JPH10275043A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the keyboard device which has the current consumption of a light emitting element controlled to an irreducible value needed for communication by detecting the level of an outputted infrared-ray signal. SOLUTION: When a key code 13X inputted from a key 12 is transmitted by a scanner 13 to a light emitting element 16 and converted by the light emitting element 16 into an infrared-ray signal 16X to be sent, a control circuit 14 performs control so that a maximum current is supplied from a battery 11 to the light emitting element 16. Then the infrared-ray signal 16X received by a light receiving element 22 is processed by an information processing circuit 21, a detecting circuit 23 detects the output level, and an intensity signal 21X is sent from a transmitting means 21 to a receiving means 15. Therefore, the control circuit 14 adjusts the source current supplied from the battery 11 to the light emitting element 16 to the irreducible current value needed for communication according to the output level of the intensity signal 21X.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a keyboard device, and more particularly, to a keyboard device having a power consumption reduction circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a conventional keyboard device is used for performing an input operation with a keyboard 201 which is physically completely separated from a host system 202. When a code is input, the scanner 13 causes the scanner 13 to input the code. The input key 12 is detected, and the input key code 13X is supplied from the battery 11 and transmitted from the light emitting element 16 as an infrared signal 16X.
Is received by the light receiving element 222 of the host system 202, and the information processing circuit 24 executes a key code process on the infrared signal 16X received by the light receiving element 222.

[0003]

In this conventional keyboard device, since the key code is transmitted as an infrared signal, the light emitting element always consumes a large amount of current, so that the life of the battery built in the keyboard is short. Thus, when the amount of current is reduced, the life is prolonged, but the output level of the light emitting element is reduced, and the communicable distance with the host system is reduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device which detects the level of an output infrared signal and controls the current consumption of the light emitting element to a minimum necessary value for communication.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a keyboard device according to the present invention includes a battery for supplying power, and a plurality of keys for inputting a code under power supply from the battery. A scanner for recognizing a key input from a plurality of keys and outputting a key code, a light emitting element for transmitting an infrared signal by the key code from the scanner, and an output of the infrared signal transmitted from the light emitting element A keyboard having a receiving unit for receiving an intensity signal indicating the level, a control circuit for controlling a power supply current from the battery to the light emitting element according to an output level of the intensity signal received by the receiving unit, A light-receiving element for receiving the infrared signal transmitted from the light-emitting element; and the key based on the infrared signal received by the light-receiving element. An information processing circuit for processing an output signal; a detection circuit for detecting an output level of the infrared signal received by the light receiving element; and a transmission circuit for transmitting the intensity signal to the reception unit based on the output level detected from the detection circuit. And a host system having means.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a keyboard device of the present invention transmits a plurality of the light emitting elements and an infrared signal having the highest output level among the plurality of light emitting elements. It is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned control circuit for controlling only the light-emitting element to supply power from the above-mentioned battery.

[0007]

Next, a keyboard device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a keyboard device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a keyboard device according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a battery 11 for supplying power, and a plurality of keys 12 for inputting codes under power supplied from the battery 11. And recognizes the key 12 whose code has been input from the plurality of keys 12 and recognizes the key code 13
A scanner 13 that outputs X, a light emitting element 16 that transmits an infrared signal 16X by a key code 13X from the scanner 13, and an intensity signal 21X that indicates an output level of the infrared signal 16X transmitted from the light emitting element 16 A keyboard 1 having a receiving unit 15, a control circuit 14 for controlling a power supply current from the battery 11 to the light emitting element 16 according to the output level of the intensity signal 21X received by the receiving unit 15, and a light emitting element of the keyboard 1 Light receiving element 22 for receiving infrared signal 16X transmitted from 16
An information processing circuit 24 for processing a key code based on the infrared signal 16X received by the light receiving element 22; a detection circuit 23 for detecting the output level of the infrared signal 16X received by the light receiving element 22; And a transmission system 21 for transmitting the intensity signal 21X to the reception unit 15 based on the output level detected by the host system 2.

Next, the operation of the keyboard device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The operation of the keyboard device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, when a code is input from a key 12, a scanner 13 sends a key code 13X to a light emitting element 16, and When 16 converts the key code 13X into an infrared signal 16X and transmits it to the light receiving element 14, the control circuit 14 controls the battery 11 to supply the maximum current to the light emitting element 16.

Thereafter, the infrared signal 16X received by the light receiving element 22 is subjected to key code processing by the information processing circuit 24, and the output level is detected by the detection circuit 23, and the intensity signal 21X is transmitted from the transmitting means 21 to the receiving means 15. Sent.

Therefore, the control circuit 14 changes the power supply current supplied from the battery 11 to the light emitting element 16 according to the output level of the intensity signal 21X received by the receiving means 15 by the host system 2 and the keyboard 1 which are set in advance. The current value is adjusted to the minimum necessary value for communication, and the power consumption of the light emitting element 16 can be minimized.

Next, a keyboard device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a keyboard device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the keyboard device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of light emitting elements 16A, 16B, 16C are provided on a keyboard 101, and the plurality of light emitting elements 16A, 16B, 16C output the most. The host system 102 includes a control circuit 114 for supplying power from the battery 11 only to the light emitting elements transmitting the infrared signals 16AX, 16BX, and 16CX having high levels.
The configuration is the same as that of the embodiment.

Next, the operation of the keyboard device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The operation of the keyboard device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
To the light emitting element 1
6A, 16B, and 16C are controlled so that power supply current is supplied from the battery 11 one by one, and the transmission means 2 of the host system 102 is provided in the same manner as when only one light emitting element is provided.
The intensity signal 21X is received from the keyboard 101, and is repeated the same number of times as the number of the light emitting elements 16A, 16B, 16C provided on the keyboard 101, and the infrared signal 16 having the highest output level is obtained.
The power consumption is reduced by specifying one light emitting element that outputs AX, 16BX, and 16CX, and controlling the control circuit 114 to supply the power supply current from the battery 11 to only the specified light emitting element.

[0019]

As described above, the keyboard device according to the present invention detects the level of the output infrared signal and controls the current consumption of the light emitting element to the minimum necessary value that enables communication. This has the effect of reducing the power consumption of the battery as the driving power source and extending the life of the battery.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a keyboard device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a keyboard device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional keyboard device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 101, 201 Keyboard 2, 102, 202 Host system 11 Battery 12 Plural keys 13, 113 Scanner 14, 114 Control circuit 15 Receiving means 16, 16A, 16B, 16C Light emitting element 21 Transmitting means 22 Light receiving element 23 Detection circuit 24 Information processing circuit 13X Key code 13Y Selection signal 16X, 16AX, 6BX, 16CX Infrared signal 21X Intensity signal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A battery for supplying power, a plurality of keys for inputting a code under power supply from the battery, and a key code output by recognizing a key input with a code from the plurality of keys. A scanner, a light emitting element for transmitting an infrared signal by a key code from the scanner, a receiving unit for receiving an intensity signal indicating an output level of the infrared signal transmitted from the light emitting element, and an intensity signal received by the receiving unit. A keyboard having a control circuit for controlling a power supply current from the battery to the light emitting element according to the output level of the light emitting element; a light receiving element for receiving the infrared signal transmitted from the light emitting element of the keyboard; An information processing circuit for processing the key code based on the received infrared signal; and the infrared signal received by the light receiving element. Keyboard device for a detection circuit for detecting the output level, characterized in that said intensity signal by an output level detected by the detection circuit is constituted by a host system including a transmission means for transmitting to said receiving means. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the power supply from the battery to only a plurality of the light emitting elements and a light emitting element transmitting an infrared signal having the highest output level among the plurality of light emitting elements. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, comprising a control circuit.