KR19980072824A - Computer system with help display function and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer system having a help display function and a control method thereof. When a predetermined hot key 74 is set to display a help, a corresponding SMI is generated, and then a corresponding SMI provided in the BIOS 40 is provided. The SMI processing routine is performed to help the user to explain each function of the plurality of function keys 72 on the display device 35 so that the user can check the function to know the function of each function key 72.

Description

A COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH HELP DISPLAY FUNCTION AND CONTROLLING THE SAME

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer system having a help display function and a control method thereof. Specifically, each function key is input when a hot key is set by using a system management interrupt (SMI). The present invention relates to a computer system having a function of displaying a help for a function of a) and a control method thereof.

In a conventional portable computer, each function key is used to perform a predetermined function. This feature is intended to make the use of a portable computer easier for the user. The user should basically refer to the manual in order to use certain functions using the function keys.

However, it is very cumbersome for the user to refer to the manual to know the function of each function key every time the user uses the portable computer. And memorizing the corresponding function for the multiple function keys also burdens the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and to provide a computer system having a help display function for easily using a plurality of function keys provided in the computer system and a control method thereof. .

1 is a block diagram of a computer system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a flowchart of a help display control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: CPU 20: Memory

30: video controller 35: display device

40: BIOS 50: MICOM

60: interface unit 65: peripheral device

70: keyboard 72: function keys

74: hotkey

(Configuration)

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, a computer system having a help display function includes a plurality of function keys and a plurality of keys including a help display hot key for explaining each function of the function key. And a key input processing unit for generating a predetermined system management interrupt in response to the input of the hot key, a predetermined system management for receiving the system management interrupt and displaying the help through a display device. An interrupt processing unit that performs an interrupt processing routine.

According to another aspect of the invention, the control method of a computer system having a help display function, if the help display hot key for the function of the plurality of function keys provided on the keyboard is input, in response to the key input processing unit management of the system Generating an interrupt, and in response to the generated system management interrupt, revectoring of the interrupt and the current video state to a predetermined temporary buffer to display help for a plurality of function keys provided on the keyboard on a display device. Storing the information, outputting the help to the display device, determining whether to terminate the display of the help, and an end key for terminating the display of the help, the contents stored in the temporary buffer. To the video buffer before the help is displayed. Restored to the surface, and a step of the processing in the system management interrupt.

(Action)

According to the present invention as described above, when a user inputs a hot key, a corresponding SMI is generated, and in response, a corresponding SMI processing routine included in the BIOS is performed, and help for each function key is displayed through the display device.

(Example)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a computer system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a help display control method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a computer system having a help display function according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a CPU 10, a memory 20, a video controller 30, a display device 35, and a BIOS. (BIOS, 40), MICOM (50), interface unit (60), peripheral device (65), and keyboard (70). The keyboard 70 includes a plurality of function keys 72 and a hot key 74 for displaying a help on the function key 72.

When the hot key 74 is input, it is input to the microcomputer 50 in the system, and the microcomputer 50 generates a corresponding SIM when it is determined that the current key input is the hotkey 74. SMI is an interrupt that is generated to manage the system and has the highest priority. A predetermined SMI processing routine set in the BIOS 40 is performed by the generated SMI so that help for each function of the function key 72 is transmitted to the display device 35 through the video controller 30. Is displayed.

Again, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a control method of a computer system having a help display function according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 2, when a hot key 74 for displaying a help is input in step S100, a corresponding SMI is generated in response to the input of the hot key 74 in step S110. That is, when a user inputs the hot key 74, a corresponding scan code is input from the keyboard 70 to the microcomputer 50 in the system. The microcomputer 50 receiving the scan code corresponding to the hot key 74 generates a corresponding SMI.

In step S120, in response to the generated SMI, the corresponding interrupt for displaying the help for the function key 72 is revectored. That is, when the SMI is generated, the BIOS 40 reconfigures an interrupt vector table for interrupt INT 10h in order to use the video BIOS of the video controller 30.

In operation S130, the current video state is stored in a predetermined temporary buffer. That is, the data set in the video register of the video controller 30 and the data of the video buffer are stored in the temporary buffer.

In step S140, the help for the function key 72 is output. That is, since the data about the help is written in the video buffer, the help is displayed on the display device 35.

In step S150, it is determined whether to terminate the display of the help. That is, it is checked whether a predetermined end key is input from the user to end the display of the help.

When the end key is input in step S150, in step S160 the contents stored in the temporary buffer are restored to the video buffer. That is, the data of the video register and the video buffer stored in the temporary buffer are restored to the video register and the video buffer, respectively, to restore the screen before the help is displayed on the display device 35.

As described above, when the user inputs the hot key 74, help for each function of the plurality of function keys 72 is displayed through the display device 35, so the user can know the functions for each function key. Will be.

According to the present invention as described above, the user can view the help for explaining the function for each function key using the hot key, there is no inconvenience to refer to the manual one by one.

Claims (2)

In the computer system, a keyboard 70 having a plurality of keys including a plurality of function keys 72 and a help display hot key 74 for explaining each function of the function key 72; In response to the input of the hot key 74, a key input processing unit 50 for generating a predetermined system management interrupt (SMI) and the system management interrupt (SMI) are received. And an interrupt processing unit (40) for performing a predetermined system management interrupt processing routine to be displayed through the computer. In a control method of a computer system having a help marking function, when a help display hot key 74 for a function of a plurality of function keys 72 included in the keyboard 70 is input, the key input processing unit 50 is responded to in response thereto. Help generating a corresponding system management interrupt (SMI) (S100, S110) and a plurality of function keys 72 provided in the keyboard 70 in response to the generated system management interrupt (SMI). Storing the re-vectoring of the corresponding interrupt and the current video state in a predetermined temporary buffer so as to be displayed on the display device 35 (S120 and S130), and outputting the help to the display device 35 (S140). ), And determining whether to terminate the display of the help (S150), and when the end key for terminating the display of the help is input, the contents stored in the temporary buffer are restored to the video buffer. The control method of the article having a display function, characterized in that to help restore the screen to say before they are displayed, and a step (S160, S170) to end the processing of the system management interrupt (SMI) the computer system.