JPH01219919A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency by automatically switching the mode state of a device main body at the time of connecting the function of an external keyboard to the device main body. CONSTITUTION:A main body 1 of a portable information processor provided with a keyboard device is provided with a keyboard 2 provided with the input function in the normal mode state and the input function as ten key in the overlay mode in a specific key area, a floppy disk device 3, and a display device 4. A ten-key pad 5 has the private function as ten keys for keyboard operation and is connected to the main body 1 through a connector or the like. When the ten-key pad 5 is connected to the main body 1 at the time of using the keyboard 2 in the overlay mode in the main body 1, a confirmation signal or the like is transmitted and received between a keyboard controller 13 and a ten-key pad controller 14. Thus, the overlay mode is automatically released to facilitate the operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a keyboard device used, for example, in a portable information processing device.

(Prior Art) In recent years, in the field of information processing devices, so-called laptop-type portable information processing devices have been actively developed.

Normally, in order to further reduce the size of such portable information processing devices, specific key areas on the keyboard are provided with multiple input functions, and these functions are used individually by switching the mode state. An overlay mode method is used.

This overlay mode method is frequently used, for example, when configuring a numeric keypad.

By the way, recently, in addition to the above-mentioned method of overlay mode, in which a part of the numeric keypad is reserved in a specific key area on the keyboard, it is also possible to connect an external keyboard dedicated to the numeric keypad, such as a numeric keypad, via a connection part such as a connector. There is a method of using it by connecting it to the main body of the information processing device.

However, when using an information processing device with the above-mentioned overlay mode function together with an external keyboard dedicated to numeric keys, even if the external keyboard is connected while the information processing device is in overlay mode, the mode status of the information processing device does not change, causing operational confusion due to unnecessary overlap of input functions on each keyboard.

Therefore, in such a case, the user must perform an operation to cancel the overlay mode on the device main body side, which poses a problem of reducing the efficiency of keyboard labor.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention is intended to solve such problems, and when an external keyboard is connected in a mode state that matches the function of the external keyboard of the device main body, the mode of the device main body is The purpose of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that can automatically switch states and improve the efficiency of keyboard input.

[Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a keyboard in which specific key areas are provided with multiple types of manual functions, each corresponding to a mode state. In the device, an external keyboard that is connected to the device main body and has some of the human functions of a specific key area, a connection detection means for detecting a connection between the external keyboard and the device main body, and the device A mode switching means for switching the function mode of the device body to another function mode when the connection detection means detects a connection between the external keyboard and the device body in a mode that matches the function of the external keyboard of the device body. It is.

(Function) In the keyboard device of the present invention, when the connection detecting device detects a connection between the external keyboard and the device main body in a mode state that matches the function of the external keyboard of the device main body, the mode switching device switches the mode switching device to the device main body. Since the function mode of the device is switched to another function mode, when the external keyboard is connected in a mode that matches the function of the external keyboard of the device, the mode of the device can be automatically switched, and the keyboard input It is possible to achieve high efficiency.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a portable information processing device equipped with a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 indicates a main body of a portable information processing device. This information processing device main body 1 is equipped with a keyboard 2 configured to have an input function in a normal mode state and an input function as a numeric keypad in an overlay mode state in a specific key area, and a floppy disk (not shown). The computer is configured to include a floppy disk device 3 for writing and reading data, and a display device 4 configured to be openable and closable with respect to two surfaces of the keyboard. Reference numeral 5 denotes a numeric keypad which is configured to have a dedicated function as a numeric keypad for keyboard operations and is used by being connected to the main body of the device via a connecting portion such as a connector.

2 is a block diagram showing a control system for the keyboard 2 and numeric keypad 5 in the portable information processing device shown in FIG. 1.

In the figure, 11 is a ROM that stores an execution program for the entire device, 12 is a CPU that controls the entire device according to the execution program stored in ROMI 1, and 13 is a keyboard that controls the keyboard 2 of the information processing device main body 1. The controller 14 is a numeric keypad controller such as a one-chip microcomputer for controlling the numeric keypad 5, and 15 is a data line between the keyboard controller 13 and the numeric keypad controller 14.

Next, typical operations of this embodiment device will be explained.

When the overlay mode of the keyboard 2 is used in the information processing device main body 1, this information processing device main body 1
When the numeric keypad 5 is connected to the numeric keypad 5, first, a signal output from the keyboard controller 13 at regular intervals is transferred to the numeric keypad controller 14 of the numeric keypad 5 via the data line 15 as a connection confirmation signal.

The numeric keypad controller 14 that received this signal,
Control operations such as key scanning are interrupted, and a response signal to this signal is sent back to the keyboard controller 13 via the data line 15.

The keyboard controller 13 detects that the numeric keypad 5 is connected to the device main body 1 by inputting this response signal, and thereby cancels the overlay mode of the keyboard 2 in the device main body 1.

The response signal from the numeric keypad controller 14 to the keyboard controller 13 is continuously output together with the key code while the numeric keypad 5 is connected, and when the connection is broken, the keyboard controller 13 again processes the information. The overlay mode state of the keyboard 2 in the device main body 1 is restored.

Thus, according to the information processing device of this embodiment, by connecting the numeric keypad 5 to the information processing device main body 1,
Since the overlay mode of the keyboard 2 in the information processing device main body 1 is automatically canceled, confusion in keyboard operation due to unnecessary overlap of input functions between the keyboard 2 and the numeric keypad 5 on the main body 1 side is eliminated. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of keyboard input.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the keyboard device of the present invention,
When the external keyboard is connected in a mode that matches the function of the external keyboard of the device main body, the mode state of the device main body can be automatically switched, making it possible to improve the efficiency of keyboard input.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a portable information processing device equipped with a keyboard device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates a control system related to the keyboard device in the portable information processing device of FIG. FIG. 2...Keyboard, 5...Numeric keypad, 13.
...Keyboard controller, 14...Numeric keypad controller. Applicant Tohoku Agent Patent Attorney Sasa Suyama - Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a keyboard device in which a specific key area is provided with multiple types of input functions depending on the mode state, among the input functions that are connected to the main body of the device and that the specific key area has. an external keyboard having a part of the external keyboard; a connection detecting means for detecting a connection between the external keyboard and the device main body; A keyboard device comprising: mode switching means for switching a functional mode of the device main body to another functional mode when a connection between the keyboard and the device main body is detected.