JP2809930B2 - Key device for data entry - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a key device for data input, and more particularly to a key device provided with a liquid crystal display for identifying each key and a thermal element for input operation. When the user selects an arbitrary item from the list and touch-operates the input operation thermal element, the corresponding data is obtained.
The present invention relates to a data input key device for inputting data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, keyboards have been widely used as input devices such as word processors and workstations.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the key 41 selectively pressed by the user's input operation moves down and the one-to-one corresponding reed switch 42 becomes conductive, so that this input operation is performed. Corresponding electric signals are generated, and multiple types of characters such as English characters and Hiragana are displayed on the surface of each key.
The symbol is displayed.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional keyboard has a structure in which the key itself moves up and down each time an input operation is performed, so that there are many mechanical failures. There is a problem that a space is required, and it is difficult to make the keyboard itself into a thin structure, and the storage property is poor.

[0005] In addition, since a plurality of types of characters and symbols such as English characters, hiragana and various symbols are displayed on each key, a user who is not accustomed to the keyboard should use any of these displays. There is a problem that it is confusing that the user is trying to input, and the input operation takes time.

Therefore, in the present invention, each key is provided with a thermosensitive element for input operation and a liquid crystal, and input can be performed by touching the thermosensitive element, and the display content of the liquid crystal is converted into one type of character / symbol. It is an object of the present invention to provide a key device for data input consisting of a thin structure having a simple display of each key and having few failures by selecting and setting.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a key arrangement unit in which a plurality of data input keys are arranged in a matrix. Reference numeral 2 denotes a key, and the user only selectively performs a touch operation on the input operation thermal element provided on each upper surface portion, that is, a predetermined data without an operation of pressing down the key by a predetermined length as in the related art. Input is performed. 3
Is a thermal element for input operation. A thermal element, such as a thermistor, whose resistance value changes with temperature, is provided in the center of the upper surface of each key in a slightly raised shape. Reference numeral 4 denotes an ambient temperature detecting thermal element, for example, a thermal element such as a thermistor is provided at the four corners of each key. It should be noted that the setting place of the thermal element for detecting the ambient temperature is not limited to the four corners as long as it is difficult for the user to touch during the input operation. 5
Is a liquid crystal, and displays only characters / symbols of a type corresponding to the input mode used by the user, for example, a kana character assigned to each key in the case of the kana input mode. Reference numeral 6 denotes a key selection detection unit which converts a change in the input operation thermal element touched by the user, for example, a change in the resistance value of the thermistor, into an electric signal and sends the signal to the processor. Reference numeral 7 denotes a light emitting unit, which uses a light emitting diode or the like that operates based on an output signal of the key selection detecting unit. A switching key 8 is used to change the display mode (character / symbol pattern) of the liquid crystal, for example, from an English character pattern to a Kana character pattern.

Here, as a whole of the data input key device, a film-like layer provided with the respective thermosensitive elements 3 and 4 and the light emitting section 7, a layer provided with the liquid crystal 5, and a key selection key are arranged from the top. A thin structure having a substantially three-layer structure including a layer provided with the detection unit 6.

[0009]

According to the present invention, as described above, when the user selects an arbitrary key and touch-operates the input operation thermal element 3 on the upper surface of the key, a change in the resistance value due to a rise in the temperature at that part is obtained. Is detected, the key previously selected by the user is specified, and data input corresponding to the key is performed.

On the liquid crystal 5 provided on each key 2, only the character / symbol pattern of the display mode specified by the operation of the switching key 8 is displayed. The Kana character pattern assigned to the key is displayed, and the English character pattern used in other input modes is not displayed. The user can use this one type of character / symbol pattern. The user performs an input operation by selecting a predetermined key while watching.

Further, the light emitting section 7 provided on each key 2 emits light when the corresponding input operation thermosensitive element 3 is touched, and the user can confirm which key has been selected by this light emission. Can be.

Further, each time one switch key 8 is touched, the display mode of the liquid crystal 5 may be changed in order. Alternatively, the number of switch keys 8 may be provided by the number of display mode types. The display mode of the liquid crystal 5 may be set by selectively performing a touch operation.

The display mode is changed as follows: The display mode is changed to the corresponding display mode only while the switch key 8 is being operated. The display mode is changed to the corresponding display mode when the switch key 8 is heated. This display mode is continued until the next operation of the switching key 8 is performed.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment centering on a key selection detecting section. Reference numeral 21 denotes a heat detecting circuit provided individually for each key, 22 denotes a key matrix circuit, 23 and 24 denote encoder circuits, Is a control unit that performs timing processing for temperature detection in the thermal detection circuit 21 and selection processing for the display mode on the liquid crystal, 26 is a liquid crystal display, 27 is a display controller, 28 is an interface, and 29 is a processor. I have.

The arrangement of the switching transistors in the key matrix circuit 22 is set to "3.times.3". However, this is for convenience of explanation. Only switching transistors are arranged in a matrix.

In the thermal detection circuit 21, V _CC is a power supply voltage, R _{1 to} R ₉ are resistors, 31 is an operational amplifier for comparison,
Reference numeral 32 denotes a switching transistor. Here, the resistance R ₂ and the resistance R ₄ are respectively the resistance of the input operation thermal element 3 and the ambient temperature detecting thermal element 4.
Of the resistance, the user unbalanced input voltage of the operational amplifier 31 because the value of the resistance R ₂ for input operation for heat-sensitive element to which a touch operation is greater than the value of the resistor R _4, the switching by the output voltage Transistor
32 turns on.

In the encoder circuits 23 and 24, 35 to 37 are power supply gates, 38 to 40 are output resistors,
Reference numerals 41 to 43 denote output side gates, respectively. here,
The power supply gates 35 to 37 of the encoder circuit 23 operate sequentially in a fixed cycle, and the respective output sides go high in this order, while the output side gates 41 to 43 of the encoder circuit 24 have a shorter fixed cycle. The operation is performed, and the inverted output voltages of the corresponding output resistors 38 to 40 at the time of the operation are extracted.

For example, when the user selects the input operation thermosensitive element 3 corresponding to the position [1, 1] of the key matrix circuit 22, that is, the switching transistor 45 at the upper left position, and performs a touch operation, Power supply gate
The switching transistor 45 is turned on at the timing when the power supply voltage is supplied to the output side by the operation of the switching transistor 45, and the operation timing of the output side gate 41 in the output side gate which operates sequentially at a predetermined constant cycle throughout the period of the conduction. As a result, the inverted output voltage of the output resistor 38 (the inverted voltage of the output voltage α) is captured.

The inverted output voltage is applied to the liquid crystal display unit 26.
Alternatively, the light is supplied to the processor 29 via the interface 28, and the liquid crystal display unit 26 drives the light emitting unit 7 of the key corresponding to the switching transistor 45 that has been turned on earlier, and the processor 29 performs processing on this input data. .

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure of the input processing of the present invention. That is, it is determined whether or not the power of the data input key device is turned on. If "YES", the process proceeds to the next step and "NO".
In this case, this determination is repeated. The standard character pattern is displayed on the liquid crystal display section 26 by the operation of the control unit section 25, and the process proceeds to the next step. Based on the output state of the thermal detection circuit 21, it is determined whether or not a temperature change in each input operation thermal element 3, that is, a change in each resistance value has occurred. If "YES", the process proceeds to the next step, and " If "NO", this determination is repeated. The processor 29 determines whether or not the key in which the temperature change has occurred is the switch key 8 for changing the display mode (character pattern) of the liquid crystal display unit 26. If "YES", the process proceeds to a step. If “NO”, proceed to the next step. While driving the light emitting section 7 of the key in which the temperature change has occurred, the processor 29 executes data processing corresponding to the output of the encoder circuit 24, and returns to the step. The control unit 25 changes the display mode of the liquid crystal display 26 to the character pattern designated by the switching key, for example, Kana characters, and returns to the step. Is performed in response to a user's input operation.

The present invention can also be used as a tablet. In this case, a thermosensitive element is arranged at the xy intersection, and the surface of the thermosensitive element is selectively scanned by the user with a finger, so that the position of the selected intersection is determined. Coordinates are input to the processor. In the case where the tablet is used as described above, the liquid crystal and the light emitting unit for displaying each key may not be necessarily provided.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, each key used for data input is provided with a thermal element for input operation, and when a user touches this thermal element, the temperature associated with the heat transfer from the finger to the thermal element. Because it is composed of a thin structure without mechanical moving parts such as detecting input operation by ascending, it can reduce storage space and reduce failures and has a time constant during heat transfer. Chattering does not occur in the input operation, and a circuit for preventing chattering can be omitted.

Further, only the character pattern used in the input mode, for example, only the English character pattern is selectively displayed on the liquid crystal provided for each key. Input errors can be reduced, especially for beginners, as compared with the case of using keys displaying various types of characters.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention centering on a key selection detection unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure of an input process according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a conventional keyboard.

[Explanation of symbols]

 In FIG. 1, 1 ... key arrangement section 2 ... key 3 ... input operation thermal element 4 ... ambient temperature detection thermal element 5 ... liquid crystal 6 ... key selection detection section 7. ..Light-emitting unit 8 switching key

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masayuki Omura 4-49 Fukami Nishi, Yamato-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture PF Yamato Factory Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-3-196323 (JP, A) Hei 2-115224 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 3/02

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data input key for inputting corresponding data by selecting and operating an arbitrary one of a plurality of keys having a display unit for identifying each of them. In the device, a thermal element for input operation for user's touch operation is enabled.
A key selection detector is provided for each key having no moving part, and a key selection detector is provided for extracting a change in the input operation thermal element accompanying the touch operation as an electric signal. Data input is performed based on the output of the key selection detector. A key device for data input. 2. A touch-sensitive element for detecting an ambient temperature is provided at a portion different from the input-operation heat-sensitive element, and the touch operation is detected based on a difference between output states of the two heat-sensitive elements. 2. The data input key device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The liquid crystal display according to claim 1, wherein a liquid crystal for selectively displaying a pattern such as a character corresponding to a designated input mode is used as the display unit. Key device for data input.