JPH04268909A - keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to keyboards, and more particularly to techniques that are effective when applied to keyboards used in electronic office processing equipment, industrial machinery, and the like.

0002

[Prior Art] For example, in recent years, word processors, personal computers, electronic file devices, etc.
So-called office automation equipment has become widespread as a means of promoting rationalization of office processing.

By the way, well-known keyboards are widely used for inputting information in such OA equipment.
Usually, multiple characters or symbols are assigned to one key, and the characters or symbols are engraved on the top of the key.
Each key is configured to output a code corresponding to a specific character or symbol by operating a specific control key. For this reason, operation requires relatively skill, and various techniques have been proposed in the past with the aim of improving the operability and functions of such keyboards. For example, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-216019 discloses a structure in which keys are arranged on both the front and back sides of a keyboard, and one side is covered with a lid. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-28824, keys are arranged on both the front and back sides according to the task of use, and the host device automatically determines which side of the key is being used. A structure is disclosed that includes a switch that enables the above.

0004

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, when multiple characters are engraved on the top of one key as in the prior art described above, each character must be made small, making the characters difficult to read. There is a problem.

[0005] Furthermore, in the case of the prior art keyboards disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 62-216019 and 62-28824, it is inevitable that the thickness dimension becomes larger than necessary. However, each time the task changes, it is necessary to turn the keyboard over, which poses a problem that operability is not necessarily good.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard that allows easy and reliable identification of the functions of a plurality of keys and improves operability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard that can be made smaller and have a simpler structure.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Among the inventions disclosed in this application, a brief overview of typical inventions will be as follows.
It is as follows.

That is, the keyboard according to the present invention is provided with a variable display mechanism that can switch the display of arbitrary characters or symbols on at least some of the keys.

Further, in the keyboard according to the present invention, the variable display mechanism includes a liquid crystal display mechanism, and the characters and symbols displayed by the liquid crystal display mechanism change in conjunction with the operation of a specific control function key. This is what I did.

[0012] Furthermore, the keyboard according to the present invention has a lamp embedded in at least some of the plurality of keys constituting the keyboard to selectively make visible a plurality of types of characters and symbols written on each of the keys. It is structured as follows.

Furthermore, the keyboard according to the present invention is capable of selectively displaying a plurality of types of characters and symbols by changing the lighting state or color of the lamp in conjunction with the operation of a specific control function key. This is what I did.

[0014] Furthermore, the keyboard according to the present invention includes a variable display substrate capable of displaying arbitrary characters and symbols at arbitrary positions;
It consists of a plurality of transparent keys arranged on this variable display board, and the characters and symbols corresponding to the code output by operating each transparent key are displayed at a position that can be seen through the transparent key. This is what I did.

Further, in the keyboard according to the present invention, the variable display substrate is composed of a liquid crystal display mechanism.

[0016]

[Function] According to the keyboard of the present invention described above, due to the action of the variable display mechanism provided on each key, the lamp, or the variable display substrate located on the back of the transparent key,
Since only the characters or symbols corresponding to the code assigned to the key at any given time can be displayed on each of the multiple keys in a relatively large size, the operator can easily and reliably identify each key. This will definitely improve the operability of the keyboard.

[0017] Furthermore, the functions of the keys arranged on one side and the display of the functions can be easily and accurately switched without arranging keys on both the front and back sides, thereby realizing miniaturization and simplification of the structure. can.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of a keyboard, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the keyboard of this embodiment.

On one side of the keyboard body 1, there are a plurality of buttons that, when pressed, output codes corresponding to ordinary characters and symbols to an external control device (not shown) to which the keyboard body 1 is connected via a cable (not shown). A key 2 and a plurality of control keys 3, which have control functions such as switching codes assigned to each key 2 and are called shift keys or function keys, are arranged.

In this case, each of the plurality of keys 2 is made of a transparent material, and a liquid crystal display mechanism 4 is provided at the bottom of the key. The image is configured to be viewed through the key 2.

This liquid crystal display mechanism 4 is connected to the control key 3 described above.
It is configured to output images of characters and symbols corresponding to the character code assigned to the key 2 in conjunction with the operation of the key 2, and the operator can select the character code assigned to each key 2 at the time. Input operations are performed while visually recognizing only one character that corresponds one-to-one to one character code.

An example of the operation of the keyboard of this embodiment will be explained below.

First, the operator selects, for example, the alphabet mode or the Japanese mode by operating the control keys 3. At this time, for example, if the alphabet mode is selected, each of the liquid crystal display mechanisms 4 disposed at the bottom of each of the plurality of keys 2 displays an image of one character corresponding to the character code assigned to the key 2. Output each. That is, each of the plurality of keys 2 has, at a certain point,
Only the character image corresponding to the character code assigned to the key 2 is displayed by each liquid crystal display mechanism 4.

For example, in Japan's so-called JIS keyboard, the alphabetic character "Q" and the katakana character "ta" are assigned to one key 2, and by pressing the key 2, the alphabetic character "Q" is assigned. Whether to output the code for ``ta'' or the katakana code for ``ta'' is determined depending on whether or not the control keys 3, such as the shift key, are pressed at the same time.

[0025] For this reason, conventionally, on the top of the key,
Both "Q" and "TA" are engraved, and the operator has to input English or Japanese characters while being aware of the operation of the control key 3, which makes the operation complicated and requires skill. there was.

On the other hand, in the case of the keyboard of this embodiment, only the image of the character assigned to each key 2 is displayed over the key 2 at any given time.
The operator need only confirm one character displayed over the target key 2 without being conscious of the state of the control key 3, etc., and can perform accurate input operations without requiring any skill.

Furthermore, since only one character is displayed over each key 2 at a certain point, the entire size of the top area of each key 2 can be effectively used for displaying the character. The size of the characters becomes larger, making them easier to see even for workers with relatively poor eyesight, and the probability of misidentification or erroneous input is greatly reduced. This greatly improves keyboard operability.

Next, a keyboard according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of lamps 6 and 7 are arranged inside each key 5 constituting the keyboard, and the lamps 6 and 7 correspond to each other at the top of the key 5. The parts are provided with a character display section 5a and a character display section 5b which become visible when the lamps 6 and 7 are turned on.

By controlling which lamp 6 or lamp 7 of each key 5 is lit in correspondence with a control key (not shown), the one assigned to the key 5 at any given time is controlled. To display only an image of one character corresponding to one code so that an operator can visually recognize it.

[0031] Thereby, the same effects as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

Note that the lamps 6 and 7 may emit light of different colors when turned on, so that the role of each key 5 can be identified by the difference in color.

FIG. 3 shows yet another embodiment of the invention.

In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, there is provided a liquid crystal display substrate 8 capable of displaying images such as arbitrary characters and symbols in arbitrary positions and in arbitrary sizes, and a desired image on the liquid crystal display substrate 8. The keyboard is composed of a plurality of keys 9 and control keys 10 arranged in the following state and pressed by the operator.

The plurality of keys 9 and control keys 10 are made of a transparent material, and the images displayed on the liquid crystal display substrate 8 located below when viewed from the operator's side are displayed on the keys 9 and the control keys. It is visible beyond 10.

[0036] Then, at a position corresponding to each key 9 on the liquid crystal display board 8, an image of one character (character string) or symbol corresponding to any one code assigned to the key 9 at a certain point in time is displayed. 9a, and arbitrary character or image information 10a indicating the control function of the control key 10 at a position corresponding to each control key 10.
is displayed. For example, the example in FIG. 3 shows a hiragana input mode, and an image 9a of one corresponding hiragana is displayed over each key 9 that outputs the character code corresponding to each hiragana. ing.

As a result, the same effect as the keyboard illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be obtained, and one keyboard can be used for individual keys 9, for example, for personal computers, word processors, game machines, etc. It becomes possible to use the control key 10 by attaching it to a plurality of objects having greatly different functions. As a result, the uses of the keyboard are expanded, and the structure can be significantly simplified and the thickness dimension can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where different types of key groups are arranged independently on both the front and back sides of the keyboard. In addition, there is no need for complicated operations such as turning the entire keyboard upside down as in the past, and unlike the case where the operator simply touches the key image displayed on the CRT screen to enter input. Since the operator can feel the reaction when pressing the keys 9 and the control keys 10, the operator does not feel uncomfortable when operating the keyboard.

Furthermore, the liquid crystal display board 8 may be constructed of a liquid crystal capable of displaying color, and by displaying the entire surface or a specific area in a specific color, it is possible to grasp the state of the keyboard at any given time. Needless to say.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically explained based on examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say.

For example, the top of the key may be made into a transparent lens to magnify the characters displayed through the key.

[0041]

[Effects of the Invention] Among the inventions disclosed in this application, the effects obtained by the typical inventions are briefly explained as follows.
It is as follows.

That is, according to the keyboard of the present invention,
The effect is that the operability can be reliably improved.

Further, according to the keyboard of the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effect of realizing miniaturization and simplification of structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a keyboard that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a keyboard according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a keyboard that is still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Keyboard body 2 Key 3 Control key 4. Liquid crystal display mechanism 5a Character display section 5b Character display section 5 Key 6 Lamp 7 Lamp 8. Liquid crystal display board 9 key 9a Image 10 Control key 10a Image information

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard characterized in that at least some of the keys are provided with a variable display mechanism that can switch and display arbitrary characters and symbols. 2. The variable display mechanism comprises a liquid crystal display mechanism, and the characters and symbols displayed by the liquid crystal display mechanism change in conjunction with the operation of a specific control function key. The keyboard described in 1. [Claim 3] A keyboard characterized in that a lamp is embedded in at least a part of a plurality of keys constituting the keyboard to selectively make visible a plurality of types of characters and symbols written on each of the keys. . 4. The lighting state or color of the lamp changes in conjunction with the operation of a specific control function key,
4. The keyboard according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of types of said characters and symbols are selectively displayed. 5. Consisting of a variable display substrate capable of displaying arbitrary characters and symbols at arbitrary positions, and a plurality of transparent keys arranged on the variable display substrate, output is generated by operating each of the transparent keys. A keyboard characterized in that the characters and symbols corresponding to the codes are displayed at positions that are visible through the transparent keys. 6. The keyboard according to claim 5, wherein the variable display substrate comprises a liquid crystal display mechanism.