Keyboard modification system

• US 6,970,109 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claney Systems International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Claney Systems International Incorporated
• Inventors: Ross, Daniel H., Wolfson, Stanley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US10/199,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 361/680, 361/683, 361/686, 400/472, 400/717
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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

Abstract

The keyboard modification system includes: a looping module; a keycode processing module; a determining module; and, at least one additional keycode processing module. The looping module checks for the existence of incoming data from a communication port of a PDA and provides a keycode data output therefrom. A keycode processing module receives the keycode data output from the looping module and translates the data into variable data. A determining module determines whether a key on a keyboard of a portable keyboard assembly has remained depressed and if not continues to check for the existence of the variable data and translate the variable data to a keydata stream. The additional keycode processing module replaces the keydata stream with a different keydata stream if the key has remained depressed.

Claims

1. A keyboard modification system for a portable keyboard assembly used with a personal data assistant (PDA), comprising:

a) a looping module for checking for the existence of incoming data from a communication port of a PDA and providing a keycode data output therefrom;

b) a keycode processing module for receiving said keycode data output from said looping module and translating said data into variable data;

c) a determining module for determining whether a key on a keyboard of a portable keyboard assembly has remained depressed and if not continue to check for the existence of said variable data and translate said variable data to a keydata stream; and

,

d) at least one additional keycode processing module for replacing said keydata stream with a different keydata stream if the key has remained depressed.

2. The keyboard modification system of claim 1, wherein said looping module comprises the computer implementable steps of:

a) checking for the existence of incoming data from the communication port;

b) determining if any incoming data is from the portable keyboard assembly or from a PDA synchronization device;

c) allowing the PDA synchronization device to perform its function if the incoming data was from the PDA synchronization device, then returning to step a);

d) providing a keycode data output if the data is not from the PDA synchronization device; and

,

e) passing said key code data output to said keycode processing module if the communication port is open.

3. The keyboard modification system of claim 1, wherein said keycode processing module comprises the computer implementable steps of:

a) determining if there is data in said keycode data output;

b) determining if the communication port has been open longer than a pre-determined length of time if there is no data in the keycode data output; and

,

c) copying any data in said keycode data output to provide said variable data.

4. The keyboard modification system of claim 1, wherein said determining module comprises the computer implementable steps of:

a) determining whether the length of said variable data is zero;

b) determining if the first byte of said variable data is positive, if the length of said variable is not zero;

c) translating said variable data to a keydata stream if the first byte of said variable data is positive and if the length of said variable data is not zero, sorting the current byte to memory as a current key down code, removing the current byte from said variable data and setting a loop count variable equal to one;

d) performing an equation on said first byte of said variable data if the first byte of said variable data is negative and if the length of said variable data is not zero, said equation for determining whether the key has been released; and

,

e) resetting the loop count and removing the current byte from said variable data if the key has been released, otherwise removing the current byte from said variable data without clearing the memory.

5. The keyboard modification system of claim 1, wherein said at least one additional keycode processing module comprises the computer implementable steps of:

a) checking whether memory exists of the key being depressed; and

,

b) replacing said keydata stream with a different keydata stream if the key has remained depressed, said replacing comprising the steps of;

i) checking the value of the loop count in memory;

ii) seeking the value in a database for a corresponding loop count;

iii) sending a backspace character for each character length of value in the database;

iv) adding 1 to the loopcount;

v) seeking the value in the database for the corresponding loop count; and

,

vi) sending the keydata stream out to the PDA.