JPH0248722A - General-purpose console panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set an input key to be visible and to easily input a large number of characters different in functions and types by providing a variable display unit on the surface of the input keys, connecting an input/display control part so as to display the characters or the like in the variable display unit. CONSTITUTION:Plural input keys 11 are arranged on the panel of the keyboard 1 and the variable display unit 11a which sandwiches liquid crystal between transparent electrodes, changes an incident light by applying the voltage and displays the optional characters is provided on the surface. The input/display control part 2 is connected with respective input keys 11 of the keyboard 1, and it controls key input and the display of the variable display unit 11a. The part 2 accumulates key display data of the characters or the like different in the functions and the types, which are displayed in the variable display unit 11a. A main controller 3 is connected to the input/display control part 2, and it transfers data of the characters or the like inputted by the keyboard 1. Thus, the display of the input keys comes easy to be viewed and the characters different in the functions and the types can easily be added.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a general-purpose operation panel in which a plurality of push-button switches are arranged, and in particular, the surface of each push-button switch corresponds to one type of function. The present invention relates to a general-purpose operation panel equipped with a variable display that can variably display characters, etc.

[Conventional technology]

The manual input part of input devices such as computers and word processors often uses an operation panel called a keyboard, on which there are multiple push-button switches (hereinafter referred to as input keys). It is located.

The individual input keys often display ``hiragana'' or ``English characters'' to be input, either singly or in combination.

Conventionally, in this type of general-purpose operation panel, the characters such as ``hiragana'' and ``English characters'' corresponding to each input key were engraved on the surface of each input key, or a character film was pasted on the surface of each input key. was displayed.

〔Problems to be solved〕

In the conventional general-purpose operation panel mentioned above, "Hiragana", "
When "English characters" are displayed on the same person's key, there is a drawback that the display on the input key is difficult to see because a plurality of characters are displayed on the surface of the input key.

In addition, the current "Hiragana" arrangement includes the JIS arrangement and the new J
There are different layouts such as the IS layout, and it was not easy to change the characters once displayed on the input key by engraving or pasting a character film, so we prepared multiple operation panels, including one for the JIS layout and one for the new JIS layout. I had to.

On the other hand, the characters to be input are not limited to ``Hiragana'' and ``English characters'' (there are cases where characters are unique to French, German, Russian, Hangul, etc.).

In such cases, conventionally, it was necessary to add and display ``hiragana'' and ``English characters'' on the surface of the human-powered keys that already displayed these characters, which made the operation panel even harder to read and caused input errors. Or, a separate control panel had to be used for each of those characters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a general-purpose operation panel in which the display of input keys is easy to see, the characters corresponding to the input keys can be easily changed or added, and characters that are different for two types of functions can be entered. be.

[Means for solving problems]

A general-purpose operation panel according to the present invention is a general-purpose operation panel in which a plurality of push-button switches are arranged and characters, etc., corresponding to each of the push-button switches are manually entered on a main control device. a variable display device installed in the display device to display arbitrary characters, etc.; and a variable display device connected to the variable display device to cause each of the push-button switches to variably display the characters, etc., and to send an input signal corresponding to the function of the displayed characters, etc. It consists of an input/display control section connected to the main control device.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a general-purpose operation panel according to the present invention.

In Figure 1, 1 is the keyboard, 11 is the input key 11
1a is a variable display, 2 is an input/display control section, and 3 is a main control device.

The keyboard 1 has a plurality of input keys 11 arranged on its surface, and a variable display 11a is provided on each surface.

As the variable display 11a, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like can be used, which displays arbitrary characters or the like by changing incident light by sandwiching a liquid crystal between transparent electrodes and applying a voltage.

The input/display control section 2 controls each input key 11 of the keyboard 1.
It is connected to the keypad and performs manual key control and display control of the variable display 11a. It also stores key display data such as characters for different function types to be displayed on the variable display 11a.

The main control device 3 is connected to the input/display control section 2, and data such as characters input using the keyboard 1 is transferred thereto.

Next, the operation of the general-purpose operation panel according to the present invention will be explained in more detail.

First, if the user wants to use it as a Japanese word processor, he selects "Hiragana" data from among the key display data stored in the input/display control section 2. input·
The display control unit 2 instructs the variable display 11a of the input key to display "Hiragana", and causes the variable display 11a to display "Hiragana".

When the user inputs any "Hiragana", the data is transferred to the main controller 3.

Now, when the user needs to input "English characters" while inputting "Hiragana", the user should press the input/display control section 2.
Change the key display data from "Hiragana" to "English characters". In this case, the input/display control section 2 is connected to the variable display 1
1a to display "English characters" and the main controller 3
Since the "English character" data is transferred to the keyboard 1, the user can input "English characters" from the keyboard 1.

Various modifications can be made without being limited to the embodiments described above.

For example, the key display data stored in the input/display control unit 2 may include JIS Hiragana, new JIS Hiragana,
In addition, they use a unique arrangement of hiragana, as well as French, German, and Russian.

Hangul and other foreign language characters can be used.

In addition to characters, key display data also includes + and ×.

Input symbol data for 10th grade, 09 kuchi, figure data such as ☆, etc.
It is also possible to accumulate it in the display control unit 2 and display it on the variable display 11a.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the general-purpose operation panel according to the present invention is provided with a variable display on the surface of a push-button switch (input key), and a human power/display control section is connected to this to display characters, etc. on the variable display. Since it can be displayed, it has the following effects.

First, different characters of one type of function and one figure of symbol can be selected from the data of the display control unit manually and displayed on the variable display, so there is no need to display multiple characters etc. on each input key. The display of input keys is easy to see, and the displayed characters etc. can be easily changed.

Furthermore, since the characters and the like to be displayed on the variable display can be newly stored in the input/display control section as key display data, it is possible to easily add characters and the like for two types of functions.

Therefore, since a large number of different characters for two types of functions can be inputted using the same machine, it is possible to reduce the number of general-purpose operation panels that conventionally had to be prepared for each of two types of functions to one.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a general-purpose operation panel according to the present invention. 1...Keyboard 11...Input key 11a...Variable display 2...Input/display control unit 3...Main controller Fig. 1.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a general-purpose operation panel in which a plurality of push-button switches are arranged and characters, etc. corresponding to each of the push-button switches are inputted to the main control device, arbitrary characters, etc. are provided on the surface of each of the push-button switches. a variable display device for displaying; and an input device that is connected to the variable display device and causes each of the push-button switches to variably display characters, etc., and connects an input signal corresponding to the function of the displayed characters, etc. to the main control device. A general-purpose operation panel characterized by comprising a display control section.