JPH01213706A - Keyboard input controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the erroneous operation of function keys by setting validation/invalidation of function keys on an initial picture. CONSTITUTION:The terminal part of an information processor to which a keyboard input controller is applied is provided with an I/O and interface 10 to which data from a higher-order system or data passing a key code converter 70 from a keyboard 1 is inputted, a system memory 20, a microprocessor unit 30, a frame buffer 40 for picture display, a D/A converter 50, and a display part 60 of a CRT or the like. When the power source of the processor is turned on, the initial picture is displayed on the screen of the display device 60 and set information of validation/invalidation of functions of function keys on the keyboard 1 is seen on this picture. An operator inputs and sets a function key whose function should be invalidated while seeing this picture. As the result, the input of this function key is not transmitted to the information processor side unless this setting of invalidation is released hereafter.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a keyboard input control device that can prevent erroneous operation of function keys provided on a keyboard of an information processing device. Multiple functions are provided on the keyboard of an information processing device equipped with a display device, with the aim of preventing erroneous operation of function keys during keyboard input without processing the keyboard body or installing a special mechanism. In the device for controlling input from keys, an initial screen storage means stores the contents of an initial screen including enable/disable setting information of the function keys to be displayed on the display device; a setting storage means for storing a valid/invalid setting of a code of the function key inputted from a function key; and a setting storage means for determining validity/invalidity of a code inputted from a specific function key of the keyboard during operation of the information processing device. , and a function key validity/invalidity determining means for transmitting only the code determined to be valid to the information processing device side.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a keyboard input control device, and more particularly to a keyboard input control device that can prevent erroneous operation of function keys provided on a keyboard of an information processing device.

A keyboard used as an input device for information processing equipment, etc. has data input keys such as alphanumeric characters, various symbol keys, etc., as well as keys for resetting the device status and instructing system operations. or to instruct the operation of the device, such as selecting the shape and size of the cursor if the information processing device is a graphic display, or selecting the scale factor of a tablet device. It is common to have function keys (also called function keys). In input operations using such a keyboard, erroneous data key operations can be easily corrected, and on devices equipped with a display device, input results can be visually checked, making it easy to discover erroneous operations. . However, when operating function keys, the types of failures that occur as a result of incorrect operations vary depending on the software configuration, but incorrect operations may cause a system down (stopping the CPU) or damage important user files. There is a need to prevent erroneous operation of function keys, as this may lead to unexpected accidents.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, on the keyboard of information processing equipment, function keys that are dangerous if used incorrectly or function keys that are not used in this work are covered with protective covers.
Countermeasures have been taken, such as fitting a rubber plate into the gap between the key tops to make it impossible to press function keys that you do not want to use. However, with these measures, parts such as protective covers have to be specially ordered to fit each keyboard, and when workers select whether to enable or disable function keys, There were problems such as the work being difficult and the parts that had been painstakingly manufactured to be lost.

Therefore, on the keyboard, there are 0 corresponding to the function keys.
A keyboard error prevention device (Utility Model Publication No. 59-931) is provided with a setting switch that can be set to N10FF, and by turning this switch off, input from a specific function key is blocked (publication No. 59-931). The keyboard input bag W (
JP-A-58-107943), etc.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, the conventional keyboard erroneous operation prevention devices and keyboard input devices all require special mechanisms on the keyboard, which poses a problem in that the keyboard itself is expensive.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional keyboard erroneous operation prevention device and keyboard input device, and to enable anyone to easily erroneously operate a function key during keyboard input without adding any processing to the keyboard body or providing a special mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent keyboard input control device that can prevent such problems.

, [Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of a keyboard input control device of the present invention in an information processing device 5 equipped with a display device 6. As shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 2 denotes an initial screen storage means, which stores the contents of the initial screen including setting information for enabling/invalidating the function keys to be displayed on the display device 6, and the setting storage means 3 stores the contents of the initial screen including setting information for enabling/disabling the function keys to be displayed on the display device 6. Stores the valid/invalid setting of the code of the function key to be input. The function key validity/invalidity determination means 4 determines the validity/invalidity of codes input from specific function keys of the keyboard 1 while the information processing device 5 is operating, and only the codes determined to be valid are sent as information. Transfer to the processing device side.

[For production]

In the keyboard input control device of the present invention, when the information processing device is turned on, an initial screen appears on the screen of the display device, and in this initial screen, setting information for enabling/disabling the functions of the function keys on the keyboard is displayed. Can be visually observed. The operator of the information processing device, while looking at this initial screen, sets the function key whose function he wants to disable in subsequent inputs by inputting from the keyboard. Then, unless you call up the initial screen again and cancel this disabled setting, even if you accidentally operate a disabled function key in a subsequent keyboard input operation, the keyboard input control device will not allow input from the disabled function key. is determined, and the input using this function key is not transmitted to the information processing device side.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a terminal section of an information processing device to which the keyboard input control device of the present invention is applied.

This terminal section includes an Ilo and an interface 10 into which data from the host system and data from the keyboard via the key code converter W70 are input, a system memory 20 for temporarily storing data, and a system memory 20 for analyzing data. There are a microprocessor unit (MPU) 30, a frame buffer 40 for screen display, a D/A converter 50, and a display 60 such as a CRT.

When programs and data from the host system or data from the keyboard 1 are input to Ilo and the interface 10, they are stored in the system memory 20 immediately. The data stored in system memory 2o is M
It is analyzed by the PU 30 and the frame buffer 40, D
/A conversion 2350 and is displayed on the display 60.

Furthermore, when the information processing device is powered on, the I10 and the interface 10 display an initial screen called a SETUP screen on the display 6°, and input input to the function keys on the keyboard l. It also has the role of determining whether it is valid or invalid.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of Ilo and the interface 10 in FIG. 2. central processing unit (CPU
) 1) controls Ilo and interface IO, and its path line 16 stores a ROM 12 that stores a setup screen that is displayed on the display 60 when the power is turned on, and a set-up screen that is displayed on the display 60. a RAM 13 for storing the contents of , as well as enabling/disabling settings for the function keys displayed on the setup screen;
and input/output capo) (1)0)14.15 are connected. Data from the keyboard 1 is input to 1) 014, and l1015 is connected to the system memory 20 and MPU 30. Furthermore, an interrupt signal is input from the CPU II to the MPU 30.

The contents of a setup screen as shown in FIG. 5, for example, are stored in the ROM 12, and this setup screen is stored from the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 when the power is turned on. The numbers 1 to 6 in the setup screen in Figure 5 indicate the function keys on the keyboard l, and enable or disable the functions of these function keys 1 to 6. This is executed by operating the keyboard 1. That is, by operating the keyboard l, the cursor is moved to 1 on the display screen. KA0RKSTATION C0NFI
If you move it above GURATION and set the number "O" (NONE) using keyboard 1, this function key will be disabled, and if you set it to "1)" (VIEW), this function key will be enabled. It's supposed to be.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a table provided in the RAM 1a for setting the validity/invalidity of function keys. This table contains the function keys number 1 to 1 on the display screen mentioned above.
6, there is an area for storing the key code (PFI-PF6) and an area for storing whether the key is invalidated or remains valid. And, as mentioned above, the function keys (key code PFI) formed by keyboard 1
is selected and "1" is input for that function key, "1" is set for the code PFI, and that function key is determined to be valid from now on. In addition, conversely, the function key (key code PF3) formed by keyboard 1
is selected and "0" is input for that function key, "O" is set for code PF3, and that function key is determined to be invalid thereafter.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, a table is provided in the RAM 13 to store both the code of the function key set to valid and the code of the function key set to invalid. It is also possible to store only the code of the set function key in the RAM 13.

The operation of Ilo and the interface 10 when a function key set to be enabled/disabled on the cent-up screen as described above is pressed during operation of the information processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

In Ilo and the interface 10, the CPU Ull executes processing according to a main routine at predetermined time intervals, and step 601 is provided in the main routine. In step 601, it is determined whether there is an input from a function key. If there is no input from the function key (NO), the process advances to step 602, and normal operation is performed using the CP.
UII executes. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 601 that there is an input from the function key (YES), the process proceeds to step 603, and the key code from the function key is RA.
Stored in M13. Then, in step 604, the table corresponding to the stored key code is referred to to determine whether or not the function key code has an invalid setting.

If the function key code input this time has no invalid setting (NO), the process advances to step 605 and jumps to an interrupt processing routine (not shown) of the MPU 30.

At this time, as shown in Figure 3, from CPUII to MPU30
An interrupt signal is output for. On the other hand, if the code of the function key input this time has an invalid setting (YES), the process proceeds to step 602, and the CPU Ull ignores the input from the function key and performs the normal operation.

In this way, in the keyboard input control bag of the present invention, Il
o and the interface 10, input from function keys set to be disabled on the initial screen is not accepted. In addition,
In addition to being displayed on the display 60 when the power is turned on, the initial screen can also be called up on the display 60 by operating the keyboard 1 at any time even while other processing is in progress, so you can enable/disable the function keys. New establishment/cancellation can be executed arbitrarily.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the keyboard input control device of the present invention, if function keys are enabled/disabled on the initial screen, even if a disabled key is pressed by mistake during input work from the keyboard 1. , since the function cannot be accepted, it is possible to prevent various problems caused by erroneous input of the function key.

Furthermore, the keyboard input control device of the present invention does not require modification of the keyboard 1, and can be changed from disabled function keys only by changing the initial screen settings displayed on the display device and by changing the conventional storage device settings. Since the input can be ignored, it has the advantage of reliable operation and low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of a keyboard input control device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an example of an information processing device to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of Ilo and an interface in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the table provided in the RAM of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the display device in the keyboard input control device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the keyboard input control device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Keyboard, 2...Initial screen storage means, 3...Setting storage means, 4...Validity/invalidity determination means, 5...Information processing device, 6...Display device, 10
... Ilo and interface, 1) ... CPU,
12...ROM. 13...RAM, 14.15...Ilo
, 16...Pass line, 20...System memory, 30...MPU, 60...Display device. Principle block diagram of the keyboard input control device of the present invention No.
Figure 1-1Be Figure 4 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A device for controlling input from a plurality of function keys provided on a keyboard (1) of an information processing device (5) equipped with a display device (6), the device comprising: ); and an initial screen storage means (2) for storing the contents of an initial screen including enable/disable setting information of the function keys to be displayed on the screen; and the function input from the keyboard (1) based on the initial screen. a setting storage means (3) for storing a setting for validating/invalidating a key code;
function key validity/invalidity determination means (4) for determining validity/invalidity of a code input from a specific function key of ) and transmitting only the code determined to be valid to the information processing device side; Input control device.