JPH0827685B2 - Function key function assignment method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Overview] The present invention relates to a function allocation system for function keys, and a plurality of keys arranged on a keyboard are provided for the purpose of minimizing the memory occupation amount required for the function key allocation. A key that converts the key data output from the keyboard when the function key is pressed into a serial number corresponding to the pressed function key when defining each function key into a desired function for each operation mode. A data conversion table, an index table that associates the serial number with a predetermined entry number for each operation mode, and a function key code table that assigns the entry number to a corresponding function key key code are provided. At Key data output when the operation key is pressed is converted into a corresponding serial number by referring to the key data conversion table, and the serial number is converted into an entry number by referring to the index table for the operation mode. The serial number is converted into a control code assigned to the pressed function key in the operation mode with reference to the function key code table.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to improvement of a function allocation system for function keys.

[Conventional technology]

There are various operation modes in a display device, a personal computer, etc., and it is possible to switch the operation modes by pressing a specific function key such as a mode switching key as shown in FIG. This figure shows an example in which the mode A, which is the initial mode, is switched to the mode B or the mode C by pressing the mode switching key.

The function assigned to the function key may differ for each of the above modes. The function assignment to each function key is conventionally performed as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a function key code table 3 for storing key codes to be assigned in correspondence with keys is provided for each operation mode 2. When the function key is pressed, the key data sent from the keyboard is once converted into a serial number indicating the type of the key by using the key code conversion table 1, and the function key code table 3 corresponding to the operation mode 2 at that time is converted. Is searched based on the serial number, and the key code corresponding to the pressed key is read out.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Many function keys can be assigned the same function even if the operation mode is different. Nevertheless, in the above-mentioned conventional assignment method, since the function key code table 3 is created for each operation mode, when the same function is assigned to the same key, the same contents will be duplicated. Therefore, there is a problem that it unnecessarily occupies a large amount of memory.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above duplication and minimize the memory occupation amount required for assigning function keys.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has a function key code table 3 common to all operation modes, and an index table 4 provided one for each operation mode.

The index table 4 is a table for associating a serial number for identifying a key output from the key data conversion table 1 with an index number, and has the same index number for functions common to each operation mode. Are assigned, and different index numbers are assigned to different functions.

Also, the function key code table 3 is
Only one is provided regardless of the number of operation modes, and the above-mentioned index number and key code are associated with each other.
Therefore, only one key code is assigned to one function.

When a key is pressed, key data such as a key address output from the keyboard is converted into a serial number for identifying the key by referring to the key data conversion table 1. This serial number is converted into a corresponding index by referring to the index table 4 corresponding to the operation mode at that time.

The function key code table is further referred to by this index number, and the corresponding key code is read out.

[Action]

With the above configuration, the same function is not defined redundantly on the function key code table 3, and one function appears only once. In order to define one function in the function key code table 3, a memory area of y bytes (for example, y = 8 bytes) is required. Therefore, eliminating one duplication can save the memory of y bytes.

On the other hand, the memory area for storing the index table 4 is increased from the conventional one, but this may be 1 byte for each mode for one function key. Therefore, if the total number x of function keys is 60 and the number of operation modes is 3, the index table 4
The amount of memory required to store is 60 × 3 = 180 bytes. The required number of memories is increased by this amount as compared with the conventional method, but the function key code table 3
Since, for example, 8 bytes are required for one function, the above-mentioned increase in the amount of memory will be used more than the above-mentioned increase if the duplication of the function key code table is reduced by 23 or more. The amount of memory that can be used is rather reduced.

The above-mentioned number of duplicates of 23 or more corresponds to the case where 12 or more keys are shared in the case of three operation modes, and in reality, more keys than this are shared. , The required memory capacity is significantly reduced.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the above embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are table configuration diagrams and processing flow for explaining the operation explanation of the present embodiment.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a main body portion of a display device or the like, which includes an interrupt processing portion 15, a key discrimination processing portion 16, a mode switching processing portion 17, a storage device 18, and a control portion 19. The storage device 18 includes the key data conversion table 1, the function key code table 3, and the index table 2 described above.
Is stored. Further, 12 is a keyboard, 13 is a display, and 14 is a printer.

When one of the many character keys and function keys provided on the keyboard 12, for example, 'PF1' is pressed [see 31 in FIG. 4], the keyboard 11 is changed to PF1 as shown in FIG. Corresponding key data '10H' (H is a subscript indicating that it is a hexadecimal number) is output [see 32 in FIG. 4].

When the key data is output, the interrupt processing unit 15 performs key interrupt processing and sends the key data '10H' to the key determination processing unit 16. The key discrimination processing unit 16 is a mode switching processing unit 17
The operation mode at that point in time is known from the signal from, and first the key data "10H" input above is referred to the key data conversion table 1 stored in the storage device, and the 2-byte data "8008H" including the key flag and the serial number. '(See 33 in FIG. 4).

The upper byte of this 2-byte data is a flag for determining whether it is a function key or a character key. If this is '00H', it is determined as a character key and the character key code table (not shown) is referred to. Converted to the corresponding character code.

If the upper byte of the above 2-byte data is '80H', it indicates that it is a function key, so refer to the serial number '08H' of the lower byte by referring to the index table 4B for the above operation mode, for example, mode B. Convert the entry number to '45H' (see 34 in Fig. 4).

Further, this entry number '45H' is converted into a control code indicating'end 'corresponding to this entry number by referring to the function key code table 3 [see 35 in FIG. 4], and the converted control code Is the control unit
It is output to 19 [see 36 in FIG. 4].

The control unit 19 executes the'end 'operation according to the input control code.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, since the index table 4 is provided for each operation mode, the index table 4 occupies as much memory as the product of the total number x of function keys and the number z of operation modes. Therefore, if x = 60 and z = 3, the entire index table 4 requires a memory of xx = 60 × 3 = 180 bytes. The index table 4 is newly provided in the present invention and has not existed in the past.
Therefore, the above 180 bytes is an increase in the amount of memory used.

However, in the function key code table 3, only 1 is entered for a function common to each mode. If the function is different for each mode, even if the function key is the same, the function is entered for each mode. There is. Therefore, assuming that the number of function keys having different functions in each mode is x ′ and the amount of memory required to define one function in the function key code table 3, that is, one entry size is y, the functions are available in all modes. , The memory required for the entry of the function key that is common is (x−x ′) y bytes, and the memory required for the entry of the function key having different functions for each mode is x′yz bytes. The amount of memory required for the entire key code table 3 is (x−x ′) y + x′yz = (xy−x′y) + x′yz = xy
+ X'y (z-1) [byte]. Now, assuming that x = 60, x ′ = 48, y = 8, z = 3, the memory amount required for the function key code table 3 is calculated from the above equation as (60−48) × 8 + 48 × 8 × 3 = 96 + 1152 = 1248 bytes The amount of memory required for index table 4 xz =
The total amount of memory used is 1248 + 180 = 1428 bytes added with 180 bytes.

On the other hand, the amount of memory required by the conventional method is xyz, which is 60 × 8 × 3 = 1440 bytes, so if the number of operation modes is 3 and the number of common functions is 12 or more, the amount of memory used is the one of this embodiment. Is less.

As described above, in the present embodiment, if the number of common functions exceeds a certain value, the memory usage amount can be reduced. That is, If the following holds, the amount of memory used can be reduced. Becomes

As described above, in the display device having three operation modes as in the present embodiment, the function keys are
If there are 60 keys, the size of one entry in the function key code table is 8 bytes, whereas 1440 bytes were required in the conventional case, but in the present embodiment, the keys having different functions for each operation mode among the 60 keys. If is less than 48 keys, the memory occupancy can be reduced.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the memory occupancy required for assigning function keys, and save the memory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a table configuration diagram of the above embodiment, and FIG. Is a flow chart showing a processing flow of the above embodiment, FIG. 5 is an operation mode explanatory diagram, and FIG. 6 is a conventional system configuration explanatory diagram. In the figure, 1 is a key data conversion table, 2 is an operation mode, 3 is a function key code table, 4 is an index table, 12 is a keyboard, 16 is a key discrimination processing section, 17 is a mode switching processing section, and 18 is a storage device. Show.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Key data output from the keyboard when the function key is pressed when defining a plurality of function keys arranged on a keyboard (12) into desired functions for each operation mode. A key data conversion table (1) for converting into a serial number corresponding to the pressed function key, an index table (4) corresponding the serial number to a predetermined entry number for each operation mode, and the entry number And a function key code table (3) that assigns to the corresponding function key code, refer to the key data conversion table (1) for the key data output when the function key is pressed in a predetermined operation mode. And convert it to the corresponding serial number, The serial number is converted into an entry number by referring to the index table (4) for the operation mode, the entry number is referred to by the function key code table (3), and the pressed function key in the operation mode Function key function allocation method characterized by converting to the control code assigned to.