Method and apparatus for key-inputting Kanji

• US 4,531,119 A
• Filed: 11/30/1984
• Issued: 07/23/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakajima, Akira, Nakayama, Takeshi, Kurosu, Masaaki, Fujikata, Kenji, Uchida, Shigeru, Ohshima, Yoshimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US06/676,597
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 340/711, 340/712, 340/735, 340/751, 340/365 VC, 364/521, 364/523, 400/109, 400/110, 400/479, 400/489, 400/486, 400/473, 400/484
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selectively key-inputting a Kanji (Chinese and Japanese ideogram) in a Japanese sentence are disclosed. The operator keys-in a reading of a desired Kanji through a keyboard, and candidate Kanjis for that reading are displayed on a display screen so that the operator chooses a relevant Kanji for entry out of the displayed candidate Kanjis. In entering the reading of a Kanji, blocks which are in correspondence to character keys located in home positions of the keyboard and in the neighborhood thereof are displayed on the display screen and candidate Kanjis corresponding to the reading of the desired Kanji are displayed in the blocks. The operator then keys a character key corresponding to a relevant candidate Kanji displayed on the display screen.

Claims

1. A method of key-inputting a first character by operating keys for a second character comprising:

(a) a first step of keying through a keyboard for the second characters a reading of the first character to be entered;

(b) a second step of displaying candidate first characters having said keyed reading in blocks displayed on the screen of a display device, said blocks only being located substantially in correspondence to keys located in home positions of the keyboard and in the neighborhood of said home positions; and

(c) a third step of operating one of said keys located in a home position or in the neighborhood of said home positions on said keyboard corresponding to said first character to be entered out of said candidate first characters displayed in said second step to choose said first character to be entered.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying said first characters in blocks which are in correspondence to keys located in the right hand home positions of said keyboard and in an upper key row adjacent to said home positions.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying a next group of candidate first characters in said blocks displayed on said screen by a key operation for a key located in the left hand home positions of said keyboard.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying a next group of candidate first characters in said blocks displayed on said screen by a key operation for a key located in home positions of the other hand on said keyboard.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first character is a Chinese and Japanese ideograph "Kanji" and said second characters are Japanese Kanas or alphabetic characters.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying first characters in blocks which are in correspondence to keys located in home positions of one hand on said keyboard and in either an upper key row or a lower key row adjacent to said home positions.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said displayed candidate characters of said second step correspond in homophone to the reading of said first characters to be entered which is keyed in during said first step.

8. An apparatus for key-inputting a first character by operating keys for a second character comprising;

(a) a keyboard having a plurality of keys for the second characters arrayed thereon for keying a reading of a first character to be entered;

(b) display means responsive to the operation of said keyboard to display candidate first characters having said keyed reading in blocks which are only located in correspondence substantially to character keys located in home positions of the keyboard and in the neighborhood of the home positions;

(c) a dictionary memory for storing first characters corresponding to each reading; and

(d) control means for controlling said display means to display candidate first characters read out from said dictionary memory in said blocks on said display means in response to entry of the reading of a first character to be entered through said keyboard, and to select the first character to be entered in response to a key operation of one of the second character keys located in home positions and in the neighborhood of the home positions.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said display means displays blocks which are in correspondence to keys located in the right-hand home positions on said keyboard and in an upper key row adjacent to said home positions.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means comprises a means for displaying a next group of candidate first characters in said blocks on the screen in response to a key operation for a key located in the left-hand home positions of said keyboard.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first character is a Chinese and Japanese ideograph "Kanji" and said second characters are Japanese Kanas or alphabetic characters.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said display means displays blocks which are in correspondence to keys located in the home positions of one hand on said keyboard and in an upper key row or a lower key row adjacent to said home positions.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said control means comprises a means for displaying a next group of candidate first characters in said blocks on the screen in response to a key operation for a key located in home positions for the other hand on said keyboard.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said displayed candidate first characters correpond in homophone to the reading of said first characters to be entered which is keyed in with said keyboard.

15. A method of key-inputting a Chinese or Japanese ideograph "Kanji" comprising:

(a) a first step of keying through a keyboard a reading or phonetic version of a desired Kanji to be entered in a Japanese Kana or alphabetic format;

(b) a second step of displaying candidate Kanjis having said keyed reading or phonetic version of said desired Kanji in blocks displayed on the screen of a display device, said blocks only being located substantially in one-to-one corresponding relation to keys located in home positions of the keyboard and in the neighborhood of said home positions; and

(c) a third step of operating one of said keys located in a home position or in a neighborhood of said home positions on said keyboard corresponding to said desired Kanji out of said candidate Kanjis displayed in said second step to choose said desired Kanji.

16. A method of key-inputting a Kanji according to claim 15, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying said candidate Kanjis in blocks which are located in correspondence to keys located in the right-hand home positions of said keyboard and in an upper key row adjacent to a key row of said home positions.

17. A method of key-inputting a Kanji according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying a next group of candidate homophonic Kanjis in said blocks displayed on said screen by a key operation for a key located in at least the left-hand home positions of said keyboard.

18. A method of key-inputting a Kanji according to claim 15, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying said candidate Kanjis in blocks which are located in correspondence to keys located in home positions of one hand on said keyboard and in an upper key row or lower key row adjacent to a key row of said home positions.

19. A method of key-inputting a Kanji according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said second step comprises a step of displaying a next group of candidate homophonic Kanjis in said blocks displayed on said screen by a key operation for a key located in home positions of the other hand on said keyboard.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein said candidate Kanji displayed in said second step corresponds in homophone to the reading of said Kanji keyed in during said first step.

21. An apparatus for key-inputting a Chinese or Japanese ideograph "Kanji" comprising:

(a) a keyboard having a plurality of character keys for either Japanese Kana characters or alphabetic characters for keying a reading of a Kanji character to be entered;

(b) display means responsive to the operation of said keyboard to display predetermined blocks in which each contain a Kanji symbol upon operation of predetermined keys of said keyboard, wherein said displayed Kanji symbols all have said keyed reading, and wherein the display blocks of Kanji symbols substantially correspond only to character keys located in home positions of one hand on said keyboard and character keys located immediately adjacent to the home positions of said one hand on said keyboard; and

(c) control means to select one of said plurality of displayed Kanji symbols by operation of one of said character keys in said home positions of said one hand or one of said character keys immediately adjacent to said home positions of said one hand on said keyboard.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said control means further comprises means for changing display blocks of Kanji characters to alternate blocks of Kanji characters in response to the operation of keys on said keyboard located in home positions of the other hand on said keyboard.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said one hand is the right hand.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said one hand is the right hand.

25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said home positions of said one hand correspond to four home finger positions of said one hand on said keyboard.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said display blocks correspond to character keys located in said four home finger positions and four immediately-adjacent keys either immediately above or immediately below said four home finger positions.

27. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said displayed Kanji symbols are homophones of one another.