JPH0217807B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to improvements in data entry methods using keys.

There is a three-entry method as one of the key input methods for setting numerical data in an electronic device. This method is configured so that when one key is held down, the counter contents are incremented or decremented by 1 at specific intervals, and when the counter contents display reaches the desired value, the key press is stopped. This method inputs the desired data by stopping increment or decrement, and it is economical because it requires only a small number of keys.It also requires less space for the key layout, and can be easily used for electronic clocks and watches. It is often used for combinations, etc.

Therefore, the three-entry type electronic device is generally equipped with an up count key for increasing the number and a down count key for decreasing the number, and the display is set to 0 or no display in the reset state. By continuing to press the up count key, the counter content (number displayed on the display) is incremented by 1, and when the desired value is displayed, release the press of the up count key, and if the desired value is exceeded, Instead of the up count key, the down count key is pressed continuously to decrement the number by 1, and when the desired value is reached, the desired value is set and input by releasing the down count key. The down count key is configured such that when the displayed content is 0 or no display, pressing the down key becomes invalid.

By the way, assuming that the three-entry method is applied to the output adjustment (firepower adjustment) of a microwave oven or induction heater, etc., the actual output level used is likely to be close to full power (100%). In many cases, when starting up, it is necessary to constantly operate the up-count key to count up from 0% to nearly 100%, which is cumbersome to operate and requires a lot of wasted time for settings.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. For example, even when the content of the counter or the displayed numerical value is 0, or when the counter is in the reset state, the press operation of the down count key is enabled and the count value after 0 is enabled. The present invention proposes an electronic device that is configured to be able to set and display the maximum settable value, thereby reducing the troublesome operation and shortening the time required for setting, thereby increasing the convenience of operation. The present invention will be described in detail below based on drawings showing embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the main parts of an electronic device according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the device), in which 1 is an up count key, 2 is a down count key, and 3 is a display section consisting of a display, a driver, a decoder, etc. The display device with display segments arranged in a Japanese character pattern and both keys 1 and 2 can be visually recognized from the outside.
It is operably installed. Reference numeral 4 denotes an up-down counter (hereinafter simply referred to as a counter), which is configured to supply the contents to the decoder of the display section 3 and display a numerical value corresponding to the contents of the counter 4 on the display of the display section 3 as visible data. There is. For convenience of explanation, the display is for one digit, and the displayed numerical value or contents of counter 4 are 0, 1, 2...8, 9, H.
There are 11 ways (corresponding to 10). The control unit 5 detects the depression of the up count key 1 and the down count key 2, and outputs the output pulses from the pulse generation circuit 6, which generates pulses to be counted by the counter 4 at a constant cycle time, to the up count terminal of the counter 4,
In addition to selectively applying control to the down count terminal, it also controls the drive of the display section 3 or other controls required to perform the original functions of this electronic device.

Figure 2 A and B show the control mode of the control unit 5 on the display unit 3.
4 is a diagram for explaining changes in the displayed numerical value or the contents of the counter 4. A reset signal RST is generated by turning on a power switch (not shown), etc.
The signal RST is given to the counter 4 and the control section 5 as shown in FIG. 1, and the contents of the counter 4 are set to 0 by inputting the reset signal RST.
While the display section 3 displays this, the control section 5
is in a state of waiting for the pressing operation of keys 1 and 2.
In the conventional device, pressing the down count key 2 in this state was disabled, but in the present device, this is enabled.

First, in this reset state, press up count key 1.
To explain the case where the button is pushed in, the control section 5 identifies and detects this pushing operation and controls the output pulse of the pulse generating circuit 6 to be applied to the up count terminal of the counter 4. counter 4
counts the input pulses and increments by 1, and the display contents on the display section 3 follow this, so if the up count key 1 is kept pressed, the result will be as shown in FIG. 2A. During this time, when a desired numerical value appears on the display section 3, if the depression of the up count key 1 is released, the data corresponding to that numerical value is set in the counter 4 and is also taken into the control section 5.
The details of the operation when the up count key is pressed even after the counter 4 and display section 3 have reached H will be described later.

If the desired value reaches H as described above even though it is smaller than H, press down count key 2 as shown in Figure 2A, and the desired value, for example 7, will be displayed. Just keep pressing this until it appears. In this case, the control section 5 identifies and detects that the down-count key 2 has been pressed, and performs control to apply the input pulse from the pulse generation circuit 6 to the down-count terminal of the counter 4.

On the other hand, when the down count key 2 is pressed in the reset state, the control unit 5
When two conditions are satisfied: the counter 4 itself is in a reset state or the content of the counter 4 is 0, and the pressing operation of the down count key 2 is detected, the content of the counter 4 is immediately set to H. Figure 2 b]. This can be achieved, for example, by simply applying one output pulse from the pulse generating circuit 6 to the down-count terminal of the counter 4. Counter 4 content is H
Since the control of the control unit 5 after the count is changed is the same as in the case described above, if the down count key 2 is held down now, the contents of the counter or display unit will be decremented to 9, 8, 7. If the desired set value is 7, the down count key 2 may be released from being pressed when 7 is displayed.

As described above, the present invention enables the operation of the down count key even when the content of the counter is the minimum settable value (for example, 0), and sets the counter content to the maximum settable value (for example, H) by the operation. This increases the convenience of operation. The gist of the technology of the present invention explained in the above-mentioned embodiment can also be applied to the operation of the up count key, and even when the content of the counter is the maximum value that can be set (for example, H), the up count key operation is also applicable. This can be realized as an electronic device including means for enabling the counter and setting the counter contents to the minimum settable value (for example, 0) by the operation.

Now, in such a configuration, if you continue to operate the up count key (or down count key), when the counter contents reach the maximum settable value (or minimum settable value), the minimum settable value ( Since the value is increased (or subtracted) by 1 from the minimum value (or maximum value), for example, it is possible to suddenly set the minimum value to the maximum value, which improves operability. However, on the contrary, the following problems occur.

In other words, even though the counter contents have reached the desired value (for example, maximum value or minimum value), the timing to release the up count key (or down count key) is lost and the up count key (or down count key) is pressed again. If it becomes necessary to continue operating the counter, the contents of the counter will continue to change cyclically, which is not desirable.

Here, in the present invention, in order to deal with such a problem, as a result of the down count key (or up count key) being pressed continuously, the content of the counter reaches the minimum value or maximum value, that is, O (or H). If this happens, the counter will remain set to O (or H) even if a key is pressed afterwards, and the counter will stop.
Then, only when the down count key (or up count key) is pressed anew, control is performed to allow the setting change from O to H (or from H to O). This can be achieved by using a microcomputer.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of such control. In this figure, the idle routine indicates a display and other processing routine, and the new key indicates a newly pressed key. In addition, the timer is a timer built into the microcomputer that regulates the repeat interval (the time interval at which the numerical value changes when a key is held down), and can interrupt the program by counting specified bits. In addition, the counter with one period equal to the specified bit count shall be automatically repeated until it is reset, and the timer setting time, that is, the slew interval, shall be sufficiently long compared to the processing time of one program cycle shown in this flowchart. shall be.

Now, the key input has (), exits the idle routine () and enters the key processing routine. Assuming that the key is pressed for the first time after the reset, the key flag has not been set yet, so the key flag = 1? Since () is (NO), the new key flag, key flag, and timer are set (,,). In the next step, the key is identified (down count key?) (), and if it is an up count key (NO), the counter is initially 0, so the counter = 10 (H)? The judgment () is (NO), and the counter in the microcomputer is incremented by one (). Then, the process returns to the idle routine, and the display becomes 1.

If you continue to press the up count key, the key flag will be set (YES), and the next step will be the timer flag = 1?
A determination is made (), and if the timer reaches its set time, the timer flag is set ();
Since step becomes (YES), the timer flag is reset and step () is entered.
Therefore, the time interval at which the counter content or display content increases by 2, 3, etc. becomes the timer setting time.

On the other hand, when the down count key is pressed for the first time, the result is (YES) at the step , the counter content is 0 (YES), and the new key flag is 1 (YES), so the counter is set to 10 =
Set to H() and reset the new key flag. (). That is, by pressing the down count key when the counter and display is 0, it can be set to 10=H.

However, if you continue to press the down count key even after the counter display reaches 10=H, it will become (NO) at step , and the counter content will be decremented by 1 (), so the timer will start as...8, 7, 6, etc. The contents of the counter and display are decremented by 1 at each set time, and when the counter and display reach 0 in this state, the step becomes (YES).
Under this condition, since the new key flag has been reset, the step is (NO) and the counter does not become 10=H, but maintains the state of 0 as it is. Similarly, when the up count key is operated, the new key flag = 1 when the step is (YES)? Judgment (),
It is sufficient to prepare a step ( ) for setting the counter to 0.

In short, if the counter content is initially 0, if you continue to operate the down count key, the program will first go through the ~, ~ steps (the new key flag is reset at the step), the counter content will be set to 10, and then ~,... ，，
Cycle through each step and read the counter contents...8,
Decrease the number as 7, 6, etc. Then, when the counter content becomes 0 again, the program in this case is ~,
,,,,, immediately return to the step (because the new key flag has already been reset), and then ~,,,,,
The steps are cycled through, so the counter content remains at zero. After that, when you release the down count key, the program will start as follows.
The key flag and timer flag are reset by cycling through each step. Then, when you operate the down count key again, the program reads ~, ~
and set the counter contents to 10, then ~,
, , , , the contents of the counter are decremented to 8, 7, 6, and so on.

Also, if the counter content is initially 5, for example, and you continue to operate the down count key, the program will first pass through ~,, and then ~,,
,,,, and change the counter contents to 5, 4,
Decrease as 3... Then, when the counter content becomes 0, the program reads ~,,,,~
The program passes through the steps (the new key flag is reset at the step), sets the counter contents to 10, and then cycles through . . . , . When the counter content becomes 0 again, the subsequent operation is the same as when the counter content was initially 0.

On the other hand, if the counter content is initially 10, if you continue to operate the up count key, the program will first go through the steps ~,,,, (the new key flag is reset at the step), set the counter content to 0, and then ~, ,,,
, the contents of the counter are cycled through each step of...
Increase the number by 2, 3, 4, etc. And when the counter content becomes 10 again, in this case the program is ~
,,,,, immediately return to the step (because the new key flag has already been reset), and then proceed to ~,,,,
, cycles through the steps, so the counter content is
It remains stopped at 10. After that, when you release the up count key, the program will start.
, and reset the key flag and timer flag. Then, when you operate the up count key again, the program reads ~,
The counter contents are set to 0 through steps , , , and then the counter contents are incremented to 2, 3, 4, etc. through the steps .

Also, if the counter content is initially 5, for example, and you continue to operate the up count key, the program will first pass through ~,, and then ~,,
,,,, and change the counter contents to 5, 6,
The number increases to 7... Then, when the counter content becomes 10, the program reads ~,,,,,
,, goes through the steps (resets the new key flag at the step) and sets the counter contents to 0.
After that, . . . , , . . . are cycled through and the counter contents are incremented to 2, 3, 4, and so on. Then, when the counter content becomes 10 again, the subsequent operation is the same as when the counter content was initially 10.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, even when the counter contents reach the settable maximum value (or settable minimum value) under the operation of the up count key (or down count key),
The counter contents are then set to the minimum settable value (or maximum settable value) and can be further incremented (or decremented) from this value, eliminating the troublesome operations peculiar to the three-entry method. Accordingly, it is possible to realize an electronic device that requires less time for data input and is highly convenient to operate.

Furthermore, when the counter contents reach the maximum settable value (or minimum settable value) by continuous operation of the up count key (or down count key),
When the change of the counter contents is temporarily stopped and the up count key (or down count key) is operated again, the counter contents are set to the minimum settable value (or maximum settable value) and the minimum value. (or the maximum value), so even if you lose the timing to release the up count key (or down count key) by continuing to operate the up count key (or down count key), the counter will continue to function. The contents are paused at the maximum (or minimum) value, thus eliminating undesirable cyclical changes in the counter contents.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the main parts of the apparatus of the present invention, FIGS. 2A and 2B are operation explanatory diagrams, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control when a microcomputer is used for the control section and the like. 1...Up count key, 2...Down count key, 3...Display section, 4...Counter, 5...
...control section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an electronic device configured to set data corresponding to a desired numerical value in a counter using an up-count key and a down-count key, the number can be increased (or decreased) by 1 by continuous operation of the up-count key (or down-count key). ) When the contents of the counter reached the maximum value (or minimum value) that can be set, the counter contents can be stopped changing, and then the up count key (or down count key) can be operated again. means for enabling the content to be set to a settable minimum value (or settable maximum value) and incremented (or subtracted) from such minimum value (or maximum value) by one. Featured electronic devices.