DE29706281U1 - Keyboard with function switching device for controlling a multimedia device or for starting a program with a single key - Google Patents

Description

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to keyboards and more particularly to a keyboard having a switching function for controlling a
Multimedia setup or to start a program with
a single button.

Since Microsoft announced Windows 95 on August 24, 1995, Windows 95 has become one of the most widely accepted
software programs in the world. However, Windows 95 still has
always disadvantages. For example, if a CD-ROM is used in Windows, the user must use a mouse or something similar,

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Bremen: Munich: Berlin-Brandenburg: Dusseldorf: Leipzig: Kiel: Alicante: Hollerallee 32, D28209 Bremen Franz-Joseph-Strasse 38 Helcne-Lange-Straße 3 Neßlerstrasse 5 PhSlipp-Rosenihal-Street 21 Niemannsweg 133 Plaza CalvoSotelo 1-2 PO,B. 10 71 27, D-28071 Bremen D-80801 Munich D-14469 Potsdam D-40593 Dusseldorf D-04103 Leipzig D-24105 Kiel ES-03001 Alicante (Spain) Telephone (04 21) 3 40 90 Telephone (0 89) 34 70 80 Telephone (03 31) 27 54 30 Telephone (02 11) 71 89 83 Telephone (03 41) 9 60 29 77 Telephone (04 31) 840 75 Telephone +34-6-598 0038 Fax (04 21)3 49 17 63 Fax (0 89) 34 70 10 Fax (03 31)2 75 43 21 Fax (02 11)7 18 27 50 Fax (03 41)3103 25 Fax (04 31)8 40 77 Fax +34-6-598 0t82 Telex 244 958 bopat d Telex 524 282forbod

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to find and activate the executable program from a number of program groups. This procedure is not very difficult for people who are familiar with the operation of a computer, but it is not easy for people who are just starting to use a computer. To solve this problem, COMPAQ, PACKARD BELL, and others add many keys to the mainframe case or the monitor. Using these keys, the user can directly start and stop the CD-ROM, control the volume, etc. However, the space for these additional keys increases the cost of the computer system considerably. Furthermore, if the mainframe or monitor of the computer system is some distance from the user, the user cannot conveniently operate these additional keys. There are also keyboards with additional function keys for controlling corresponding special functions. However, if the manufacture of phantom keys is to be avoided, the installation of these additional function keys makes the scanning matrix relatively complicated, so that the manufacturing cost of a keyboard of this type is higher.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a normal keyboard 10' which generally consists of six parts, namely the typewriter keys 1', the auxiliary keys 2', the cursor control keys 3', the special function keys 4', the function keys 5' and the indicator lights 6'. Some auxiliary keys 2' are each labeled with two characters for two different functions (see Fig. 2). When the user presses the NUM LOCK key 21', the NUM LOCK indicator light 6' comes on and the auxiliary keys 2' are set to the numeric function for rapid entry of numbers; when the NUM LOCK key 21' is pressed again, the NUM LOCK indicator light 6' goes off and the auxiliary keys 2' then have the function Home, End, Ins, Del, etc. For the keyboard itself, the auxiliary keys 2' always provide the same scan or sampling code, the system PC has however-

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but a register which is controlled by the number lock key 21' to invert its index to achieve the switching of the function. As can be seen in Figure 2, the functions of the cursor control keys 3' are repeated by some of the auxiliary keys 2'. It is not economical to assign some of the auxiliary keys 2' to perform the same functions as the cursor control keys 3'.

Summary of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances. According to the present invention, a "hot key" is added to a standard keyboard to control switching between a normal function mode and a special function mode, or a specific key of a standard keyboard is designated to provide this function. Specific keys of the standard keyboard are each assigned a function for controlling a multimedia device or opening specific programs. When the shift key is pressed, the keyboard automatically shifts the code to enable the special function mode, and the keyboard sends another scan code appropriate to the Windows application to activate a special function after a reserved key is pressed for it. When the shift key is pressed again, the keyboard goes from the special function mode to the normal function mode, with the pressed reserved key returning from the special function to its normal function. With this concept, the scan lines of the keyboard do not need to be increased.

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Short description of the drawings

The invention is explained in more detail below using preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The figures show:

Figure 1 is a top view of a normal keyboard;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the right part of the standard keyboard shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of a

Part of the keyboard according to the present invention;

Figure 4 a similar view to Figure 3, but with a "hot button";

Figure 5 is a plan view of a keypad according to the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

As shown in Figure 3, the special function keys 4, the cursor control keys 2 and the indicator lights 3 are identical to the corresponding parts of a usual or standard keyboard. However, the auxiliary keys 2 do not have the same function as the cursor control keys 2. Instead, the auxiliary keys 2 are intended for special functions. By pressing the number lock key (NXJM LOCK) 21, the auxiliary keys 2 are switched between a number function mode and a special function mode. Instead of indexing the system PC's register, the keyboard automatically saves the status and sends a different scan code when the number lock key 21 is pressed, thereby presenting a different function through the Windows application.

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Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which a "hot key" 22 is added to the top of the auxiliary keys 2, whereby the auxiliary keys 2 each also receive a corresponding special function in order to control the functions Volume up & Volume down, Mute, Rec, Pre Track, Next Track, Play, Stop/Pause etc., or to start a specific program, such as Internet Web Browser, E-Mail, Calculate, Screen Saver, etc. The auxiliary keys 2 are each labeled with a corresponding special character which corresponds to the corresponding special functions. Each auxiliary key 2 thus has two functions, namely the original normal function, such as quickly entering numbers or moving the cursor, and the added special function. The "hot key" 22 is used to switch between these two functions. The indicator lights 6 include a hot key indicator light 23 which is on when the hot key 22 is pressed or off when the hot key 22 is pressed again. When the user presses the hot key 22, the keyboard sends another scan code matching the Windows application, and the added special functions of the auxiliary keys 2 can be performed at will. When the hot key 22 is pressed again, the hot key indicator light 23 goes off and the auxiliary keys 2 go back from the special function mode to the normal function mode. "EO" is also added to the scan codes of the cursor control keys 3 to distinguish the normal function keys from the special function keys so that the Windows application can easily identify them. Since no additional scan lines are needed, the cost of the hardware does not increase.

Switching the number lock key 21 or the hot key 22 between the normal function mode and the special function mode is different from the known switching technique for

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normal notebook systems. In normal notebook systems, a special command or function is only executed when two specific keys are pressed simultaneously. However, according to the present invention, when the number lock key 21 or the hot key 22 is pressed, the auxiliary keys 2 are switched to the special function mode to perform additional special functions. Alternatively, the additional functions may be located on other function keys or the typewriter keys of the keyboard.

The principle described can be applied to a keypad. As shown in Figure 5, the auxiliary keys of the keypad 7 provide the same functions as the auxiliary keys 2 shown in Figure 4. The keypad 7 has a cable 71 which terminates in a cable connector 72. The cable connector 72 has a plug at one end which can be connected to a keyboard socket of a system PC and a socket at the other end which can accommodate a keyboard cable of a keyboard.

When the user presses the Internet (WWW) key, the keyboard immediately checks whether the index of the register indicates the normal function key or the special function key. If the index of the register indicates the normal function key, the keyboard immediately sends a scan code initialized by "EO". When the Windows application receives this code, the standard interface provided by the Windows application API is used to display the location of WWW and then launch it, and the user can then see the control panel of the listed program on the screen.

It must be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to indicate the limits and

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to define the scope of the disclosed invention. The features disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings can be important both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments.

Claims (9)

2180 Keyboard with a key matrix consisting of a group of typewriter keys (1), a group of auxiliary keys (2), a group of cursor control keys (3), a group of special function keys (4), a group of function keys (5) and a group of indicator lights (6), wherein several keys (2) of the key matrix are each assigned an additional function in order to control a multimedia device or to start software programs, and wherein the key matrix has a shift key (22) in order to switch the keys with the assigned additional functions between a normal function mode and a special function mode. Bremen: Munich: Berlin-Brandenburg: Dusseldorf: Leipzig: Kiel: Alicante: Hollcrallee 32, D-28209 Bremen Franz-Joseph-Strasse 38 Heiene-Lange-Strasse 3 Neßlerstrasse 5 Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 21 Niemannsweg 133 Plaza Cairo Sotelo 1-2 POB ₁ 10 71 27, D-28071 Bremen D-80801 Munich D-14469 Potsdam D40593 Dusseldorf D-04103 Leipzig D-24105 Kiel ES-03001 Alicante (Spain) Telephone (04 21) 3 40 90 Telephone (0 89) 34 70 80 Telephone (03 31) 27 54 30 Telephone (02 U) 71 89 83 Telephone (03 41) 9 60 29 77 Telephone (04 31) 8 40 75 Telephone+34-6-598 0038 Fax (04 21J3 49 17 6S Fax (0 89) 34 70 10 Fax (03 31) 2 75 43 21 Fax (02 11)7 18 27 50 Fax (03 41)3103 25 Fax (04 31)8 40 77 Fax »·34·6·598 0182 Telex 244 958 bopat d Telex 524 282forbod e-mail: Postmaster^ Boehmert.Boehmeri.de BOEHMERi: &:SOEHMERT. ; ; .· &bull; · ··· · · ····· , _&igr;<( . so that the keyboard can send a different scan code that matches a Windows application to perform a special auxiliary function when a key (2) assigned an auxiliary function is pressed after the Shift key is pressed. 2. Keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the indicator lights (6) include a shift key indicator light that is on when the shift key is first pressed or off when the shift key is pressed again. 3. Keyboard according to claim 1 or 2, in which the keys (2) to which the additional functions are assigned are labeled with corresponding characters which correspond to the additional functions. 4. Keyboard according to one of the preceding claims, in which the shift key (22) is arranged above the auxiliary keys. 5. Keyboard according to one of the preceding claims, in which the auxiliary keys (2) are the keys to which the additional functions are assigned. 6. Keyboard with a key matrix consisting of a group of typewriter keys (1), a group of auxiliary keys (2), a group of cursor control keys (3), a group of special function keys (4), a group of function keys (5) and a group of indicator lights (6), wherein the auxiliary keys (2) comprise a number lock key (21), and wherein the auxiliary keys each have an additional function added to them and can be switched by the number lock key between a normal function mode &Bgr;&Ogr;&Egr;&EEgr;&Mgr;&Egr;&Kgr;&Idigr; &: SOEHMEJST, for the number function operation and a special function mode for triggering the corresponding additional functions can be switched. 7. Keyboard according to claim 6, in which the auxiliary keys (2) are labeled with corresponding characters which correspond to the respective additional functions. 8. Keyboard with a separate keypad (7) which has a group of auxiliary keys, each of which is assigned a corresponding additional function, as well as a shift key for switching the auxiliary keys between a normal function mode, which corresponds to a numeric function operation, and a special function mode for activating the respective additional functions, as well as a cable (71) which ends at a cable connection element (72), the cable connection element having a plug at one end which can be connected to a keyboard socket of a computer, as well as a socket at another end which can accommodate a plug of a keyboard cable of the keyboard. 9. Keyboard according to claim 8, in which the auxiliary keys of the keypad (7) are labeled with corresponding characters that correspond to the respective additional functions.