JPH08286819A - Data input device and data input method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To revise a display position of an input image pattern by recognizing a start command on a tablet, deciding a coordinate of a designated area, and displaying the input image on a corresponding display screen so as to allow the input with a pen even without start button. CONSTITUTION: A tablet 1 outputs an electric signal corresponding to a tapped (input instruction) position by a stylus pen 4, an interface 2 converts the electric signal into digital data (position information) and a CPU 3 executes the control required for various input processing based on the position information. Then the CPU 3 uses a prescribed area of a display screen 6 as a start area 8, and when the area 8 is tapped, the start instruction of input processing is recognized. After the start instruction is recognized, when the prescribed area on the display screen 6 is tapped by the pen 4, the CPU 3 sets the designated area around the tapped coordinate as a data input area and a data input pad 7 is displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tablet type data input device and a data input method for the same, which are used particularly in small information processing equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a portable and small information processing device has been developed. In such an information processing device, a so-called display screen integrated tablet-type data input device that uses a display screen and a data input unit together is used in order to realize a small size and light weight.

This tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen is normally equipped with a stylus pen (sty) on a transparent tablet integrated with a liquid crystal display screen.
This is a method of inputting position coordinate information which is touched by a pen on the display screen with a pen and input (hereinafter referred to as tap), and various input processing is performed based on the position coordinate information. .

With such an input method, it is possible to perform an input process similar to a normal keyboard operation from the keyboard screen displayed on the display screen, or a handwriting input process with a pen by displaying the handwriting input screen.

[0005]

As described above, a tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen is useful for a small and lightweight information processing device. However, the conventional tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen has the following problems. First, when starting an input process with a pen, a start instruction for the input process is required, but conventionally, a start button (side button) provided on the pen is operated. Therefore, it is not possible to use a pen without a start button. Second
In addition, the display position for displaying an input screen such as a keyboard screen or a handwriting input screen is fixed. Therefore, when a display other than the input screen is displayed on the display screen, the information on the input screen may be difficult to see or may not be visible at all.

As a method for solving the first problem, a start area corresponding to a start button is displayed on the display screen, and the start area is tapped with a pen to give a start instruction for input processing. There is a method. However, even in this method, since the activation area is fixed, it may not be possible to use it when the application program is using the same display position.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a data input device capable of executing an input process even when a pen having no start button is used and changing a display position of an input screen necessary for the input process. To provide.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a data input device capable of changing the display position of the activation area in the input system for displaying the activation area corresponding to the activation button on the display screen. It is in.

[0009]

The first aspect of the present invention is to provide a tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen,
A device provided with a start instruction recognition unit that sets a first area (starting area) on a tablet, and recognizes that the first area is a start instruction for input processing when the first area is tapped with a pen or the like. is there. The coordinate determining means determines the coordinates of the designated area tapped on the tablet with the pen after the activation instruction is recognized. The display control means displays the input screen on the display screen corresponding to the designated area on the tablet. This input screen is a data input pad for executing a predetermined input process according to the tap of the pen.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in the data input device, it is detected that the input screen displayed on the display screen corresponding to the designated area on the tablet is tapped with a pen within or outside the range. The detecting means and the changing means for changing the discriminating coordinate information for discriminating the starting area are provided. This changing means changes the determination coordinate information so that the changed area can be determined as a new starting area when the changed area corresponding to the starting area outside the input screen is tapped with the pen. To do.

[0011]

In the first aspect of the present invention, when the activation area on the tablet is tapped with the pen, the activation instruction of the input process is recognized. After tapping on the activation area, if the pen is tapped on an arbitrary position within the range of a predetermined area on the tablet, the area centered at the tapped position is set as the input screen. This input screen is a data input pad for executing various input processes according to the tap of the pen. With this method, a pen without a start button can be used. Further, the display position of the input screen can be arbitrarily changed within the range of the predetermined area.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the activation area for instructing the activation of the input processing can be changed. When an arbitrary position outside the range of the displayed input screen is tapped with the pen as a change area of the activation area, the discrimination coordinate information for discriminating the activation area is changed to the coordinate information of the changed area. As a result, from the next time, the selected change area can be made to function as a new activation area.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a main part of a tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen according to this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an information processing provided with the data input device of this embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a device. (Structure of Device) As shown in FIG. 1A, a tablet-type data input device integrated with a display screen according to the present embodiment roughly includes a tablet 1, an interface 2, and an input controller that form a data input unit. It is composed of a CPU 3.

In the case of a pressure sensitive system (resistive film system), the tablet 1 has a structure in which a touch panel having transparent electrode members is laminated on a liquid crystal display screen. Normally, a stylus pen (hereinafter simply referred to as pen 4) is used as a coordinate indicator, and the tablet 1 outputs an electric signal corresponding to the position coordinates tapped (input instruction) by the pen 4 to the interface 2.

The interface 2 converts the electric signal from the tablet 1 into digital data (position coordinate information) and outputs it to the CPU 3. The CPU 3 executes control necessary for various input processing based on the input position coordinate information,
A boot instruction process, a boot area change process, an input screen switching process, and a full-width / half-width conversion process related to this embodiment are executed.

As shown in FIG. 1B, an information processing device equipped with the data input device of the present embodiment comprises, for example, a box-shaped compact and lightweight main body 5, and a display constituting the tablet 1 on a plane. It has a screen (screen) 6.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 3 displays a predetermined area of the display screen 6 as a start-up area (input area corresponding to a start-up button) 8 and a position 7 tapped by the pen 4.
The data input pad (input screen) 7 centering on a is displayed.

The data input pad 7 comprises a keyboard input screen and a handwriting input screen as will be described later, and the pen 4
9 is an input screen for executing an input process corresponding to a tap (input instruction) by. (Startup Instruction Processing) Next, the startup instruction processing of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when the main body 5 of the information processing device is turned on and the operating power is also supplied to the data input device, the input processing is activated (step S1). CP
U3 samples the input signal from the tablet 1 and executes a process of determining whether or not the display screen 6 is tapped by the pen 4 (step S2).

C according to the input signal from the tablet 1
When detecting that the pen 4 has been tapped, the PU 3 determines whether or not the activation button is tapped (steps S3 and S4). The start button is the start area 8 set on the display screen 6 as described above.

Here, when the start button 8 is tapped,
The CPU 3 sets a flag ON indicating that the start button 8 has been turned on. Therefore, the CPU 3 turns on the flag.
It is determined that the start button 8 has already been tapped if it is set according to the state of, and it is determined that it has not been tapped if it is not set.

When the flag ON of the start button 8 is not set, the CPU 3 determines whether the tap at the present time is the tap of the start button 8 (NO in step S5, S6). If it is the start button 8, the CPU 3 sets the flag ON (steps S7 and S8).

The CPU 3 stores in advance the activation button 8, that is, the coordinate information for discrimination corresponding to the activation area.
If the position coordinate tapped by is within the range of the discrimination coordinate information, it is determined that the start button 8 is tapped.

On the other hand, when the flag ON of the start button 8 is set and the area within the predetermined area on the display screen 6 is tapped by the pen 4, the CPU 3 centers on the tapped position coordinates. The designated area is set as a data input area, and the data input pad 7 which is an input screen laid out in advance is displayed (step S10).

That is, in this embodiment, when the start button 8 is first tapped and then the arbitrary position 7a on the display screen 6 is tapped by the pen 4 as shown in FIG. Determines the coordinates of the display area of the data input pad 7 centered on the tap position 7a (step S9). Based on the coordinates thus determined, the display screen 6
The data input pad 7 is displayed in the designated area above.

The data input pad 7 is, for example, a keyboard input screen or a handwriting input screen as will be described later. When the user selectively taps on the data input pad 7 with the pen 4, the CPU 3 executes an input process according to the tap position (position coordinate information of the input instruction). Specifically, for example, if the data input pad 7 is a keyboard input screen, tapping an area corresponding to an input key with the pen 4 will execute the same input processing as that input key was operated.

As described above, the activation instruction is recognized by tapping the preset activation button 8, and the data input pad 7 is displayed based on the position coordinates of the next tap.
Therefore, it is possible to give an instruction to activate the input process by using the normal pen 4 without using a pen having an activation button.

Further, the data input pad 7 for executing the input process can be displayed at an arbitrary position on the display screen 6. Thereby, when the information is displayed in the display area on the display screen 6 by the application program of the information processing device, the data input pad 7 can be displayed in an area other than the display area. (Start-up area change processing) In the above-mentioned start instruction processing,
It is assumed that the display position of the start button (start area) 8 is fixed. On the other hand, a changing function for changing the display position of the start button 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

First, at the initial stage, as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the activation area 8a at the lower right corner of the display screen 6 is set as an activation button and the data input pad 7 is displayed.

In this state, the CPU 3 determines whether or not it is tapped by the pen 4, and when tapped, determines whether it is within or outside the range of the data input pad 7 (steps S20 and S21). .

Within the range of the data input pad 7, C
The PU 3 executes an input process according to the input mode of the data input pad 7 (NO in step S22, S25). Here, the input mode means keyboard input, handwriting input,
Alternatively, command input or character input is performed.

When the outside of the range of the data input pad 7 is tapped, the CPU 3 determines whether the range (area) functioning as the activation button is tapped (YES in step S22, S23). Here, it is assumed that the range that functions as the start button is a predetermined area at the four corners on the display screen 6 in advance. Alternatively, any display area other than the data input pad 7 currently displayed may be used.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the designated area at the left corner is tapped with the pen 4, the CPU
3 changes the tapped designated area 8b as an area functioning as a new start button. That is, the discriminating coordinate information for discriminating whether or not the activation button is tapped is changed to the coordinate information of the designated area 8b (step S24). At this time, the designated area 8 previously set
a becomes invalid as a start button.

As described above, when an arbitrary designated area in the preset range is tapped as the activation button, the coordinate information of the designated area is changed as the coordinate information for determining the activation button, so that the activation button The display position can be changed.

Therefore, for example, when the application program uses, for example, the lower right corner on the display screen 6, the user can change the start button to an unused left corner area.

As a modification, a method of setting the coordinate information of the area which functions as the start button at the initial stage may be used. In this method, the CPU 3 executes a process of setting the input coordinate information as the coordinate information for discriminating the start button. That is, only the process of step S24 in FIG. 4 is executed. (Input Screen Switching Process) Next, the input screen switching process of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In this embodiment, the data input pad 7 has a function of switching between the handwriting input screen 40 shown in FIG. 5A and the keyboard input screen 44 shown in FIG. 5B.

The handwriting input screen 40 has a command input area 41, a character string editing area 42, and a handwriting input area 43, as shown in FIG. 5 (A). The command input area 41 is composed of a command group for executing various input processes such as a character string editing process, and has a command 41a for switching the input screen in this embodiment.

The character string editing area 42 is an area for writing the input character string at the position of the cursor 42a for editing. That is, the character handwritten by the pen 4 in the handwriting input area 43 is input at the position of the cursor 42 a in the character string editing area 42.

On the other hand, the keyboard input screen 44 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), it has a command input area 41 similar to the handwriting input screen 40 (only the switching command 41b is different), a character string editing area 42, and a keyboard input screen 45.

When the CPU 3 detects that the pen 4 has been tapped on the input screen of the data input pad 7 as described above, it determines whether the command input area 41 has been tapped (steps S30 and S31).

Assuming now that the data input pad 7 is as shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the handwriting input screen 40 shown in (A) is displayed. When the command input area 41 is tapped, the input function corresponding to each command is executed. For example, when the switching command 41a is tapped, the CPU 3 switches the input screen from the handwriting input screen 40 to the keyboard input screen 44 shown in FIG. 5B (step S3).
2).

At this time, when the send command 41c in the command input area 41 is tapped, the handwriting input screen 4
The character string input to the character string edit area 42 of 0 is sent to the character string edit area 42 of the keyboard input screen 44 as it is.

The same applies to the switching process from the keyboard input screen 44 to the handwriting input screen 40. That is, when the switching command 41b of the keyboard input screen 44 is tapped, the CPU 3 switches the input screen from the keyboard input screen 44 to the handwriting input screen 40. When the send command 41c on the keyboard input screen 44 is tapped, the character string input to the character string edit area 42 of the keyboard input screen 44 is sent to the character string edit area 42 of the handwriting input screen 40 as it is.

On the other hand, when the input area other than the command input area 41 is tapped, the input processing corresponding to the input screen of each input mode is executed (N in step S31).
O, S33).

That is, in the handwriting input mode, the character string handwritten by the pen 4 is input to the handwriting input area 43 of the handwriting input screen 40 (step S3).
4, S35). Also, in keyboard input mode,
Characters and commands corresponding to the input key tapped on the keyboard input screen 45 of the keyboard input screen 44 are input (steps S34 and S36). In any of the input screens, the editing process of the character string input in the character string editing area 42 is executed (step S37).

As described above, the switching commands 41a, 4
By tapping 1b, the handwriting input screen 40 and the keyboard input screen 44 can be switched to each other. In this case, the command input area 41 (only the switching command is different) and the character string editing area 42 are common to all the input screens, so that when the input screens are switched, the input is made on any of the input screens. You can edit the character string continuously. (Full-width / half-width conversion processing) Further, full-width / half-width conversion processing of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

In this embodiment, a function of converting the designated range of the input character string into full-width or half-width is provided as a character-string editing function. In order to execute this function, as shown in FIG. 7A, the command input area 41 of the data input pad 7 is provided with each area of a full-width conversion command 41d and a half-width conversion command 41e.

The input mode of the data input pad 7 is the handwriting input screen 40 or the keyboard input screen 44.
Either may be used. When detecting that the command input area 41 of the data input pad 7 is tapped by the pen 4, the CPU 3 determines which command is tapped (steps S40 to S42).

Assuming that the half-width conversion command 41e is tapped, the CPU 3 gives an instruction to select a character string to be converted (NO in step S42, YE in step S46).
S). Here, as shown in FIG. 7A, when a range of a desired character string is specified by the pen 4 in the character string editing area 42, the CPU 3 reversely displays the specified character string (steps S47 and S48). ). And CPU3
Converts the selected character string (eoka in this case) into half-width characters and displays the conversion result as shown in FIG. 7B (step S49).

Similarly, assuming that the full-width conversion command 41d is tapped, the CPU 3 gives an instruction to select a character string to be converted (YES in step S42). When a desired character string range is designated by the pen 4 on the character string editing area 42, the CPU 3 reversely displays the designated character string (steps S43 and S45). And CPU
3 converts the selected character string into full-width characters and displays the conversion result (step S44).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a desired character string is designated with respect to the input character string with the pen 4 and the full-width / half-width conversion command is tapped to convert it to a full-width / half-width character string. can do. Therefore, conventionally, it was necessary to delete the character string to be converted once and then re-input the full-width / half-width character string, but in the present embodiment, the deletion and re-input operations can be omitted. Therefore, the input operation efficiency of the editing function regarding the full-width / half-width conversion processing can be improved.

[0053]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in a tablet-type data input device with a display screen integrated, by displaying an activation area corresponding to an activation button and tapping the activation area. Make the activation button work. Therefore, the input process can be executed even when a pen having no start button is used. Further, the display position for displaying the input screen such as the keyboard screen or the handwriting input screen can be changed. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish the display area used by the application program from the input screen. Further, the display position of the start button can be changed. Therefore, for example, the activation area corresponding to the activation button can be displayed at a display position different from the display area used by the application program.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an appearance of an information processing device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a boot instruction process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a startup area changing process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a startup area changing process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining input screen switching processing according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an input screen switching process according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram for explaining full-width / half-width conversion processing according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining full-width / half-width conversion processing according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... tablet, 2 ... interface, 3 ... CPU,
4 ... Pen, 5 ... Main body of information processing device, 6 ... Display screen, 7
... Data input pad (input screen), 8, 8a, 8b ... Start button (start area).

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A data input device for detecting a position coordinate arbitrarily input and instructed on a tablet formed integrally with a display screen and performing a data input process based on the position coordinate, wherein the preset tablet When an input instruction is given to the first area above, a start instruction recognition means for recognizing that the input processing is a start instruction, and after the start instruction is recognized by the start instruction recognition means, The coordinate determining means for determining the coordinates of the designated area input and designated within the range of the two areas, and the display screen corresponding to the designated area of the coordinates determined by the coordinate determining means in response to the input instruction. A data input device comprising: a display control unit that displays an input screen for executing a predetermined input process. 2. A data input device for detecting a position coordinate arbitrarily input and instructed on a tablet formed integrally with a display screen, and performing a data input process based on the position coordinate A step of determining whether the preset area is the first area or the second area on the tablet, and indicating the start instruction of the input process when the input position coordinate is included in the first area A step of setting a flag; a step of determining coordinates of a designated area arbitrarily input and designated within a range of the second area on the tablet when the flag is set; A step of displaying an input screen for executing a predetermined input process in response to an input instruction on the display screen corresponding to the designated area. Data input method and butterflies. 3. A data input device, which detects a position coordinate arbitrarily input and instructed on a tablet formed integrally with a display screen, and performs data input processing based on this position coordinate. A discriminating unit that discriminates whether the preset area is the first area or the second area on the tablet, and the activation instruction of the input process is issued when the activation area is instructed by the determining unit. Coordinate determining means for recognizing that this has been done and determining the coordinates of the designated area arbitrarily input in the range of the second area on the tablet in response to the activation instruction, and the coordinate determining means. Display control means for displaying an input screen for executing a predetermined input process in response to an input instruction on the display screen corresponding to the designated area of the coordinate set, Detection means for detecting that an input instruction is made within the range or outside the range of the displayed input screen, and outside the range of the input screen detected by the detection means and corresponding to the first area. And a change means for changing the determination coordinate information for determining the activation area by the determination means to the coordinate information of the change area when the change area is input. Input device. 4. A data input device that detects a position coordinate arbitrarily input and instructed on a tablet formed integrally with a display screen and performs data input processing based on this position coordinate A step of determining whether the preset area is the first area or the second area on the tablet; and an instruction to start the input process when the input position coordinate is included in the first area. A step of setting a flag indicating that the coordinate of a designated area arbitrarily input in the range of the second area when the flag is set, A step of displaying an input screen for executing a predetermined input process in response to an input instruction on the display screen corresponding to the designated area; and the displayed input A step of detecting that an input instruction is made within the range of the surface or outside the range; and if a change area corresponding to the first area is input outside the range of the input screen, And a step of changing the discriminating coordinate information for discriminating the area 1 into the coordinate information of the changed area.