Typing practice apparatus, typing practice method, and typing practice program

• US 7,301,481 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp.
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo, Matsuno, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US11/165,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 345/172, 345/168, 434/233, 844/70.R, 702/150
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 13/04 Devices used in association with a real typewriter, teleprinter, or the like

Abstract

A finger detector is worn on a finger of a player. When a key on a keyboard is pressed down, a pressure sensor of the finger detector sends a pressure detection signal to a PC main body, and the finger used to press down the key is detected based on the signal. When it is determined that an improper finger is used to press down the key, a beep sound is generated from a speaker.

Claims

1. A typing practice apparatus comprising:

an input unit on which a plurality of keys are arranged;

a finger detecting unit for detecting a finger of a player used to press down a key on the input unit;

a determining unit for determining whether a finger associated with the pressed key is matched with the finger detected by the finger detecting unit;

a notifying unit for notifying a determined result by the determining unit;

a score deciding unit for deciding a score based on the determined results by the determining unit; and

a score notifying unit for notifying the score decided by the score deciding unit.

2. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger detecting unit includes a pressure sensor disposed on a fingertip of the player.

3. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger detecting unit includes an IC tag disposed on a fingertip of the player, and a tag reader which can read information recorded on the IC tag and is disposed so as to correspond to a key on the input unit.

4. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tag reader is disposed so as to correspond to each of the plurality of keys.

7. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger detecting unit includes a pressure sensor disposed on a fingertip of the player.

8. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger detecting unit includes an IC tag disposed on a fingertip of the player, and a tag reader which can read information recorded on the IC tag and is disposed so as to correspond to a key on the input unit.

9. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a character control unit for displaying a character string to be inputted and a key character string corresponding to the keys, which is to be converted to the character strings to be inputted.

10. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when the determining unit determines the finger is matched, the character control unit changes a background color of a character corresponding to the key for which the finger is matched, in the key character string.

11. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a key arrangement displaying unit for displaying a plurality of key arrangement images corresponding to an arrangement of the plurality of keys; and

a key image control unit for highlighting an image range of a key to be pressed down among the plurality of key arrangement images.

12. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a finger image displaying unit for displaying finger images corresponding to fingers; and

a finger image control unit for highlighting an image range of a finger associated with a key to be pressed down among the finger images.

13. The typing practice apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mismatch displaying unit for notifying the key and/or the finger associated with the key when the determining unit determines the finger is not matched.

5. A typing practice method comprising:

detecting a finger of a player used to press down a key on an input unit on which a plurality of keys are arranged;

determining whether a finger associated with the pressed key is matched with the finger detected at the finger detecting step;

notifying a determined result at the determining step;

deciding a score based on the determined results; and

notifying the score decided.

6. A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a typing practice program of computer-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a typing practice method, said method comprising:

detecting a finger of a player used to press down a key on an input unit on which a plurality of keys are arranged;

determining whether a finger associated with the pressed key is matched with the finger detected at the finger detecting step;

notifying a determined result at the determining step;

deciding a score based on the determined result; and

notifying the score decided.