Patent · US Expired

Method, keyboard and system for transmitting key characters

US6028538A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
7References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 10, 1997
Grant dateFeb 22, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/023
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for transmitting key characters representative of keys on a keyboard is provided. A probability of use for one or more of the key characters may be determined by counting the number of occurrences of the key characters for a predetermined time period or for a literary work. Alternatively, the number of occurrences of one or more of the key characters may be calculated in real time and the probability of use adjusted accordingly for the key characters. Based on their calculated probability of use, the key characters are mapped into transmission formats. A system and a keyboard are also disclosed which map key characters into transmission formats based on probability of use of the key characters. Additional methods are disclosed for using error detection data in the transmission formats. Exemplary error detection may include adding parity bits or configuring the data in the transmission formats to indicate errors. Further methods are provided for providing unique addresses in the transmission formats to differentiate between key characters sent from one keyboard and key characters sent from another keyboard.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.