Wireless input apparatus

• US 6,271,832 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Takefumi, Nishiono, Hiroaki, Kamaeguchi, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alphonse, Fritz
• Application Number:
  US08/999,658
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/179, 345/157, 345/180, 345/169, 345/165, 340/825.72, 340/825.06, 250/231.1, 395/567, 395/200.31, 370/413, 341/26, 348/734
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A wireless input apparatus includes a transmitting section responsive to turning-on of a switch for transmitting a prescribed signal, and a transmission control section for measuring a time period during which an on state of the switch continues, and inhibiting the transmission by the transmitting section when the measured time period becomes equal to a prescribed time period.

Claims

1. A wireless input apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of switches;

a transmitting section for transmitting, in response to a turning-on of at least one switch of the plurality of switches, a prescribed signal corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch of the plurality of switches; and

a transmission control section for measuring a time period during which an on state of the at least one switch continues and inhibiting the transmission of the prescribed signal corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch when the measured time period equals a first corresponding prescribed time period,

wherein, when transmission of a first prescribed signal corresponding to a turning-on of a first switch of the plurality of switches is inhibited by the transmission control section, transmission of a second proscribed signal corresponding to a turning-on of a second switch of the plurality of switches is not inhibited, such that the transmitting section transmits the second prescribed signal in response to the turning-on of the second switch.

2. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing section for storing inhibition data corresponding to the transmission of the prescribed signal corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch from the transmitting section when the measured time period is equal to the first corresponding prescribed time period.

3. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for scanning, switch by switch, the plurality of switches to determine a turning-on or a turning-off of each of the plurality of switches,

wherein the transmitting section transmits a prescribed signal corresponding to a turned-on switch in response to every turning-on of a switch,

the storing section stores, switch by switch, inhibition data corresponding to the transmission of the prescribed signal corresponding to the turned-on switch from the transmitting section when a measured time period is equal to a corresponding prescribed time period, and

the transmission control section measures, switch by switch, the time period during which an on state of the turned-on switch continues, and inhibits, switch by switch, transmission from the transmission section when the inhibition data corresponding to the turned-on switch is stored in the storing section.

4. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission control section:

measures a time period during which an off state of the at least one switch continues when the inhibition data corresponding to the at least one switch is not stored in the storing section;

inhibits transmission from the transmitting section when the measured time period becomes equal to a second corresponding prescribed time period; and

resumes transmission of the prescribed signal corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch from the transmitting section in response to a subsequent turning-on of the at least one switch.

5. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing section for storing invalidation data corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch when a measured time period is equal to a corresponding prescribed time period,

wherein the transmission control section causes the turning-on of the at least one switch to be invalid when the invalidation data corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch is stored in the storing section.

6. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for scanning, switch by switch, the plurality of switches to determine a turning-on or a turning-off of each of the plurality of switches,

wherein the transmitting section transmits a prescribed signal corresponding to a turned-on switch in response to every turning-on of a switch,

the storing section stores, switch by switch, invalidation data corresponding to the turned-on switch when a measured time period is equal to a corresponding prescribed time period, and

the transmission control section measures, switch by switch, the time period during which an on state of the turned-on switch continues, and causes, switch by switch, the turning-on of the turned-on switch to be invalid when the invalidation data corresponding to the turned-on switch is stored in the storing section.

7. A wireless input apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmission control section:

measures a time period during which an off state of the at least one switch continues when the invalidation data corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch is not stored in the storing section;

inhibits transmission from the transmitting section when the measured time period becomes equal to a second corresponding prescribed time period; and

resumes transmission of the prescribed signal corresponding to the turning-on of the at least one switch from the transmitting section in response to a subsequent turning-on of the at least one switch.