JP2011065532A - Character input device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable input of a desired alphabet rapidly without performing switching operation between a capital letter mode and a small letter mode. <P>SOLUTION: A character input device is provided with: an operation display means for displaying a software keyboard and receiving input of a character if a character input button of the software keyboard is operated; and an operation display control unit for, if the software keyboard is in an alphabet input mode and an alphabet input by operation of the software keyboard is "a character at input start" or "a character after input of a delimiter + a space", converting the alphabet into a capital letter. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a character input device and an image forming apparatus.

  In recent years, some multifunction peripherals have an electronic mail function as well as a copy function, a print function, a facsimile function, and a scan function. By using this e-mail function, image data can be transmitted to the outside. In other words, by attaching image data created by scanning to an e-mail and transmitting the e-mail to the outside, the image data can be sent from the multifunction peripheral to an external personal computer or the like. The multifunction device is equipped with a software keyboard so that the subject and body of the e-mail can be easily input. In the software keyboard, a character input button for each character is displayed on the touch panel in the same way as a normal keyboard, and the input of characters is accepted by pressing this button.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses an image forming apparatus equipped with such a software keyboard. When the user touches the software keyboard of the touch panel, the image forming apparatus moves the input character display area in the vicinity of the touched button, thereby minimizing the movement of the user's line of sight.

JP 2006-31518 A

  By the way, in the above-described prior art, it is easy to input characters by using a software keyboard. However, since the initial letters of capital English characters are uppercase letters, a complicated operation of switching between uppercase mode and lowercase mode by button operation at the boundary between the initial letters and the other letters is necessary.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to allow a desired alphabet to be input promptly without switching between uppercase mode and lowercase mode.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, as a first solution means for a character input device, an operation display means for displaying a software keyboard and accepting character input when a character input button of the software keyboard is operated. And when the software keyboard is in alphabet input mode, the alphabet input by operating the software keyboard is “characters at the start of input” or “characters after entering a delimiter + space”. An operation display control unit for converting alphabets into uppercase letters is used.

  In the present invention, as the second solving means relating to the character input device, in the first solving means, the operation display control unit is configured such that the alphabet inputted by the operation of the software keyboard is “after inputting the delimiter + line feed”. Even in the case of “letters”, a means of converting the alphabet into upper case letters is adopted.

  In the present invention, as a third solving means relating to the character input device, in the first or second solving means, the operation display control unit is configured such that the alphabet input by the operation of the software keyboard is “character after space input”. ", The means of converting the alphabet into upper case is also employed.

  In the present invention, as a fourth solving means relating to the character input device, a means is adopted in which the delimiter is a period or a comma in any of the first to third solving means.

  In the present invention, a character input device employing any one of the first to third solutions is provided as a first solution for the image forming apparatus, and a character is input by the character input device. Adopt the means.

  According to the present invention, when the input alphabet is “character at the start of input” or “character after delimiter + space input”, the alphabet is automatically converted to upper case. As described above, according to the present invention, the alphabet is automatically converted to upper case, so that it is possible to input a desired alphabet quickly without performing switching operation between the upper case mode and the lower case mode each time during character input. it can.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a multifunction peripheral A according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view of the operation display unit 1 of the multifunction machine A according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a software keyboard of a multifunction machine A according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the multifunction peripheral A according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the operation example of the "text start" conversion mode of the multi-function device A which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation example of the conversion mode of "after a sentence head and space input" of the multi-function device A concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The multifunction peripheral A according to the present embodiment has a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a facsimile transmission / reception function, and an electronic mail transmission function. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-function device A includes an operation display unit 1, an image reading unit 2, an image data storage unit 3, an image processing unit 4, a paper transport / image forming unit 5, a communication unit 6, and a main control unit 7. It has.

  The operation display unit 1 includes an operation key 11, a touch panel 12, and an operation display control unit 13, and functions as a man-machine interface that relates the user and the multifunction device A. The user operates the operation display unit 1 to cause the multifunction peripheral A to execute a user-desired operation. The operation display unit 1 will be described in detail later.

  The image reading unit 2 is a document automatically fed by an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) or an image of a document placed on a platen glass (document image) based on a control command input from a main control unit 7 described later. Is read by the line sensor and converted into document image data, and the document image data is output to the image data storage unit 3.

  The image data storage unit 3 is a semiconductor memory, a hard disk device, or the like, and receives document image data, print image data, and facsimile image data (received by the communication unit 6 from the outside) based on a control command input from the main control unit 7. The image data is stored and read out and output to the image processing unit 4.

  The image processing unit 4 performs various types of image processing (for example, image processing corresponding to enlargement / reduction copying) on the image data input from the image data storage unit 3 based on a control command input from the main control unit 7 described later. ), And the image data is converted into image data in an image forming format and output to the paper transport / image forming unit 5. When the image reading unit 2 reads a color original, the image data input from the image data storage unit 3 to the image processing unit 4 is RGB image data (color image data) corresponding to the three primary colors of light. Reference numeral 4 denotes image data corresponding to the image forming format using such RGB image data, for example, YMCK image data, that is, an image using Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) as reference colors. The data is converted and output to the paper transport / image forming unit 5.

  The paper transport / image forming unit 5 transports recording paper in a paper tray (not shown) based on a control command input from the main control unit 7, and image data in the image forming format input from the image processing unit 4. Then, an image is formed on a recording sheet, and the recording sheet is conveyed to a discharge tray (not shown). The sheet conveying / image forming unit 5 is formed by arranging, for example, four developing devices corresponding to the reference color toner on the secondary transfer belt, and forms an image based on a tandem system.

  The communication unit 6 communicates with an external multifunction device, a facsimile machine, a client computer, or the like using a LAN (Local Area Network) or a telephone line under the control of the main control unit 7. That is, the communication unit 6 has both a communication function compliant with a LAN standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and a communication function compliant with a facsimile standard such as G3. The communication unit 6 can send and receive e-mails, for example.

  The main control unit 7 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a main body internal memory, the operation display unit 1, an image reading unit 2, an image data storage unit 3, an image processing unit 4, a paper transport / image forming unit 5, and a communication unit 6. And an interface circuit for transmitting and receiving various signals. The main control unit 7 controls the overall operation of the multifunction peripheral A based on a control program stored in advance in the main body internal memory and an operation instruction input from the operation display unit 1. The main control unit 7 transmits and receives various signals in a predetermined communication format with the operation display control unit 13 of the operation display unit 1, thereby grasping and controlling the operation state of the operation display unit 1.

Next, the operation display unit 1 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 2, the operation display unit 1 includes an operation key 11, a touch panel 12, and an operation display control unit 13 (see FIG. 1). The touch panel 12 is an operation display unit in the present embodiment. And the touch panel 12 and the operation display control part 13 comprise the character input device in this embodiment.

  The operation key 11 is physically provided in the operation display unit 1 as a hardware key. The operation keys 11 include, for example, a power key, a start key, a clear key for canceling operation contents, and a numeric keypad for inputting instructions regarding numbers. When the operation key 11 is pressed by the user, an operation signal of each operation key is output to the operation display control unit 13.

  As is well known, the touch panel 12 is provided with a transparent surface pressure sensor such as a resistive film type on the display surface of the display panel, and the user designates an operation button displayed on the display panel by the operation display control unit 13. When the pressure is pressed, the planar pressure sensor outputs an operation signal indicating the pressed position (pressed coordinate) to the operation display control unit 13.

The operation display control unit 13 is a control device that controls the operation keys 11 and the touch panel 12 under the control of the main control unit 7, and includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an internal memory, the operation keys 11, the touch panel 12, and the main touch panel 12. An interface circuit that exchanges various signals with the control unit 7 is provided.
The operation display control unit 13 displays operation buttons and various screens displayed on the touch panel 12 based on an operation display control program stored in the internal memory under a control command input from the main control unit 7. Then, the operation display control unit 13 determines which operation button or operation key 11 has been operated based on an operation signal input from the operation key 11 or the touch panel 12, and sends it to the main control unit 7 as a user operation instruction. Output.

  The touch panel 12 displays operation buttons and various screens under the control of the operation display control unit 13, and displays a software keyboard as one of them. The software keyboard is used when inputting characters in the same manner as a general keyboard, and is displayed when an e-mail subject and text are input. As shown in FIG. 3, the software keyboard has the same layout (QWERTY layout) as that of a general keyboard, and character input buttons corresponding to the characters are arranged. A character input by pressing the character input button is displayed in the input character display area. By switching the character input mode of the software keyboard, hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphabets, and various symbols can be input.

  When the character input mode is the alphabet input mode, the software keyboard can switch the character type mode with the “upper case” mode button and the “lower case” mode button. When the “uppercase” mode button is pressed, the character type mode is changed to the “uppercase” mode, and the alphabet input by pressing the character input button is displayed in uppercase in the input character display area. When the “lowercase” mode button is pressed, the character type mode is changed to the “lowercase” mode, and the alphabet entered by pressing the character input button is displayed in uppercase in the input character display area. The dot pattern “lowercase” mode button in FIG. 3 indicates that the button is pressed and the character type mode is in the lowercase mode.

In the software keyboard, a “normal” mode button, a “start of sentence” conversion mode button, and a “after sentence and space input” conversion mode button for selecting a conversion mode are displayed. The conversion mode is an operation mode for setting whether or not an input alphabetic character type is automatically converted. When the button is pressed, the color of the left circle becomes black. The default conversion mode is the “normal” mode. Details of processing when each of the “normal” mode button, the “start of sentence” conversion mode button, and the “after sentence and space input” conversion mode are pressed will be described later.
Furthermore, a “convert” button is displayed on the software keyboard. Details of processing when the “conversion” button is pressed will also be described later.

Next, the operation of the MFP A according to this embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
First, a user who wants to create an e-mail using the multifunction device A operates the operation display unit 1 to display an e-mail creation screen on the touch panel 9. Then, the user starts inputting the subject and body of the e-mail.

The operation display control part 13 will display a software keyboard (refer FIG. 3) on the touch panel 12, if a text input start instruction is received by operation of the touch panel 12 by a user (step S1).
When the character input mode of the software keyboard is the alphabet input mode, the operation display control unit 13 enables the “normal” mode button, the “start of sentence” conversion mode button, and the “after the start of sentence and space input” conversion mode button to be pressed. . Then, when the “normal” mode button, the “start of sentence” conversion mode button or the “after sentence start and space input” conversion mode button is pressed, the operation display control unit 13 switches the conversion mode according to the pressed button ( Step S2).

When the character input button on the software keyboard is pressed after step S2, the operation display control unit 13 selects any of the “normal” mode, the “start of sentence” conversion mode, and the “after sentence and space input” conversion mode. Is determined (step S3).
If it is determined in step S3 that the conversion mode is the “normal” mode, the operation display control unit 13 inputs the alphabet input by pressing the character input button according to the character type mode (uppercase mode or lowercase mode). It is displayed in the character display area (step S4).

  When the operation display control unit 13 determines in step S3 that the conversion mode is the “start of sentence” mode, the alphabet input by pressing the character input button is “character at start of input”, “period + space input”. It is determined whether or not it is a “character after” or “character after period + line feed input” (step S5).

When the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S5, that is, the input alphabet is “characters at the start of input”, “characters after period + space input” or “after period + line feed input”. In the case of “character”, the input alphabet is converted to upper case regardless of the character type mode, and the converted alphabet is displayed in the input character display area (step S6).
In addition, when it is determined “NO” in step S5, the operation display control unit 13 displays the input alphabet in the input character display area according to the character type mode as in step S4.

Step S6 will be described with reference to FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the character type mode of the software keyboard is the “lowercase” mode and the conversion mode is the “sentence” conversion mode. In this case, if the input alphabet is “abc def ghij. Klmn opq.”, “Character at the start of input” and “Character after period + space input” are capitalized as shown in FIG. And “Abc def ghij. Klmn opq.” Is displayed in the input character display area. That is, “a” and “k” are converted to upper case. Similarly, in the case of “period + character after line feed input”, the alphabet is converted to upper case as well.

  Returning to FIG. 4, when the “conversion” button is pressed after step S <b> 6, the operation display control unit 13 converts all alphabets automatically converted to upper case into lower case according to the character type mode (step S <b> 7). That is, “A” and “K” in the input character display area shown in FIG. 5 are converted to lower case.

  When the operation display control unit 13 determines in step S3 that the conversion mode is “after sentence / space input” conversion mode, the alphabet input by pressing the character input button is “character at start of input”, It is determined whether the character is “character after period + space input”, “character after period + line feed input” or “after space input” (step S8).

If the operation display control unit 13 determines “YES” in step S8, that is, the input alphabet is “character at the start of input”, “character after period + space input”, “after period + line feed input” If it is “character after” or “character after space input”, the input alphabet is converted to upper case regardless of the character type mode, and the converted alphabet is displayed in the input character display area (step S9).
Further, when it is determined “NO” in step S8, the operation display control unit 13 displays the input alphabet in the input character display area according to the character type mode as in step S4.

Step S9 will be described with reference to FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the character type mode of the software keyboard is the “lowercase” mode, and the conversion mode is the “after sentence and space input” conversion mode. In this case, if the input alphabet is “abc def ghij. Klmn opq.”, As shown in FIG. 6, “characters at the start of input”, “characters after period + space input” and “space” “Character after input” is converted to upper case, and “Abc Def Ghij. Klmn Opq.” Is displayed in the input character display area. That is, “a”, “d”, “g”, “k”, and “o” are converted to upper case. Similarly, in the case of “period + character after line feed input”, the alphabet is converted to upper case as well.

  Returning to FIG. 4, when the “conversion” button is pressed after step S <b> 9, the operation display control unit 13 converts all alphabets automatically converted to upper case into lower case according to the character type mode (step S <b> 10). That is, “A”, “D”, “G”, “K”, and “O” in the input character display area shown in FIG. 6 are converted to lower case.

  As described above, in the MFP A according to the present embodiment, when the user sets the conversion mode to the “start of sentence” mode, the input alphabet is “characters at the start of input”, “characters after period + space input” or If it is "period + character after line feed input", the alphabet is automatically converted to upper case. In addition, when the user changes the conversion mode to “after sentence and space input” mode, the input alphabet is “character at the start of input”, “character after period + space input”, “character after period + line feed input” Or, if it is “character after space input”, the alphabet is automatically converted to upper case.

  In this way, the multi-function device A automatically converts the alphabet character type based on the conversion mode. As a result, the user can change the conversion mode to the “start of sentence” mode or “after the start of sentence, after entering a space” mode, and without having to switch between the upper case mode and the lower case mode each time during character input. You can enter the desired alphabet.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the above embodiment, when the conversion mode is the “start of sentence” mode or the “start of sentence, after space input” mode, “period + character after space input” or “character after period + line feed input” is an alphabet. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
In English, the letter after a comma may be capitalized, so even if the "character after comma + space input" or "character after comma + line feed" is an alphabet, the letter is capitalized. You may make it convert.

A ... MFP, 1 ... operation display unit, 2 ... image reading unit, 3 ... image data storage unit, 4 ... image processing unit, 5 ... paper transport / image forming unit, 6 ... communication unit, 7 ... main control unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Operation key, 12 ... Touch panel 12, 13 ... Operation display control part

Claims (5)

An operation display means for displaying a software keyboard and receiving a character input when a character input button of the software keyboard is operated;
When the software keyboard is in the alphabet input mode, if the alphabet entered by operating the software keyboard is “characters at the start of input” or “characters after entering a separator + space”, A character input device comprising: an operation display control unit for converting to upper case.   The operation display control unit converts the alphabet into upper case even when the alphabet input by the operation of the software keyboard is "a character after inputting a delimiter + a line feed". The character input device described in 1.   The said operation display control part converts the said alphabet to capital letters also when the alphabet inputted by operation of the software keyboard is a "character after the space input". Character input device.   The character input device according to claim 1, wherein the delimiter is a period or a comma. An image forming apparatus comprising the character input device according to claim 1, wherein characters are input by the character input device.

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