JPS5814685B2 - Japanese text input device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for inputting Japanese text containing kanji into a computer or other data processing device.

The demand for inputting kanji into computers and other data processing devices is increasing day by day, and many human-powered devices and input methods for this purpose are already known.

However, it has lagged behind the remarkable progress of kanji output devices, and the current state is that full-character arrangement systems such as kanji keyboards, kanji tablets, and Japanese type are still the mainstream.

This method has a major drawback in that it requires considerable skill because it requires memorization of the positions of two-dimensionally arranged characters, and it cannot be easily used by non-specialists.

In addition to the full character arrangement method, there is also a kanji input method using a kana keyboard.

One of them is Lineup. In this system, each kanji is encoded with two to four kana characters, and the code is input from a kana keyboard.

In this case as well, considerable skill is required since the code must be memorized.

Another method using a kana keyboard is to input the reading of an onkun from a kana keyboard, obtain homophones corresponding to the reading and kana through kana-kanji conversion, and select a desired kanji from among them.

This method is excellent in that it can be easily operated without training, but the characteristic of kanji is that there are many homophones and the frequency of use varies depending on the field in which it is used, which causes a decrease in the speed of human power. There is.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 52-98425 describes a method that automatically checks the frequency of use of all kanji used in a certain period of time in the past and changes the arrangement order of kanji in a dictionary to suit each industry. Although it has been suggested, this method is rather inconvenient when one device handles Japanese texts from different fields.

An object of the present invention is to provide an input device for Japanese sentences containing kanji that can be easily operated by anyone and has a high input speed.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a Japanese text input device according to the present invention.

Each component will be explained below.

Keyboard device 1 - Kana keys, number keys, kanji designation key, hiragana shift key, one-kana shift key, mode switching key,
It has an end key.

Kanaki is used to input the reading of Japanese sentences in kana.

The numeric keys are used to select homophonic kanji or idioms.

The kanji specification key is used to specify the kanji part by inputting it before and after the kanji part when inputting the reading of a Japanese sentence in kana.

The hiragana shift key is used when inputting hiragana in Japanese sentences.

When you press this key, all subsequent input using the kana keys will be in hiragana.

The Katakana shift key is used when inputting Katakana characters in Japanese sentences.

If you press this key, all subsequent input using the kana keys will be in katakana.

The mode switching key is used to switch from a mode in which readings are input in kana to a display mode in which input sentences are displayed, and vice versa, to switch from a display mode to a mode in which readings are input in kana.

The end key is used to indicate that the selection of all the displayed homophonic and different types of kanji or idioms has been completed.

When you press this key, the homophone-like kanji or compound word will be displayed for the next sentence.

Character display device 2 - A display device such as a CRT1 plasma is used to display a character pattern generated from a character pattern generator described later.

The character pattern generator 3 generates character patterns to be displayed by the character display device 2, and a ROM or the like is used.

Page memory 4 - Displays the pronunciation of the Japanese text input from the keyboard device 1 as a string of kana characters, or the kanji, compound words, and selected kanji combinations corresponding to the pronunciation specified by the kanji designation key. Contains text.

For example, core memory, IC memory, CCD memory, etc. are used.

The external storage device 5 stores a conversion table (hereinafter referred to as a kana-kanji conversion table) between one reading and the corresponding kanji and compound words.

For example, core memory, IC memory, magnetic disk, magnetic drum, etc. are used.

The above kana-kanji conversion table includes the kanji and idioms that correspond to the readings, as well as the frequency (selected) of each field of use in the Japanese sentences input up to that point for each kanji and idiom. is included.

The exchange of signals between the above devices is controlled by a controller 6 using, for example, a minicomputer, a microprocessor, or the like.

The write circuit, read circuit, search circuit, table update circuit, and comparison circuit will be described when explaining the operation of this device.

The functions of these circuits can be provided to minicomputers, microcomputers, etc.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the work procedure performed by the operator when inputting Japanese sentences using this input device.

First, the operator uses the kana keys on the keyboard device 4 to input a Japanese sentence according to its pronunciation.

However, the kanji reading part is distinguished from the non-kanji part by the kanji specification key.

When the kana reading of several lines to one page of Japanese text is completed, the mode switching key is pressed to switch to the display mode.

As a result, one line of the input Japanese sentence is displayed in kana on the display device 2.

At the same time, for the part of the kana designated as the reading of the kanji, the kanji or compound words with that reading are displayed in a line below the kana character.

The operator selects and specifies one of the displayed kanji strings or phrase strings by operating the numeric keys.

When you have finished selecting and specifying one line of text, press the end key.

Continue the above operations until all kanji and idioms have been determined for the reading of the input Japanese sentence.

After all kanji and idioms have been determined, press the mode switch key to switch to kana reading mode and enter the reading of a new sentence in kana.

Next, the operation of this input device will be explained using FIG.

The input device operates according to the following steps.

When the operator inputs the pronunciation of a Japanese sentence in kana from keyboard 1, the next step is performed.

Note that the fields of use are specified in advance by key personnel, etc.

Step 1 The writing circuit 7 writes the kana input from the keyboard 1 into the page memory 4.

When a kana corresponding to the pronunciation of a kanji or compound word is input (the part corresponding to the pronunciation of a kanji or compound word is detected by inputting the kanji designation key), the search circuit 8 searches the external storage device 5.
A kana conversion table in the system is searched, homophonetic and different types of kanji or phrases having the corresponding pronunciation and their frequency of use in a designated field are retrieved, and written into the page memory 4 by a writing circuit 7.

When the operator presses the mode change key on the keyboard 1 after inputting the pronunciation of several lines or one page of Japanese text, the process moves to the next step.

Step 2 The reading circuit 9 selects from the page memory 4 the kana that indicates the pronunciation of one line of Japanese text, and the corresponding kanji or compound words written in step 1, in descending order of frequency of use in the specified field. Six pieces are read out and sent to the display device 2.

Step 3 The display device 2 displays the sent kana in one horizontal line, and displays the sent kanji or compound words in a vertical line below the kana indicating their pronunciation.

The pattern of each character to be displayed at this time is supplied from the character pattern generator 3.

The operator reads the displayed Japanese text and checks the input results, while at the same time inputting from among the homophone and heterogeneous kanji strings or phrase strings displayed as above, multiple candidates for one reading. Select what you need to do and use the number keys to add selection information.

Selection specifications are executed in order from the beginning of the sentence, and in the case of horizontal writing display, selections are made in order from the leftmost kanji or phrase string to the right.

Step 4 Select and specify the top of the candidate kanji string or phrase string as number 1,
Assign a number that increases downwards, and enter this number by specifying it with the numeric keys.

When this input is given, the device compares the selection number with 0 in the comparator circuit 10.

Selection number O is for rejecting selection from the displayed group of selected candidates and requesting display of the next group of selected candidates.

Then, the selection number is compared with 0, and if it is not 0, the one with the designated number is redisplayed at the top position, and the others are deleted.

The writing circuit 7 leaves only those kanji or phrases with the same sound and different types prepared in advance in the page memory 4 that have received the selection designation, and erases the others.

Furthermore, the table update circuit 11 adds 1 to the frequency of use in the designated field of the item corresponding to the selected number in the kana-kanji conversion table.

If the selection number is O, as mentioned above, it is a request to display the next group of candidates, so the readout circuit 9 selects from the page memory 4 all the kanji or phrases with different homophones that have not yet been displayed, starting from the most frequently used ones. Six pieces are read out, and the display device 2 displays them in a line again, and repeats the operation in step 4.

After completing the selection operation for one line of the displayed Japanese text, the operator presses the end key on keyboard 1.

In this way, do the same for the next line in step 2.
Repeat the operations from.

After completing the above-mentioned processing for inputting the Japanese pronunciation in kana for several lines to one page, the operator presses the mode change key to enter the mode in which the pronunciation of the Japanese text is input using kana keys, that is, step 1. You can continue operations from.

FIG. 3 is an example of a display in display mode.

On the first line, one line of text containing kanji characters obtained by making a selection in the previous display is displayed.

The ninth line displays the reading of one line of text that will be selected in the next display.

These displays are for understanding the context of the text.

The second line displays only the pronunciations of kanji or compound words among the sentences that are about to undergo selection processing.

Kanji or compound words corresponding to these readings are displayed in a line from the third line to the eighth line below each reading.

The third line also displays kana (hiragana, katakana) other than those input as the readings of kanji or compound words.

The underline below the reading of the kanji or compound word on the second line is a cursor that indicates to the operator the kanji string or compound word string to be selected, and moves to the right when one kanji or compound word is selected.

The operator looks at this screen, and if there is a desired kanji string or phrase string pointed to by the cursor, press 1 on the third line, then press the number keys 2 to 6 downwards. Press the button to specify a selection. Figure 3 shows a scene in which a selection is made from a string of phrases for ``ishi''.

The operator enters the number 4. Then, as shown in Figure 4, ``different characters'' are displayed on the third line, the others disappear, and the cursor moves below ``go''.

Since the desired kanji does not exist in the kanji string corresponding to "go", the number O is input.

Then, a new kanji string will be displayed as shown in Figure 5.

Since the desired kanji "word" exists in the kanji string, enter the number 4 corresponding to it. After one line of Japanese text has been processed as described above, press the end key to start the process. The process moves on to the reading of the one line of text displayed on the ninth line.

In the above display, the sentences are displayed horizontally and the kanji and phrases with different homophones are displayed vertically, but the sentences may be displayed vertically and the kanji or phrases with different homophones are displayed horizontally.

According to the present invention, the frequency of kanji and idioms used in a specified field is calculated every time a Japanese sentence is input, and kanji and idioms with homophones and idioms are displayed in order of frequency of use. Therefore, as you use this input device, kanji and idioms that are easy to use will be displayed at the top, and kanji and idioms that are difficult to use will be displayed at the bottom.

This makes selection easier and increases input speed.

In addition, when displaying kanji and idioms with different homophones in several parts, the most frequently used kanji and idioms up to that point are displayed first. kanji and idioms that are difficult to use are displayed on the later screens.

This makes selection easier and increases input speed.

Additionally, as the input device is used, it will become more suited to the particularities of the site where it is used.

The usage of kanji and idioms varies greatly depending on the field.

Therefore, by collecting usage frequency statistics for each field and changing the display order according to the field, high-speed input is possible even when Japanese texts in each field are handled by one device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS.
The figure is a diagram showing an example of a display according to the present invention. 1...Keyboard device, 2...Display device, 3...Character pattern generator, 4...Page memory, 5...External storage device,
6... Controller.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device that converts Japanese sentences input in kana code into sentences containing kanji, including at least one table containing kanji or compound words along with usage frequency information corresponding to their pronunciations, and kanji or compound words input in kana code. a table search unit that searches the table for the pronunciation of the input pronunciation and reads out usage frequency information along with the kanji or compound word corresponding to the input pronunciation; and usage frequency information corresponding to the kanji or compound word read by the table search unit. a selection section for specifying what to input from the plurality of kanji or idioms displayed by this display section; and a selection section for changing the usage frequency information for the kanji or idiom selected by this selection section. and a table updating unit, wherein the usage frequency information is provided for each field in which kanji or compound words are used, and by specifying the field, the usage frequency information corresponding to the corresponding field is updated. Wooden text input device.