Soft Display Key for Kanji Input

SOFT DISPLAY KEY FOR KANJI INPUT Jouko J. Sepp~nen HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Computing Centre 02150 ESPOO 15, FINLAND Abstract. The concept of a soft display key as applied to input of large character sets or vocabularies such as Kanji, the ancient Chinese ideographic script is discussed. The Japanese orthography and the necessity of using Kanji characters in data terminals are explained. Problems arising from the number and complexity of Kanji symbols for the manufacture and use of keyboard devices are stated. A review is made of devices and methods presently used or suggested. The feasibility of the soft display key is then demonstrated. Some requirements for the design and implementation of a soft display keyboard for Kanji are considered. In conclusion, implications to man/computer interface design, human factors engineering and hardware unification and standardization are stated. Keywords. Display key, soft panel, touch display, character set, Kanji input, programmed interface, data terminal, man/computer dialogue, human factors, cultural variation. Introduction The Kanji Script. The Ancient Chinese ideographic writing system, Kanji, is today used in China, Japan and to some extent in Korea. A principal advantage of an ideographic script is that its understanding does not suppose knowledge of the spoken language. Written Chinese, e.g., is understood all over the country, though the spoken languages are mutually incomprehensible /~/. The main disadvantages are obviously the large number and graphical complexity of written characters and the consequent hardship of learning and writing them. Once learned, reading, instead, does not present equal difficulty thanks to the excellent pattern recognition ability of man. Complex meanings are conveyed in condenced graphical patterns, which are grasped at a glance. Kanji Data Terminals. The real prohibitions are, however, encountered in the design and manufacturing of typing machines and data terminals as well as in their operation. The man/computer interface is a serious bottleneck already with the European, modestly sized alphabet and keyboard. Particularly burning this problem is being felt in Japan, where the computer and information industries are now in full swing. In the early beginning data processing in Japan was done on the basis of romaji, the European alphabet. In Japanese business and culture the Chinese Kanji and the Japanese Kana writing systems, however, play the main role. Therefore, in Japan there is no true solution to computerization without the use of Kanji /I/. The demand for data terminals is increasing rapidly. For overcoming the technical, manufacturing and human factors problems involved in Kanji input a number of different approaches have been made or suggested. Several kinds of devices and systems based on very different principles are in use, while many have remained designs only. Some of these are reviewed below in order to get insight into the problem and the present situation. A technique based on the display input principle is then introduced and suggested for coping with the Kanji input problem. The technique is demonstrated capable of' entering all Kanji characters on a normal western size keyboard with normal size characters and operable by finger. …

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