Information processing apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 20050251697A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tobata, Naoko, Nishimura, Takanori, Sakemoto, Mikio, Suzuki, Masataka, Tsuyuhara, Tomohiro, Narukawa, Yoshitaka, Nakajima, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

Notification is sent to an upper layer via a control device 2 (a device for managing operation buttons) provided between operation buttons “A-1”, “A-2” and the like and devices for operation input “Device A”, “Device B” and the like such as a pointing device for executing application processing. Function assignment and the like are put under management by the control device 2, so that any modification or change is not required in the OS, drivers, and applications in association with change in key assignment, which is advantageous and effective for reduction of cost and time for product development.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising operation elements including operation buttons, operation keys, or switches, and a plurality of devices for operation input for processing the operational information and capable of executing application processing in response to information notified from said devices for operation input, said information processing apparatus further comprising a control device for managing the operational information in the integrated state, wherein operational information is notified from said control device to each of the devices for operation input.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein functional assignment to the operation elements is changed by said control device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein functions are exchanged among said operation elements according to a display mode on a display screen.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein all or a portion of the operation elements can be disabled or enabled by said control device in response to a signal from an instructing unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said instructing unit has a malfunction preventing switch.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said malfunction switch is also used as a switch for shifting to the power-saving mode.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein, when an operation signal from said malfunction preventing switch is sent to said control device to instruct shifting to the power-saving mode, the processing performance of a calculating unit, performance of the image display unit, and/or brightness of the display screen are changed.

8. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus comprising operation elements including operation buttons, operation keys, or switches, and a plurality of devices for operation input for processing the operational information and capable of executing application processing in response to information notified from said devices for operation input,

wherein, when operational information from any of said operation elements is sent to the control device for managing said operational information in the integrated state, operational information is sent from said control device to each of the devices for operation input.