JPS61128315A - Electronic typewriter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the speed of a typewriter by setting up an address type mode for printing out alphabetical capitals and numerals continuously without depressing a shift key on the way of typing and printing out the capitals and numerals by depressing a continuous key when it is necessary. CONSTITUTION:When a code key 15 and a shift lock key 14 arranged on a keyboard are depressed continuously, the type mode is set up to the address type mode for printing out alphabetical capitals and numerals continuously without depressing the shift key on the way of the printing. Simultaneously, the setting of the address type mode is indicated by turning on and off a shift lock lamp 16 fitted to the key 14. If an alphabet key 9 is depressed under said state, the alphabetical capital corresponding to the key 9 is printed out, and when a numeral key 10 is depressed, a numeral corresponding to the key 10 is printed out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application 1] The present invention relates to an electronic typewriter having an address type mode in which uppercase letters and numbers can be printed continuously without pressing the shift key in between.

[Prior Art] In general English electronic typewriters, there is an A-type keyboard for inputting character codes for English characters.
In addition to the alphabetic key consisting of Z, the numeric key for entering character codes for numbers O to 9, the space key,
Carriage return key, shift key, shift lock key
Various function keys such as are arranged.

When an alphabetic key is inputted in a normal state in which the shift key and shift lock key are not operated, a lowercase alphabetic character corresponding to the operated key is printed out. Furthermore, when a number key is inputted, the number corresponding to the operation key is printed out. Also, if you press the shift key and press an alphabet key, an uppercase alphabetic character will be printed out, and if you press a numeric key, the digits set to each numeric key will be printed out. ] [$] [%]
Symbols such as ... are printed out. Further, the shift lock key is a lock key for maintaining the depressed state of the shift key, and is used, for example, when printing all uppercase alphabetic characters in succession.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention J] However, even with the above electronic typewriter, there are still problems to be solved as follows. That is, when typing general English sentences, it is sufficient to capitalize the first letter of the sentence and the first letter of a proper noun, so the text can be typed smoothly enough using only the shift key without using the shift lock key. and,
When all letters constituting a word or document are type-printed in capital letters in order to emphasize a word such as the title of a document or the entire sentence, the word or sentence is inputted after operating the shift lock key in advance. However, if a number is inserted in the middle of a sentence when printing using only uppercase letters, it is necessary to press the shift key to release the shift state and then press the numeric key for the corresponding number. Then, after entering the numbers, the user had to operate the shift lock key again to return to the shift state, and then resume typing for uppercase letters.

Therefore, when typing a sentence in capital letters that includes many numbers, there is a problem that key operations become complicated, the typing speed decreases, and the efficiency of typing and printing decreases.

In particular, the address written on the front of a letter contains many numbers such as street numbers, and addresses such as names are usually typed in only uppercase letters, so the above-mentioned reduction in typing efficiency was significant. .

Furthermore, if the key operations become complicated, there is a possibility that the probability of occurrence of incorrect printing due to erroneous key operations increases.

The present invention has been made based on these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an address type mode that allows uppercase letters and numbers to be printed continuously without operating the shift key in the middle. An electronic typewriter that can type and print uppercase letters and numbers according to the needs of the user by pressing the keys consecutively, increasing typing speed and reducing typos, improving the efficiency of type printing work and improving the quality of printed text. Our goal is to provide the following.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The electronic typewriter of the present invention has a mode setting means for setting an address type mode in which uppercase letters and numbers can be printed continuously without pressing the shift key in the middle, and this mode. When the setting means sets the address type mode, capital letters and numbers corresponding to the operation keys are printed out in response to key input operations of the alphabet keys and number keys.

In another invention, in addition to the above invention, a display means is provided for displaying that the mode setting means has set the address type mode.

[Function] With an electronic typewriter configured as described above, when the address type mode is set by the mode setting means, when an alphabetic key is inputted, the uppercase alphabetic character corresponding to the operation key is printed out. When you key in the number keys, the numbers are printed out.

In addition, in another invention, in addition to the effects of the above invention,
When the address type mode is set by the mode setting means, a screen in which the address type mode is set is displayed.

[Example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the external appearance of the electronic typewriter of the embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing, a keyboard 2 is provided on the front surface of the housing 1, and a platen 4 for setting a printing item 1t3 is provided at the upper part of the housing 1. A carriage 5 is movably attached to a shaft disposed parallel to the platen 4 and whose movement is controlled in the axial direction of the platen 4 by a carriage motor. This carriage 5
includes a printing wheel 6 with type formed at the tip of each spoke, a printing hammer 7 for striking the type on the printing wheel 6 onto the printing paper 3 set on the platen 4, and a printing ribbon 8.
and each motor that drives them.

Equipped with a hammer, magnet, etc.

The keyboard 2 has alphabetic keys 9 as shown in FIG.
．． In addition to character keys such as number keys 10, space key 11
．． Carriage return (OR> key 12. Shift key 1
3. Various function keys such as a shift lock key 14 and a code key 15 are arranged.

Note that a shift lock lamp 16 formed of a light emitting diode (LED) is built inside the shift lock key 14, and its light can be confirmed through a through hole formed in the upper surface.

In addition, the alphabetic key 9 and the numerical key 1o are each double keys, and the alphabetic key 9 indicates lowercase letters in the normal state, and the shift key 15 or shift key 1
Press 4 to make the letters uppercase.

In addition, the numeric key 1o indicates a numeric value in the normal state, and when the shift key 13 or shift lock key 14 is pressed, each of the numeric keys 1o displays [il [”] [#] [$] as shown in the figure.
It becomes a symbol such as [%]...

FIG. 113 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electronic typewriter. 17 in the figure is input port, output port, RO
It is a microprocessor (hereinafter abbreviated as MPU) with a built-in MPL117, and the output port KS of this MPL117 is
A key scanning signal is sent from the keyboard 2 to the keyboard 2, and a key data signal is input from the keyboard 2 to the input port KD. A clock signal of a constant frequency sent from the clock oscillator 18 is input to the interrupt input terminal IN.

A RAM 21 is connected to the IPU 17 for temporarily storing variable data such as key data entered from the keyboard 2 via a data bus 19 and an address bus 20, and a drive circuit 22 for driving each member is connected to the output port. is connected.

The drive circuit 22 includes a print wheel motor 23 for controlling the rotation of the print wheel 6. A carriage motor 24 that controls the movement of the carriage 5. A paper feed motor 25° connected to the platen 4 for feeding the print paper 3, a ribbon feed motor 26 for feeding the printing ribbon 8, a hammer magnet 27 for driving the printing hammer 7, and the like are connected.

Further, the output port LD of the MPU 17 is connected to an inverter 28. One end of a shift lock lamp 16 consisting of a light emitting diode provided in the shift lock key 14 of the keyboard 2 is connected via a current limiting resistor 29, and the other end of the shift lock lamp 16 is connected to a control power terminal of +5■. has been done.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the keyboard 2 is shown in FIG.
The contacts 30, which are closed when the keys are pressed as shown in b), are arranged in, for example, an [8x8] matrix, and each row of this matrix receives a key scanning signal from the output port KS of the MPtJ17. The key data signals from the columns of the matrix are input to the input port KO.

The ROM built into the MPU 17 includes a program area RO for storing control programs, as shown in FIG.
In addition to 1, each alphabetic key 9 and each numeric key 10 when the shift key 13 or shift lock key 14 is pressed
The shift key character memory R02 stores the character codes corresponding to the Shift key character memory R02, and the non-shift! - A key character memory RO3 is formed.

It should be noted that each of the above character codes is converted into an address value indicating the rotational position of the spoke of the printing wheel 6 on which the printed characters are formed and stored.

As shown in FIG. 6, the RAM 21 includes a key data buffer RA1 that temporarily stores key data specifying keys input from the keyboard 2, and a key data buffer RA1 that temporarily stores key data specifying keys input from the keyboard 2, and keys input from the keyboard 2 to the input port KO by one scan. First and second scanning memories RA2. storing data signals. R
A3. A scan number counter RA4. that counts the scan number SC of the key scan signal output from the output boat KD. keyboard 2
The code flag (CD, FLAG) indicates that the code key 15 has been entered, and the address mode flag (AD , F.L.A.
G), each flag stores a shift lock flag (SL, FLAGE) indicating that the shift lock key 14 has been key-input, and a lamp flag (LP, 'FLAGE) indicating that the shift lock lamp 16 is lit. Territory f4RA5.6.7.8. and shift lock lamp 1
Blinking time counter R for timing the blinking time interval of 6
A9 is formed.

The MPtJ 17 is configured to execute key data processing according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 when key data is stored in the key data buffer RA1 of the RAM 21. That is, when the main routine is started and key data exists in the key data buffer RA1, this key data is read out and the key corresponding to the key data is checked.

If the key data is that of the code key 15 at Pl, the code flag in the flag area RAS of the RAM 21 is checked. If the code flag is not set to 1,
It determines that a key has been operated to set some mode, and sets the code flag to 1. Also, if the code flag is set to 1, it is determined that a key was operated to cancel some mode, and the flag area RA6 is
Check the state of the address mode flag. If it is not set to 1, then the normal mode is canceled and the code flag is canceled to O. Also, if it has already been set to 1, nothing is done and the next key data is retained.

If the key data in the key data buffer RA1 is that of the shift lock key 14 at P2, the flag mLiRA5 is set.
The state of the code flag is checked, and if the code flag is O, the state of the shift lock flag in the flag area RA7 is checked. Then, only when the shift lock flag is O, the shift flag is set to 1 and the shift lock lamp 16 is turned on via the output port LD. If the shift lock flag has already been set to 1, the operation of the shift lock key 14 releases the shift lock state, so the shift lock flag is released to O and the shift lock lamp 16 is turned off.

On the other hand, if the code flag in flag area RA5 is set to 1, the state of the address mode flag is checked. If the address mode flag is not yet set to 1, it is determined that the type mode is to be set to address type mode, and the address mode flag is set to 1. Furthermore, if the address mode flag is already set to 1, this shift lock key 14 is a key operation for canceling the address type mode, so the address mode flag is canceled to O and the shift lock lamp 16 is turned off. do.

If the key data is not the shift lock key 14 at P2, it is checked whether it is the alphabetic key 9 at P3 of FIG. If it is the alphabetic key 9, check the flag area RA7°RAS. When the shift lock flag and address mode flag are both O, this alphabetic key 9 was operated to print a lowercase alphabetic character, so the operating key 9 is transferred from the non-shift key character memory RO3 in the ROM in FIG. Reads the character code of the corresponding character. Furthermore, if either the shift lock flag or the address mode flag was set to 1, this alphabetic key 9 was operated to print an uppercase alphabetic character.
The character code of the corresponding character corresponding to the operation key is read from the shift key character memory RO2 in OM.

In P4, if the key data is a character symbol key such as a numeric key 10 other than the alphabetic key 9, check the status of the flag area RA7, and if the shift lock flag is set to 1, this numeric key 10 is a non-numeric key. [! ] [] etc., the shift key character memory R is pressed.
Read the character code corresponding to the operation key from O2. If the shift lock flag is cleared to 0, the numeric key 10 has been operated to print a number, so the character code corresponding to the operated key is read from the non-shift key character memory RO3.

When the reading of the corresponding character code from each shift key character memory RO2, RO3 of the ROM is completed, printout processing for the read character code is executed in P5. That is, the print wheel motor 23 is rotated via the drive circuit 22 until the printed characters of the corresponding character code on the print wheel 6 are located at a position facing the platen 4 and the print hammer 7. Next, the hammer magnet 27 is energized to drive the printing hammer 7. As a result, characters corresponding to the character code are printed out on the printing paper 3.

When printing of one character is completed, the carriage motor 24 is rotated to move the carriage 5 by one character, and the printing ribbon 8 is fed by the ribbon feed motor 26.

When the above print output processing is completed, the key data processing for one key data - read from the key data buffer RA1 is completed, and processing for the next key data is started.

The MPU 17 uses the key data buffer RA of the RAM 21.
The key data storage process for 1 is executed by the time interrupt process shown in FIG. That is, each time a clock signal of a fixed period is input from the clock oscillator 18 to the interrupt input terminal INT, the state of the flag area RA6 of the RAM 21 is checked in P6, and if the address mode flag is not set to 1, the state is checked in P7. The count msc of the scan number counter RA4 of the RAM 21 among the eight signal lines in the horizontal rows arranged in a matrix of the keyboard 2 shown in FIG.
A key scanning signal is output from the output port KS to the signal line of the number specified by. At the same time, the key data signal from the keyboard 2 input to the input port KD is read and stored in the second scanning memory RAS. Then, the key data signal stored in this second scanning memory RAS and the previous Rr
The key data signal of the first scanning memory RA2 moved from the second scanning memory RA3 in m interrupt processing is compared with that of the first scanning memory RA2. And if the two key data signals do not match,
It is determined that a key input operation was performed between the previous time interrupt processing and the current time interrupt processing, and the contents of the second scanning memory RA3 are transferred to the first scanning memory RA2. [Stores the key data specifying the key code into the key data buffer RAI.] In addition, the second and first
scanning memory RA3. If the contents of RA2 match, 1
Since no key operation was performed between the previous time interrupt processing and the current time interrupt processing, the key data buffer R
Storage processing to A1 is not performed.

Next, the count value SC of the scan number counter RA4 is the specified number 8.
When it is confirmed that the count value SC has not been reached, the count value SC is set to 1.
The current time interrupt processing ends. In addition,
When the count value SC reaches 8, the count value SC is returned to the initial value of 1.

If the address mode flag is set to 1 at P6, after performing the process for blinking the shift lock lamp 16 indicating that the address type mode is set at P8 and thereafter, the scanning starts from P7. Execute processing. That is, when the count value TC indicating the lighting time of the blinking open counter RA9 is 0 at P8, a count 1ilTA indicating a predetermined blinking cycle is set to the count value TC. Thereafter, the state of the lamp flag is checked, and if it is set to 1, since the shift lock lamp 16 is currently lit, the lamp flag is reset to 0 and the shift lock lamp 16 is turned off.

Further, when the lamp flag is cleared to O, the shift lamp 16 is off, so the lamp flag is set to 1 and the shift lock lamp 16 is turned on.

In addition, at P8, the count 1i of the blinking time counter RA9
If Tc has not reached O, shift lock lamp 16
Since it is lit, the count value TO is decremented by 1.

In the electronic typewriter configured as described above, when the code key 15 and shift lock key 14 provided on the keyboard 2 are operated in succession, the type mode changes to uppercase letters and numbers, and the shift key is pressed in the middle. The address type mode is set to allow continuous type printing without having to

At the same time, the fact that the address type mode has been set is indicated by blinking the shift lock lamp 16 provided on the shift lock key 14. In this state, when the typist presses the alphabetic key 9, the uppercase alphabetic character corresponding to the alphabetical key 9 is printed out, and when the typist presses the numerical key 10, the slope character corresponding to this numerical key 10 is printed out.

In addition, the shift lock lamp 16 of the shift lock key 14
If the code key 15 and shift lock key 14 are operated successively while the code key 15 and shift lock key 14 are blinking, this address type mode is canceled and the shift lock key 14 is
The blinking of the shift lock lamp 16 also stops.

In addition, in the case of the normal type mode where the address type mode is not set, if you press the alphabet key 9 while pressing the shift key 13, an uppercase alphabetic character will be printed and the number key 1 will be printed.
Press 0 to print the symbol.

Further, when the shift lock key 14 is pressed, the shift state is maintained, and the shift lock lamp 16 of the shift lock key 14 indicating the shift state lights up. When the shift lock key 14 is pressed again, this shift state is canceled and the shift lock lamp 16 is also turned off.

Further, in a normal state in which the shift key 13 and shift lock key 14 are not operated, pressing the alphabetic key 9 prints lowercase alphabetic characters, and pressing the numeric key 10 prints numbers.

In this way, only when typing an address or the like for a letter, the address type mode can be set and type printing can be performed. Therefore, it is not necessary to operate the shift key 13 or the shift lock key 14 to input numbers during type printing, unlike during continuous type printing of uppercase alphabetic characters in the shift state in a conventional electronic typewriter. can rise. Furthermore, since key operations are simplified, the probability of occurrence of typos due to erroneous operations can be reduced.

In this way, by adding the address type mode to the normal type mode, it is possible to improve the efficiency of type printing work and the quality of printed text.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, by providing an address type mode that allows continuous type printing of uppercase letters and numbers without operating the shift key in between, uppercase letters and numbers can be printed as needed. and can be typed and printed by continuous key operation. Therefore, it is possible to improve typing speed, reduce typographical errors, improve the efficiency of typing and printing work, and improve the quality of printed text.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures show an electronic typewriter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a plan view showing the external appearance, Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration, Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of the keyboard, Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the main memory, Figure 7 Figures M9 to M9 are flowcharts showing operations. 1... Housing, 2... Keyboard, 3... Print paper, 4... Platen, 5... Carriage, 6... Printing wheel, 7 ...Print hammer, 8...Print ribbon, 9...Alphabet key, 10...Numeric key, 13...
・Shift key, 14...Shift lock key, 15...
・Code key, 16...Shift lock lamp, 17・
...MPtJ, 18...Clock excavator, 21...
RAM, 22...drive circuit, 30...contact. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In normal operation, in response to key input operations on the alphabetic keys and numeric keys provided on the keyboard, lowercase letters and numbers corresponding to the operation keys are printed out, and when the shift key is operated, in response to key input operations on the alphabetic keys In an electronic typewriter that prints out uppercase letters corresponding to operation keys in response, mode setting means for setting an address type mode that allows uppercase letters and numbers to be printed continuously without pressing a shift key in the middle, and this mode. When the setting means sets the address type mode, the present invention is characterized by comprising a printout means for printing out uppercase English letters and numbers corresponding to the operation keys in response to key input operations of the alphabetical keys and the numeric keys. An electronic typewriter. (2) In normal operation, in response to key input operations on the alphabetic keys and numeric keys provided on the keyboard, lowercase letters and numbers corresponding to the operation keys are printed out, and in response to key input operations on the alphabetic keys when the shift key is operated. In an electronic typewriter that prints out uppercase letters corresponding to operation keys in response, mode setting means for setting an address type mode that allows uppercase letters and numbers to be printed continuously without pressing a shift key in the middle, and this mode. When the setting means sets the address type mode, the mode setting means includes a print output means for printing out uppercase English letters and numbers corresponding to the operation keys in response to key input operations of the alphabetic keys and the numeric keys; An electronic typewriter comprising address mode display means for displaying that an address type mode has been set.