US5867729A — System for reconfiguring a keyboard configuration…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 79 words

A method for dynamically configuring a physical keyboard connected to a computer based on a location of the computer, said method comprising the steps of: determining the location of the computer using triangulation; assigning a keyboard configuration associated with the keyboard based on the location of the computer; and automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the location of the computer to provide a different keyboard configuration, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon said keyboard configuration.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 79 words

A method for dynamically configuring a physical keyboard connected to a computer based on a location of the computer, said method comprising the steps of: determining the location of the computer using triangulation; assigning a keyboard configuration associated with the keyboard based on the location of the computer; and automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the location of the computer to provide a different keyboard configuration, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon said keyboard configuration.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 1 further including the step of detecting docking/undocking of the computer, wherein said step of automatically reconfiguring further includes automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the docking/undocking of the computer.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 1 further including the step of detecting insertion/removal of a disk, wherein said step of automatically reconfiguring further includes automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the insertion/removal of the disk.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: binding a key combination to an action based on the selected keyboard configuration; and storing in a look-up table, the key combination and information for executing said action of the selected keyboard configuration.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 4, wherein said action is an application and said information for executing said action is information for launching said application.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining the location of the computer is performed using a global positioning system device.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 197 words

In a computer system comprising a display, a physical keyboard having a set of keys, and a computer coupled to the keyboard, a method for defining a plurality of keyboard configurations, wherein one of said keyboard configurations is selected based on a location of the computer, said method comprising the steps of: prompting a user to select a first keyboard configuration and an action for binding to a key combination for said first keyboard configuration; first storing in a first configuration memory area, responsive to a user's selection, the key combination and information for executing the user-selected action for said first keyboard configuration; prompting a user to select a second keyboard configuration and an action for binding to a key combination for said second keyboard configuration; second storing in a second configuration memory area, responsive to the user's selection, the key combination and information for executing the user-selected action for said second keyboard configuration; determining the location of the computer using triangulation; and third storing one of said first and second keyboard configurations in a keyboard look-up table based on the location of the computer an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon said keyboard configurations.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 197 words

In a computer system comprising a display, a physical keyboard having a set of keys, and a computer coupled to the keyboard, a method for defining a plurality of keyboard configurations, wherein one of said keyboard configurations is selected based on a location of the computer, said method comprising the steps of: prompting a user to select a first keyboard configuration and an action for binding to a key combination for said first keyboard configuration; first storing in a first configuration memory area, responsive to a user's selection, the key combination and information for executing the user-selected action for said first keyboard configuration; prompting a user to select a second keyboard configuration and an action for binding to a key combination for said second keyboard configuration; second storing in a second configuration memory area, responsive to the user's selection, the key combination and information for executing the user-selected action for said second keyboard configuration; determining the location of the computer using triangulation; and third storing one of said first and second keyboard configurations in a keyboard look-up table based on the location of the computer an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon said keyboard configurations.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 7, wherein each step of prompting comprises displaying an ADD/EDIT dialog box on said display.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 7, further including the step of prompting a user to enable event detection, wherein said step of determining the location of the computer is responsive to enabled event detection.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 7, wherein said action is an application, said information for executing an application is information for launching an application.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method according to claim 10, wherein each step of prompting responds to the depression of said key combination when said respective configuration memory area does not contain an action corresponding to said key combination.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 11, wherein each step of prompting comprises invoking an ADD/EDIT dialog using said display to enable the user to select the application for binding to said key combination.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 11, wherein said step of invoking an ADD/EDIT dialog includes enabling the user to select any application from a listing of applications.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 66 words

The method of claim 11, wherein: each step of prompting is responsive to a user's request to edit an existing configuration; and first and second storing comprises replacing information for executing the existing action for a key combination of the existing configuration in said respective configuration memory area with information for launching an application of the key combination of a configuration newly selected by the user.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 11, wherein said first and second steps of storing comprise storing in said first and second configuration memory areas said key combination and information for launching a plurality of applications of said first and second keyboard configurations, respectively.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining the location of the computer is performed using a global positioning system device.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 160 words

A computer system comprising a physical keyboard having a set of keys and a computer coupled to said keyboard, said computer comprising: an event detecting interface for determining a location of the computer using triangulation and generating event status information; configuration memory for storing a plurality of different keyboard configurations represented by a keyboard configuration information, wherein each keyboard configuration includes key binding with a plurality of key combinations being bound to a different action and information for executing the action; a configuration interface, responsive to said event status information, for retrieving keyboard configuration information according to the location of the computer from said configuration memory; key application control, configured to receive the keyboard configuration information, for automatically changing an active keyboard configuration to a keyboard configuration associated with the location of keyboard, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon the keyboard configurations; and a look-up table, responsive to said key application control, for storing said keyboard configuration.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 160 words

A computer system comprising a physical keyboard having a set of keys and a computer coupled to said keyboard, said computer comprising: an event detecting interface for determining a location of the computer using triangulation and generating event status information; configuration memory for storing a plurality of different keyboard configurations represented by a keyboard configuration information, wherein each keyboard configuration includes key binding with a plurality of key combinations being bound to a different action and information for executing the action; a configuration interface, responsive to said event status information, for retrieving keyboard configuration information according to the location of the computer from said configuration memory; key application control, configured to receive the keyboard configuration information, for automatically changing an active keyboard configuration to a keyboard configuration associated with the location of keyboard, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon the keyboard configurations; and a look-up table, responsive to said key application control, for storing said keyboard configuration.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 38 words

The computer system according to claim 17, further comprising a docking port, coupled to said event detecting interface, for connecting said computer to a network, wherein said event detecting interface further detects a docking state of said computer.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 20 words

The computer system according to claim 17, wherein said information for executing the action comprises information for launching an application.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 63 words

The computer system according to claim 17, further comprising: a user interface, coupled to said keyboard, for sensing depression of a key combination, wherein said key application control determines from said look-up table the information for executing the action corresponding to the depressed key combination sensed by said user interface; and an operating environment for executing the action based upon the determined information.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 20 words

The computer system according to claim 20, wherein said information for executing the action comprises information for launching an application.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 77 words

The computer system according to claim 21, further comprising: a pop-up list database for storing information for launching a plurality of applications corresponding at least one of said key combinations of the keyboard configuration associated with the location of the computer; and a display for displaying a pop-up list of applications stored in said pop-up list database for selection by the user, wherein said operating environment launches the application selected by the user from said pop-up list.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 26 words

The computer system of claim 17, wherein said event detecting interface is configured to determine the location of the computer using a global positioning system device.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 16 words

The computer system of claim 17, wherein said event detecting interface further detects a docking/undocking event.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 99 words

In a computer system comprising a display, a physical keyboard having a set of keys, and a computer coupled to the keyboard, wherein an action is executed responsive to a depression of a key combination on the keyboard, a method for dynamically configuring the keyboard, said method comprising the steps of: determining a location of the computer using triangulation; generating event status information based on the location of the computer; and automatically reconfiguring said keyboard responsive to the event status information to provide a different keyboard configuration, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon the keyboard configuration.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 99 words

In a computer system comprising a display, a physical keyboard having a set of keys, and a computer coupled to the keyboard, wherein an action is executed responsive to a depression of a key combination on the keyboard, a method for dynamically configuring the keyboard, said method comprising the steps of: determining a location of the computer using triangulation; generating event status information based on the location of the computer; and automatically reconfiguring said keyboard responsive to the event status information to provide a different keyboard configuration, an appearance of the keyboard not being dependent upon the keyboard configuration.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 25, wherein said step of determining the location of the computer is performed using a global positioning system device.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 25, further including the step of detecting a docking/undocking event, wherein the step of automatically reconfiguring further includes automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the docking/undocking event.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 25, further including the step of detecting insertion/removal of a peripheral element, wherein the step of automatically reconfiguring further includes automatically reconfiguring said keyboard configuration based on the insertion/removal of the peripheral element.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-02-01	2002-08-03	2003-02-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-02-01	2006-08-03	2007-02-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-02-01	2010-08-03	2011-02-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System for reconfiguring a keyboard configuration in response to an event status information related to a computer's location determined by using triangulation technique

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