1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer display method, an application program and a computer readable medium, in particular relates to a display method, an application program and a computer readable medium for displaying key function.
2. Description of Prior Art
The hardware functions of a computer are triggered by input device. The most frequent seen input device is a keyboard and a mouse. A user presses the input device to trigger an internal embedded controller (EC) in a computer. Then, the EC sends a signal to operating system (OS) of the computer, such as Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X OS. Consequently, the OS moves to control execution of corresponding hardware function. Yet, as computer hardware functions grow rapidly, input devices have limited corresponding modifications in design to meet such change. In the example of the keyboard mentioned above, an internal keyboard in a notebook or external keyboard for a desktop computer are designed with a standard configuration. Manufacturers may self-define additional keys; still the overall configuration follows the standard keyboard configuration. Accordingly, people skilled in the art are working to develop technologies such that a keyboard with limited quantity of keys is capable of delivering hardware functions updated and growing as the computer technology advances.
Using a key combination of the Fn key 121 and one of the plurality of function keys 13 for triggering executing specific hardware function is generally applied to computers in the current market. With such application, the keyboard 1 and 1′ are used for triggering hardware functions such as entering into standby mode or hibernation mode, adjusting brightness or volume, switching screen and performing On Screen Display (OSD) and power on/off a webcam etc. Accordingly, it is not required to constantly increase key quantity of the keyboard 1 and l′, which adds up the keyboard manufacturing cost.
As shown in
In order to resolve the above problems, a concept is proposed to use a computer screen for displaying corresponding functions of the function keys 13. For example, R.O.C. patent no. 1262442 discloses a Fn-key control system having menu function and a method for the same. The control method used in the utility patent is: a EC in the computer detects a first key (for example a Fn key) is triggered by pressing, the EC sends the triggered signal for launching an application program. The application program is launched and displays function reminding menu. Then, the EC detects a second key is pressed and determines the key type of the second key pressed (for example, a function key, a direction key or a mouse button) to execute the corresponding function defined to perform by pressing the second key, display assistant description menu and function set-up menu or terminate the application program.
In the utility patent, the application program is used for displaying the function reminding menu to allow a user to use direction key or a mouse button to select a corresponding item in the function reminding menu to further display the assistant description menu. Accordingly, the user is informed of hardware functions associated with each function key from the function reminding menu and is informed of related information of each hardware function from the assistant description menu.
However, a user can be informed of the corresponding hardware function of each the function key 13 from the function reminding menu of the above mentioned utility patent, the content of the function reminding menu is provided by the application program compiled. The determined corresponding items do not update as the computer hardware functions add/discard, or do not update automatically as the corresponding association between the hardware functions and respective the function keys 13 changes. When computer hardware functions change, the corresponding items provided by the function reminding menu then become incorrect. Thus, the above mentioned utility patent does not completely resolve the problem using function reminding patterns 131 as function reminders.
As discussed above, each computer provides various hardware functions. The hardware functions of the same computer vary once the user changes the function setup. It is general that manufacturers have to print various function reminding patterns 131 for alternative computer hardware setups. Consequently, the production cost is increased. In addition, a user is required to replace the keyboard with a keyboard with corresponding function reminding patterns 131 printed if the computer hardware function add or discard. Such that, hardware upgrade becomes more inconvenient and costly. For example, if a certain computer hardware function is discarded, the keyboard is not replaced accordingly. The user then is confused not knowing if the corresponding hardware function associated with the function key 13 with the function reminding pattern 131 printed on the keyboard works or not and further misuses the function keys 13.
The major objective of the present invention is to provide a display method for displaying computer key function, wherein corresponding function descriptions of each function key is displayed on screen upon special keys on a computer keyboard is pressed.
The another objective of the present invention is to provide an application program installed in a computer for enable the computer to execute a display method for displaying computer key function, wherein corresponding function descriptions of each function key is displayed on screen upon special keys on a computer keyboard is pressed.
The still another objective of the present invention is to provide a computer readable medium installed with an application program. When the computer readable medium is loaded to a computer and installs the application program in the computer. The computer is enabled to execute a display method for displaying computer key function, wherein corresponding function descriptions of each function key is displayed on screen upon special keys on a computer keyboard is pressed.
In order to achieve the above objectives, in the method according to the present invention, a user presses a special keys on a keyboard to trigger an internal embedded controller in the computer and the basic input output system of the computer detects hardware functions set up in the computer, whereby function descriptions of the hardware function provided by the computer are displayed on screen. The hardware functions and function descriptions correspond to each function key on the keyboard.
Compare to prior art, the advantages provided by the present invention are that users is informed of function descriptions of corresponding hardware functions of each function key on the keyboard directly from computer screen. Accordingly, it is not required to print different corresponding function reminding patterns on a computer keyboard of computers having different hardware function. Users are allowed to use one keyboard with computers having various hardware functions, such that hardware upgrade cost is reduced. Further, manufacturers are not required to print different function reminding patterns on different keyboard models, which lowers the production cost and simplified the production procedures.
The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes an exemplary embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In cooperation with attached drawings, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described thereinafter according to a preferable embodiment, being not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claims claimed by the present invention.
A computer readable medium of the present invention is saved with an application program. When the computer readable medium is loaded to a computer, the application program is enabled to install in the computer. Further, the application program executes the display method for displaying computer key function of the present invention. In addition to saving the application program of the present invention of the present invention in the computer readable medium the application program also can be transmitted by other means (such as Internet). When the application program is downloaded and installed to the computer, the application executes the display method for displaying computer key function of the present invention.
The computer 2 displays the function key 211 the screen 22 corresponding function descriptions according to hardware functions detected by the BIOS 24. In details, the computer 2 has a memory 26, wherein a plurality of function illustrating pictures 3 is saved in the memory 26. The computer 2 retrieves the function illustrating pictures 3 matching with hardware function and matching with corresponding relations between the hardware functions and each function key 211 from the memory 26 according to the result detected by the BIOS 24, and display the function illustrating pictures 3 on the screen 22.
The above mentioned special keys are a key combination of a Fn key 212 and one of the function keys 211 on the keyboard 21. In details, the means to trigger executing the method of the present invention can be the user pressing the Fn key 212 and a F5 key simultaneously, but is not limited to the embodiment.
Nonetheless, the above mentioned embodiment is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention; any new hardware function added to the computer 2 is supported by the present invention by adding or modifying the function illustrating picture 3. Further, when the corresponding relations between hardware functions and each function key 211 of the computer 2 are changed, the function illustrating picture 3 is added or modified accordingly, and is not limited to the embodiment.
Following step S74, the BIOS 24 receives the trigger message I1 (step S76), and the BIOS 24 detects hardware functions set up in the computer 2 according to the trigger message I1 (step S78). When the BIOS detects the hardware function set up in the computer 2, the computer 2 retrieves the internal memory 26 according to detect result (step S80) to access to the function illustrating picture 3 corresponding to the hardware functions in the memory 26 (step S82). Lastly, the retrieved function illustrating picture 3 is displayed on the screen 22 (step S84).
For example, if the BIOS detects a 3G function is added to the computer 2, and the 3G function correspond to the Esc key 213 in the function keys 211 in the step S78, the computer 2 retrieves the third function illustrating picture 33 from the memory 26 and displays the third function illustrating picture 33 on the screen 22.
Following step S84, the computer 2 determines if the display time of the function illustrating picture 3 excesses a predetermined time (step S86). If no, the flow returns to step S84, and continues to display the function illustrating picture 3. If the result determined in step S86 is yes, the display of the function illustrating picture 3 is terminated (step S88).
It should be noted that the purpose of the present invention is to remind users corresponding hardware functions of each function key 211. As a result, if users have memorized in mind or written down the corresponding hardware functions of each function key 211. It is not required to execute the display method of the present invention. Users can press a key combination of the Fn key 212 and one of function keys 211 for executing corresponding hardware function.
As the skilled person will appreciate, various changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments. It is intended to include all such variations, modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the invention, as defined in the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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099117604 | Jun 2010 | TW | national |