JPS5981728A - Key switch for cursor shift - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce signals to shift two cursors by providing two pairs of means to detect both vertical and horizontal displacements of a mobile part of a single key top. CONSTITUTION:Four balls 9 for transmission of horizontal movement are provided between a key top 6 and a main body part 17 together with four balls 10 for transmission of vertical movement respectively. Then eight plate contacts 10 and 8 are provided between each ball and the part 17. A projected part 15 is formed on the bottom surface of the key top 6, and the lower face 16 of the part 15 which is slidable along the bottom surface of the part 17 are usually balanced with eight plate spring. When a point A, for example, of the top 6 is pushed, contacts 8X and 8Y are closed, thus the 1st cursor is shifted in the northwest direction. The cursor is shifted in the west direction when a point A' is pushed. When a finger is put into a recess part 6' of the top 6 to push horizontally the top 6 toward an arrow B, then contacts 10X and 10Y are closed to shift the 2nd cursor in northwest direction. In such a way, it is possible to control two cursors with just a single key top.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cursor moving key switch, and more particularly to a cursor moving key switch that allows the movement of a plurality of cursors to be controlled by operating a single key top.

A conventional cursor is used to point out the position of a character or figure on a display screen, but usually the number of display cursors that can be moved by hand is one. Next, we will show an example of character display information processing using this one display cursor. Check the entered data.

At the stage of screen editing processing for proofreading, the cursor is used in operations such as moving the cursor to a certain character position and changing or deleting that character, or inserting multiple characters before or after that character. In such applications, screen information can be efficiently processed by operating a single display cursor. However, if you try to handle screen information more efficiently by introducing the concepts of length and width into screen information and freely specifying these, then operating a single cursor will be inconvenient. This is because a single cursor can only point to either the start point or the end point of a certain area. In such cases, conventional technology uses the concept of length to create character information by moving a single cursor to a certain character position and deleting all subsequent characters in the same line using this as the starting point. was being processed. In other words, the starting point of information can be arbitrarily selected, but the ending point must be a predetermined one. Therefore, not only in character information processing but also in graphic information processing, if information that has a length or width on the screen can be handled efficiently by freely operating multiple cursors, screen editing operations will be made easier. With the advantage of being able to freely operate multiple cursors, it is expected that a whole new set of effective screen editing functions will be added.

Despite the above-mentioned expected benefits, conventional electronic devices do not allow multiple cursors to be used freely.
There aren't many. For example, the cursor movement operation performed using four cursor movement key switches indicating the movement direction (up, down, left, and right) is itself cumbersome, and in addition, a separate key switch is required to select and operate multiple cursors. must be established. Therefore, the operation becomes complicated, and the disadvantage caused by this is greater.

The present inventor has proposed several key switches that allow a single cursor to be freely moved by operating a single key top. If a plurality of cursors can be operated using a combination of the key top switch and a separate cursor key switch, the operability problem can be considerably improved. Every time you try to move the cursor, you have to somehow check which cursor is currently selected, and if necessary, you have to reselect all cursors, which is a hassle. It was impossible to escape from this.

Purpose The present invention has been made in view of one point among the above-mentioned prior art, and its purpose is to provide a cursor movement system that allows multiple cursors to be moved freely by operating a single key top. Our goal is to provide key switches.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Representative embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a personal computer equipped with an embodiment of a cursor moving key switch according to the present invention.
I 1 and RAM 12! HiROM2S is stored. Further, 2 is a display section, 3 is a keyboard section, 4 is a cursor moving key switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 5 is a cable connecting the main body 1 and the cursor moving key switch 4.

Next, a case will be described in which the cursor 1 is moved to the upper left along the dotted line 21 on the display unit 2 shown in FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operation in this case is to move the first cursor to the upper left of 1 by pressing the upper left part (point A) of the key top 6 from above in the operation explanatory diagram of the key switch 4 for moving the cursor shown in FIG. will be moved. Similarly, set the second cursor to 2 as shown in Fig.
If you want to move the cursor to the upper right along 2, press the key top 6 in the upper right direction (arrow B) to move the 2 to the second cursor.
is moved to the upper right.

Regarding the structure of this key switch 4 for moving the cursor, as shown in FIG. A spherical motion conducting ball 9 and a leaf spring contact 10 are also provided around the periphery of the ball 6 . Furthermore, it has a convex portion 15 erected on the lower side of the key top 6, and the convex portion 15
The flat lower surface 16 of the key switch body 17 (hereinafter referred to as
It is supported to freely slide in the reverse horizontal direction by making surface contact with the main body of the electronic device. In this state, the lower surface 18i on the periphery of the key controller f6 is in a position where it is almost in contact with the four motion conduction balls 7. 4), when a force is applied from above to the key dog 6 in the direction of arrow B, one end of the convex portion 15 becomes a fulcrum and the key dog f6
is tilted, and the lower surface 18 pushes down the motion conduction ball 7 that is in contact with it, so that the leaf spring contact 8X (hereinafter, the subscript is used to specify the arrangement of the leaf spring contact 8) comes into contact. Further, this contact-based information is read by the CPU II, thereby controlling the movement of the first cursor in the left direction -\. In this state, the side surface 19 of the key top 6 is slightly tilted, but because of this, even if any of the four motion conduction soles 9 in contact with the side surface 19 is pressed, it will not contact any of the leaf spring contacts 10. The legs are adjusted so that there is no Next, from Keytra 766, it is a board/
Operation conduction ball 7 to which the spring force of S spring contact 8X comes into contact
It works to push up the key top 6 and return it to its original position. If the key top 6 is pressed down from above at a position where the leaf spring contact 8 is not provided, such as point A in Figure 3, both the leaf spring contacts 8X and 8Y shown in Figure 4D) will be pressed. When force is applied and the non-contact points of both plates come into contact, the first cursor KJ can be moved to the upper left.

Next, when a force is applied to the key top 6 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Press 9 to connect the leaf spring contact 10X (hereinafter, the subscripts are used only to specify the arrangement of the leaf spring contact 10).
comes into contact. Furthermore, information based on this contact is read by the CPU II, thereby controlling the movement of the second cursor in the left direction. In this state, the key top 6 is slidingly displaced in the horizontal direction, so it does not affect the four leaf spring contacts 8 in any way. Next, when the user releases his/her hand from the key top 6, the panel of the leaf spring contact 10X pushes back the motion conduction ball 9 that is in contact with it, and works to return the key top 6 to its original position. The key top 6 is finally balanced at a position where the four operating conductors are uniformly pressed against the side surface 19 by the lever 9. If the key top 6 is pressed in a direction where the leaf spring contact 10 is not provided, such as direction B in FIG. 3, a force is applied to both the leaf spring contacts 10X and IOY shown in FIG. is added, and by touching both contacts, the second cursor can be moved to the upper right.

Next, the means for detecting whether the leaf spring contacts 8 and 10 are fully opened or closed will be explained with reference to FIG.

The leaf spring contact 8 includes leaf spring contacts 81 and 82 spaced apart by an insulator 14, as shown in FIG. These contacts 81 and 82 are closed as shown in FIG. 4(13)K when a pressing blade is applied to the key controller f6. Therefore, the terminal 8T2 is the grounded terminal 8T1.
It outputs 0 volts because it is short-circuited. However, if it is not closed, it is closed due to the action of the pull-up resistor R.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6 CB), the plate/gun contact 10 has plate spring contacts 101 spaced apart by an insulator 14.
and 102 are included. These contacts 101 and 10
2 is shown in Fig. 4C when a sliding force is applied to the key top 6.
) and close as shown.

Therefore, the terminal 10T2 is short-circuited to the grounded terminal 10T1, and therefore outputs 0 port. However, when it is not closed, the voltage is 5 volts due to the action of the sol-up resistor R.

The CPU is configured to periodically check terminals 8T2 and 10T2 of these leaf spring contacts 8 and 10.

Or by at least one contact being closed? An interrupt input is made to the CPU 11, thereby starting the service to the key switch, and when all contacts are opened, an interrupt input is input again to the CPU II 7, thereby terminating the service to the key switch. You may do so. In any of the above cases, while the key switch is being serviced, the contact information of the contacts is taken into the CPUI at a predetermined period. Therefore, by monitoring the terminals 8T2 of the four sets of leaf spring contacts, it is possible to detect in which direction 1 is moved to the first cursor, and in the same way, the terminals 10T2 of the other four sets of leaf spring contacts can be detected. By monitoring , it is possible to detect in which direction 2 is to be moved to the second cursor. Furthermore, if the contact information periodically imported by VC is the same,
CPUI returns the same control.

In addition, since the structure of the key switch has VC symmetry as described above, a signal for moving 2 to the second cursor is output in response to the selection button pressed in the vertical direction to the key controller f6, and It is obvious that a signal for moving 1 to the first cursor may be outputted in response to a sliding operation in the direction.

In the above explanation, commercially available switches may be used for the operation conduction balls 7 and 9 and the leaf spring contacts 8 and 10, and the cursor movement key switch 401Jt
Needless to say, it may be provided integrally with the child device main body section 1.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of cursors can be moved freely by operating a single key top. Moreover, since there is no need to provide a separate key switch for cursor selection, even beginners can easily use multiple cursors by blind touching while looking at the screen. Furthermore, if the present invention is used to move two cursors as in the embodiment, the first cursor will be moved by pressing different positions on a single key top, and the second cursor will be moved by sliding the single key top in different directions. cursor moves. Therefore, it is very easy to use and less likely to cause operational errors. As described above, although the configuration of the present invention is simple, it can achieve extremely great effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a personal computer equipped with an embodiment of the cursor moving keyswitch according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are operation explanatory diagrams of the cursor moving keyswitch according to the present invention. , Fig. 4 (4), (B) and (C1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of one embodiment of the cursor movement key switch according to the present invention, Fig. 4 ■)Fi is also a plan view, and Fig. 5 is a main view. A block diagram showing the configuration of a /-, 6-sonal computer equipped with an embodiment of the cursor moving key switch according to the invention, FIGS. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an example. Here, ■... personal computer main body, 2...
・Display section, 3...Keyboard section, 4...Key switch for cursor movement, 5...Cable, 6...Key top, 7 and 9...Operation conduction ball, 8 and 10
...Plate spring contact, 15...Key top protrusion, 16.
...Convex lower surface, 17...Key switch main body, 18.
. . . Lower surface around the key top, 19 . . . Side surface of the key top. Applicant Canon Co., Ltd. 4 Figure 2 Figure 3 Negative) Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A single key top and a plurality of displacement detection means that output all different signals in response to the displacement caused by the operation of the key top, and the plurality of displacement detection means are divided into groups. A key switch for cursor movement, characterized in that it outputs a cursor movement signal corresponding to a plurality of cursors. 2. a set of first displacement detection means for outputting different signals in response to pressing blades applied at different positions on the single key top operating surface; a second set of displacement detecting means outputting different signals in response to applied force;
Claim 1, characterized in that any one of the displacement detection means outputs the first cursor movement signal, and the remaining displacement detection means outputs the second cursor movement signal. Key switch for cursor movement as described in section.