Multimode non-standard universal serial bus computer input device

• US 6,813,650 B1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kori, Kumar Basalingappa, Ngo, Thanh Gia, Do, Phuc Ky, Cato, Robert Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, A.
• Application Number:
  US09/426,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 710/11, 710/14, 710/63, 341/22, 345/173
• US Class Current: 710/14
• 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 3/023 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 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

A computer system enabled with a Universal Serial Bus data communication interface and a USB enabled input device, such as a computer keyboard, capable of operating in a standard USB mode or in one or more non-standard USB modes. Also disclosed is a method of communicating between the input device and the computer'"'"'s application program while the device is operating in each mode and a method for switching between operating modes.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a computer unit;

a data bus coupled to said computer unit;

a computer device coupled to said data bus for communication with said computer unit;

a first mode means for enabling said computer device to communicate with said computer unit over said data bus with a first set of functions;

a second mode means for enabling said computer device to communicate with said computer unit over said data bus with a second set of functions;

an operating system running on said computer, wherein said operating system is capable of running standard application programs; and

a specialized software system running simultaneously with said operating system on said computer unit such that said specialized software system enables specialized application programs to run on said computer unit,

wherein said computer device is a computer keyboard with means for inputting conventional keystroke data and non-conventional keystroke data,

wherein said second set of functions include a means for sending conventional keystroke data to said standard application programs and non-conventional keystroke data to specialized application programs.

2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a third mode means for enabling said computer device to communicate with said data bus with a third set of functions.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said first set of functions include a means for sending conventional keystroke data to said standard application programs through said data bus.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said third set of functions include a means for sending conventional keystroke data and non-conventional keystroke data to specialized application programs.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data bus is a Universal Serial Bus.

6. A computer system comprising:

a computer unit;

a data bus coupled to said computer unit;

a computer device coupled to said data bus for communication with said computer unit;

a first mode means for enabling said computer device to communicate with said computer unit over said data bus with a first set of functions;

a second mode means for enabling said computer device to communicate with said computer unit over said data bus with a second set of functions;

an operating system running on said computer, wherein said operating system is capable of running standard application programs; and

a specialized software system running simultaneously with said operating system on said computer unit such that said specialized software system enables specialized application programs to run on said computer unit,

wherein said computer device is a computer keyboard with means for inputting conventional keystroke data and non-conventional keystroke data,

wherein said second set of functions include a means for sending conventional keystroke data to said standard application programs and non-conventional keystroke data to specialized application programs, wherein said computer keyboard comprises;

a memory storage;

a microcontroller which reads operational logic from said memory storage;

a data bus interface coupled to said microcontroller; and

a keyboard interface circuit coupled to said microcontroller,

wherein said memory storage further comprises;

a random access memory for storing information to be sent to said host computer; and

a digital memory containing operating logic,

wherein said operating logic comprises a means for communicating with said data bus when said computer device is operating in said first mode means, said second mode means, and said third mode means and a means for switching between said modes,

wherein said means for switching comprises a means in said microcontroller of said keyboard for setting a bit pattern in said keyboard'"'"'s random access memory to set a new mode, a means for resetting said microcontroller, a means to read said bit pattern from said random access memory, and a means to send a new identification code to said host computer based on said bit pattern.

7. A computer system comprising:

a computer unit;

an operating system running on said computer unit capable of running standard application programs;

a specialized software system running simultaneously with said operating system which is capable of running specialized application software;

a data bus coupled to said computer unit;

a keyboard with conventional keys and non-conventional keys coupled to said data bus;

circuitry for enabling said keyboard conventional keys to communicate with said computer unit in a first mode over said data bus, wherein codes for said conventional keys are provided to said standard application programs in a first mode;

circuitry for enabling said keyboard conventional keys to communicate with said computer unit in a second mode over said data bus, wherein said codes for said conventional keys are provided to either said application programs and or said specialized application software, and wherein codes for enabling said non-conventional keys are provided to communicate with said specialized application software in a second mode; and

circuitry for enabling said keyboard to communicate with said computer unit in a third mode wherein said conventional keys and said non-conventional keys to communicate are only provided to with said specialized application software in a third mode.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said data bus is a Universal Serial Bus.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said computer keyboard comprises:

a memory storage;

a microcontroller which reads operational logic from said memory storage;

a data bus interface coupled to said microcontroller; and

a keyboard interface circuit coupled to said microcontroller.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said memory storage further comprises:

a random access memory for storing information to be sent to said host computer; and

a digital memory containing operating logic.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said operating logic comprises circuitry for communicating with said data bus when said computer unit is operating in said first mode, said second mode, and said third mode, and circuitry for switching between said modes.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said circuitry for switching between said modes comprises circuitry for setting a bit pattern in said random access memory to set a new mode, circuitry for resetting said microcontroller, circuitry to read said bit pattern from said random access memory, and circuitry to send a new identification code to said host computer based on said bit pattern.

13. A Universal-Serial-Bus-compatible device for inputting data to a host computer, comprising:

a Universal Serial Bus (USB) mode; and

an on-board device controller having a control system coupled to said USB mode, said control system having a standard USB mode and a non-standard USB mode, wherein said operational logic comprising circuitry for communicating with said USB mode when said computer unit is operating in a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode, and a circuitry for switching between said modes, wherein said circuitry for switching comprising circuitry for setting a bit pattern in said memory storage to set a new mode, circuitry for resetting said microcontroller, circuitry to read said bit pattern from said memory storage, and circuitry to send a new identification code to said host computer based on said bit pattern.

14. An information handling system configured to operate in one of three functional USB modes:

1) a standard system USB boot keyboard mode that supports only standard computer keyboard keystrokes;

2) a system non-boot USB keyboard mode that supports standard computer keyboard keystrokes and point-of-sale (“

POS”

) keystrokes; and

3) a non-system, non-boot USB keyboard mode that supports standard computer keyboard keystrokes and POS keystrokes.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the standard system USB boot keyboard mode does not support POS keystrokes.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein in the standard system USB boot keyboard mode, a coupled keyboard communicates to an application through an HID class driver, USB keyboard driver, keyboard class driver, and Windows operating system message queue.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein in the system non-boot USB keyboard mode, a keyboard coupled to the system communicates through an HID class driver, USB POS keyboard driver, keyboard class driver, and Windows operating system message queue to a POS application and non-POS application.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein in the system non-boot USB keyboard mode, the USB POS keyboard driver also communicates with a POS subsystem.

19. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein in the non-system, non-boot USB keyboard mode, a keyboard coupled to the system communicates only with a POS application.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the keyboard communicates with the POS application through an HID class driver, USB POS keyboard driver and POS subsystem.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the non-system, non-boot USB keyboard mode is only usable by the POS application and does not permit keyboard access to non-POS applications.

22. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the standard system USB boot keyboard mode is activated by any application put in focus by a user.

23. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the system non-boot USB keyboard mode is activated by any application put in focus by a user.