Multifunction keyboard

• US 6,453,027 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gyu-Hwan Kang
• Original Assignee: Gyu-Hwan Kang, Weon-Il Kong
• Inventors: Kang, Gyu-Hwan, Kong, Weon-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US09/695,582
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 379/110.01, 379/90.01, 379/39-44, 379/47, 379/51, 341/21, 341/22, 341/27, 708/109, 345/168
• US Class Current: 379/110.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A multifunction keyboard for performing a variety of functions such as an Internet phone function, audio input/output function, computer speaker switching function, recording function, burglar alarm function, telephone function, etc. in addition to the original function of displaying characters and symbols on the screen of a monitor. The multifunction keyboard comprises a computer speaker switching unit for adjusting a tone level and performing a computer speaker/headset mode switching operation, an audio input/output unit having audio input and output terminals for inputting and outputting audio signals, a semiconductor-type recording unit having a recording button for performing a recording operation while it is pushed by the user, and a play button for performing a playback operation when it is pushed by the user in a one-touch manner, a telephone unit for conducting a direct conversation with a call-connected party and performing an Internet phone function, telephone function, extension exchange function, redial function, mute function, hook function, flash function, headset function, speaker phone function and message recording function, and a burglar alarm unit having a PIR sensor for sensing a body temperature of a trespasser, a door opening sensor, an LPG/LNG sensor and a fire sensor. Burglar alarm unit with the multifunction keyboard is comprised by internal external devices of the own designer.

Claims

1. A multifunction keyboard comprising:

computer speaker switching means for adjusting a tone level and performing a computer speaker/headset mode switching operation;

audio input/output means having audio input and output terminals for inputting and outputting audio signals;

semiconductor-type recording means having a recording button for performing a recording operation while it is pushed by the user, and a play button for performing a playback operation when it is pushed by the user in a one-touch manner;

telephone means for conducting a direct conversation with a call-connected party and performing an Internet phone function, a telephone function, an extension exchange function, a redial function, a mute function, a hook function, a flash function, a headset function, a speaker phone function and a message recording function; and

burglar alarm means having a pyroelectric infrared sensor for sensing a body temperature of a trespasser, a door opening sensor, a liquefied petroleum gas/liquefied natural gas sensor and a fire sensor, said burglar alarm means sensing the body temperature of the trespasser or an abnormal situation in the surroundings, automatically establishing a call to a preset telephone number, at once transferring a voice message and a sensed on-the-spot sound to the preset telephone number and generating an alarm thereto.

2. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said burglar alarm means is adapted to, if a plurality of telephone numbers are preset, generate alarms to the preset telephone numbers and repetitively cycle through the preset telephone numbers from the beginning to the end.

3. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 2, wherein said burglar alarm means is configured to be remotely controllable by an external telephone.

4. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said telephone means includes:

a call termination lamp turned on in response to an incoming call signal, said call termination lamp being projected out of the land of said keyboard;

ringer means for generating a ring signal in response to a turned-on state of said call termination lamp and outputting it externally through a speaker, said ringer means including a bridge diode, a ring chip and a ring amplifier;

a telephone system controller for controlling a voice transmission/reception network controller in response to an off state of a hook button;

voice transmission/reception network means connected to an audio signal input/output system controller under the control of said voice transmission/reception network controller, said voice transmission/reception network means including a reception amplifier, a reception buffer, an automatic gain controller, a transmission amplifier and an audio signal amplifier;

an input controller for controlling the input of an audio signal from a call-connected party in response to a turned-on state of a hands-free button;

a tone pulse generator for generating a tone pulse signal corresponding to the audio signal from the call-connected party under the control of said input controller;

a speaker phone controller for controlling the input/output of a speaker phone;

an attenuation controller for controlling an attenuation level of the tone pulse signal from said tone pulse generator under the control of said speaker phone controller;

first and second amplifiers for sequentially amplifying an output signal from said attenuation controller and transferring the amplified signal to said audio signal input/output system controller;

said audio signal input/output system controller automatically selecting one of a headset and an external microphone according to a given system condition and transferring an audio signal from the selected headset or external microphone to said transmission amplifier via a third amplifier and said attenuation controller;

said transmission amplifier amplifying the audio signal transferred from said audio signal input/output system controller and transmitting the amplified audio signal to a telephone line;

a melody generator for generating a melody in response to a turned-on state of a hold button under the control of said input controller;

a switching circuit controller for turning on a telephone line switching circuit in response to said off state of said hook button;

a telephone/computer switching indication lamp turned on when a telephone/keyboard switching button is pushed in a one-touch manner;

a plurality of numeral keys functioning as telephone dial keys in response to said turned-on state of said telephone/computer switching indication lamp;

a telephone switching device turned on in response to said turned-on state of said telephone/computer switching indication lamp;

a keyboard switching device turned off in response to said turned-on state of said telephone/computer switching indication lamp;

a function key interface for transferring a telephone number from said telephone dial keys to said tone pulse generator;

said tone pulse generator generating a tone pulse signal corresponding to the telephone number transferred from said function key interface;

a tone pulse amplifier for amplifying said tone pulse signal corresponding to the transferred telephone number, generated by said tone pulse generator; and

a tone pulse transmission amplifier for transmitting said tone pulse signal amplified by said tone pulse amplifier to said telephone line.

5. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 4, wherein, if said telephone/keyboard switching button is pushed in a one-touch manner under the condition that a telephone function is performed, said telephone/computer switching indication lamp and telephone switching device are turned off, said keyboard switching device is turned on and said telephone dial keys are returned to function as said numeral keys.

6. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said semiconductor-type recording means includes:

a plurality of recording buttons corresponding respectively to a plurality of channels;

a plurality of play buttons corresponding respectively to said channels;

a recording indication lamp turned on in response to a pushed state of one of said recording buttons corresponding to a specific one of said channels to inform the user of a recording state;

a recording/playback module for storing audio data from an external microphone in a specific location of a random access memory while said recording button corresponding to said specific channel is pushed and outputting the stored audio data in response to a pushed state of one of said play buttons corresponding to said specific channel; and

a recording stop button for stopping a recording operation.

7. The multifunction keyboard as set forth in claim 1, wherein said burglar alarm means includes:

a sense signal amplifier for amplifying a sense signal from said pyroelectric infrared sensor if the body temperature of the trespasser is sensed by said pyroelectric infrared sensor;

a main controller for controlling the entire operation of said burglar alarm means;

a telephone function module operated in response to an output signal from said sense signal amplifier for turning on a telephone connection switch and a bridge circuit and generating a tone pulse signal to dial a specific telephone number in a memory;

an office line response state detector for monitoring a normal telephone connection state, broken-down and short-circuited states of an office line, a response state of said office line and a busy state of said office line during an alarm operation and data transmission/reception states during a message sending operation;

a recording/playback module for sending a recorded message to a telephone line if said normal telephone connection state is detected by said office line response state detector;

a microphone amplifier for amplifying the recorded message from said recording/playback module or a sensed on-the-spot sound from a microphone and outputting the amplified result to said telephone line;

an alarm amplifier for amplifying an alarm signal;

a buzzer for generating an alarm in response to the alarm signal amplified by said alarm amplifier;

a telephone ring signal detector for detecting an external ring signal;

a telephone tone signal detector for detecting an external tone signal;

said main controller controlling a variety of alarm functions including an alarm ON function and an alarm OFF function in response to said external ring signal detected by said telephone ring signal detector and said external tone signal detected by said telephone tone signal detector;

an audio amplifier for amplifying an audio signal, received from an external telephone during the alarm operation, and outputting the amplified audio signal through a speaker to give a loud warning to the trespasser;

a radio frequency remote controller for remotely controlling said main controller, said radio frequency remotely controller having a plurality of function buttons including an alarm ON button, an alarm OFF button and an emergency button, said emergency button acting to give an alarm to a liaison office in case of emergency; and

a radio frequency remote receiver for receiving a code from said radio frequency remote controller and transferring the received code to said main controller.