Operation key registration system for a coordinate input device

• US 6,225,983 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1994
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shigeeda, Nobuyuki, Yamamoto, Susumu, Ikegaya, Tadahiko, Katsurabayashi, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/318,513
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/709, 340/712, 340/711, 382/13, 382/59, 178/18, 178/19, 358/468, 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/179, 345/182, 345/180, 345/104, 345/146, 345/113, 345/134, 379/354, 379/355, 379/100, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In a key registering mode, a freely set key table is produced which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified key and area information representing an arbitrarily selected area of a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device. A key name of the registered operation key may further be registered in the freely set key table.

Claims

1. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a freely set sub-area of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation; and

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the freely set sub-area of the freely set key area of the coordinate input surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the freely set sub-area specifying means comprises a key setting sheet on which fixed operation keys are written in advance and which is placed on the coordinate input surface, the freely set sub-area being further specified by specifying one of the fixed operation keys in the key setting sheet.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation key specifying means includes a display device placed under the coordinate input surface, said coordinate input surface being transparent, for displaying operation keys to be specified and displaying function-representing information of specified operation keys.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation key specifying means comprises a plurality of menu mats selectively placed on the coordinate input surface, through which the operation key is specified, each of the plurality of menu mats having an identification portion to identify a kind of a menu mat being placed on the coordinate input surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for registering a key name of the specified operation key in the freely set key table, comprising;

a key name registering mat having divided areas in which respective ones of a plurality of items of character information are written, said key name registering mat being disposed on the coordinate input surface;

means for storing an area-character table which stores second area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the respective divided areas of the key name registering mat and the plurality of character information;

means for specifying a selected one of said divided areas of said key name registering mat; and

means for registering a character in the freely set key table as the key name of the specified operation key, said character corresponding to the character information written in a respective one of the divided areas of said key name registering mat.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the key name registering mat comprises a logo-pattern registering mat having a plurality of divided areas written in a matrix form, said logo-pattern registering mat disposed on the coordinate input surface and wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for specifying selected divided areas of said logo-pattern registering mat;

means for storing third area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the specified divided areas;

means for converting said third area information into an image; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for reading a sheet placed on the coordinate input surface;

means for extracting information representing an image written in a specified area of the sheet; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.

9. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a freely set sub-area of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation;

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the freely set sub-area of the freely set key area;

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn, at least in part with said line of said thickness, on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.

10. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a sub-area of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation, both position and extent of said sub-area being freely set by a user; and

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the sub-area as freely set in position and extent within the freely set key area of the coordinate input surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sub-area specifying means comprises a key setting sheet on which the fixed operation keys are written in advance and which is placed on the coordinate input surface, the sub-area as freely set in position and extent being further specified by specifying for copying one of the fixed operation keys in the key setting sheet.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the operation key specifying means includes a display device placed under the coordinate input surface, said coordinate input surface being transparent, for displaying operation keys to be specified and displaying function-representing information of specified operation keys.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for registering a key name of the specified operation key in the freely set key table, comprising;

a key name registering mat having divided areas in which respective ones of a plurality of items of character information are written, said key name registering mat being disposed on the coordinate input surface;

means for storing an area-character table which stores second area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the respective divided areas of the key name registering mat and the plurality of character information;

means for specifying a selected one of said divided areas of said key name registering mat; and

means for registering a character in the freely set key table as the key name of the specified operation key, said character corresponding to the character information written in a respective one of the divided areas of said key name registering mat.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the key name registering mat comprises a logo-pattern registering mat having a plurality of divided areas written in a matrix form, said logo-pattern registering mat disposed on the coordinate input surface, and wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for specifying selected divided areas of said logo-pattern registering mat;

means for storing third area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the specified divided areas;

means for converting said third area information into an image; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for reading a sheet placed on the coordinate input surface;

means for extracting information representing an image written in a specified area of the sheet; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the operation key specifying means comprises a plurality of menu mats selectively placed on the coordinate input surface, through which the fixed operation key is specified, each of the plurality of menu mats having an identification portion to identify a kind of a menu mat being placed on the coordinate input surface.

18. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a freely set sub-area in position and extent of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation;

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the freely set sub-area in position and extent of the freely set key area;

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn, at least in part with said line of said thickness, on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.

19. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a sub-area of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation, said sub-area being continuously variable by a user; and

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the continuously-variable sub-area of the freely set key area of the coordinate input surface.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the sub-area specifying means comprises a key setting sheet on which fixed operation keys are written in advance and which is placed on the coordinate input surface, the continuously-variable sub-area being further specified by specifying for copying one of the fixed operation keys in the key setting sheet.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the operation key specifying means includes a display device placed under the coordinate input surface, said coordinate input surface being transparent, for displaying operation keys to be specified and displaying function-representing information of specified operation keys.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for registering a key name of the specified operation key in the freely set key table, comprising;

a key name registering mat having divided areas in which respective ones of a plurality of items of character information are written, said key name registering mat being disposed on the coordinate input surface;

means for storing an area-character table which stores second area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the respective divided areas of the key name registering mat and the plurality of character information;

means for specifying a selected one of said divided areas of said key name registering mat; and

means for registering a character in the freely set key table as the key name of the specified operation key, said character corresponding to the character information written in a respective one of the divided areas of said key name registering mat.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the key name registering mat comprises a logo-pattern registering mat having a plurality of divided areas written in a matrix form, said logo-pattern registering mat disposed on the coordinate input surface, and said key name registering means further comprises:

means for specifying selected divided areas of said logo-pattern registering mat;

means for storing third area information representing areas of the coordinate input surface corresponding to the specified divided areas;

means for converting said third area information into an image; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the key name registering means further comprises:

means for reading a sheet placed on the coordinate input surface;

means for extracting information representing an image written in a specified area of the sheet; and

means for registering the image in the freely set key table as the key name.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the key name registering means comprises:

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the operation key specifying means comprises a plurality of menu mats selectively placed on the coordinate input surface, through which the fixed operation key is specified, each of the plurality of menu mats having an identification portion to identify a kind of a menu mat being placed on the coordinate input surface.

27. An apparatus for registering an operation key on a coordinate input surface of a coordinate input device, the coordinate input surface having a fixed key area and a freely set key area, comprising:

means for storing a fixed key table which correlates operation key information representing a function of a specified operation key with fixed area information representing a specified area of the fixed key area of the coordinate input surface, said specified operation key being a fixed operation key;

means for selecting a registering mode;

means for specifying the operation key;

means for specifying a sub-area of the freely set key area in response to an indication of one or two size-determining points on the coordinate input surface within a continuous range of variation, said sub-area having a property continuously-variable by a user;

means for producing a freely set key table that correlates operation key information representing a function of the specified operation key and further area information representing the sub-area of the freely set key area;

means for specifying a thickness of a line to be drawn on the coordinate input surface; and

means for registering an image drawn, at least in part with said line of said thickness, on the coordinate input surface in the freely set key table as the key name.