Keyboard control of a pointing device of a computer

• US 5,990,872 A
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway 2000, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grasso, Anthony M., Jorgenson, Rodney W., Sassman, Michael R., Ritter, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US08/740,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/172, 345/157, 345/145, 345/160, 345/146, 364/709.11, 364/709.12, 364/709.16, 341/22
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• 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 computerized system for keyboard control of a pointing device of a computer. The computer has a computer keyboard, a controller and a basic input/output system (BIOS). The keyboard has a plurality of keys for entry of one or more predetermined sequences of one or more keystrokes by a user of the computer, each sequence corresponding to a control instruction of the pointing device. The controller detects entry of the sequences by the user on the keyboard, and furthermore processes signals received from the pointing device. The BIOS is operatively coupled to the controller, and in response to the controller detecting a predetermined sequence of keystrokes entered by the user on the keyboard operating sends the controller a corresponding instruction as to whether the controller should listen to or ignore signals received from the pointing device. Alternatively, the functionality of the BIOS as to the pointing device is incorporated within the keyboard. Alternatively still, the BIOS acts on the instructions, instead of the controller acting on the instructions.

Claims

1. A method for keyboard control of a first pointing device and a second pointing device of a computer comprising:

receiving a command sent by a keyboard controller of the computer in response to detecting a predetermined sequence of at least one keystroke entered by a user of the computer on a keyboard of the computer;

determining a next instruction in a repeating cycle of instructions corresponding to the command and essentially consisting of;

a first instruction to disable the first pointing device and enable the second pointing device;

a second instruction to disable the second pointing device and enable the first pointing device;

a third instruction to enable the first pointing device and the second pointing device; and

,

a fourth instruction to disable the first pointing device and the second pointing device; and

,

performing the next instruction in the repeating cycle of instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a scan code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the next instruction comprises sending the next instruction to the keyboard controller.

4. A computer-readable medium having a basic input/output system (BIOS) computer program executable by a computer having a first pointing device, a second pointing device, a keyboard and a keyboard controller, the BIOS computer program comprising:

means for receiving a command sent by the keyboard controller of the computer in response to detecting a predetermined sequence of at least one keystroke entered by a user of the computer on a keyboard of the computer;

means for determining a next instruction in a repeating cycle of instructions corresponding to the command and essentially consisting of;

a first instruction to disable the first pointing device and enable the second pointing device;

a second instruction to disable the second pointing device and enable the first pointing device;

a third instruction to enable the first pointing device and the second pointing device; and

,

a fourth instruction to disable the first pointing device and the second pointing device; and

,

means for performing the next instruction in the repeating cycle of instructions.

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein the medium is selected from the group essentially consisting of:

a random-access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a read-only memory (ROM), and a floppy disk.