JPS6357811B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a keyboard device for inputting information such as characters and symbols, and in particular to improvements in the shift key and space bar key in the keyboard section of an electronic electric typewriter or input terminal. As is well known, in the conventional keyboard layout for inputting European characters or kana characters,
The shift key and space bar key are provided separately. In a typical keyboard for inputting European characters, a horizontal bar key in front of the operator functions as a space key, and a shift key is provided at both ends of the key arrangement one level above the bar key. There is. In terms of fingering, bar keys are pressed with the left or right thumb, and the two shift keys on the left and right ends are pressed with the little finger of the left hand when pressing character keys with the right hand, and when pressing character keys with the left hand. The keys are pressed with the little finger of the right hand. Regarding the difficulty of key operations, it is easiest to operate the front bar key with your thumb, and conversely, it is most difficult to operate the shift key with your little finger. Difficulty in fingering the shift key increases typing training time, reduces key input speed, and causes operator fatigue, which is one of the causes of inhibiting improvement in character input productivity. In order to improve these shortcomings, it would be possible to arrange the shift key in a position where it is easy to operate, but even if the key arrangement is changed with only the operability of the shift key in mind, another key will be used in its place. This is not an essential solution since it will also be placed in a position that is difficult to operate. For example, it has recently been considered to use the bar key that was previously used as the space key as a shift key and move the space key to a different position, but this would make it easier to operate the shift key (bar key) with the thumb, but A problem arises in that the space key whose position has been changed becomes more difficult to operate than before. This invention was made in view of the above points,
The purpose is to improve character input productivity by placing both the space key and shift key in positions where fingering is easy. The purpose of this is to provide two functions to a key placed in a comfortable fingering position (specifically, the key that is the home position of the thumb in terms of fingering), so that the key can be pressed independently. This is achieved by using different functions depending on whether the key is being pressed or whether it is being pressed at the same time as another key. Specifically, the bar key placed in front of the operator is used as a space key and a shift key, and when this bar key is pressed alone, it functions as a space key, and when pressed at the same time as other keys, it functions as a shift key. That's what I do. That way, the conventional shift key can be removed. For this reason, a new device has been installed to determine whether the bar key is pressed alone or at the same time as other keys, and the function of the bar key is switched based on this determination. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a keyboard device according to the present invention, and an example of the key arrangement of the keyboard section 10 in this embodiment is shown in FIG. The keyboard section 10 includes a key group 11 consisting of character keys, numeric keys, symbol keys, etc., and a bar key.
Contains BK. The bar key BK is placed in front of the operator (that is, in a position where it can be easily operated with the left or right thumb). The finger names written for reference in FIG. 2 indicate the fingers that are considered to be most efficient in operating the relevant keys in terms of fingering.
This keyboard unit 10 is not provided with a shift key, and the bar key BK serves both as a shift key and a space key. Each key in the key group 11 corresponds to two types of letters, numbers, symbols, commands, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as letters), and the shift key is a function key for selecting one of them. Further, the space key is a key that indicates a blank space for one character (space between characters) with each keystroke. In this embodiment, when the bar key BK is pressed alone, it functions as a space key, and when pressed simultaneously with other keys (that is, each key of the key group 11), it functions as a shift key. In FIG. 1, a key scanning detection encoding circuit 12 scans each key in the key group 11, detects a pressed key, and generates a code signal for the pressed key. The code signal of the pressed key output from this encoding circuit 12 is sent to the A of the simultaneous key press processing circuit 13.
given to the input. Encoder 14 is Berkey
In response to the keystroke of BK, a code signal indicating the bar key BK is outputted and applied to the B input of the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13. Note that, in principle, multiple keys within the key group 11 should not be pressed at the same time, but by configuring the key scanning detection encoding circuit 12 to allow rollover, key input by rollover is possible in the key group 11. be able to. The rollable key scanning detection encoding circuit 12 treats the pressing of multiple keys at the same time as an error input and does not generate a key code, but the key scanning detection encoding circuit 12 that allows for rollover does not generate a key code when multiple keys are pressed at exactly the same time. Even if a plurality of keys are temporarily pressed by pressing , key codes for each pressed key are generated sequentially in the order in which they are pressed. Such a rolloverable key detection circuit is already known, and the key scanning detection encoding circuit 12 can be easily constructed according to, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-17017, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 52-58423, or other known constructions. be able to. The simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13 has an A input and a B input.
In other words, it is determined whether or not the key of key group 11 and the bar key BK are pressed at the same time, and if it is determined that they are pressed simultaneously, the value of the key code added to the A input is converted to the value in shift mode and the key code bus is sent. If it is not determined that the keys are pressed simultaneously, the key code currently being added to the A input or B input is output to the key code bus X as is.
In other words, the key code added to the A input is the key code for non-shift mode, and if it is determined that keys are pressed simultaneously, the bar key BK functions as a shift key, and the key code given to the A input is changed to shift mode. Convert to time key code. In addition, if it is not determined that the keys were pressed simultaneously (i.e., if a key is pressed independently in key group 11 or if Barkey BK is pressed independently), if a key code is given to the A input, that key will be pressed. The code, that is, the key code in the non-shift mode, is output as is, and if a key code is given to the B input, the bar key BK functions as a space key, and the key code of the B input is output as is as the key code of the space key. That is, if the key code of Barkey BK encoded by the encoder 14 is given as is to the key code bus X, it will carry information as a space key key code (a code indicating the inter-character space). The key code added to the A input is shown as "A", the key code added to the B input is shown as "B", and the key code converted from the key code A of the A input, that is, the key code in shift mode, is shown as "a". The input/output relationship in the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13 is as shown in Table 1. “〇” in Table 1
The mark indicates that the key code has been entered,
A "-" mark indicates that no key code has been input.

[Table] The key code given to key code bus
It is used as character input information as appropriate. For example, a character corresponding to a key code given to a printer unit (not shown) and given to the key code bus
It is used to print symbols, etc. or to perform spacing processing. In addition, the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13
In this case, not only the case where the key of key group 11 and the bar key BK are pressed at exactly the same time, but even if there is a slight time lag between the timing of the two keystrokes, as long as there is an allowable predetermined time difference, it is treated as simultaneous. I try to do that. FIG. 3 shows a specific example of the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13 that recognizes a certain time error when determining simultaneous keystrokes. In FIG. 3, the rising edge detection circuits 15 and 16 detect that the content of the key code given to the A input or the B input has changed to a new key code (the rising edge of the key code), and the rising edge is detected. Generates one short pulse at a time. The rising edge detection pulse outputted from the rising edge detection circuit 15 is delayed by one cycle of the system clock pulse φ ₁₀ (for example, about several tens to several hundred microseconds) by a delay flip-flop 17, and becomes a load command for the register 18. The rising edge detection pulse output from the rising edge detection circuit 16 serves as a load command for the register 19.
Therefore, when a new key is pressed in the key group 11, a pulse is generated from the rising edge detection circuit 15,
The key code of the new pressed key is stored in the register 18. Also, when Barkey BK is pressed,
At the beginning of the press, a pulse is generated from the rising edge detection circuit 16, and the key code of the bar key is stored in the register 19.
is memorized. When some key code is stored in the register 18 or 19, "1" is output from the OR circuit 20 or 21 into which the output is input, and the timer 22 or 23 is set. timer 2
The operating time T of 2 and 23 corresponds to the maximum allowable time difference that is considered to be simultaneous keystrokes. For example, the operating time T is about 50 milliseconds. The outputs of the timers 22 and 23 are "1" from the time the timer is set until the operating time T ends or until the timer is cleared.
Otherwise, it is "0". The key code output from the register 18 is input to the gate 24 and is also input to the gate 26 via the key code conversion circuit 25 for shift mode. Barkey output from register 19
The BK key code is input to gate 27. Each of the gates 24, 26, and 27 is made conductive according to the result of simultaneous key presses of the key of the key group 11 and the bar key BK. That is, when the non-shift mode is determined, the gate 24 is made conductive by the non-shift mode signal NSFT output from the AND circuit 30, and when the shift mode is determined, the shift mode signal output from the OR circuit 42 is turned on. If the gate 26 is made conductive by SFT and it is determined that the bar key BK functions as a space key, the AND circuit 38
The gate 27 is made conductive by the space signal SPS outputted from the space signal SPS. one gate 24 conductive,
The key codes output from 26 and 27 are supplied to key code bus X via multiplexer 28. The multiplexer 28 connects each gate 24, 26,
It consists of a plurality of OR circuits that connect the 27 output key codes to the key code bus X. When the gate 24 is conductive, the key code of the pressed key of the key group 11 given to the A input is directly given to the key code bus X, and when the gate 26 is conductive, the key code of the pressed key of the key group 11
The key code a obtained by converting the pressed key code 1 is applied to the key code bus X, and when the gate 27 is conductive, the key code of the bar key BK applied to the B input is applied to the key code bus Of course, the key code value converted by the key code conversion circuit 25 is a value that does not overlap with the key code A of each key in the non-shift mode.
The key code A is converted into a different predetermined value a depending on the value of the input key code A. For example, the key code conversion circuit 25 converts the key code A in the non-shift mode.
It consists of a ROM (read-only memory) that reads out the key code a in the non-shift mode in response to the above.
For example, if the key code A in the non-shift mode indicates a lowercase letter of the alphabet, the key code indicating the uppercase letter is read out as the key code a in the shift mode. There are mainly seven possible time relationships between the key codes applied to the A input and B input of the simultaneous key press processing circuit 13, as shown in FIGS. 4a to 4g. Here, the A input and B input are considered to be simultaneous in FIG. 4 d or e. Incidentally, when the A input and the B input are completely simultaneous, they belong to either d or e in FIG. 4. The operation of the circuit of FIG. 3 will be explained below with respect to each of FIGS. 4a to 4g. It is assumed that the registers 18 and 19 are cleared in the initial state. As shown in Figure 4a, if key codes are input consecutively to the A input with a time difference longer than the timer time T, when the first key code is added to the A input,
A short pulse is generated from the rising edge detection circuit 15 and sent to the gate 24 via the OR circuit 29 and the AND circuit 30.
(The non-shift mode signal NSFT becomes "1".) However, since the contents of the register 18 are cleared at this time, the key code bus is not given any keycode. It is assumed that the width of the output short pulse of the rising edge detection circuit 15 is equal to or shorter than one cycle of the system clock pulse _φ10 . The first key code is stored in register 18 when the pulse delayed by delay flip-flop 17 is applied to the load input of register 18. When the key code is stored in the register 18, the output of the OR circuit 20 rises to "1", and the timer 22
is set. When the time T of the timer 22 has elapsed, the inverter 31 inverts the output of the timer 22.
The output rises to "1", and "1" is applied to the AND circuit 30 via the OR circuit 29. Since "1" obtained by inverting the output "0" of the timer 23 by the inverter 32 is added to the other input of the AND circuit 30, the condition of the AND circuit 30 is satisfied, and the output of the AND circuit 30 is "1". The gate 24 is made conductive. Therefore, the key code stored in the register 18 (the first key code given to the A input) is transferred to the key code bus X via the gate 24.
given to. At this time, the gate 26 is closed. The output “1” of the inverter 31 is the differentiating circuit 33
is input. Differentiating circuit 33 outputs a short pulse at a time delayed by one period of clock pulse _φ10 from when the input rises to "1". This differential short pulse clears the register 18 via the OR circuit 34. When the second key code is applied to the A input, the gate 2 is
4 becomes conductive, after which register 18 is cleared. As shown in Fig. 4b, if key codes are given to the A input consecutively at a time interval shorter than the timer time T (this may occur if the key group 11 is enabled to roll over), the first key code is first stored in the register 18 as described above. Then the second
When the key code is applied to the A input, a rising edge detection pulse is generated from the rising edge detection circuit 15, the gate 24 becomes conductive, and the first key code stored in the register 18 is supplied to the bus X. The rising edge detection pulse delayed by the delay flip-flop 17 is applied to the load input of the register 18 and clears the timer 22 via the OR circuit 35.
Therefore, the timer 22 which is in the middle of the operating time T is once cleared, but is immediately set by the output "1" of the OR circuit 20 and restarts the timer operation. The second key code is the timer 2 as before.
At the end of time 2, bus X passes through gate 24.
given to. Note that it is impossible for the bar key BK to be pressed continuously at a time interval shorter than the timer time T.
This is because there is only one Berkey BK, so no matter how quickly you hit it repeatedly, the timer interval is T.
(time considered to be simultaneous) will be much longer. As shown in Figure 4 c or g, A input and B input
When key codes are input alternately with a time difference longer than the timer time T, the key codes applied to the A input and the key codes applied to the B input are stored in 18 and 19, respectively, at the respective rising timings.
However, since the time difference is longer than the timer time T, the key codes will not be stored in both registers 18 and 19 at the same time. Therefore, the key code of the A input stored in the register 18 is supplied to the bus X via the gate 24 at the expiration of the timer 22;
Register 18 is then cleared. Regarding the key code of the B input stored in the register 19, when the timer 23 expires, both timers 2
When the conditions of the AND circuit 38, in which signals obtained by inverting the outputs of 2 and 23 by inverters 36 and 37 are input, are satisfied and the space signal SPS becomes "1", the gate 27 becomes conductive, and the key of this bar key BK is turned on. The code is supplied to bus X as a key code for the space key. A short pulse is generated from the differentiating circuit 39 one cycle of the clock pulse φ ₁₀ after the time T of the timer 23 ends, and the register 19 is cleared via the OR circuit 40. As shown in Figure 4d, if the rise of the key code of the A input is earlier than the rise of the key code of the B input, and the time difference is shorter than the timer time T, first, the rise of the key code of the A input is In response, the key code is stored in the register 18. This causes the timer 22 to be set. timer 22
The set output "1" is applied to the AND circuit 41.
When the key code of the B input rises during the time T of the timer 22, the key code is stored in the register 19. As a result, the output of the OR circuit 21 becomes "1" and is added to the other input of the AND circuit 41. Therefore, the output of the AND circuit 41 is "1"
An enable pulse is given to the gate 26 via the OR circuit 42 (shift mode signal
SFT becomes “1”). This makes register 1
The key code conversion circuit 2 corresponds to the key code (for non-shift mode) of the A input stored in 8.
Key code a for shift mode output from 5
is supplied to bus X via gate 26. At this time, the output of the AND circuit 38 becomes "0" due to the output "0" of the inverter 37, which is the inversion of the output "1" of the timer 22, and the output "0" of the inverter 32, which is the inversion of the output "1" of the timer 23, causes the output of the AND circuit 38 to become "0". The output of the AND circuit 30 becomes "0", and the gates 24 and 27 are both non-conductive. Therefore, the key codes for the A input and the B input, which are considered to have been pressed at the same time, are blocked, and the shift mode key code a corresponding to the pressed key of the key group 11 is applied to the bus X instead. The output "1" of the OR circuit 42 is delayed by one cycle of the clock pulse _φ10 by the delay flip-flop 43, and the delayed output is used to control the timers 22, 23 and the registers 18, 19 via the OR circuits 34, 35, 40. cleared. As shown in FIG. 4e, if the key code of the B input rises earlier than the A input and the time difference is shorter than the timer time T, first the register 19
The key code is stored and the timer 23 is set. If a key code is given to the A input and stored in the register 18 before the time T of the timer 23 ends, the output of the OR circuit 20 becomes "1".
The timer 22 is then set. The condition of the AND circuit 44 inputting the output “1” of the timer 23 and the output “1” of the OR circuit 20 is satisfied, and the OR circuit 42
An enable pulse is applied to gate 26 via. As a result, the key code a obtained by converting the pressed key code of the key group 11 into a shift mode code by the key code converting circuit 25 is supplied to the bus X in the same way as described above. As shown in FIG.
7 becomes conductive, and the key code of the register 19 (the key code indicating the space key) is supplied to the bus X as it is. Through the processing of the simultaneous key press processing circuit 13 as described above, the key code bus Key code A indicating the key pressed in key group 11 in the non-shift mode (single key press), or key code B indicating the space key obtained by pressing the bar key BK individually, is the key press order. are supplied sequentially according to the following. In addition, there is a shift lock key near the bar key BK.
It is also possible to have an SRK attached, in which case,
Gates 24, 26, 2 in the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13
7 may be changed as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Figure 5 shows only the changed part of Figure 3, and shows the output signal SR of shift lock key SRK.
The signal inverted by the inverter 50 is sent to the AND circuit 3.
0 and 38 (see Figure 3), as well as the third
An OR circuit 51 is provided between the OR circuit 42 and the gate 26 in the figure, and the output signal SR of the shift lock key SRK is input to the OR circuit 51. When the shift lock key SRK is off, the output signal SR is "0", and the simultaneous key press processing circuit 13 operates in the same manner as described above. When the shift lock key SRK is on, the output signal SR becomes "1", the output of the inverter 50 becomes "0", gates 24 and 27 are always off, and gate 26 is always on. Therefore, by turning on shift lock key SRK, key code a for shift mode is always selected.
Incidentally, when the bar key BK is pressed at the time of shift lock, the gate 27 can be enabled to function as a space key, but the circuit configuration regarding this point is not particularly shown in the drawings. The configuration of the simultaneous keystroke processing circuit 13 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and the design can be changed in any manner without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, if the bar key BK is pressed first, the register 19 is not cleared immediately even after the time T of the timer 23 has elapsed, and the bar key BK is pressed a little later than when the key is pressed (but the bar key BK is not pressed. It may also be configured to confirm whether or not a key of the key group 11 is pressed (while continuing). For this purpose, for example, FIG. 3 may be changed to the one shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows only the changed parts, and the other parts (omitted parts) are the same as in FIG. 3. In FIG. 6, OR circuit 2 of FIG.
1, timer 23, inverter 36, differentiation circuit 39
is deleted, and an OR circuit 52, a falling detection circuit 53, and a delay flip-flop 54 are provided in their place. Encoder 14 (Figure 1) to register 1
All bits of the key code B of the bar key BK input to the gate 9 are input to the OR circuit 52, and the output thereof is sent to the inverter 32 and the AND circuits 41 and 44.
and is input to the falling detection circuit 53. The signal is input to the AND circuit 38 and the delay flip-flop 54 of the falling detection circuit 53. The output of delay flip-flop 54 is input to OR circuit 40. While the bar key BK continues to be pressed, the OR circuit 52 continues to output "1". If a key is pressed in the key group 11 during this time, the condition of the AND circuit 44 is satisfied and the shift mode signal SFT is generated. In other words, the bar key BK functions as a shift key.
When functioning as a shift key, the register 19 is cleared by the output of the delay flip-flop 43. Therefore, even if the gate 27 is opened after that, the contents of the register 19 are empty, so the key code B as a space key is not selected. When the bar key BK is released without functioning as a shift key (the register 19 is not cleared), the output of the OR circuit 52 falls to "0". At this time, the fall detection circuit 53 outputs a short pulse, and the AND circuit 38 outputs a space signal SPS. Therefore, the gate 27 is opened, and the key code B stored in the register 19, which functions as the key code for the space key, is selected by the gate 27. Thereafter, "1" is output from the delay flip-flop 54, and 19 is cleared. If you do it as shown in Figure 6, when you want to make the bar key BK function as a shift key, even if you press the bar key BK first, it will not immediately function as a space key, and you can keep pressing the bar key BK while pressing the key. By pressing a desired key in group 11, the bar key BK
can be reliably used as a shift key. In other words, when B input and A input are given in the relationship as shown in Fig. 4h, the bar key BK (B input)
functions as a shift key. Incidentally, the Berkey BK does not necessarily have to consist of one tablet, and may be separated into a left-hand Berkey BK1 and a right-hand Berkey BK2, as shown in FIG. In that case, each bar key
Of course, the switch outputs of BK1 and BK2 are combined by an OR circuit 55 and used as one bar key output. Also, Berkey BK (BK1,
BK2) is configured so that the key can be pressed at two or three levels of depth, for example, when the key is pressed at one level depth, it functions as a space key, and when the key is pressed at two levels depth, it functions as a shift key. (Furthermore, when the key is pressed three steps deep, it may function as a shift lock key). Further, although FIG. 2 shows a keyboard for alphabetical characters as an example of the keyboard unit 10, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a keyboard for kana characters, for example. The simultaneous key press processing circuit 13, as shown in FIG. While the bar key BK passes through as is, the output of the bar key BK may be switched to either the space key or the shift key. As described above, the simultaneous keystroke determining section 13A determines whether or not the key of the key group 11 and the bar key BK are simultaneously pressed, and outputs the shift mode signal SFT or the space signal SPS in accordance with this determination.
In the function converter 13B, the shift mode signal SFT
When given, the output of the bar key BK is output as the shift key signal SF, and when the space signal SPS is given, the output of the bar key BK is output as the space key signal SP. Incidentally, when carrying out the present invention, it is not necessarily necessary to remove the conventional shift key.
For example, according to the present invention, not only can the shift mode be entered by pressing the bar key BK and another key at the same time, but also the shift mode can be entered by operating a conventional shift key. The same keyboard may be capable of providing both conventional shift fingerings and the novel shift fingerings of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied not only to the case where each key on the keyboard has a double meaning but also to a case where each key has a quadruple meaning or more. For example, one key can contain uppercase letters,
When giving four meanings (functions) to lowercase English letters, hiragana characters, and katakana characters, a three-step shift operation is required. In such a case, for example, one shift switch (or mode switch)
is provided separately, and this switching allows you to select either alphabetic mode or kana mode.
It is preferable to instruct an uppercase shift or a katakana shift in the selected mode (alphabet mode or kana mode) by simultaneously pressing BK and a desired character key. Furthermore, the bar key BK does not have to function as a shift key for all the keys in the key group 11 when pressed simultaneously, but may function only for a limited number of keys. Also, the meaning of the shift key is simply changing characters or symbols (changing from lowercase to uppercase or changing from hiragana to katakana).
In other words, it is a key that instructs to bring out one of the dual (or more) roles of another key.
It should be understood in this sense. As explained above, according to the invention, the bar key placed in a position where it can be easily operated by the thumb can be used as both the space key and the shift key, making it extremely easy to press keys when shifting. It has a great effect. In other words, in the past, it was necessary to use the forced fingering method of pressing the shift key with the little finger of one hand while pressing the letter keys with the other hand, but with this invention, it is possible to press the letter keys with one hand. All you have to do is press the bar key with the thumb of your other hand (or the same hand) while you are typing. Further, the present invention does not simply replace the positions of the shift key and the space key, but also uses the easy-to-press bar keys to double as the space key, making it extremely easy to perform not only shift operations but also space key operations. Therefore, the typing training period can be shortened, operator fatigue can be reduced, and character input productivity can be increased.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of an embodiment of the keyboard for inputting information such as characters and symbols according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the key arrangement of the keyboard section in the same embodiment, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a detailed example of the simultaneous key press processing circuit, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing various aspects of the key press timing relationship between key A and bar key B of the key group, and FIGS. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a modification of the figure, showing only the parts related to the changed parts, Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of dividing the bar key, and Figure 8 is a block diagram showing another example of a simultaneous keystroke processing circuit. . 10...Keyboard part, 11...Key group, BK...
BK1, BK2...Bar key, 12...Key scanning detection encoding circuit, 13...Simultaneous key press processing circuit, 14
...Encoder, 13A...Simultaneous key press judgment section, 13B
...Function conversion section, 25...Key code conversion circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A key group consisting of a plurality of keys for inputting characters, symbols, etc. and other commands, and a key group arranged in front of the key group at a position that should be the home position of the thumb in terms of fingering. Determine whether the specific key is pressed alone or together with other keys, and based on this judgment, if the specific key is pressed alone, it functions as a space key and is pressed together with other keys. A keyboard device for inputting information such as characters and symbols, comprising a control device that switches the function of the specific key so that it functions as a shift key when the key is pressed. 2. The control device includes a first means for determining whether or not the specific key is pressed together with a key in the key group, and based on this determination, if a key in the key group is pressed alone, Outputs the key code for non-shift mode corresponding to the pressed key,
If a key of the key group is pressed together with the specific key, a key code for shift mode corresponding to the pressed key is output, and if the specific key is pressed alone, a key code for instructing spacing. 2. A keyboard device for inputting information such as characters and symbols according to claim 1, further comprising a second means for outputting. 3. The first means includes a circuit that determines that if one of the keys in the key group or the specific key is pressed within a very short predetermined waiting time from when the other key is pressed first, the keys are pressed simultaneously. 2. A keyboard device for inputting information such as characters and symbols as claimed in claim 2. 4. The first means does not immediately determine that the specific key is pressed alone when the specific key is pressed first, but determines that a key of the group of keys is pressed while the specific key continues to be pressed. When the keys are pressed simultaneously,
The keyboard device for inputting information such as characters and symbols as set forth in claim 2, which includes a circuit that determines that the specific key is pressed individually when the specific key is released from being pressed without any key of the key group being pressed. .