JPS60205658A - Word processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve ease of using by indicating number of characters that can be put in anew in retrieval/substitution clearly and indicating group of characters already put in and number of characters that can be put in distinctly even when space etc. are included. CONSTITUTION:In the case of retrieval/substitution, retrieval command or substitution command is inputted and executed by depression of a code key CODE+ F or CODE+R. In this case, data and additional message are set through a line buffer LB, a display buffer LCDB etc. in a memory RAM, and the number of characters that can be put in is displayed by a painted out mark in a display section D. Even when space etc. are included, the group of characters already put in and number of characters that can be put in are displayed by painted out marks clearly in the display section D. By making operation according to such display, the operation becomes easy and ease of using the device can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a word processor equipped with a text manipulation function for searching or replacing predetermined data in text stored in a text memory.

[Technical background]

The word processor targeted by the present invention has developed the functions of a so-called electronic typewriter, and has the ability to insert text,
Many of them are formed in a form that allows deletion and other editing. Electronic typewriters, which form the basis of such word processors, are not only capable of printing directly when the keys are pressed, but also have a built-in storage device of a desired capacity and can print after a predetermined or arbitrary time. many.

Therefore, read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM), which includes a program memory in which a predetermined program is written and a pattern memory that stores patterns such as characters and symbols, and rewritable memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM)
It has a built-in device consisting of. This built-in storage device and the central processing unit CPU for controlling these devices provide a variety of i-capabilities. Note that it is convenient to use a thermal head as the printing mechanism due to its characteristics of small size, light weight, and quietness, but it goes without saying that other known devices can also be used.

By utilizing such a built-in mechanism, such electronic typewriters not only function as ordinary typewriters and word processors, but also function as data transmitting and receiving devices that exchange information with various computers, external storage devices, etc. There are also some that can be used as On the other hand, unlike devices targeted only to specialized engineers, devices such as electronic typewriters that are targeted at a wide range of demand groups can be equipped with these functions quickly and with the simplest operation possible. There is a demand that must be fulfilled.

Nevertheless, in conventional devices of this type, as the functions that can be performed become more diverse, the required operations usually become more complicated. Therefore, as the functions provided become more sophisticated, it becomes less convenient to use, and there is a problem that the functions that are available cannot be fully utilized.

[Disclosure of the invention]

The present invention clearly displays the number of new characters that can be input during search/replacement, and for example, even if the already input character group includes a space, the already input character group and the number of characters that can be input are clearly displayed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a word processor whose usability is improved by displaying information.

This object is to provide a word processor having the configuration described in the claims, that is, a display device, a keyboard for inputting data, and an input means provided on the keyboard for operating the text manipulation function. , a display control means for displaying a key operation guidance text on a display device and restricting an area in which data can be inputted by the operation of the input means; a control means for executing the text operation function based on the input data; This is achieved by a word processor with

The word processor according to the present invention facilitates character input in search/replacement including spaces, and improves usability.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an electronic typewriter including a word processor according to the present invention, which is roughly divided into a keyboard section and a printer section P. In the figure, the keyboard section K includes a group of keys including a required number of letter and numeric keys, various symbol keys, a space bar SP, and a code key CODE, as is well known in ordinary typewriters.

and a group of various control keys. In addition, these keys include the left and right margin cent keys, RM, tab set/clear keys TAB, which are required for normal typing.
Ten. TAB first-class formatting key, tab key TAB, carriage return key C/R, margin release key MR
, backspace key B. There is SP, and there is also a set of keys specific to electronic typewriters.

A group of keys for controlling electronic typewriters include, for example, the repeat key Re that repeats the same operation, the light margin flash RMF that prints right-aligned characters such as the date, the centering CTR that prints in the center of the left and right margins, and the underline key. ^n1 There is a mode key Mo for selecting the print mode, a line space switch S for setting the line spacing, and a mode switch MS. In addition, a cursor movement key Cu, a print key PRNT for starting printing,
EXIT key to display the initial display, delete key DE
L, insertion key INS, and continue key CONT for instructing restart of operation.

It has a group of keys mainly used in word processor mode, such as an escape key ESC for canceling a function. In addition, there are index keys and reverse index keys for feeding and returning printing paper. An IND is also provided. Note that the code key CODE has the function of expanding the function by pressing it simultaneously with any of a group of various keys. For example, by pressing the code key C0DE and the tab set key TAB at the same time, the decimal tab can be placed at the digit where the printer head is currently located. In addition, in word processor mode, normal character keys such as "F" and "R"
”, each character is printed, but if the code key C0DE and these character keys “F” and “R” are pressed at the same time, the search (Find) mode or replace (Rep)
lace ) mode is obtained.

This keyboard section K is provided with an appropriate display section,
In addition to letters and numbers corresponding to the pressed key, displays corresponding to data in the storage device and setting mode are selectively displayed for operational convenience. This display section is a liquid crystal display device (LCD) that is advantageous in terms of power consumption, element size, etc.
(LCD) with an appropriate number of digits,
In order to make the entire device handy, it is often selected to have around 20 to 30 digits.

Note that a connector CN for use of this device as a data transmitting/receiving device is provided at an appropriate position such as on the side surface of the keyboard section. Furthermore, when the device is configured for handy portability, a carrying handle CH is provided as shown.

The printer section P has a cover C that serves as a paper receptacle when opened during use. There is a platen PL under the cover C, and a printer head PH that moves along the platen is disposed. This printer head PH can be of any known construction, but a thermal head is advantageous in terms of its small size, convenience, and quietness. The thermal head can print directly on thermal paper, or on plain paper via a thermal transfer ribbon.

The printer head PI4 is mounted on a carrying Ca guided by a guide bar GB, and performs a printing operation while moving on a sheet of paper indicated by a broken line along a platen PL.

Note that a paper release lever PR is provided for holding the printing paper on the platen PL and releasing it as necessary.

An electronic type-like device including a word processor according to the present invention is turned on and off by a power switch SW. When this electronic typewriter is used as a portable device, it is primarily powered by the built-in battery power supply, but it goes without saying that it can also be used with other external power sources, such as mains power or other power sources using a suitable adapter. .

FIG. 2 includes a word processor according to the invention! FIG. 7 is a professional diagram showing the internal configuration of the child typewriter. Each of these elements includes the parts disclosed in FIG. 1 such as the keyboard part K, display part and printer part P, the central processing unit CPU built in the main body case, and the storage device RO.
It consists of parts such as M and RAM. Auxiliary circuits for these parts include keyboard driver KD,
It is equipped with an i-display controller DC, a printer driver interface PI, and the like. Furthermore, it has an external ink face driver/receiver IR to enable connection with external equipment in the mode as a data transmitting/receiving device. Therefore, information can be exchanged with devices of the same type, various computers, and external storage devices.

For each of the elements forming each block in FIG.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that most of the components or devices can be constructed using well-known elements or equipment, such as LSI and other circuit elements, printer mechanisms, and the like.

The word processor according to the present invention has four modes (wp<word processor) for storing, editing, and printing normal files by switching the mode selector MS shown in FIG. 1, and NORMAL (type-like) mode for printing sentences.
mode and TERMINAL mode for data transmission and reception. Therefore, like the 31st ffl (al), the ROM has a search (Fin) function.
d) and replacement programs
F, P! ? , P are built-in. Also, as shown in Figure 3(b), the RAM contains not only the text memory TM, but also the input buffer IB, line buffer LB,
Display buffer LCD B, cursor pointer Cu, P
, character storage area LHA, maximum number of input characters Mx, etc. are provided to temporarily store the key pressed content or the content transmitted from the outside in the required location in the RAM, and edit and print the file. It is configured so that it can be done.

The electronic typewriter according to this embodiment can be operated in the ridge mode or in the N mode.
For formatting when using in ORMAL mode, use the left and right margin keys LM and RM and the tab set/clear key.
TAfl+.

This is done by TAB- etc. Note that the set mode, etc. is displayed as guidance on the display section.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing the processing operation in the find mode in the word processor according to the present invention. When this flow is started by a search command (by pressing the code key GODH and character key F at the same time: hereinafter abbreviated as C0DE+F), in block 11, data regarding the fill mark ■ is set in the line buffer LB. Next, as in block 12, the message is edited and set to one display bath LCD B.

In this case, the cursor pointer becomes message length +1. Next, in block 13 it is determined whether there are any additional messages. If this judgment is Y, block 1
4, an additional message is set in the input cover IB. On the other hand, in the case of N, block 14 is skipped. Note that in the first flow, there is no additional message 7, so the result is always N.

Then, as in block 15, the display buffer LCD
To B, the additional message and the contents of the line buffer LB are combined using the maximum input characters. In this case, the display will show "Find word?" and a filled-in mark corresponding to the maximum number of characters that can be input, and the rest are spaces. For example, the display in this case is as follows. In addition,
indicates the cursor.

``Find Kaord?■■l■■■■■■■''Here, if the character eartg is input as shown in block 16, this character will be stored in the input cover sofa. Then,
C0DII; + When F is pressed, the inserted character e
artg is stored in a storage area as shown in block 17, and search processing is further performed as shown in block 18. Next, as in block 19, whether or not the previously inputted word to be searched is accurate is considered to be the presence or absence of an error, and it is determined whether or not there is an error. If this determination is N, a correct search is possible, so the result is displayed on the display section as shown in block 20, and then the flow is ended.

On the other hand, if the judgment of block 19 is Y, block 21
Displays an error message on the display, such as. An example of this error message is as follows.

” <] eartg■■■■■ NOT FOUND
[>The error conditions in this case are that the word to be searched does not exist in the file and that the word to be searched is empty.

Then, as in block 22, press the escape key ES
It is determined whether or not C has been pressed. If this determination is N, this flow ends.

If this judgment is Y, block 1 will be displayed in response to pressing ESC.
Return to step 1 and repeat the flow from the second time onwards.

In the second flow by pressing the escape key ESC, if it is necessary to correct the cause of the error, do so here. Now, the previous manual content earLg as an additional message is stored in the storage area L118, and the content of the search inquiry screen as shown below is displayed in the display buffer by block 15.

“Findword?eartgjillllllll!
``In this case, assume that ``g'' in the previous input content is the cause of the error, and that it must be corrected to ``h.'' Therefore, the cursor key that was originally under ``e'' is changed to 4.
Press twice to move it to below "g", then press "h" to correct it. In this state, the correct search results will be displayed as in block 20 as a result of the previous search from block 18 onwards. This result is displayed on the top of the
This is the number of lines containing "h" and its sentence, and one example is the following.

"5<around the earth+," In the third and subsequent flows, the search inquiry screen is displayed by pressing C0DE+F.

"F4nd word? earth IEIII
When CO[1E1F is pressed to search again for a line containing "earth", the search process is performed one step and the following display is obtained on the display.

"7<l just as the earth..."
Thereafter, search processing is executed as many times as necessary.

Next, a replacement mode for replacing the word searched as described above with some new word will be described.

Replacement (Rep) in the word processor according to the present invention
The processing operation for the (lace) command is executed as follows using a flow similar to that for the search. When you enter a replacement command (by pressing the code key cooa and letter key R at the same time: hereinafter abbreviated as C0DE +R), a replacement inquiry screen (1?eplace W) appears on the display.
Ord? ) appears, and at the same time, 10 fill-in marks corresponding to the number of valid characters are displayed, for example, as shown below.

Replace word? 11m111111!
1111111111m"Here, as an example of explanation, an example in which the word "Country" is replaced with "Nation" will be described.

Then, press the key and input the word (old word) "Country" to be replaced.Then, the following display appears, similar to the inquiry screen for search.

“Replace word? Country [
11111" Next, when the carriage return key C/R, which also serves as the accept key, is pressed, a new word inquiry screen (Ne1v Word?) appears. This is displayed, for example, as shown below.

“New word?■■■■■■■IIW■”
Then, I typed the new word "Na Lion" and got the following message.

” New word? Nation 11111
111m ``If you press the carriage return key C/R here, a screen asking whether to replace all words or just one word will appear on the display as shown below.

"Replce All -Y/N? -"Y means replacing all target words after the cursor position in the file, and N means replacing only one word after the cursor position.

Therefore, by pressing the character key Y or N and then pressing the carriage return key C/R, a predetermined operation is executed and the result is displayed. After that, it returns to the initial state.

The error conditions in this mode are that the word to be replaced does not exist, the replacement process resulted in memory overflow, and the word to be replaced is empty. In this case, an error message or Make announcements.

As described above, according to the electronic typewriter according to the present invention, the mode once set can be easily canceled by a simple operation, and the usability is improved.

Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external structure and partially broken internal structure of an electronic typewriter equipped with the function of a word processor according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic typewriter including a word processor according to the present invention. FIG. 3 (al, (bl) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the storage device ROM and RAM for explaining the present invention in detail. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the search processing operation of the word processor according to the present invention. In the figure, the correspondence of the main reference symbols is as follows: K: Keyboard section P: Printer section D: Display section C: Cover SP space bar CN: Connector C/R: Carriage return Key B, SP: Bank space key Cu: Cursor key TAB: Tab key MR: Margin release key LM: Left margin RM: Right margin Ca: Carriage GB guide bar PH: Printer head PL nib platen PR: Paper release lever SW: Power switch C0DE: Code key ESC: Escape key F, P: Search program R, P: Replacement program IBj input 7J buffer LB Niline buffer LCD
B: Display buffer Cu, P: Cursor pointer LHA: Character storage area Mx, L: Maximum number of input characters TM: Text memory Patent applicant Brother Industries, Ltd. Agent (patent attorney) Mitsuyoshi Esaki Agent (patent attorney) E Mitsufumi Saki

Claims (1)

[Claims] i. A word processor equipped with a text manipulation function for searching or replacing predetermined data in text stored in a text memory, comprising: a display device; a keyboard for inputting data; an input means provided on the keyboard for operating the text operation function; and a display control means for displaying a key operation guide text on a display device and restricting an area in which data can be entered by operating the input means. A word processor comprising: a control means for executing the text manipulation function based on input data. 2. The word processor according to claim 1, wherein the area in which data can be entered is displayed as a fill-in mark.