JPH086695A - Recognition and processing method for extended key code - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set many extended keys with a small number of virtual key codes by pressing a specific key to which a virtual key code is assigned and then acquiring its scan code, and performing a corresponding process. CONSTITUTION:When one key on a keyboard is pressed in a step S1 first, a virtual key code is acquired by an OS in a step S2. An application program when obtaining such a virtual key code that discriminates whether or not the key code is an extended key code or general key code (step S3). When the general key is pressed, an advance to a step S4 is made and the process corresponding to the virtual key code obtained by the OS is executed at each time. When it is judged that the key code is the extended key code, an advance from the step S3 to a step S5 is made and the application program acquires the scan code corresponding to the virtual key code; and the process prepared corresponding to the code is executed in a step S6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an extended key code recognition process for expanding the function of a key so as to execute a special process when a specific key of a keyboard provided in various information processing devices is depressed. Regarding the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An information processing apparatus is provided with a keyboard for inputting necessary data and commands. For example, in the case of a standard personal computer keyboard, when each key is pressed, the operating system of the computer recognizes this and the processing corresponding to that key is executed. Normally, when a key is pressed, data called a scan code corresponding to the key is sent to the computer body. The operation system of the computer body converts this scan code into a predetermined virtual key code. The application program receives the virtual key code and executes the corresponding process. The keyboard is provided with function keys for directly performing certain functions. This function key is not just for entering the letters and symbols displayed on the keyboard keys,
For example, it directly executes a specific extended function such as reading a file or registering a word. A recognition processing method similar to that of a general key has been adopted for these extended keys.

[0003]

The conventional extended key code recognition processing method as described above has the following problems to be solved. The standard operating system defines a bit width for expressing a virtual key code, which limits the amount of the virtual key code. Therefore, the key code corresponding to the standard key must be negotiated, and the extended key code must be determined within the range of the remaining virtual key code. However, for example, in an online information processing system of a financial institution or the like, a large number of extension keys are adopted to facilitate processing. Therefore, in this case, if the extended keys are sequentially assigned to the virtual key code, the virtual key code becomes insufficient.

[0004]

The present invention adopts the following constitution in order to solve the above points. The method of the present invention assigns the same undefined virtual key code to specific keys on the keyboard. When one of the specific keys is pressed down and the virtual key code is accepted, the application program acquires the scan code of the key and executes the corresponding process.

[0005]

When a normal key is depressed, the application program acquires a virtual key code from the OS and executes the corresponding process. On the other hand, when a specific key is pressed, a constant virtual key code corresponding to the key is first acquired from the OS. In this case, it is recognized that a specific key has been pressed, the scan code output from the keyboard is acquired, and the processing is determined by this. Therefore, it is possible to set a large number of extended keys even if there are few virtual key codes that can be used freely.

[0006]

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is an operation flowchart of an application program according to the present invention. Before specifically describing the operation of the present invention, a comparison between a general keyboard and a special-purpose keyboard will be described first. FIG. 2 is a plan view of such a keyboard. (A) shows a general keyboard, (b) shows a special purpose keyboard. As shown in the figure, a general keyboard 1 * has keys 2 in a well-known standard arrangement.

On the other hand, a keyboard 1 used for an online system of a financial institution, as shown in FIG.
In addition to the general key 2, a number of specific keys 3 are provided. These keys 3 are function keys for executing various processes such as deposit, withdrawal, and issuance of slips.

FIG. 3 shows a general code assignment state explanatory diagram. As shown in the figure, for example, each key 2 of the keyboard 1 generates a specific scan code different from each other when pressed down. This scan code has a one-to-one correspondence with the virtual key code. Therefore, when the key 2 is pressed down, a scan code is generated and converted into a corresponding virtual key code by the OS (operation system).

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a specific key assignment state according to the present invention. In the present invention, one virtual key code is set for a specific key 3 of the keyboard 1 as shown in the figure. That is, each specific key 3 outputs a different type of scan code when pressed down. However, in the present invention, these scan codes are associated with the same predetermined fixed virtual key code. That is, the OS always outputs the same virtual key code to the application program regardless of which specific key is pressed.

Note that the application program can execute the process corresponding to the virtual key code, and can also take in the scan code corresponding to the virtual key code and execute the process corresponding thereto, if necessary. Such a function itself is also adopted in the conventional device.

FIG. 5 shows a concrete block diagram of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention. As shown in the figure, this device comprises a keyboard 1, an operation system (OS) 5 for receiving a scan code 11 output from the keyboard 1, and an application program 8. The OS 5 includes a driver 6 and an OS kernel 7. Further, it is assumed that the OS kernel 7 stores a code conversion table 9 showing the correspondence between the scan code and the virtual key code as described with reference to FIG.

The present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is carried out as follows. Returning to FIG. 1, first, when any key of the keyboard is pressed down in step S1, the OS is pressed in step S2.
The virtual key code is acquired. When the application program acquires such a virtual key code, it determines whether the virtual key code is an extended key code or a general key depression (step S3). Here, when a general key is pressed, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S4, and the process corresponding to the virtual key code acquired from the OS is executed as it is.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the extended key code is supported, the process proceeds from step S3 to step S5, and the application program obtains the scan code corresponding to the virtual key code. This scan code is sent from the keyboard 1 to the OS 5 as shown in FIG. 5, but when the OS 5 provides the virtual key code 12 to the application program 8, the scan code 11 is also provided at the same time. Therefore, the application program 8 can execute either the virtual key code as it is or the corresponding scan code according to the content of the virtual key code. When the scan code is obtained in step S5, step S
At 6, the process prepared corresponding to the scan code is executed.

By the way, it is preferable that the virtual key code set corresponding to the scan code of a specific key is a spare key different from the one set corresponding to a general key. That is, when setting some special keys in addition to general keys, conventionally, corresponding virtual key codes have been selected, but in the present invention, one such spare virtual key code is used for all of them. Corresponds to a specific key. This allows extended keycodes to be assigned to many new specific keys regardless of the amount of virtual keycodes. For example, in the OS of the most widely used personal computer,
The virtual key code is set to be represented by a 1-byte character. Therefore, more than 256 kinds of virtual key codes cannot be provided. For this reason, there is a problem that a sufficient number of extra virtual key codes cannot be prepared in a system that employs a large number of special keys. The above embodiment can solve this.

On the other hand, since the virtual key codes are relatively small in number as described above, there are cases where most of the virtual key codes have already been assigned to existing special keys. In such a case, it is possible to set a virtual key code that has already been determined in correspondence with any of the keys in association with the scan code of a specific key.

In this case, the virtual key code already used is obtained when the virtual key code is acquired.
A process that acquires a scan code is executed. That is, the operation itself when the key is pressed is
The general keys that already exist as well as the specific keys that assign various functions are handled similarly. When the key is pressed down, a virtual key code is obtained from the OS, and the application program obtains the scan code and executes the process corresponding to the scan code.

As described above, a completely undefined virtual key code can be assigned to a plurality of specific keys, and a virtual key code which is already assigned to a general key is also assigned to a specific key. It is possible. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. If there are two or more assignable virtual key codes, a scan code of some specific key may be assigned to each virtual key code.

[0018]

According to the extended key code recognition processing method of the present invention described above, the same undefined virtual key code is assigned to each of a plurality of specific keys on the keyboard, and the application program specifies any specific key. When a key is pressed down and accepts a virtual key code, the scan code for that key is acquired and the corresponding process is executed.Therefore, for a keyboard with a special configuration used for a specific system, etc. It is possible to input data using the operation system. Moreover, this makes it possible to operate a general-purpose application program and expand the scope of work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an operation flowchart of an application program according to the present invention.

2A and 2B are explanatory views of a keyboard. FIG. 2A is a general keyboard plan view, and FIG. 2B is a special purpose keyboard plan view.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a general code allocation state.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a specific key allocation state according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an apparatus for implementing the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 S1 to S6 processing steps

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The same undefined virtual key code is assigned to a plurality of specific keys on a keyboard, and an application program depresses any one of the specific keys to output the virtual key code. An extended key code recognition processing method, which, when accepted, acquires the scan code of the key and executes the corresponding processing. 2. A specific plurality of keys on the keyboard, all of which have the same virtual key code, are already assigned to any general key other than the specific key, and
When the application program accepts the virtual key code by depressing the general key, the application program assigns a virtual key code that acquires the scan code of the key, and the application program depresses any one of the specific keys. Then, when the virtual key code is received, the scan code of the key is acquired and the corresponding process is executed, and the extended key code recognition processing method.