part of the key top 707 (point B) from above until the volume reaches the desired level. If you want to make it smaller, press the right part of the key top 707 (point C) Just keep pressing down from the top until it reaches the desired size.

The structure of this cursor movement control key switch 705 is shown in FIG. 35(E).

As described above, according to the present invention, one input to control the movement of the cursor on the display can be given by operating a single key top, and the volume of a part of the speakers can be freely adjusted by operating the same key top. This allows you to quickly adjust the volume of some speakers to make it easier to hear even if the surrounding noise environment suddenly changes, so you can move the cursor, position the cursor, etc. while looking at the display. Confirm with sound a = L
/ It is possible to move the cursor from the table by blind touching, which is very efficient with little time loss. Furthermore, such control can be performed via a cable pull at a location that is easy to operate and is away from the keyboard section of the main body of the electronic device, which is very convenient. As described above, although the configuration of the present invention is simple, it can produce extremely large effects. .

Next is the fourth. 6th. 7th. A ninth embodiment using the cursor movement control key switch shown in the eighth embodiment will be described. The cursor movement key switch shown in the ninth embodiment allows the cursor to be moved using keys, and allows the operator to freely select between high-speed movement and low-speed movement. 1 or less, 9th
The details of the embodiment will be explained below.

First, a case will be described in which the cursor 4 on the display section 2 is moved to the upper left as shown in FIG. 3 according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. The operation in this case is as shown in the 37th passage.
First, when you press the upper left part of the cursor movement control key switch 804 from above, the cursor 4 moves toward the upper left and starts moving at high speed 1. Then, when you press the cursor 4 toward the upper left (arrow B) to the desired point, The cursor 4 can be moved accurately to a desired point instead of moving at a slow and steady movement speed one division at a time.

Move this cursor? l1ll monthly key switch 801
Regarding the structure, as shown in FIG. 38 (4), a spherical motion conduction ball 805 and a leaf spring contact 806 are provided on the lower side of the key switch 804 for controlling cursor movement. The leaf spring contacts 806 come into contact when a force is applied from above.

Furthermore, information based on this contact is shown in FIG. 8(A) and in FIG. When a force is applied to both leaf spring contacts 806X and 806Y, and when both contacts come into contact, the CPU 9 senses the contact information, and the same control as described above is performed to determine the speed and direction of the cursor movement. Similarly, a spherical motion conduction ball 807 and a leaf spring contact 808 are provided around the key switch 804 for controlling cursor movement.
When a horizontal force is applied to the plate spring contact 808, the cursor movement control key changes in the direction where the plate spring contact 808 is not provided, such as in the direction, by changing the contact information from the contact information to the vertical pressure contact information. When the switch 804 is pressed, force is applied to both the leaf spring contacts 808X and 808Y shown in FIG.
Fig. 20 (Ei
, (same as [l'l.2 The CPU 9 temporarily connects these leaf spring contacts 806 and 80
It is configured to examine 8 terminals. By monitoring the terminals of the four sets of leaf spring contacts 806, it is possible to detect in which direction the cursor 4 is moved at high speed. It is possible to detect in which direction the cursor 4 should be moved at low speed. Furthermore, if the periodically fetched contact information is the same, the CPU 9 repeats the same control 3
゜Since the structure of the key switch is symmetrical as described above, a signal for moving the cursor 4 at a low speed in response to the vertical selection press displacement of the key is output i~
, and in response to the horizontal slide displacement, the cursor 4
The operation when outputting a signal to move at high speed is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 37 [F]), when the cursor movement control key 804 is first pressed upward to the left (arrow A), the cursor 4 begins to move toward the upper left at high speed.

When the cursor 4 comes close to point (a), instead of pressing in the direction A, press the cursor movement control key switch 80.
By pressing down on the upper left part of cursor 4 (point B) from above, the cursor 4 can be moved accurately to the position of point (a) instead of moving slowly by one scale.

The structure of this cursor movement control key switch 804 is the same as that shown in FIG. 38.

Furthermore, since the structure of the key switch is symmetrical as described above, it outputs a signal to move the cursor 4 at a low speed in response to a selection press displacement in the vertical direction, and also outputs a signal to move the cursor 4 at a low speed in response to a sliding displacement in the horizontal direction. and move cursor 4 quickly\
When outputting a signal for moving the crane, as shown in Fig. 37 (8), first press the key switch 804 for controlling the crane movement to the left (arrow A) , cursor 4 starts moving at high speed toward the left. Then, when the cursor 4 comes close to the desired point, instead of pressing in the A direction, the cursor movement control key switch 8 is pressed.
If you press the left part of 04 (point B) from above, the cursor 4 can be moved accurately to the desired point position instead of moving at a slow and steady movement speed of 1 scale p at a time. . This power - Tsuru transfer! Regarding the structure of the key switch 804 for 4II system Thl, the operation shown in FIG. 38 can provide control input for high-speed movement of the cursor on the display, and the same key operation can provide control input for the same cursor movement at low speed. Since the cursor can be inputted to control movement, even beginners can move the cursor quickly and accurately with a blind touch while looking at the display, making it extremely efficient with little time loss. In this way, although the inventive structure is simple, it can achieve great effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal computer equipped with a key switch for controlling cursor movement according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the keyboard section of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4. is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the key switch for controlling cursor movement according to the present invention, FIG. 5(A) is a sectional view of an embodiment of the key switch for controlling cursor movement according to the present invention, and FIG. , Figures 6 (A) and (B") are partial detailed views of the leaf spring contact, Figure 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the operation of the contact of the key switch for cursor movement control and the direction of cursor movement, and Figure 8. (5) is a block diagram showing a personal computer equipped with a key switch for controlling cursor movement according to the present invention, () in FIG. 8 is a control flowchart, and FIG. 9 is a circuit showing an example of the terminal structure of a leaf spring contact. 10(A) and 10(B) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the cursor movement control key switch in the second embodiment, and FIG.
A) to (D) are a cross-sectional view and a plan view of the key switch for controlling cursor movement in the second embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a partial detailed view of the plate and wedge contact of the switch. A(Y; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the cursor movement control key switch in the third embodiment, and FIG. 14 (A) to
(,D) are cross-sectional views and plan views of the switch, Figure 815, Figures 16 (A) and (B) are partial detailed views of the leaf spring contacts of the switch, and Figure 17 is for controlling the switch. of! ii'J
The control flow def-flowchart is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of the terminal No. 1c of the switch plate (negative contact). 22 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the cursor movement control key switch in the fifth embodiment, and FIGS. 23(A) to 23(D) are a control flowchart for controlling the switch. A sectional view and a plan view, FIG. 24 is a control flowchart for controlling the switch, and FIG. 25 and FIGS. 26 (A) and (B) show the key switch for controlling cursor movement in the sixth embodiment. 27(k) to (E) are cross-sectional views and plan views of the switch. FIG. 28 is a control flowchart for controlling the switch. FIG. 29 is a seventh implementation diagram. FIG. 30 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a personal computer using the switch; FIG. 31 is a sectional view and plan view of the switch; FIG. The control flowchart for controlling the switch, FIGS.
34 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a personal computer using the switch, and FIGS. 35(A) to 35(E) are sectional views and plan views of the switch. , FIG. 36 is a control flowchart for controlling the switch, FIG. 37 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the cursor movement control key switch in the ninth embodiment, and FIGS. 38 (A) to (D) are: Figure 39 is a control flowchart for controlling the switch; Yo-/e'3 ji2'2 1st? Figure <A) (B) Figure 14 Furnace No' 1 \? θ8? ρ7 tFl) 6 7'ノ'r aθ and Otada Figure 75 (A) (B) R67 ~75. No tonwi? θ Ell, "" 2//2 L-,,,,,,1 (A) Zuma 1 6G〆woZri3/ρ CE) tri1/ -faB,;hF -a, t1 4. /) Rito figure n, name δ 27th lesson 1, figure 37 J 6o1> 6σ? 1 no less θδ 〆ρaY IIO)'7/'7eP's 8 70 noorito/8ρ2 &' 5 8θ Otsuth, 38 is (ρ)

Claims (1)

[Claims] a single key top, a displacement detection means for detecting a displacement due to an operation of the key top, a signal output means for outputting the displacement detected by the displacement detection means as an electric signal, and an output from the signal output means. 1. A key switch for controlling cursor movement, comprising: a control means for controlling a movement direction of a cursor based on the electrical signal.