Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-22
2001-08-28
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C341S028000, C400S109000, C400S110000, C400S484000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281884
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a general Chinese phonetic keyboard setting apparatus which uses computer techniques to enable the user to define a Chinese phonetic keyboard in a computer system that suits the Chinese character input habit of the user, and which is capable of automatically determining whether or not the Chinese phonetic keyboard that was defined by the user is rational based on mutual acceptance and mutual rejection among finals, initials, medials and tones of the Chinese language.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The technique of using a keyboard in a computer system to input Chinese characters has been around for many years. While advancements have been made in the fields of Chinese handwriting recognition and speech recognition, it is believed that the input of Chinese characters will still be achieved mainly with the use of a computer keyboard in the coming years. Not a few developers of numerous Chinese input methods have maintained that their input method is the quickest. However, in some places like Taiwan, more than half of computer users prefer the use of Chinese phonetic characters to input Chinese characters especially because they have been trained in Chinese phonetics since their elementary years.
The most common Chinese phonetic keyboard assigns one computer key to one Chinese phonetic character. This is the so-called “one key, one sound” method. It is noted that there are 37 Chinese phonetic symbols and 4 tones in the Chinese language. As such, a total of 41 computer keys (including the first tone, which is assigned the space bar key) is needed before a Chinese phonetic keyboard can be completely defined. As to the arrangement of the Chinese phonetic keyboard, this can be done according to the sequence of the Chinese phonetic symbols, such as in the standard Chinese phonetic keyboard of
FIG. 6
, and in the IBM Chinese phonetic keyboard of FIG.
7
. Other Chinese phonetic keyboards associate the Chinese phonetic symbols with alphanumeric characters, such as in the I Tien Chinese phonetic keyboard of FIG.
8
.
In the early years since the development of Chinese phonetic input methods, users of Chinese phonetic input methods made little demands on the arrangement of the Chinese phonetic keyboard because of a severe problem caused by the need to select from among different Chinese characters that sound alike, and because the conversion efficiency when using Chinese phonetics is actually not very high. With the advent of intelligent Chinese phonetic input methods in recent years, some people started to notice the arrangement of Chinese phonetic keyboards, thus leading to the use of only the 26 letters of the English alphabet and the space bar key, which represents the first tone, to define a Chinese phonetic keyboard. This is the so-called “one key, several sounds” method. The more popular Chinese phonetic keyboards of the aforementioned type include the I Tien 26-key Chinese phonetic keyboard (see
FIG. 9
) and the Hsu Shih Chinese phonetic keyboard (see FIG.
10
).
The arrangements of the various Chinese phonetic keyboards mentioned above have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, once the user has become accustomed to a particular Chinese phonetic keyboard arrangement, it will be inconvenient for the user to use another Chinese phonetic keyboard to input Chinese characters when the computer system is replaced. The input speed will also be dramatically reduced.
Moreover, since the arrangements of the aforementioned conventional Chinese phonetic keyboards are fixed according to the design specifications of the manufacturer, they cannot be expected to satisfy the needs and habits of different users. Thus, it is desirable to provide an apparatus that enables the user to define his or her own Chinese phonetic keyboard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a general Chinese phonetic keyboard setting apparatus which enables the user to define a Chinese phonetic keyboard in a computer system that suits the Chinese character input habit of the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a general Chinese phonetic keyboard setting apparatus which is capable of automatically determining whether or not the Chinese phonetic keyboard that was defined by the user is rational based on mutual acceptance and mutual rejection among finals, initials, medials and tones of the Chinese language.
According to this invention, a general Chinese phonetic keyboard setting apparatus comprises:
a computer mouse;
a standard computer keyboard of a computer system;
a display device;
a memory device having a character sound grouping rules table stored therein, the table grouping Chinese phonetic characters into several groups based on mutual acceptance and mutual rejection among finals, initials, medials and tones of the Chinese phonetic characters;
a phonetic keyboard position defining device connected to the computer mouse, the standard computer keyboard and the display device, the phonetic keyboard position defining device generating a simulated computer keyboard that is a computer simulation of the standard computer keyboard, and controlling the display device to show the simulated computer keyboard and a set of the Chinese phonetic characters thereon, the phonetic keyboard position defining device further permitting a selected one of the Chinese phonetic characters to be set on a selected key of the simulated computer keyboard through use of the computer mouse;
a phonetic keyboard position register connected to the phonetic keyboard position defining device, and storing the Chinese phonetic characters and positions thereof on the simulated computer keyboard as defined through use of the phonetic keyboard position defining device;
a phonetic keyboard position verifying device connected to the phonetic keyboard position register and the memory device, the phonetic keyboard position verifying device referring to the character sound grouping rules table in the memory device and comparing the Chinese phonetic characters and the positions thereof on the simulated computer keyboard as stored in the phonetic keyboard position register to verify if the positions of the Chinese phonetic characters on the simulated computer keyboard as defined can be established; and
a phonetic keyboard storage device connected to the phonetic keyboard position verifying device to store phonetic keys that were verified thereby, the phonetic keyboard storage device being further connected to the standard computer keyboard for signal transmission therewith.
Preferably, the character sound grouping rules table is based on the table shown in FIG.
4
.
The general Chinese phonetic keyboard setting apparatus of the present invention having the above-described construction enables the user to move a Chinese phonetic character of the phonetic keyboard position defining device to the simulated computer keyboard on the display device with the use of the computer mouse to define a Chinese phonetic keyboard. The user can define a Chinese phonetic character on one or more keys, and can define several Chinese phonetic characters on one key. After the user has defined the keyboard position of a Chinese phonetic character, the Chinese phonetic character and the defined keyboard position thereof on the simulated computer keyboard are stored in the phonetic keyboard position register. Thereafter, the phonetic keyboard position verifying device compares the Chinese phonetic characters stored in the phonetic keyboard position register thereamong with reference to the character sound grouping rules table to verify if a conflict has occurred among the Chinese phonetic characters that have been defined. As long as no conflict has occurred, the result of the definition using the phonetic keyboard position defining device is shown on the display device, and the defined phonetic keys are stored in the phonetic keyboard storage device for signal transmission with the standard computer keyboard.
REFERE
Chang Ling-Min
Hsieh Ming-Shiun
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Hjerpe Richard
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Kevin M
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