Method for managing the input codes from keyboard and pointing device

• US 5,574,891 A
• Filed: 09/27/1994
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BenQ Corporation (Qisda Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Acer America Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Jui-Ho, Hsu, Hung-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walder, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US08/312,995
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 340/711, 340/710, 340/704, 340/706, 364/709.11
• US Class Current: 703/24
• 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

A method for managing the input codes from the keyboard and the point device and an apparatus thereof are provided. When the computer system is not coupled to a PS/2 mouse and a hybrid keyboard is found to be connected to the computer system, the method first requests the hybrid keyboard to send a leading code designated to the pointing device. Afterwards, the method detects whether an input code from the hybrid keyboard has a leading code. And if there is a leading code, the method emulates the input code as a PS/2 mouse code and sends the emulated PS/2 mouse code to the computer system.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a keyboard controller, the keyboard controller having a first input/output port and a second input/output port adapted to couple to a keyboard and a PS/2 mouse respectively, a method for managing the input codes from the keyboard, comprising the steps of:

(1) detecting if the keyboard controller is connected to a PS/2 mouse;

(2) if the result in step (1) is NO, detecting a Basic Assurance Test (BAT) code from the keyboard to determine whether the keyboard coupled is a hybrid keyboard, the hybrid keyboard including a keyboard device and a pointing device;

(3) if a hybrid keyboard is detected in step (2), requesting the hybrid keyboard to send a leading code designated to the pointing device;

(4) detecting whether a signal received by the keyboard controller is a command sent from the computer system or an input code from the hybrid keyboard;

(5) if, in step (4) , the signal received by the keyboard controller is the input code from the hybrid keyboard, detecting whether an input code from the hybrid keyboard has the designated leading code;

(6) if the result of the step (5) is YES, emulating the input code as a PS/2 mouse code and sending the emulated PS/2 mouse code to the computer system.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, further comprising steps of:

(7) if, in step (4), the signal detected is the command from the computer system, detecting if the command is to the pointing device;

(8) if the result is YES in step (7), outputing a code which is obtained by adding a predetermined offset value to the command.

3. An input apparatus of a computer system, the input apparatus having a keyboard controller which has a first input/output port and a second input/output port adapted to couple to a keyboard and a PS/2 mouse respectively, the keyboard controller performs the steps of:

(1) detecting if the keyboard controller is connected to a PS/2 mouse;

(2) if the result in step (1) is NO, detecting a Basic Assurance Test (BAT) code from the keyboard to determine whether the keyboard coupled is a hybrid keyboard, the hybrid keyboard including a keyboard device and a pointing device;

(3) if a hybrid keyboard is detected in step (2), requesting the hybrid keyboard to send a leading code designated to the pointing device;

(4) detecting whether a signal received by the keyboard controller is a command sent from the computer system or an input code from the hybrid keyboard;

(5) if, in step (4), the signal received by the keyboard controller is the input code from the hybrid keyboard, detecting whether an input code from the hybrid keyboard has the designated leading code;

(6) if the result of the step (5) is YES, emulating the input code as a PS/2 mouse code and sending the emulated PS/2 mouse code to the computer system.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein, the keyboard controller performs the steps of:

(7) if, in step (4), the signal detected is the command from the computer system, detecting if the command is to the pointing device;

(8) if the result is YES in step (7), outputing a code which is obtained by adding a predetermined offset value to the command.