JPS63253428A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize a copying function by transferring the stored input information to a processor main body. CONSTITUTION:A memory buffer 18 consisting of a RAM is provided so that the input information is transferred to a host device without storing said information nor having the second input of this information. A keyboard input control circuit 12 consists of a key matrix circuit, etc., and detects the operation of a key 11 to supply it to a CPU 13. The CPU 13 consists of a microprocessor, etc., and controls the entire working of a keyboard device. The display processing of a display 2 is controlled by the CPU 13 via a display control circuit 17 and this control program is stored in a ROM 13a. The normal input is transferred to the host device via a code output control circuit 15 consisting of a circuit of a parallel interface, etc., after a character code is produced from a code generating circuit 14 in accordance with the key operation information detected by the circuit 12. In such constitution, a copying function is realized at the keyboard device side without increasing the load of a processor main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a keyboard device, and particularly to a keyboard device that outputs information in response to key operations to a host device such as a personal computer or a word processor.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a device configuration as shown in FIG. 6 has been known in information processing systems such as personal computers and word processors.

In FIG. 6, the components indicated by the reference numeral 20 are a program, a magnetic disk drive 23 for data storage, and a Cable drive for information display.
The main body of the processing apparatus includes a display 22 using RT or the like, an information processing circuit section, a power supply section, etc., and a separate keyboard device 21 is connected to the main body 20 of the processing apparatus via a cable 24.

The keyboard device 21 has input keys such as a full keyboard 25 or a numeric keypad 26 having a key arrangement such as ASCII or JIS, and inputs information into the processing device main body 20 according to the operation of these input keys.

On the processing device main body side, based on information input from the keyboard device 21 in the form of character codes such as ASCII codes, processing is performed to display the input information on the display 22 or to edit stored information. .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventional keyboards used in information processing systems such as those described above only transfer input information as is to the host processing device, but cannot perform information processing functions such as editing input information. I didn't have it at all.

Therefore, if certain information processing, such as editing such as copying or deleting a character string, is required on the processing device side,
This processing had to be carried out by the software on the processing device itself.

For this reason, in a dedicated word processor or the like, the burden on the software of the processor on the processing device main body side increases, resulting in disadvantages such as an increase in the time required for one important process, for example, a loop process for determining input information.

On the other hand, in a system such as a personal computer that runs a variety of software, each piece of software must have the above-mentioned information processing functions independently, which increases the cost and time required to develop the software. There is a problem with becoming.

Also, in such a software development state.

Software created by different companies may have completely different keyboard operation procedures for executing specific information processing functions, and when using them together, users may frequently make incorrect operations, and it may take time to learn the operations. There is a problem that it takes a lot of time.

The above problem particularly applies to editing processes such as copying, moving, and transcribing character string data. Although these la collection processing functions are basic, regardless of whether it is a word processor or a personal computer, these processes are added to each software unit, and some functions may be missing depending on the software. or the operation may be different.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a keyboard device that inputs information into an information processing device main body based on key inputs. The present invention employs a configuration that includes means for storing the information and means for transmitting the information stored in the storage means to the main body of the information processing apparatus.

[Function] According to the above configuration, the keyboard device can realize the so-called transcription or copying function of inputting information once stored in the storage means into the host device any number of times without repeating the input operation. .

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the drawings. However, in the following, a keyboard device for inputting information to a processing device main body, which is a host device, in an information processing system as shown in FIG. 6 will be exemplified.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the key arrangement of a keyboard device employing the present invention. The keyboard device is ASCII,
It is mainly composed of a pull keyboard 1 having a key arrangement such as the JIS system, and a display 2 is provided in front of the full keyboard 1. This display 2 is used to edit input information to be transferred to the host device, as will be described later.

In this embodiment, the keyboard device is provided with a processing function for editing input information and transmitting the edited information to the host device. In particular, in this embodiment, a copying function is provided to store input character strings and repeatedly transfer them to the host with a single key operation.

In order to achieve such a processing function, codes 3 to 8.3
The key indicated by 1.32 is provided. The input functions of these keys will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the internal circuit of the keyboard device of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a key input control circuit, which is composed of a known key matrix circuit, etc., and detects the operation of each key in FIG. Then, a string indicating which key was operated is input to the CPU 13.

The CPU 13 is composed of a microprocessor, etc., and controls the operation of the entire keyboard device. The display processing of the display 2 shown in FIG. 1 is controlled by the CPU 13 via the display control circuit 17. A control program for the CPU 13 is stored in a ROM 13a built into the CPU 13. Details of this program will be described later.

Regarding normal input operations, similarly to known keyboard devices, the CPU 13 uses the code generation circuit 14 to perform ASC processing according to key operation information detected by the key input control circuit 12.
A character code such as a II code is generated and transferred to the host device via a code output control circuit 15 composed of a circuit such as a parallel interface.

Further, a storage buffer 18 composed of a RAM or the like is provided to store input information so that the information can be transferred to the host device without repeating the input.

Information processing using this storage buffer γ18 is controlled by keys 3 to 8, 31, and 32 in FIG. 1, as described above.

First, store start key 3. Memory end key 4 is memory buffer 1
This is for specifying the beginning and end of the character string to be stored in 8. Press memory start key 3 to display full keyboard 1
When the characters are operated, characters are stored one by one in a predetermined area of the storage buffer 18. When the storage end key 4 is pressed, the next input character will no longer be stored in the storage buffer 18. Characters input from when the storage start key 3 is pressed until when the storage end key 4 is pressed are not transferred to the mailbox.

The character string thus stored can be transferred to the host any number of times by pressing the send key 8. The information stored in the storage bag 718 can be displayed on the display 2 using the display key 5. The number of digits displayed on the display 2 is set to about 80 characters, but if characters with more digits than this are stored in the memory buffer 18, the number of digits displayed on the display 2 can be changed by operating the left arrow key 6 and right arrow key 7. 2 can be scrolled in the horizontal direction to confirm a desired portion of the character string stored in the storage buffer 18.

Further, in this embodiment, the range of information stored in the storage bag 718 to be transferred to the host can be specified using the transfer range start key 31 and the transfer range end key 32.

Figure 3 shows the CPU 1 for realizing the above information processing functions.
3 shows the control program. The procedure in Figure 3 is CP
It is stored in the ROM 13a of U13.

In the procedure shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 13 first performs step SL.
At , a flag indicating whether the operation mode is to store information in the storage buffer 18 is reset. If this flag is reset.

That is, if the computer is not in the information storage mode, the input information is transferred as is to the host (step 329, which will be described later).

Next, in step S2, key input is accepted.

Steps S3, SS, S8.310. In S12, operations of the storage start key 3, storage end key 4, display key 5, left arrow key 6, right arrow key 7, and exit key 8 are detected via the keyboard input control circuit 12. If any key is operated, step 54. S7. S
9. Sll.

313.

First, in step S4 and step S5, in order to store the input information in the storage buffer 18, a storage flag is set and a predetermined area of the storage buffer 18 is cleared, and then the process returns to step S2, and the input information to be stored is not received. wear.

In step S7, the memory flag is reset, and step S7
Return to 2.

In step S9, the display 2 is controlled via the control circuit 17 to display the character information stored in the storage buffer 18 on the display 2.

Step S11. In S13, the character string displayed on the display 2 is scrolled to the left or right by a predetermined number of characters according to the direction of the arrow of each key, and the process returns to step S2. Thereby, the character string stored in the storage buffer 18 can be confirmed.

If step S12 is negative, the process moves to step SL4, and it is determined whether or not the data in the storage buffer 18 is displayed on the display 2.0If it is not displayed, the process moves to step S19, and if it is displayed, The process moves to step 515.

In steps S15 and 517, it is detected whether or not the transfer range start key 31 and transfer range end key 32 have been pressed, respectively.

When the transfer range start key 31 is operated in step S15, the process moves to step 516, and the leftmost character of the display 2 is set as the start position of the range to be transferred in information transfer to be described later. Further, if the transfer range end key 32 is operated in step 317, the process moves to step S18, and in the information transfer described later, the end position of the transfer range is set to the leftmost character on the display 2. Step 516, S
Specifically, the process 18 is configured by storing the address of the transfer range of the storage information in the storage buffer 18 in a predetermined register or the like. Alternatively, step 316. S
Processing in step 18 is to store the storage buffer 1 in a range other than the specified range.
8 may be a process of deleting the stored information.

According to the process of step S16.518, the above-mentioned step S11. By scrolling in S13, the character at the end of the transfer range is positioned at the left end of the display 2, and by operating the transfer range start key 31 and transfer range end key 32, a desired transfer range can be specified.

If step S17 is negative, step S19
Then, it is determined whether the send key 8 has been pressed. If the send key 8 has been pressed, the process moves to step S20, and if it has not been pressed, the process moves to step S27.

In step 327, it is determined whether the storage flag is set. If the storage flag is set, proceed to step 528; if not set, proceed to step S29.
Jump to.

In step S28, since the storage mode has been set, the data input in step S2 is stored in the storage buffer 18, and the storage buffer 18 is used for the next character.
Update the write address.

At step 329, the code input at step S2 is generated by the code generation circuit 14, and the output control circuit 15 generates the code input at step S2.
The data is transferred to the host device via the host device, and the process returns to step S2.

On the other hand, in the loop from steps S20 to 322, first, in step 520, the data in the storage buffer 18 must be transferred! ! While checking whether all the information in the range has been transferred, the stored code is read from the storage buffer 18 in step S21 and transferred in step S22. This process ends when step S20 indicates that all characters have been transferred to the host, and the process returns to step S2.

According to the above configuration, a desired character string is stored in the storage buffer 18.
The stored information in the storage buffer 18 can be transferred to the host any number of times by pressing the send key 8 without repeating input.

Therefore, it is possible to realize a transcription or copying function that generates a fixed character string without repeating troublesome input operations when editing a program source for a personal computer or a fixed document for a word processor.

In addition, when testing a program, the same operating state can be reproduced over and over again with simple operations.

In addition, once the information has been memorized, it can be checked on the display 2, and even if the string is longer than that on the display 2, the information can be scrolled to the storage buffer 1.
You can check all the memory information of 8.

Further, by operating the transfer range start key 31 and the transfer range end key 32, not only all the stored information in the storage buffer 18 but only information within a desired range of the stored information can be transferred to the host.

Since all of the above information processing is executed on the keyboard device side, there is no increase in the software burden on the host device side. Therefore, the software on the host side can be simplified, its development can be facilitated, and the processing speed can be improved. Furthermore, for the user, the above-mentioned keyboard functions can be used even if the software on the host side is changed, so there is no need to memorize many operating methods, and there is less risk of erroneous operation.

11ヱ1j In addition to the above embodiments, configurations as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are also conceivable. In the case of FIG. 4, a step key 9 is added to the keyboard. This step key 9 is used not to send the entire character string stored in the storage buffer 18, but to transfer one character at a time.

With such a keyboard configuration, control software as shown in FIG. 5 can be used. The circuit configuration of the keyboard device shown in FIG. 2 can be used as is.

Most parts of the flowchart in FIG. 5 are the same as in FIG. 3, and the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 are given to each of these flows.

In the following, only the parts that are different from FIG. 3 will be explained.

5 differs from FIG. 3 in that step 523 is inserted between steps S19 and 527, and a routine consisting of steps 524 to 326 branching from there is provided.

If step 319 is negative in FIG. 5, it is determined in step S23 whether the step key 9 has been operated. If step key 9 is pressed, step S
At 24, it is determined whether there is any remaining data to be transferred to the storage buffer 18. If there is no data to be transferred, the process returns to step S2 and the next key input is accepted.

The data that can be transferred in step S24 is stored in the storage buffer 18.
If so, in step S25, the storage buffer 18
One character of the memory code is taken out from the memory, the read address is updated, and then transferred to the host in step S26.

Other processing functions are exactly the same as in the case of FIG.

According to the process shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the above effects.

Only the necessary portions of the character string stored in the storage buffer 18 can be transferred character by character.

For example, if it is desired to input only the first half of the character string stored in the storage buffer 18 into the host device, only the necessary portion can be transferred by pressing the step key 9 multiple times.

According to the procedure shown in FIG. 4, the transfer range start key 31 and the transfer range end key 32 can also be used to specify a transfer range, so a desired range of information stored in the storage buffer 18 can be freely specified and transferred to the host. .

In the above, the character string stored in the storage buffer 18 is not changed and is transferred to the host as is, but it may be possible to edit it. For example, by pressing the 1 display key 5, the character string stored in the storage buffer 18 After selecting the storage information display mode, it is possible to perform known processing such as inserting and deleting characters using a cursor, and a routine for editing transfer information may be added. The routine may also be a transfer range start key.

Not only one character string but also a plurality of character strings may be stored simultaneously in the storage buffer 18, and one or more character strings may be selected and transferred.

Furthermore, the storage buffer 18 is not only a buffer for editing as described above, but also a storage buffer 18 for use when the host device is executing a predetermined process.
It can also be used to buffer input information when data cannot be input from a keyboard device.

Furthermore, various types of information processing that are possible on the keyboard device side can be considered in addition to those described above. For example, if processes such as kanji conversion and translation are performed on the keyboard, the software load on the host system will be further reduced, and users will be able to input and translate kanji using the same operating method across multiple software programs. can.

Although 1 and above show a keyboard for inputting characters, it goes without saying that a similar configuration is possible with a keyboard for inputting other information, such as image information, and the interface with the host device also uses character codes. It may be done in other formats.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, in a keyboard device for inputting information to an information processing apparatus main body based on key input, means for storing information input from an input key; Since the structure includes a means for transferring the information stored in the storage means to the main body of the information processing device, the information stored in the storage means can be transferred to the main body of the processing device as many times as necessary without repeating input operations. The so-called transcription or copying function for inputting can be realized on the keyboard unit side without increasing the burden on the main body of the processing device. Furthermore, there is an excellent advantage that the functions of the keyboard device can be used in common even if the software on the main body side changes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a keyboard device adopting the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the key arrangement of the keyboard, and FIG. 2 is an illustration of the configuration of the internal circuit of the keyboard device. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure in the configuration of FIG. 2, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the key arrangement. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an information processing procedure adapted to the configuration of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the equipment configuration of the information processing apparatus. l...Full keyboard 2...Display 3.
...Memory start key 4...Memory end key 5...
Display key 6...Left arrow key 7...Right arrow key 8...Send key 9...Step key
20...Processing device body 21...Keyboard device 31...Transfer range start key 32...Transfer range end key Figure Z

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a keyboard device for inputting information into an information processing device main body based on key input, there is provided a means for storing information inputted from an input key, and a means for storing information input from the input keys; A keyboard device characterized in that it is provided with means for transmitting data to a processing device main body. 2) The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising means for transferring predetermined information units at a time when transferring the information stored in the storage means. 3) The keyboard device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for specifying a range of stored information to be transferred when transferring information stored in the storage means. .