Data input system with pointing device

• US 4,774,689 A
• Filed: 09/25/1985
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Morisawa, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US06/779,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 340/706, 340/707, 340/708, 340/709, 340/710, 340/711, 340/712
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

According to a data input system with a pointing device, a keyboard device is provided with a pointing device interface and a key code generator. The keyboard device incorporates a microprocessor for generating a key code corresponding to a depressed key. The key code generator assigns data input through the pointing device interface to a nondefined key code. The data from the pointing device having been assigned a nondefined key code, is supplied as a key code from the keyboard device to a keyboard interface in a data processing device. The data processing device checks a specific bit of the data supplied thereto and determines that the received data is data originally supplied from the pointing device.

Claims

1. A pointing device data input system having a pointing device for designating a two-dimensional coordinate point on a display screen, a keyboard device having a key code generator for generating a key code corresponding to each one of keys constituting a key matrix, and a data processing device connected to said keyboard device through a keyboard interface, said keyboard device comprising:

pointing device interface means, arranged in said keyboard device, for connecting said pointing device and said keyboard device; and

pointing device key code generating means for receiving, through said pointing device interface means, data from said pointing device, assigning the received data to a nondefined key code, and for outputting the nondefined key code to said data processing device as a defined key code from said keyboard device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said pointing device key code generating means outputs x- and y-coordinate selection signals and a bit selection signal to said pointing device interface means, and said pointing device interface means comprises:

counters for counting x- and y-coordinate pulses from said pointing device; and

a multiplexer for generating corresponding coordinate data in accordance with x- and y-coordinate selection signals and the bit selection signal supplied from said pointing device key code generating means.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the key code supplied to said data processing device has a bit representing that the key code is derived from the data from said pointing device.