JPH0720760Y2 - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a keyboard device used in a personal computer, various control devices and the like.

(Prior Art) Keyboard devices have been widely used in personal computers, various control devices, and the like.

The keyboard device is an array of a large number of key tops assigned to alphabets and numbers and respective functions. When an arbitrary key top is pressed, the main body device side recognizes a corresponding key code and various processing is performed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of a conventional keyboard device.
This keyboard device is a sub-keyboard that is connected to a main body device such as a personal computer separately from the main keyboard, does not have a key top corresponding to the alphabet, and has numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols, and arbitrary setting functions ( It has only the key tops assigned to F1 to F4).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a connection form of each keyboard to a main body device such as a personal computer.

In the figure, 1 is a main body device such as a personal computer, 2 is a CPU incorporated in the main body device, 3 is a keyboard controller for scanning the main keyboard 4 and sub keyboard 6, and 5 is a key address of each key top of the main keyboard 4. Is a conversion table in which the correspondence relationship between the key address and the key code of the main keyboard 4 is written in advance.

In this system, the main keyboard 4 and the sub keyboard 5
When any one of the key tops is pressed, the keyboard controller 3 recognizes the address and according to the conversion table 5 or 7, the key code corresponding to the address is CP
Enter in U2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the function of the keyboard controller 3.

The keyboard controller 3 recognizes the key top pressed at a certain time depending on whether or not the scan lines SC _{1 to} SCn and the return lines RT _{1 to} RTn are electrically or magnetically connected.

As shown in FIG. 6, the keyboard controller 3 is constantly scanning the scan lines SC ₁ to SCn, and if the key top above the point P is pressed (SCn, RTn), for example. Recognize the address.

The key top plays a role of electrically or magnetically connecting the scan line and the return line as shown in FIG.

When any one of the key tops is pressed, the keyboard controller 3 converts the address data into a key code according to the conversion table 5 or 7, and the CPU 2 as serial data.
Transfer to.

For example, when the key top of the number "0" is pressed in FIG. 3, the ASCII code 30 (hexadecimal number) is output to the CPU2.

By the way, the function keys F1 to F4 in FIG. 3 are assigned to various functions depending on the application program used, so it is convenient to make the key codes generated by pressing the function keys F1 to F4 different for each application program. Since the key code sent from the keyboard is predetermined by the conversion table, only one type of key code can be fetched from one key.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Since the key code generated by pressing each key is fixed in the conventional keyboard device, the application program must perform code conversion each time the function key is involved. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a highly versatile keyboard device capable of arbitrarily changing a key code generated by pressing a key.

[Configuration of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a keyboard device in which a plurality of keytops are arranged and is connected to a main device, in which the key address of the keytop is A conversion table for converting the key code to be output to the main unit,
And a re-conversion table in which the contents can be rewritten into an output code based on an application program which is used to convert a key code obtained by conversion based on the conversion table into another key code and is incorporated into the main body device. It is a thing.

(Operation) In the keyboard device of the present invention, by rewriting the contents of the re-conversion table from the main device side, the key code generated by pressing each key is converted into an arbitrary code based on the conversion table and output. You can

(Example) Hereinafter, the detail of the Example of this invention is described based on drawing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and the portions common to those in FIG. 4 are designated by the common reference numerals.

In the figure, 1 is a main body device such as a personal computer, 2 is a CPU incorporated in the main body device, 3 is a keyboard controller for scanning the main keyboard 4 and sub keyboard 6, and 5 is a key address of each key top of the main keyboard 4. Is a conversion table in which the correspondence between the key address and the key code of the sub keyboard 6 is written in advance.

Reference numeral 8 is a re-conversion table for converting the key code of the sub keyboard 6 obtained based on the conversion table 7 into another key code.

In this re-conversion key table 8, information indicating what kind of key code the function code of each function key is to be converted and output is registered.

The conversion tables 5 and 7 and the reconversion table 8 are each realized by using a one-chip microcomputer.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of this embodiment.

First, when the function keys F1 to F4 are pressed (step A), if conversion information is set in the reconversion table 8 (step B), the key address is converted into a key code according to the conversion table 7 (step A). C) Then, the key code is re-converted into another key code according to the re-conversion table 8 (step D) and output to the CPU 2 (step F).

On the other hand, if the re-conversion table 8 is not set (step B), the key address is converted into a key code according to the conversion table 7 (step E) and output to the CPU 2 (step F).

In this way, if the key codes of the necessary function keys F1 to F4 are set in the reconversion table 8 in advance,
After that, it is not necessary to perform the conversion process, and the key code output from the sub keyboard 6 side can be directly processed.

Thus, according to the keyboard device of this embodiment, it is possible to optimally set the function key function for each application program.

In the present embodiment, only the key code of the function key is re-converted by the re-conversion key table, but even for keys other than the function key, similar conversion can be performed by providing a re-conversion table corresponding thereto. is there. Further, in this embodiment, the main keyboard and the sub keyboard are separate, but the keyboards may be integrated.

[Effect of the Invention] As described above, the keyboard device of the present invention is provided with the re-conversion table, so that the output code of the function key can be set for each application program, and the versatility is high.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is an external view of a conventional keyboard device, and FIG. 4 is a keyboard for a main body device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a connection form of the apparatus, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a function of a keyboard controller, FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining a scan line and a return line, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a role of a key top. 1 ... Main unit, 2 ... CPU, 3 ... Keyboard controller, 4 ... Main keyboard, 5, 7 ... Conversion table, 6 ... Sub keyboard, 8 ... Re-conversion table.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A keyboard device in which a plurality of keytops are arranged and connected to a main device, a conversion table for converting a key address of the keytop into a key code to be output to the main device, and the conversion table. A re-conversion table that can be used to convert the key code obtained by converting the key code into another key code and is rewritable into an output code based on an application program installed in the main body device. Characteristic keyboard device. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the key top is a function key key top.