JP3331307B2 - Document creation device, character input processing method, and recording medium recording character input processing program - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document preparation apparatus such as a word processor or a personal computer, and more particularly to a document preparation apparatus, a character input processing method and a character input method suitable for inputting a plurality of different character types in a mixed manner. The present invention relates to a recording medium on which a character input processing program is recorded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a document creating apparatus such as a word processor or a personal computer, there are two types of character input methods, a "Roman character input method" and a "Kana input method".
In inputting, the user selects one of the methods and then inputs characters. In this case, in the Roman alphabet input method, English characters are input by reading Roman alphabet. The input English characters are converted into Kana characters as Roman characters (this is called Roman character conversion).

On the keyboard, a plurality of different character types (alphanumeric, hiragana, katakana, etc.) are assigned to each key, and these character types are selectively used and input by operating a shift key. . Therefore, when inputting multiple different character types together,
It is necessary to operate the shift key to input various characters while paying attention to the above-described input method, which causes problems such as complicated input operation and erroneous input.

Conventionally, as a method for solving such a problem, a method disclosed in JP-A-5-173691 is known.

The likelihood (appearance frequency) of a character is determined for each character mode (“Romaji-hiragana”, “kana-hiragana”, “romaji-katakana”, “kana-katakana”, “alphanumeric”). In advance, it is determined whether or not the currently set character mode is correct from the likelihood of each character of the input character string, and the mode is changed.

By using such a method, for example, a character mode such as "Kana-Hiragana" is set and a character string such as "Kyokyokaide" is input. Even if you enter “g) 4
g) "4day @" can be input as "Today".

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the character mode of the input character string is determined according to the likelihood of the character for each character mode which is determined in advance. It is possible to determine the character mode for the entire character string inside and correct this, but it is difficult to determine the input of a character string with only a partly different character type. Can not.

[0008] This is, for example, "setteiwodef
This is a problem when, for example, an English word with a different character type is input during Japanese input, such as "alt" → "sete o default".

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem. Even when only a part of a character type is different, such as an English word, during character input, the character type is not changed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a document creation apparatus, a character input processing method, and a recording medium that stores a character input processing program that can directly input data and reduce the burden of a user's input operation.

[0010]

A document creating apparatus according to the present invention.
Can be entered at least a hiragana or katakana character string
Input means and the palm input by the input means
When a kana or katakana character string is entered,
Converted Hiragana or Katakana character strings to English character strings
Character type conversion means to convert, and composed of English characters
A word dictionary storing English words and the character type conversion means
For each part of the English character string
Search the word dictionary and place English words that exist in the above word dictionary
Candidate creation to create as interchangeable English character candidate strings
Means, and the hiragana input by the input means or
While displaying katakana character strings, while inputting
When a candidate character string of English characters is obtained by the candidate creation means
To the corresponding character string of the input character string.
Display means for replacing and displaying parts.
Features.

According to such a configuration, a kana input mode is provided.
Character strings containing English words in hiragana or katakana
If you enter with, the input character string contains English words
English sentences that can be replaced
Corresponding part of the input character string as a character candidate character string
Will be displayed as a replacement. Therefore, shift switching
Even if you do not perform character type conversion operations such as
Do not input characters in hiragana or katakana.
You can enter English words.

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

[0018]

[0019]

[0020]

[0021]

[0022]

[0023]

[0024]

[0025]

[0026]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The document creation apparatus of the present invention is realized by a computer which reads a program recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk and the operation of which is controlled by the program.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The input unit 101 includes a keyboard and inputs characters, functions, and the like. Also, the input unit 101
Has a mode switching key 10 for switching between "Roman input mode" and "Kana input mode" as an input mode.
1a is provided. The "Roman input mode" is a mode in which English characters are converted into hiragana or katakana for input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control unit 102 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input unit 101, the output unit 103, and the input MMI unit 104 by executing a program, and executes a character input process.

The output unit 103 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu)
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI unit 104 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 105 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 101. The second character string buffer 106 stores the character type conversion unit 1
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 107 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the first embodiment, the first character type is "English character", the second character type is "Hiragana" or "Katakana", and the second character type is
Is converted to Roman character conversion.

The word dictionary 108 is a dictionary storing various English words as shown in FIG. 2, and can be searched by a character string of the first character type (English character).

The candidate creating section 109 creates a character string candidate composed of the first character type with reference to the word dictionary 108 for the input character string converted into the second character type. The candidate storage unit 110 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 109.

The candidate selection section 111 processes a selection operation of a candidate stored in the candidate storage section 110. The second character string buffer 2 corresponds to a character string of the selected candidate.
06 is replaced.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of the word dictionary 108.

In the word dictionary 108, for example, "defau
Various English words are registered in English characters, such as “lt”, “fault”, etc. Note that the case of uppercase / lowercase is not important.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the Roman character input mode. It is assumed that the Roman character input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 101a provided on the input unit 101.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process in the first embodiment. First, the input unit 1
An input process of the key input by the user is performed (step A11). Control unit 102 sends the key input information to input MMI unit 104.

The input MMI unit 104 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) for performing kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When the key input information is sent to input MMI section 104, input MMI section 104 first determines whether this key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step). A12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but a normal character input (Yes in step A12), the input M
The MI unit 104 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 105 (step A1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 107 performs a character type conversion process on the character string of the first character type stored in the first character string buffer 105 into a second character type such as Roman character conversion. (Step A14), the character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 106 (Step A15).

In this case, regarding the contents of the second character string buffer 106, the characters whose character types have already been
No change is made to the characters replaced in the process 20 by the character type conversion process here.

Next, the candidate creating section 109 searches the word dictionary 108 for each part of the character string stored in the first character string buffer 105, and creates a candidate based on the searched character string (step A16).

FIG. 4 shows a specific example.

In the Roman alphabet input mode, for example, when the user enters a first "setteiwodefault"
Is assumed to be input through the input unit 101. In the first character string buffer 105,
The input character string “setteiwodefault” is stored, and the second character string buffer 106 stores the character string “Sete-de-felt lt” obtained by performing character type conversion (Roman character conversion) on the same character string.

The candidate creating section 109 stores the input character string “setteiwo” stored in the first character string buffer 105.
For each part of "default", the word dictionary 108 is searched.
Since there are words (English words) composed of the first character type such as “lt” and “fault”, “default”
t ”and“ fault ”are obtained. In this case, only one result data is shown. However, when there are candidates at a plurality of positions in the character string, a plurality of result data are obtained. Create

The candidate creation process at this time will be described in detail.

The candidate creating section 109 creates a candidate as follows, for example.

That is, first, as shown in FIG.
The word dictionary 108 is searched for each part of the character string of the first character type stored in the character string buffer 105.

In fact, if the number of characters is unlimited,
Since the number of searches increases when a long character string is input, it is preferable to limit the number of characters to some extent. Also, since there are many candidates for a character string that is short to some extent, it is not necessary to perform a search.

In the above example, "setteiwood"
It is necessary to search for a part that does not include the last “t” in “default”. However, in this case, it is assumed that the search has been completed by the input up to that point, and the search can be omitted by holding the search result. Has not gone.

For each candidate found here, the contents of the first and second character string buffers 105 before and after the candidate are converted again in character type. In this example, with respect to the candidate "default", the preceding "setteiwo" portion is subjected to character type conversion again. If this fails, it is considered that the input is not correct and is excluded from the candidate. In this example, since the character type can be converted, it is left as a candidate.

Here, the range in which the candidate exists is determined. In this example, each of the characters at indexes 5 to 10 in the second character string buffer 106 is a range in which there is a candidate. Among the candidates that have been searched, candidates that are shorter than this range are subjected to character type conversion processing (Roman character conversion) again for the part before and after the candidate, so that the range is aligned with candidates existing in the same range.

The contents (default) of the second character string buffer 106 corresponding to this range are also added as candidates. This makes it possible to return to the original character string by selecting this candidate even after replacing the character string once. The candidate creating unit 109 creates a candidate in this way. The created candidates are stored in the candidate storage unit 110.

Thereafter, the input MMI unit 104 returns the contents of the second character string buffer 106 to the control unit 102 as a character string being input, and the control unit 102 performs a display process of this character string (step A17). Also, the input MMI unit 104
Returns the candidates to be displayed according to the contents of the candidate storage unit 110 to the control unit 102, and the control unit 102 performs the display processing of the candidates (step A18).

FIG. 6 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 6 (a), in the Roman character input mode, when a character string of the first character type (English character) such as "setteiwodefault" is input, a second character string such as "Sete-wo-de-lt" is input. A character string converted into Roman characters in the second character type (Hiragana) is displayed.

At this time, as a character string of the first character type (English character) corresponding to the candidate range of the same character string (a part indicated by an underline), candidates such as "default" and "@ fault" are represented by "@". lt "(candidate range portion of the input character string).

Here, if there is a character string intended by the user among the displayed candidates, and a key input for selecting the candidate is provided from the input unit 101 (N in step A12).
o), the candidate selection unit 111 performs a candidate selection process according to the key input (step A19). This candidate selection process is performed, for example, by adding an index to each candidate stored in the candidate storage unit 110 and changing the index of the candidate selected among them.

When a candidate is selected, input MMI section 104
Replaces the corresponding part of the character string stored in the second character string buffer 106 with the selected candidate character string (step A20). Then, similarly to the case of character input, display processing of the character string in the second character string buffer 106 after replacement and the candidate in the candidate storage unit 110 is performed (step A).
17, A18).

Thus, in the example of FIG. 6, when the user selects a candidate such as “default”, as shown in FIG.
The result is a character string such as "ult".

As described above, in the first embodiment, in the mode in which the character string composed of the first character type is converted into the character string of the second character type and input, the second character type is input when the first character type is input. And a dictionary search is performed for each part of the input character string of the first character type. If a corresponding word exists, the word of the first character type is converted to the corresponding character string of the second character type. The part is displayed as a replaceable candidate, and the user is allowed to select it.

Therefore, in the input mode in which the first character type is converted into the second character type and input, such as in the Roman character input mode, a word in the first character type is directly input without performing a shift switching operation. be able to.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the first character type is converted to the second character type and input, as in the Roman character input mode. Is assumed to be the case where the first character type is input.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document creation device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration is the same as in FIG.

The input unit 201 is composed of a keyboard, and inputs characters, functions, and the like. In addition, the input unit 201 has an input mode “Romaji input mode” /
A mode switching key 201a for switching the “kana input mode” is provided. "Romaji input mode"
Is a mode in which English characters are converted into hiragana or katakana for input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control unit 202 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input unit 201, the output unit 203, and the input MMI unit 204 by executing a program, and executes a character input process.

The output unit 203 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI unit 204 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 205 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 201. The second character string buffer 206 stores the character type conversion unit 2
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 207 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the second embodiment, the input unit 20
As 1, a keyboard in which a plurality of types of characters are assigned to one key is used. The first character type is “Hiragana” or “Katakana”, the second character type is “English character”, and the conversion from the first character type to the second character type is the same key on the keyboard. Conversion to character.

The word dictionary 208 is a dictionary in which various English words are stored, and can be searched by a character string of a second character type (English character). The contents are the same as those in FIG. 2, and various English words, such as "default", "fault", are registered in English characters.

The candidate creating section 209 creates a character string candidate of the second character type with reference to the word dictionary 208 for an input character string of the first character type. The candidate storage unit 210 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 209.

The candidate selection unit 211 processes a selection operation of a candidate stored in the candidate storage unit 210. The first character string buffer 2 corresponds to the character string of the selected candidate.
Replace the contents of 05.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described.

In the second embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the kana input mode. It is assumed that the kana input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 201a provided on the input unit 201.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process in the second embodiment. First, the input unit 2
The input processing of the key input by the user is performed (step B11). The control unit 202 sends the key input information to the input MMI unit 204.

The input MMI unit 204 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) that performs kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When the key input information is sent to input MMI section 204, input MMI section 204 first determines whether the key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step). B12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but a normal character input (Yes in step B12), the input M
The MI unit 204 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 205 (step B1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 207 converts the character string of the first character type stored in the first character string buffer 205 into a second character type assigned to the same key on the keyboard. Then, a character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 206 (step B15).

In this case, regarding the contents of the second character string buffer 206, characters whose character types have already been
First character string buffer 205 replaced in the process of 20
The character is not changed by the character type conversion processing here.

Next, the candidate creating section 209 searches the word dictionary 208 for each part of the character string stored in the second character string buffer 206, and creates a candidate based on the searched character string (step B16).

FIG. 9 shows a specific example.

In the kana input mode, for example, it is assumed that the user has input a character string having the first character type (Hiragana) such as “Hiragana”. The first character string buffer 205 stores the input character string “Seisashishigarinabashika”, and the second character string buffer 206 stores the same character string in the second character string on the keyboard as shown in FIG. The character string “pZwe0default” after being converted to the character type (English character) is stored.

The candidate creating unit 209 converts the converted character string “pZwe0def” stored in the second character string buffer 206.
The word dictionary 108 is searched for each part of “ult”. In this case, the word dictionary 108 includes “default”
Since there are words (English words) composed of the second character type such as "t" and "fault", "default"
And "new fault" are obtained. In addition,
Here, only one result data is shown, but when there are candidates at a plurality of positions in the character string, a plurality of result data is created.

The creation candidate process at this time will be described in detail.

The candidate creating section 209 creates a candidate as follows, for example.

That is, as shown in FIG. 10, first, the word dictionary 2108 is searched for each part of the character string of the second character type stored in the second character string buffer 206.

Note that if the number of characters is actually unlimited,
Since the number of searches increases when a long character string is input, it is preferable to limit the number of characters to some extent. Also, since there are many candidates for a character string that is short to some extent, it is not necessary to perform a search.

In the above example, “pZwe0defa
It is necessary to search for the part that does not include the last “t” in “ult”. However, in this case, it is assumed that the search has been completed by the input up to that point, and the search can be omitted by holding the search result. Has not gone.

Here, the range in which the candidate exists is determined. In this example, each of the characters at indexes 5 to 11 in the first character string buffer 205 is a range in which there is a candidate. Of the candidates that are shorter than the range, the characters in the first character string buffer 205 are applied to the part before and after the candidate, so that the range is aligned with the candidates existing in the same range.

Further, the contents of the first character string buffer 205 corresponding to this range are added as one of the candidates. This makes it possible to return to the original character string by selecting this candidate even after replacing the character string once. In the candidate creation unit 209,
Thus, the candidate is created. The created candidates are stored in the candidate storage unit 210.

After that, the input MMI unit 204 returns the contents of the first character string buffer 205 to the control unit 202 as a character string being input, and the control unit 202 performs display processing of this character string (step B17). Also, the input MMI unit 204
Returns the candidates to be displayed according to the contents of the candidate storage unit 210 to the control unit 202, and the control unit 202 performs the display processing of the candidates (step B18).

FIG. 12 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 12A, in the kana input mode, when a character string of the first character type (Hiragana), such as "Hisashina Higasana", is input, the input character string is displayed. Is done.

At this time, as the character string of the second character type (English character) corresponding to the candidate range of the same character string (the part indicated by the underline), candidates such as “default” and “new fault” Or "" (part of the candidate range of the character string).

Here, if there is a character string intended by the user among the displayed candidates, and a key input for selecting the candidate is provided from the input unit 201 (N in step B12).
o), the candidate selection unit 211 performs a candidate selection process according to the key input (step B19). This candidate selection process is performed, for example, by adding an index to each candidate stored in the candidate storage unit 210 and changing the index of the candidate selected among them.

When a candidate is selected, input MMI section 204
Replaces the corresponding portion of the twist stored in the first character string buffer 205 with the selected candidate character string (step B20). Then, similarly to the case of character input, display processing of the character string in the first character string buffer 205 after replacement and the candidates in the candidate storage unit 210 is performed (step B).
17, B18).

Thus, for example, in the example of FIG. 12, when the user selects a candidate such as “default”, as shown in FIG.
A character string such as "ult" can be obtained.

As described above, in the second embodiment, in the mode for inputting a character string of the first character type, the first
Is converted to the second character type at the time of input of the character type, and each part of the character string of the second character type is searched in a dictionary. If a corresponding word exists, the word of the second character type is converted to the first character type.
Are displayed as candidates that can be replaced with the corresponding part of the character string of the character type, and the user is allowed to select this.

Therefore, in the input mode for directly inputting the first character type, for example, in the kana input mode,
Even without performing a shift switching operation, a word of a second character type different from the first character type can be directly input.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The third embodiment is characterized in that the candidate selection in the first embodiment is automated and the character type is replaced.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document creation device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Input unit 30
Reference numeral 1 denotes a keyboard for inputting characters, functions, and the like. In addition, the input unit 301 is provided with a mode switching key 301a for switching the input mode between “Roman input mode” and “Kana input mode”. The “Roman character input mode” is a mode in which English characters are converted into Hiragana or Katakana and input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control unit 302 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input unit 301, the output unit 303, and the input MMI unit 304 by executing a program, and executes a character input process.

The output unit 303 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu)
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI unit 304 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 305 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 301. The second character string buffer 306 stores the character type conversion unit 3
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 307 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the third embodiment, the first character type is "English character", the second character type is "Hiragana" or "Katakana", and the second character type is
Is converted to Roman character conversion.

The word dictionary 308 is a dictionary in which various English words are stored, and can be searched by a character string of the first character type (English character). The contents are the same as those in FIG. 2, and various English words such as "default", "fault"... Are registered in English characters.

The candidate creating section 309 creates a character string candidate of the first character type with reference to the word dictionary 308 for the input character string converted to the second character type. The candidate storage unit 310 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 309.

The candidate selecting section 311 processes a candidate selecting operation stored in the candidate storing section 310. The second character string buffer 3 corresponds to the character string of the selected candidate.
06 is replaced.

Further, in the third embodiment, an automatic candidate selecting section 312 is provided. This candidate automatic selection unit 31
2 performs an automatic selection process of a candidate created by the candidate creating unit 309.

Next, the operation of the third embodiment will be described.

In the third embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the Roman character input mode. It is assumed that the Roman character input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 301a provided on the input unit 301.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process in the third embodiment. The basic operation is the same as that of the first embodiment.
C16 is the same as the processing in steps A11 to A16 in FIG.

That is, first, input processing of a key input by the input unit 301 is performed (step C11). The control unit 302 inputs the key input information to the input MMI unit 304
Send to

The input MMI section 304 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) for performing kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When key input information is sent to input MMI section 304, input MMI section 304 first determines whether the key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step C12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but a normal character input (Yes in step C12), the input M
The MI unit 304 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 305 (step C1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 307 performs character type conversion processing such as Roman character conversion on the character string of the first character type stored in the first character string buffer 305 (step C14). The character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 306 (step C15).

Next, the candidate creating section 309 searches the word dictionary 308 for each part of the character string stored in the first character string buffer 305, and creates a candidate based on the searched character string (step C16).

Here, in the third embodiment, after the candidate creating unit 309 performs the candidate creating process, the candidate automatic selecting unit 312 performs the candidate selecting process (step C17). At this time, if there are a plurality of candidates, the priority is determined based on the length of the character string, the frequency information of English words stored in the word dictionary 308, and the like, and a candidate with a higher priority is selected.

Thereafter, the contents of the second character string buffer 306 are replaced by the selected candidate character string by the input MMI section 304 (step C18), and the character string of the second character string buffer 306 after the replacement is replaced. And the candidates in the candidate storage unit 310 are displayed (steps C19 and C2).
0).

If there is a candidate selection operation by the user in step C12, input MMI section 304 performs a candidate selection process according to the selection operation (step C2).
1).

FIG. 15 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 15A, in the Roman character input mode, when a character string of the first character type (English character) such as “setteiwodefault” is input, a second character string such as “Sete-de-fault” is entered. 2
A character string converted to Roman characters is displayed for the character type (Hiragana).

At this time, at the timing when the last “t” is input, as shown in FIG. 17B, the character strings of the first character type (English characters) are “default” and “default”. Are displayed together with "default" (candidate range portion of the input character string).

Here, among the three candidates, the character string having the longest character string as the first character type, or “defaul” is set according to the frequency information of English words set in advance.
t "is automatically selected.

As described above, in the third embodiment, in the input mode in which the character is converted into the second character type different from the first character type and input, for example, in the Roman character input mode,
Even if the user does not perform a candidate selection operation, words with different character types can be input.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The fourth embodiment is characterized in that the selection of candidates in the second embodiment is automated and character types are replaced.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document creation device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Input unit 40
Reference numeral 1 denotes a keyboard for inputting characters, functions, and the like. The input unit 401 is provided with a mode switching key 401a for switching the input mode between “Roman input mode” and “Kana input mode”. The “Roman character input mode” is a mode in which English characters are converted into Hiragana or Katakana and input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control unit 402 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input unit 401, the output unit 403, and the input MMI unit 404 by executing a program, and executes a character input process.

The output unit 403 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu)
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI unit 404 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 405 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 401. The second character string buffer 406 stores the character type conversion unit 4
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 407 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the fourth embodiment, the input unit 40
As 1, a keyboard in which a plurality of types of characters are assigned to one key is used. The first character type is “Hiragana” or “Katakana”, the second character type is “English character”, and the conversion from the first character type to the second character type is performed by using the same key on the keyboard. Conversion to character.

The word dictionary 408 is a dictionary in which various English words are stored, and can be searched by a character string of the second character type (English character). The contents are the same as those in FIG. 2, and various English words, such as "default", "fault", are registered in English characters.

The candidate creating section 409 creates a character string candidate of the second character type with reference to the word dictionary 408 for an input character string of the first character type. The candidate storage unit 410 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 409.

The candidate selection section 411 processes a selection operation of a candidate stored in the candidate storage section 410. The first character string buffer 4 corresponds to the character string of the selected candidate.
Replace the contents of 05.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, an automatic candidate selecting section 412 is provided. This candidate automatic selection unit 41
2 performs an automatic selection process of the candidate created by the candidate creating unit 409.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described.

In the fourth embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the kana input mode. It is assumed that the kana input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 401a provided on the input unit 401.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process in the fourth embodiment. The basic operation is the same as that of the second embodiment.
D16 is the same as the processing in steps B11 to B16 in FIG.

That is, first, input processing of a key input by the input unit 401 is performed (step D11). The control unit 402 inputs the key input information to the input MMI unit 404
Send to

The input MMI unit 404 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) for performing kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When the key input information is sent to input MMI section 404, input MMI section 404 first determines whether this key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step). D12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but a normal character input (Yes in step D12), the input M
The MI unit 404 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 405 (step D1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 407 converts the character string of the first character type stored in the first character string buffer 405 into the second character type assigned to the same key on the keyboard. Then, a character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 406 (step D15).

Next, the candidate creating section 409 searches the word dictionary 408 for each part of the character string stored in the second character string buffer 406, and creates a candidate based on the searched character string (step D16).

Here, in the fourth embodiment, after the candidate creation unit 409 performs the candidate creation process, the candidate automatic selection unit 412 performs the candidate selection process (step D17). At this time, when there are a plurality of candidates, the priority is determined based on the length of the character string, the frequency information of the English words stored in the word dictionary 408, and the candidate with the highest priority is selected.

Thereafter, the contents of the second character string buffer 106 are replaced by the selected candidate character string by the input MMI unit 404 (step D18), and the character string of the second character string buffer 406 after the replacement is replaced. And the candidates in the candidate storage unit 410 are displayed (steps D19 and D2).
0).

If there is a candidate selection operation by the user in step D12, input MMI section 404 performs a candidate selection process according to the selection operation (step D2).
1).

FIG. 18 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 18A, in the kana input mode, when a character string of the first character type (Hiragana), such as "Hiragana" is displayed, the input character string is displayed. Is done.

At this time, at the timing when the last "?" Is input, as shown in FIG. 17B, as a character string of the second character type (English character), "default" and "new fault" are used. Is displayed together with "Shihachi Narika" (a part of the candidate range of the character string).

Here, of the three candidates, the character string as the second character type is the longest, or “defaul” is set in accordance with the English word frequency information set in advance.
t "is automatically selected.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, for example, in the input mode in which the first character type is directly input, such as the kana input mode, even if the user does not perform a candidate selection operation, words having different character types can be input. Can be entered.

(Fifth Embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The fifth embodiment is characterized in that, in the automatic candidate selection in the third embodiment, the character type is replaced by the automatic selection only when the Roman character conversion is unsuccessful.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document creation device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Input unit 50
Reference numeral 1 denotes a keyboard for inputting characters, functions, and the like. In addition, the input unit 501 is provided with a mode switching key 501a for switching the input mode between “Roman character input mode” and “Kana input mode”. The “Roman character input mode” is a mode in which English characters are converted into Hiragana or Katakana and input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control unit 502 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input unit 501, the output unit 503, and the input MMI unit 504 by executing a program, and executes character input processing.

The output unit 503 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI unit 504 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 505 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 501. The second character string buffer 506 includes the character type conversion unit 5
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 507 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the fifth embodiment, the first character type is “English character”, the second character type is “Hiragana” or “Katakana”, and the second character type is
Is converted to Roman character conversion.

The word dictionary 508 is a dictionary in which various English words are stored, and can be searched by a character string of the first character type (English character). The contents are the same as those in FIG. 2, and various English words such as "default", "fault"... Are registered in English characters.

The candidate creating section 509 creates a character string candidate of the first character type with reference to the word dictionary 508 for the input character string converted into the second character type. The candidate storage unit 510 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 509.

The candidate selecting section 511 processes a candidate selecting operation stored in the candidate storing section 510. The candidate selecting section 511 corresponds to the character string of the selected candidate.
06 is replaced.

Further, in the fifth embodiment, a candidate automatic selection unit 512 and an automatic selection judgment unit 513 are provided. The candidate automatic selection unit 512 performs an automatic selection process of the candidate created by the candidate creation unit 509. The automatic selection determination unit 513 controls automatic selection by the candidate automatic selection unit 512 based on the character type conversion result (success / failure of Roman character conversion) by the character type conversion unit 507.

Next, the operation of the fifth embodiment will be described.

In the fifth embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the Roman character input mode. It is assumed that the Roman character input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 501a provided on the input unit 501.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process according to the fifth embodiment. The basic operation is the same as that of the third embodiment.
E16 is the same as the processing in steps C11 to C16 in FIG.

That is, first, input processing of a key input by the input section 501 is performed (step E11). The control unit 502 inputs the key input information to the input MMI unit 504.
Send to

The input MMI unit 504 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) for performing kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When key input information is sent to input MMI section 504, input MMI section 504 first determines whether the key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step E12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but normal character input (Yes in step E12), the input M
The MI unit 504 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 505 (step E1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 507 performs a character type conversion process on the character string of the first character type stored in the first character string buffer 505 into a second character type such as Roman character conversion. (Step E14) The character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 506 (Step E15).

Next, the candidate creating section 509 searches the word dictionary 508 for each part of the character string stored in the first character string buffer 505, and creates a candidate based on the searched character string (step E16). .

Here, in the fifth embodiment, the automatic selection judgment unit 513 receives the result of character type conversion of each candidate character string by the character type conversion unit 507, and only when the character type conversion (Roman character conversion) fails. (No in step E17),
A candidate automatic selection process is performed by the automatic candidate selection unit 512 (step E18).

Thereafter, the contents of the second character string buffer 506 are replaced by the selected candidate character string by the input MMI section 504 (step E19), and the character string of the second character string buffer 506 after the replacement is replaced. And the candidates in the candidate storage unit 510 are displayed (steps E20 and E2).
1).

If the character type conversion (Roman character conversion) fails in step E17, the character string in the second character string buffer 506 and the candidates in the candidate storage unit 510 are displayed (steps E20 and E21). (Step E22).

FIG. 21 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 21 (a), when a character string of the first character type (English character) such as "setteiwodefault" is input in the Roman character input mode, a character string such as "setei wa futo lt" is input. 2
A character string converted to Roman characters is displayed for the character type (Hiragana).

At this time, at the timing when the last “t” is input, as shown in FIG. 23B, the character strings of the first character type (English characters) are “default” and “default”. Are displayed together with "default" (candidate range portion of the input character string).

In this case, “detail lt” is finally replaced by “l”.
Since t "has failed in the Roman character conversion, the automatic candidate selection is performed. That is, of the three candidates, the character string having the longest character type as the first character type or the English word set in advance is selected. According to the frequency information of "default
t "is automatically selected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19C, in the character string after the Roman character conversion, for example, “How to match”, the entire “Ato” portion is converted to Hiragana characters. The first character type (English character) corresponding to the part
Are displayed, but the selection of the candidate is left to the judgment of the user.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, in the mode in which the first character type (English character) is converted into the second character type (Hiragana character) and input, the character which may be the second character type is used. The column portion is not replaced, and only the portion that is inappropriate as the second character type can be replaced with the first character type.

(Sixth Embodiment) Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The sixth embodiment is characterized in that, in the automatic selection of candidates in the third embodiment, candidates are created when capital letters are input, and character types are replaced by automatic selection.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document creation device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. Input unit 60
Reference numeral 1 denotes a keyboard for inputting characters, functions, and the like. The input unit 601 is provided with a mode switching key 601a for switching the input mode between "Roman input mode" and "Kana input mode". The “Roman character input mode” is a mode in which English characters are converted into Hiragana or Katakana and input. The “kana input mode” is a mode for inputting hiragana or katakana.

The control section 602 is composed of a microprocessor, and controls the input section 601, the output section 603, and the input MMI section 604 by executing a program, and executes a character input process.

The output unit 603 is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tu
be) or a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays input character strings and the like.

The input MMI section 604 processes a user's character input operation. The first character string buffer 605 stores a character string composed of the first character type input from the input unit 601. The second character string buffer 606 includes a character type conversion unit 6
07, the character string converted into the second character type is stored. The character type conversion unit 607 converts a character string of the first character type into a character string of the second character type.

Here, in the sixth embodiment, the first character type is “English character”, the second character type is “Hiragana” or “Katakana”, and the second character type is
Is converted to Roman character conversion.

The word dictionary 608 is a dictionary in which various English words are stored, and can be searched by a character string of the first character type (English character). The contents are the same as those in FIG. 2, and various English words such as "default", "fault"... Are registered in English characters.

The candidate creating unit 609 creates a character string candidate of the first character type with reference to the word dictionary 608 for the input character string converted to the second character type. The candidate storage unit 610 stores the character string candidates created by the candidate creation unit 609.

The candidate selecting section 611 processes a candidate selecting operation stored in the candidate storing section 610. The candidate selecting section 611 stores the second character string buffer 6 in correspondence with the character string of the selected candidate.
06 is replaced.

Further, in the sixth embodiment, an automatic candidate selection section 612, a character type range determination section 613, and a candidate creation flag storage section 614 are provided. Automatic candidate selection unit 612
Performs an automatic selection process of the candidate created by the candidate creating unit 609. The character type range determination unit 613 determines whether or not an uppercase letter (English character) is input by the first character type, and sets a candidate creation flag when an uppercase character is input.
The candidate creation flag storage unit 614 stores the character type range determination unit 61
3 is stored.

Next, the operation of the sixth embodiment will be described.

In the sixth embodiment, it is assumed that a character string is input in the Roman character input mode. It is assumed that the Roman character input mode is set in advance by the user by operating a mode switching key 601a provided on the input unit 601.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of the character input process in the sixth embodiment. The basic operation is the same as that of the third embodiment.
E15 is the same as the processing in steps C11 to C15 in FIG.

That is, first, an input process of a key input by the input unit 601 is performed (step F11). The control unit 602 inputs the key input information to the input MMI unit 604
Send to

The input MMI unit 604 assumes a function such as a front-end processor (FEP) for performing kana-kanji conversion. Here, only the character input operation according to the present invention will be described, and the description of the subsequent kana-kanji conversion operation will be omitted.

When key input information is sent to input MMI section 604, input MMI section 604 first determines whether this key input information is information for a selection operation or information for a character input operation (step F12).

If the key input information is not a selection operation but a normal character input (Yes in step F12), the input M
The MI unit 604 stores the character code corresponding to the key input information in the first character string buffer 605 (step F1).
3).

Next, the character type conversion unit 607 performs a character type conversion process on the character string stored in the first character string buffer 605 to a second character type such as Roman character conversion (step F14). The character string composed of the second character type after the character type conversion is stored in the second character string buffer 606 (step F15).

Here, in the sixth embodiment, before creating a candidate, the character type range determination unit 613 first determines whether or not an uppercase letter has been input (step F).
16). As a result, if the input is a capital letter (Yes in step F16), the candidate creation flag is set (= 1) in the candidate creation flag storage unit 614 (step F20).
Only when this candidate creation flag is set (= 1) (Yes in step F17), the candidate creation unit 6
09, a candidate creation process is performed (step F21).

As candidates at this time, only words starting with characters entered in uppercase letters are set as candidates. After the candidate is created, it is determined whether or not there is a candidate longer than the matching character string. If not, it is determined that the candidate ends (step F2).
2), the candidate creation flag is reset (= 0) (step F23).

Then, the candidate automatic selection unit 612 performs an automatic candidate selection process on the candidates thus created (step F23). In this case, the longest candidate having an uppercase character as the first character is automatically selected.

Thereafter, the contents of the second character string buffer 606 are replaced by the selected candidate character string by the input MMI unit 604 (step F25), and the replaced character string of the second character string buffer 606 is replaced. And the candidates in the candidate storage unit 610 are displayed (steps F18 and F1).
9).

If there is a candidate selection operation by the user in step F12, input MMI section 604 performs a candidate selection process according to the selection operation (step F2).
6).

FIG. 24 shows a display example at this time.

As shown in FIG. 24A, when a character string of the first character type (English character) such as “setteiwo” is input in the Roman character input mode,
A character string that has been converted to Roman characters in a second character type (Hiragana), such as "Setsuru", is displayed.

Here, when a capital letter “D” is input after “setteiwo”, a candidate creation flag is set, and
A first character type (English character) candidate for a character string input after "D" is created.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
If there is no English word (Default ~) starting with "default", the end of the English word can be known up to "Default", so that the candidate creation flag is cleared and the candidate creation is terminated. "Default" is automatically selected as an English word,
Replaced by the corresponding part of the input string.

As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, in the mode in which the first character type (English character) is converted to the second character type (Hiragana character) and input, the candidate input starting with the capital letter is used. Is automatically replaced, so that only the part intended by the user can be converted to English words.

The methods described in each of the above-described embodiments are, for example, magnetic disks (floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), optical disks (CD-ROM,
It is also possible to write the data on a recording medium such as a DVD or a semiconductor memory and apply it to various devices, or to transmit it via a communication medium and apply it to various devices. A computer that realizes the present apparatus reads the program recorded on the recording medium, and executes the above-described processing by controlling the operation of the program.

[0221]

As described above, according to the present invention, the first character type (English character) is converted into the second character type (Hiragana) in the mode of inputting the first character type, such as the Roman character input mode. Since the character type is replaced with the converted character string using a word dictionary storing words composed of character types, a word (English word) of the first character type can be input without performing a character type change operation. Can be.

Also, by performing character type replacement processing only when character type conversion (Roman character conversion) is unsuccessful, unnecessary portion replacement can be avoided.

Further, by replacing the character string leading the input part of the capital letter, it is possible to avoid unnecessary replacement.

Further, according to the present invention, in a mode for inputting a first character type (Hiragana) such as a kana input mode, for example, the first character type is converted into a second character type (English character), The character type of the input character string is replaced using a word dictionary that stores words composed of the character types of the above. Therefore, a word (English word) of the second character type can be input without performing a character type changing operation. it can.

As described above, even when a part of the character type is different, such as an English word, during the input of a certain character type, the input can be performed without changing the character type, thereby reducing the burden of the input operation of the user. Can be reduced. As a result, the document can be created efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a word dictionary provided in the document creation device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a character input process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining candidate creation in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view for explaining a dictionary search in the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a display of an input character string and its candidates in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a character input process according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining candidate creation in the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a dictionary search according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a key arrangement of a keyboard according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a view showing an example of display of an input character string and its candidates in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a document creation device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a character input process according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a view showing an example of display of an input character string and its candidates in the third embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a character input process according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a display example of an input character string and its candidates in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a character input process according to the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a view showing an example of display of an input character string and its candidates in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a document creation device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of a character input process according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a view showing a display example of an input character string and its candidates in the sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 input unit 102 control unit 103 output unit 104 input MMI unit 105 first character string buffer 106 second character string buffer 107 character type conversion unit 108 word dictionary 109 candidate creation unit 110 candidate storage unit 111: Candidate selection unit 312: Candidate automatic selection unit 412: Candidate automatic selection unit 512: Candidate automatic selection unit 513: Automatic selection determination unit 612: Candidate automatic selection unit 613: Character type range determination unit 614: Candidate creation flag storage unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hirofumi Goto 1385 Shinmachi, Ome-shi, Tokyo Examiner, Toshiba Software Engineering Co., Ltd. Hiroyuki Naruse (56) References JP-A-2-32460 (JP, A) JP JP-A-8-16572 (JP, A) JP-A-10-254868 (JP, A) JP-A-62-38969 (JP, A) JP-A-63-140319 (JP, A) JP-A-4-227564 (JP) , A) JP-A-6-43990 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 17/21-17/24 G06F 3/023

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] (1) at least hiragana or katakana characters
An input means capable of inputting a column, and hiragana or katakana input by the input means
When the character string is entered, the entered hiragana or
Character type conversion that converts katakana character strings to English character strings
Conversion means and word dictionary storing English words composed of English characters
And a character string of an English character converted by the character type conversion means.
Search the word dictionary for each part of
Character strings that can replace English words in
And a hiragana or katakana input by the input means.
Is displayed, and the above candidates are created during the input.
When the candidate character string of English characters is obtained by means,
Replace the character candidate string with the corresponding part of the input string.
Display means for switching and displaying .
Document creation device. 2. At least hiragana or katakana characters
Input device capable of inputting columns and input by this input device
And a display device for displaying the displayed character string.
A character input processing method executed on a computer, wherein a hiragana or katakana character string is
When input, the input Hiragana or Katakana
Converts a character string to an English character string, and converts each part of the converted English character string to an English character
Search a word dictionary that stores English words composed by
English that can replace English words in the above word dictionary
Hiragana or katakana created as a character candidate character string and entered using the above input device
Is displayed on the above display device, and
When the candidate character string for the English character is obtained,
Replace the candidate string with the corresponding part of the input string
A character input processing method for displaying on the display device . 3. At least hiragana or katakana characters
Input device capable of inputting columns and input by this input device
And a display device for displaying the displayed character string.
Records the character input processing program executed on the
A recording medium, wherein a character string of hiragana or katakana is input to the computer by the input device.
When input, the input Hiragana or Katakana
The procedure for converting a character string to an English character string, and for each part of the converted English character string,
Search a word dictionary that stores English words composed by
English that can replace English words in the above word dictionary
The procedure for creating a character candidate character string, and the hiragana or katakana input by the input device
Is displayed on the above display device, and
When the candidate character string for the English character is obtained,
Replace the candidate string with the corresponding part of the input string
And displaying the program on the display device by a computer.
Recording media.