JPS6167120A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operating speed and to decrease the possibility of mis-keying by adding a circuit making possible for shift mode designation from a high-order device so as to reduce number of keying for mode shift key by the operator. CONSTITUTION:A shift designation code data from a high-order device 4 is inputted to a decoder circuit 5 via a signal line 105 and a shift designation storage circuit 6 is set via a signal line 107 in case of the shift mode designation set data. An output signal 109 from the circuit 6 is inputted to a shift designation selection AND circuit 7 so as to make a shift designation signal from the mode shift key 1-2 of the keyboard ineffective. Further, the signal 106 is inputted to a shift designation OR circuit 8 and the shift designation from the device 4 is inputted and stored in the shift designation storage circuit 9. An output signal 110 of the circuit 9 is inputted to an encoder and a strobe circuit 2 and used for the encode control of a general key switch signal 101 at data keying.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a keyboard for a data processing device, and particularly to a control method for a keyboard shift mode.

[Conventional technology]

When inputting data from a keyboard, when operating alphanumeric, alphanumeric, kana, and kana symbol shift keys, it is difficult to perform routine operations in which a certain number of keys are pressed in a certain order. Happens in the morning. For example, if there is a standard operation that sequentially operates on 5 alphanumeric characters, 1 alphanumeric character, 3 alphanumeric characters, and 1 alphanumeric character, output alphanumeric shift specification, 5 alphanumeric characters enter crab real symbol shift specification output,
It was necessary to manually output one alphanumeric character, specify an alphanumeric shift, manually input three alphanumeric characters, output an alphanumeric shift specification, and input one alphanumeric character. That is, with conventional keyboards, even during routine operations, it is necessary to press alphanumeric, alphanumeric, kana, and kana symbol mode shift keys to shift the keyboard to a shift mode.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As described above, since the mode shift key is often used even in routine operations, it takes time to operate, which not only does not increase the operation speed but also has the disadvantage of causing erroneous presses.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of times a keyboard operator of a data processing device must press the mode shift key by specifying a shift mode from a host device when performing routine operations, thereby improving operation speed. An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that is less prone to erroneous typing.

[Means for solving problems]

In the keyboard device of the present invention, program functions can be assigned to general keys, and routine mode shift control can be performed using these keys. While this control is being performed, the mode shift key is specified from the host device, and even if you operate the mode shift key on the keyboard,
The designated signal is disabled.

That is, the present invention provides a keyboard equipped with a large number of partial keys and a plurality of mode shift keys, an encoder circuit that encodes data output by the general keys, and a circuit that inputs the output of the encoder circuit to a host device. and a mode storage circuit for storing mode designation signals for each of the mode shift keys, wherein a part of the general keys are assigned to program function keys, and each of the program function keys is assigned a standard mode. A pre-programmed state for shifting is set, means for receiving a mode shift control signal from a host device, a decoder circuit for decoding the control signal received by this means, and an output of this decoder circuit to the mode storage circuit. The present invention is characterized by comprising means for inputting information, and means for invalidating the output of the mode shift key according to control from the host device.

[For production]

A decoder circuit and a shift designation storage circuit are provided at the interface between the keyboard and the host device, and routine operations in which the order of mode shifts is determined are controlled by data from the host device.

In order to prevent confusion between the conventional mode shift key manual mode shift specification operation and the mode shift specification operation, an AND circuit is provided to prevent erroneous operation of the mode shift key while the host device is specifying a mode shift. Disable the specified signal.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

The figure is a block configuration diagram of a keyboard showing an embodiment of the present invention. This keyboard includes a keyboard switch 1 including some keys 1-1 and a mode shift key 1-2, an encoder and strobe generation circuit 2, a driver and receiver circuit including a data code/strobe driver circuit, and a signal receiver circuit from a host device 4. 3. Upper device 4
A decoder 5 for data from the host device 5, a shift designation storage circuit 6 for storing whether there is a shift designation from the host device, and a shift designation selection AND circuit for validating the mode designation from the keyboard switch 1 if there is no mode designation from the host device 4. 7,
It is comprised of a shift designation OR circuit 8 and a shift mode designation storage circuit 9 for validating either the shift designation from the host device 4 or the shift designation from the keyboard switch 1.

Next, the operation details will be explained with reference to the drawings.

When the general key 1-1 cannot be pressed, a key switch signal 101 is manually inputted to the data encoder and strobe generating circuit 2. When this key switch signal 101 is combined with a shift state signal 110 and encoded, it immediately generates a strobe signal, which is input to the driver and receiver circuit 3 via data vA102.

The encoded data and strobe signal amplified by this driver and receiver circuit 3 are transferred to a data line 103.
The data is sent to the host device 4 via the .

On the other hand, in the case of shift mode specification, if the mode shift keys 1-2 of the keyboard switch 1 cannot be pressed, this switch signal 104 is sent to the shift specification selection AND circuit 7 which selects whether or not to enable the shift specification from the keyboard switch 1. is input.

If there is no shift designation from the host device 4, the signal 109 from the shift designation storage circuit 6 and the shift designation signal 104 from the mode shift key 1-2 are ANDed;
This output signal is input to the shift designation OR circuit 8. When the shift designation from the mode shift key 1-2 is valid, there is no shift designation from the host device 4, so the shift designation from the mode shift key 1-2 is input to the shift mode designation storage circuit 9, and each shift Mode designation is remembered. This state is inputted to the encoder and strobe generating circuit 2 via the signal line 110, and is used for encoding control of the key switch signal 101 by the general key.

Next, an explanation will be given of the operation when a shift designation is made from the host device 4.

When performing a routine keyboard operation, the operator presses the program function key assigned to the general key 1-1 and notifies the host device 4 of the type of routine operation via the above-described route. The host device 4 determines the type of routine operation and inputs code data specifying the shift mode to the driver and receiver circuit 3 via the signal line 103 in the order requested by the operator. For example, when inputting 5 alphanumeric characters, 1 alphanumeric character, 3 alphanumeric characters, and 1 alphanumeric character using the standard operation described in the previous example, input alphanumeric shift specification output and 5 alphanumeric characters manually, as explained above. ; Alphabetic symbol shift specification output, alphanumeric symbol 1 character manual; Alphanumeric shift specification output,
Data line 10 in the order of 3 alphanumeric characters manually; alphanumeric shift designation output, 1 alphanumeric character manual; shift designation reset output
Code data is transmitted and received on the 3rd line. In this way, the host device 4 can specify the shift of the keyboard without the operator having to do so. That is, the shift designation code data from the host device 4 is input to the decoder circuit 5 via the signal line 105, and in the case of shift mode designation set data, the shift designation storage circuit 6 is set via the signal line 107. This output No. 3 109 from the shift designation storage circuit 6 is input to the shift designation selection AND circuit 7, and invalidates the shift designation signal 104 from the mode shift key 1-2 of the keyboard.

Further, the shift designation signal 106 is input to the shift designation OR circuit 8. On the other hand, since the shift designation signal 104 from the mode shift key 1-2 of the keyboard is disabled, the shift designation from the host device W4 is input to the shift mode designation storage circuit 9 and stored.

Output signal 110 from this shift mode designation storage circuit 9
is input to the encoder and strobe circuit 2, and used for encoding control of a general key switch signal 101 when a data key is pressed. A shift designation reset signal from the host device 4 is added to the end of the data on the signal line 103, but this data is not transmitted to the receiver and driver circuit 3.
After being input to the decoder circuit 5 and decoded,
It becomes the signal line 108 and resets the shift designation storage circuit 6.

After the shift designation storage circuit 6 is reset, the shift designation from the mode shift key 1-2 becomes valid.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention can reduce the number of times the operator presses the mode shift key by adding a circuit to the keyboard that can specify the shift mode from the host device. This has the effect of improving operation speed and reducing the possibility of mis-typing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Keyboard switch, 1-1... General key, 1-2... Mode shift key, 2... Encoder and strobe generation circuit, 3... Driver and receiver circuit, 4... Host device , 5... Decoder circuit, 6... Shift designation storage circuit, 7... Shift designation selection AND circuit, 8... Shift designation OR circuit, 9...
Shift mode specification memory circuit. Patent applicant: NEC Corporation − Agent: Patent attorney Naotaka Ide−°゛

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a keyboard equipped with a large number of general keys and a plurality of mode shift keys; an encoder circuit that encodes data output by the general keys; and circuit means for inputting the output of the encoder circuit to a host device; In a keyboard device equipped with a mode designation storage circuit that stores mode designation signals for each of the mode shift keys, some of the above general keys are assigned to program function keys, and each of the program function keys has a typical mode shift key stored in advance. means for receiving a mode shift control signal from a host device in which a programmed state is set; a decoder circuit for decoding the control signal received by the means; and means for inputting the output of the decoder circuit to the mode storage circuit. A keyboard device comprising: and means for disabling the output of the mode shift key according to control from the host device.