Keyboard pointing device

• US 6,100,875 A
• Filed: 12/28/1993
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AST Research, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Goodman, Michael Ken, Noorbehesht, Farzad, Raasch, Charles Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US08/174,215
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/160, 345/159, 345/163, 345/168, 345/145, 345/141, 345/130, 345/133, 345/169, 341/21, 341/22, 341/31, 200/5 A, 200/6 A, 273/148 B, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• 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

An apparatus and method emulates mouse pointer functions utilizing a keyboard having an additional special function key. When the special function key is depressed, designated keys on the keyboard are interpreted as "mouse keys" which may be used to direct a pointer on a computer screen in a manner similar to a conventional mouse pointer. In one embodiment, the keys used as cursor movement keys during normal operation are designated as "mouse keys" which effect the movement of the pointer on the screen when the special function key is depressed. In addition, other keys may be used as left and right mouse buttons and as mouse lock keys. In one embodiment, the pointer speed is gradually increased when the user continuously holds any of the cursor movement keys down for a preselected interval. The data generated by the "mouse keys" are indistinguishable from data provided by conventional mouse pointer devices so that a conventional mouse driver and standard command protocol may be used in accordance with the present invention.

Claims

1. A mouse pointer emulating apparatus for controlling the position of a mouse pointer on a host computer display screen, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus further providing additional mouse functions in a host computer, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus interpreting selected keys on a keyboard to output data similar to that provided by a peripheral mouse pointer coupled to a conventional mouseport on a computer operable with a conventional mouse pointer, said mouse emulating apparatus further providing incremented speed variation which increases the speed, up to a maximum speed, of the mouse pointer on the display screen by predetermined increments as selected ones of the selected keys remain active, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus comprising:

a keyboard controller coupled to the selected keys and to said host computer, one of the selected keys comprising a special function key, said keyboard controller responsive to the special function key, when active, to interpret signals from other ones of said selected keys and to generate mouse data packets, said mouse data packets generated by said keyboard controller including X-coordinate and Y-coordinate values which represent a change in position of said mouse pointer on said display screen, wherein said signals provided by said selected keys to said keyboard controller when said special function key is active are identical to signals provided to said keyboard controller by said selected keys when said special function key is not active, said keyboard controller further transmitting said mouse data packets to said host computer at preselected report intervals to effect pixel-by-pixel movement of said mouse pointer on said display screen when said special function key is active, said keyboard controller transmitting conventional scan code data in response to activation of said selected keys when said special function key is not active.

2. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said keyboard controller further comprises a mouse speed timer, said keyboard controller responsive to said mouse speed timer to increase the speed of mouse pointer movement by a preselected increment at preselected intervals while said other ones of said selected keys remain active.

3. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the preselected intervals are 400 milliseconds.

4. A mouse pointer emulating apparatus for controlling the position of a mouse pointer on a computer display screen for a computer, operable with a conventional mouse pointer, said mouse emulating apparatus comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of unmodified keys which activate key switches when depressed, said keyboard operating in first and second modes;

a keyboard controller coupled to said key switches, said controller configured to scan said key switches to determine which of said plurality of keys are active and to generate scan code data responsive to keyswitch signals generated by active keys; and

a special function key coupled to said keyboard controller, said keyboard controller responsive to said special function key such that when said special function key is active, said keyboard is in said first mode wherein said keyboard controller responds to said keyswitch signals resulting from activation of selected ones of said plurality of keys to transmit mouse data indicating movement of a mouse pointer on the computer display instead of said scan code data, said mouse data packets generated by said keyboard controller including X-coordinate and Y-coordinate values which represent a change in position of said mouse pointer on said display screen to effect pixel-by-pixel movement of said mouse pointer on said display screen, said keyboard controller further transmitting said mouse data to said computer at a preselected frequency, and when said special function key is not active said keyboard is in said second mode wherein said keyboard transmits conventional scan code data in response to said keyswitch signals resulting from activation of selected ones of said plurality of keys.

5. The mouse pointer device emulating apparatus of claim 4, wherein said keyboard controller further comprises a mouse speed timer, said keyboard controller responsive to said mouse speed timer to increase the speed of movement of the mouse cursor on the computer screen by preselected increments at preselected intervals while the selected ones of said keys remain active simultaneously with the special function key.

6. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the preselected intervals are 400 milliseconds.

7. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the preselected increment is 1, and wherein the speed of the mouse increases from a first level to a second level, and to a third maximum level.

8. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the device further provides additional mouse control functions other than movement in a host computer.

9. The mouse pointer emulating apparatus of claim 8, wherein the additional functions are emulation of left and right button functions of a conventional mouse pointer device.

10. A method of emulating a conventional mouseport mouse pointing device with a keyboard, said method for use with a host computer having a display screen which displays a mouse pointer, comprising the steps of:

scanning a keyboard having a plurality of unmodified keys, one of said keys being a special function key, selected others of said plurality of said keys preselected to indicate mouse pointing device operations when said special function key is active;

determining if said special function key is active;

if said special function key is active, determining if any of said selected other keys are active;

if said special function key is active and at least one of said selected other keys is active, interpreting the activation of said at least one of said selected other keys and the duration of activation into mouse data, said mouse data substantially equivalent to conventional mouse data so as to include X-coordinate and Y-coordinate values which represent a change of position of said mouse pointer on said display screen; and

sending the mouse data to a mouse driver of a host computer to effect pixel-by-pixel movement of said mouse pointer on said display screen when said special function key is active, said keyboard controller transmitting conventional scan code data in response to activation of said selected keys when said special function key is not active.

11. A mouse pointer emulating apparatus for controlling the position of a mouse pointer on a host computer display screen, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus further providing additional mouse functions in a host computer, said emulating apparatus interpreting selected keys on a keyboard to output data similar to that provided by a peripheral mouse pointer coupled to a conventional mouseport on a computer operable with a conventional mouse pointer, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus further providing incremented speed variation which increases the speed of the mouse pointer on the display screen by predetermined increments as selected ones of the selected keys remains active, said mouse pointer emulating apparatus comprising:

a keyboard controller coupled to the selected keys and to said host computer, one of the selected keys comprising a special function key, said keyboard controller responsive to the special function key, when active, to interpret signals from other ones of said selected keys and generate mouse data packets, wherein said signals provided by said selected keys to said keyboard controller when said special function key is active are identical to signals provided by said selected keys to said keyboard controller when said special function key is not active, said keyboard controller further transmitting said mouse data packets to said host computer at preselected report intervals to cause pixel-by-pixel mouse pointer movement on said display screen when said special function key is active, said mouse pointer movement on said display screen including movement in a diagonal direction upon simultaneous activation of two of said selected keys, said keyboard controller transmitting conventional scan code data in response to activation of said selected keys when said special function key is inactive.