JPS63184820A - Key input controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display an effective key in an application program by discriminating whether the display change of a key exists or not in the program concerned, and displaying the key whose display is to be changed, when the display change exists. CONSTITUTION:When an application program is loaded from a program memory 3 and started, first of all, whether the display change of a key is present or absent is discriminated. In this case, if the application program is an exclusive application program, and a program which uses only a specific key, it is decided that the display change of the key exists, and a key change command and an instruction which succeeds this command, and an effective code are sent out to a keyboard 4. In the keyboard 4 receiving them, a key code correspondence table is changed, based on the instruction of 'valid' or 'invalid', which succeeds the key change command and the effective code, and the key display is changed, as well.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a key input control device for controlling keyboard input used in word processors, etc. More specifically, the present invention relates to a key input control device for controlling keyboard input used in word processors, etc. This relates to a key input control device for clarity.

[Prior art]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, key input control devices are known for controlling key-powered devices such as keyboards used in computer equipment such as word processors, personal computers, engineering workstations, and intelligent printers.

Key manual devices include, for example, a book sheet type device with an unchanging key arrangement used in office computers, and an application program that allows
There are types in which the key layout is displayed on the screen of the RT display, and types in which the key layout displayed on the screen of the CRT display can be changed by the operator.

In addition to keyboards, keypad devices used in word processors and personal computers include touch panels displayed on CRT display screens.

By the way, in the book sheet type key manual device, the arrangement of the keys does not change, so it is necessary to change the sheet when scraping, and the intervals between the keys are wide, resulting in poor operability. In addition, with a type of manual key device in which the key layout is displayed on a CRT display by an application program, the required key must be found on the screen, and the displayed key layout is only function keys, making it difficult to operate. There's a problem.

In addition, on touch panel type key-powered devices, CR
Key operations must be performed on the T-display screen, which puts strain on the hands and eyes, which is not ergonomically preferable, and since a CRT display is used, the system cannot be small and movable.

〔the purpose〕

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a key input control device with excellent operability that can display only valid keys necessary for an application program and change the arrangement of valid keys.

〔composition〕

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a change determination means for determining whether or not there is a change in key display in an application program, and a change determination means for determining whether or not there is a change in key display. The present invention is characterized by comprising a code sending means for sending out a predetermined code, and a display means for displaying a key corresponding to the predetermined code when the predetermined code is sent by the code sending means. .

Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the entire system including the key input control device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the key input control device shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, a processor 1 is connected to a system memory 2 in which system programs are stored, a program memory 3 in which application programs are stored, a keyboard 4, and a printer 5.
10 interface 6, a CRT display controller 8 that connects and controls a CRT display 7, and a hard disk 9 that stores an operating system and the like. A disk controller 11 that connects and controls the floppy disk 10 is connected.

The operation of the key input control device having such a configuration will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, steps S1 to S10 indicate system processing, and steps T1 to T
IO indicates keyboard processing.

First, when the system is powered on in step S1, each I10 is also powered on. As a result, power is also supplied to the keyboard in step T1.

Next, in step S2, the system program stored in the system memory 2 is activated and each I10 is initialized. After initializing, the operating system is initially loaded from the hard disk 9 or floppy disk 10 in step S3.

For example, if the operating system uses read-only memory (
ROM), it boots the operating system in read-only memory.

Once the operating system is booted, step S
Proceed to step 4 and display the message on the CRT display.
Waiting for instructions from the operator. At this time, the system
Send an initialize command to the keyboard 4.

When the keyboard 4 receives an initialize command from the system, it initializes the internal memory area in step T2, and creates a normal key code correspondence table corresponding to the pressed keys during key scanning. or JI
Displays the key arrangement based on the S key need on the key top.

At the same time as the key top display ends, key scanning is started in step T4.

Next, in step T5, it is determined whether a command to change the key display, which will be described later, has been issued from the system.

If there is no command to change the key display from the system, the process advances to step T6 and waits for the key to be manually operated.

When the key is pressed in step T6, the process proceeds to step T7, where the key code correspondence table is referred to and a pressed key code corresponding to the key display is generated.Then, in step T8, this pressed key code is sent to the system.

On the other hand, in the system, after initializing the keyboard in step S4, the process advances to step S5 and waits for an instruction to load an application program. If the pressed key code sent to the system in step T8 of the keyboard is an instruction to start the application run program, the system side proceeds to step S.
Proceed to step 6 to load the application program,
0 to start Next, in step S7, it is determined whether or not the key display has changed. When it is determined that there is no change in the display of the keys, the process advances to step S9 to execute the application program, and when it is determined in step S10 that the execution of the application program has ended, the process returns to step S3 again.

On the other hand, in step S7, if the application program is a dedicated application program and uses only specific keys, the system determines that the key display needs to be changed. This causes the process to proceed to step S8.
The application program is the third
A key change command, subsequent instructions, and valid code are sent as shown in the figure. The keyboard side receives this key change command in step S5.

Upon receiving the key change command, the keyboard performs step T.
Proceed to step 9 and select “enabled” and “disabled” following the key change command.
Follow the instructions for the subsequent codes, namely valid codes CDI, CD2. CD3. , CCD7. DIO...
...and change the key code correspondence table. If the instruction following the key change command is a "valid" instruction, in step S10 the valid codes CDI, CD2. CD
3. Display only CD7゜CD10...
Other codes are invalidated, and the display of the key of the invalidated code is erased. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the internal table shows valid codes DCI, CD2. CD3. CD7. CD
l0... is stored. If the instruction following the key change command is an "invalid" instruction, the internal table will not be changed. As shown in Figure 4, the internal table stores the valid code in the location corresponding to the valid key. and the invalid code “00” corresponds to the invalid key.
It becomes. Therefore, no code is sent to the system when an invalid key is pressed.

Note that if the number of keys used by the application program is small and the effective key positions are not arranged on the keyboard 4, the application program may place the fifth key on the keyboard when changing the position to a position that is easy to recover.
A key layout change instruction code as shown in the figure is sent, and then the valid code of the valid key to be changed and the valid code of the valid key at the position to be changed are sent as a pair.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, valid code A-1 and valid code A-2
, valid code B-1 and valid code B-2゜valid code C
-2 and valid code C-1 are sent out as a pair.

FIG. 6(a) shows the state of the internal table before the change, and FIG. 6(b) shows the state of the internal table after the change.

When you receive the key layout change code as shown in Figure 5,
In the internal table shown in FIG. 6(a), valid code A-1 replaces valid code A-2, valid code B-1 replaces valid code B-2, and valid code C- Valid code C-2 replaces the position of 1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the valid code A before the change is
-1. The positions of valid code B-1 and valid code C-2 become invalid code "00".

At the same time as such table replacement, the key display is changed. Such a change processing operation may be performed freely within the application program by the operator, for example, or the operator may register the key layout within the application program, and from the next time the application program is started, the changed key layout may be changed. The array may be set automatically.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the valid codes of the valid keys required by the application program are sent to the keyboard, and the keyboard displays only the valid keys corresponding to the sent valid codes, and also allows the user to press an invalid key. Since no code is sent to the system, the possibility of operational errors is significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the effective key arrangement can be changed using a key arrangement change code, operability can be significantly improved.

〔effect〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, when a predetermined code of a key to be changed and displayed is sent to the keyboard, the key corresponding to the predetermined code is changed and displayed. By giving the code each time, the key display can be changed to make it easier for the operator to operate, and the operability can be significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the entire system equipped with the key input control device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the key input control device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a key change command and this. 4 is a diagram showing the code stored in the internal table. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the key layout change code and the valid code pair following it. FIG. 6 (a) is a diagram showing the code stored in the internal table. Diagram showing the previous internal table, No. 6
Figure (b) is a diagram showing an internal table in which the key arrangement has been changed. 1... CPU, 2... System memory, 3... Program memory, 4... Keyboard, 5... Printer, 6... I10 interface, 7... CRT display, 8... CRT display controller, 9...hard disk, 10...'noloppy disk, 11...disk controller, CDI, C
D2. CD3. CD7. CD10. A-1, A-2, B
-1, B-2, C-1, C-2... Valid code patent applicant Ricoh Co., Ltd. - Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) Change determination means for determining whether or not there is a change in key display in an application program; A key input control device comprising: code sending means for sending out a code; and display means for displaying a key corresponding to the predetermined code when the predetermined code is sent by the code sending means. 2) The code sending means sends the valid code of the valid key necessary for the application program to the keyboard, and the display means displays only the valid key corresponding to the valid code, and only when the valid key is pressed. , the key input control device according to claim 1, wherein a valid code corresponding to the key input control device is sent to the system. 3) The code sending means sends out a key layout change code, and the display means changes the display position of the valid keys according to the key layout change code. Key input control device.