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US5955975A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and associated method for recovering lost break codes for wireless keyboards

Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
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Filing: 1997-09-30
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Granted: 1999-09-21
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Expires: 2017-09-30
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus and method for recovering "break" codes transmitted by a keyboard that are not properly received by the receiver of the computer system. The keyboard is an infrared keyboard that transmits to a receiver in the computer system "make" codes when the keys are depressed and transmits to the receiver "break" codes when the keys are released. Upon receipt of the "make" and "break" codes, the receiver keeps track of the status of each of the keys, i.e., depressed or released, by updating a database in response to receipt of the "make" and "break" codes. At select time intervals, the keyboard transmits to the receiver an "idle" code containing data corresponding to the status of each key. Upon receipt of the "idle" code, the receiver compares the "idle" code with the status of each key as indicated by the data base. The receiver then generates a "break" code for each of the keys that do not compare.

Inventors

  • 👤 John W. Frederick
  • 👤 Kevin J. Brusky

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 14:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/023; G06F3/0231; G06F11/00; G06F11/004

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 172 words
A computer convergence system comprising: a receiver; a keyboard including a plurality of keys, said keyboard operable to transmit a plurality of codes to said receiver, with a first of said codes corresponding to the depression of at least one of said keys, and a second of said codes corresponding to the release of said at least one of said keys; and a third code including data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said keyboard, said third code being transmitted to said receiver at selected times; and a database in communication with said receiver, said database for storing data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys in response to said receiver receiving at least one of said first code and said second code; wherein the receiver compares said data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said third code with said data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys stored in said database to update said database.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 172 words
A computer convergence system comprising: a receiver; a keyboard including a plurality of keys, said keyboard operable to transmit a plurality of codes to said receiver, with a first of said codes corresponding to the depression of at least one of said keys, and a second of said codes corresponding to the release of said at least one of said keys; and a third code including data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said keyboard, said third code being transmitted to said receiver at selected times; and a database in communication with said receiver, said database for storing data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys in response to said receiver receiving at least one of said first code and said second code; wherein the receiver compares said data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said third code with said data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys stored in said database to update said database.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
The computer convergence system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver includes an infrared receiver.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The computer convergence system as recited in claim 1, wherein said keyboard is a wireless infrared keyboard.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 66 words
The computer convergence system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver generates said second code for at least one of said plurality of keys if the determination is made that said data corresponding to the status of at least one of said plurality of keys of said third code differs from said data corresponding to the status of the corresponding key stored in said database.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 144 words
A computer system comprising: a receiver; a wireless keyboard including a plurality of keys, said keyboard operable to transmit a plurality of codes to said receiver; said plurality of codes including a make code corresponding to the depression of at least one of said keys, a break code corresponding to the release of said one of said keys, and an idle code, said idle code including data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said keyboard said idle code being transmitted to said receiver at selected times; and a database in communication with said receiver, said database for storing data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys in response to said receiver receiving at least one of said make code and said break code and said database updated in response to the reception of said idle code.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 144 words
A computer system comprising: a receiver; a wireless keyboard including a plurality of keys, said keyboard operable to transmit a plurality of codes to said receiver; said plurality of codes including a make code corresponding to the depression of at least one of said keys, a break code corresponding to the release of said one of said keys, and an idle code, said idle code including data corresponding to the status of each of said plurality of keys of said keyboard said idle code being transmitted to said receiver at selected times; and a database in communication with said receiver, said database for storing data corresponding to the status of said plurality of keys in response to said receiver receiving at least one of said make code and said break code and said database updated in response to the reception of said idle code.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 15 words
The computer system as recited in claim 5, wherein said receiver includes an infrared receiver.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 64 words
The computer system as recited in claim 5, wherein said receiver generates said break code for at least one of said plurality of keys subsequent to the determination that said data corresponding to the status of at least one of said plurality of keys of said idle code differs from said data corresponding to the status of the corresponding key stored in said database.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 192 words
In a computer system having a wireless keyboard that transmits to a receiver a make code when a key is depressed and a break code when a key is released, a method of recovering a break code transmitted from the wireless keyboard but not received by the receiver, said method comprising the steps of: maintaining the status of each key in a database associated with a receiver in response to the receiver receiving the make code and the break code; transmitting from the wireless keyboard to the receiver an idle code, the transmission of the idle code occurring in response to the keyboard being inactive for a select period of time, the idle code including data corresponding to the status of each key of the keyboard; comparing the status of each of the keys as indicated by the idle code with the status of each of the keys as indicated by the database; and generating a break code by the receiver for each of the keys that the status of the keys as indicated by the idle code did not match with the status of the keys as indicated by the database.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 192 words
In a computer system having a wireless keyboard that transmits to a receiver a make code when a key is depressed and a break code when a key is released, a method of recovering a break code transmitted from the wireless keyboard but not received by the receiver, said method comprising the steps of: maintaining the status of each key in a database associated with a receiver in response to the receiver receiving the make code and the break code; transmitting from the wireless keyboard to the receiver an idle code, the transmission of the idle code occurring in response to the keyboard being inactive for a select period of time, the idle code including data corresponding to the status of each key of the keyboard; comparing the status of each of the keys as indicated by the idle code with the status of each of the keys as indicated by the database; and generating a break code by the receiver for each of the keys that the status of the keys as indicated by the idle code did not match with the status of the keys as indicated by the database.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method as recited in claim 8, and further comprising the step of resetting the database subsequent to said step of generating a break code by the receiver.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4937778A Cited
US5287526A Cited
US5189543A Cited
US5615393A Cited
US5589599A Cited
US5737107A Cited
US5861822A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-09-20 2003-03-22 2003-09-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-09-20 2007-03-22 2007-09-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-09-20 2011-03-22 2011-09-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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