Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-25
2004-02-03
Liang, Regina (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C341S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06686905
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard apparatus available for a surveillance system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of conventional keyboard apparatuses suitable for controlling and operating a surveillance system.
The conventional keyboard apparatuses of this type have so far been used for such a surveillance system available for watching unqualified people and other intruders intrude into a special room which does not permit people with any permission from entering. One typical example of the conventional keyboard apparatuses is shown in
FIG. 10
as being provided in combination with a prior-art surveillance system
700
which comprises a camera unit
710
, a display unit
730
for displaying an image taken by the camera unit
710
, and a control unit
740
for controlling the operation of the camera unit
710
in response to operation commands inputted therein.
Description will now be made on how the image taken by the camera unit
710
is displayed on the screen of the display unit
730
.
When the camera unit
710
is operated to take an image to be displayed on the screen of the display unit
730
, the camera unit
710
is firstly driven by the control unit
740
to transform the image into an image signal outputted to a signal transmitting cable
701
. The image signal thus outputted to the signal transmitting cable
701
is then transmitted to a system unit
720
before being inputted to the display unit
730
.
The image signal is then transformed into an image to be displayed on the screen of the display unit
730
.
In order to have the camera unit
710
operated by the operation commands of the control unit
740
to photograph an image, the control unit
740
is operated to receive the operation commands respectively indicative of the photographing directions, magnifications and the like inputted by an operator while he or she is watching the screen of the display unit
730
. The control unit
740
inputted with the operation commands is then operated to transform the operation commands into a command signal to be transmitted to a signal transmitting cable
703
. The command signal thus transmitted to the signal transmitting cable
703
is then inputted to the system unit
720
where the command signal is then transformed into a drive signal to drive the camera unit
710
to be outputted to the camera unit
710
by way of the signal transmitting cable
701
. The camera unit
710
thus received the drive signal from the system unit
720
is at this time operated to change the photographing directions, magnifications and the like into new ones.
As will be seen from the above, there has been described only one camera unit
710
provided in combination with the system unit
720
, the display unit
730
, the control unit
740
in the conventional surveillance system for the purpose of simplifying the description and assisting in understanding about the whole operation of the surveillance system.
In reality, such a conventional surveillance system
800
, however, is as shown in
FIG. 11
to comprise a plurality of camera units
810
, a system unit
820
, a plurality of display units
830
, and a plurality of control units
840
. The conventional surveillance system
800
thus constructed allows an operator to selectively operate those control units
840
to input to control units
840
operation commands indicative of selecting one or more camera units
810
and one or more display units
830
. This leads to the fact that the operator can select one or more control units
840
not only to have the image displayed on the screen of one or more display units
830
in accordance with the image taken by one or more selected camera units
810
but to operate the camera units
810
under the operation states optioned by the operator.
Here, as the control unit
840
forming part of the conventional surveillance system is used a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) type of keyboard apparatus which is hereinafter referred simply to “a keyboard apparatus”. The keyboard apparatus used heretofore is generally designed to have various command signals inputted therein in response to a wide variety of functions introduced thereinto in recent years other than the functions such as for example a command signal indicative of an operation command to drive a camera and other command signals indicative of operation commands to select and operate any desired camera and displaying units. In general, the keyboard apparatus comprises a plurality of keys including a SHIFT key, an ALT key and other function keys which are combined with other keys to be put in practical use to enable various kinds of operation command to be inputted therein.
Through the repeated use by the operators of the keyboard apparatus thus constructed, the operators have found it necessary that additional functions related to the command signals be assigned to additional new keys, respectively, while unnecessary keys be forced to be ineffective. Further, it has been found that there is a strong needs to dispose keys at respective desirable positions on the keyboard depending upon the operators' request for facilitating the operability of the keys frequently used, or in compliance with the needs by either right-handed or left-handed operator. To meet the operators' needs, there has been developed one of the prior-art keyboard apparatuses which comprises a display unit accommodated in each of the keys to display the respective letters of the keys changed in their positions by a desired software to ensure that the additional functions related to the command signals are assigned to additional new keys, respectively, unnecessary keys are forced to be ineffective, and the keys are disposed at respective desirable positions.
However, the conventional keyboard apparatus encounters such a problem that the conventional keyboard apparatus is complicated in structure and thus high in production cost, resulting from being required to have a display unit accommodated in each of the keys to display the respective letters of the keys changed in their positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard apparatus which facilitates to change the operability of the keys frequently used for right-handed and left-handed operators.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a keyboard apparatus which ensure that the additional functions related to the command signals are assigned to additional new keys, respectively, unnecessary keys are forced to be ineffective, and the keys are disposed at respective desirable positions.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard apparatus for controlling and operating at least one exterior appliance, comprising; a key retainer; a plurality of keys each operatively arranged on said key retainer to perform a key-pushed action and a key-released action, each of said keys being operative to input a signal indicative of the key-pushed action and including a key holder and a key top mounted on the key holder; key holder signal inputting means for inputting a key holder signal indicative of said key-pushed action of each of said keys when said key holder is operated and moved to perform said key-pushed action, said key code signal inputting means including a plurality of numerical keys; information recording means for recording specific relevant information between the key holder signal inputted by said key holder signal inputting means and said key code signal inputted by said key code signal inputting means; signal processing means for receiving and processing said key holder signal from said key holder signal inputting means and said key code signal from said key code signal inputting means, and said signal processing means being operative to selectively assume two different operation states consisting of a first operation state under which the specific relevant information is formed based
Saito Toshikazu
Suzuki Kazuya
Tanaka Yohei
Liang Regina
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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