Patent ID: 7264473

Claim:
A method for automatically enabling one function of a plurality of functions associated with a key of a peripheral device, in response to one of a plurality of different faceplates being coupled to the peripheral device, said peripheral device including a plurality of additional keys, comprising: (a) enabling a user to couple a selected faceplate from among the plurality of different faceplates to the peripheral device; (b) automatically detecting the selected faceplate that has been coupled to the peripheral device from among the plurality of different faceplates; and (c) associating the one function with the key, so that said one function is performed in response to actuation of the key, a different function being associated with the key of the peripheral device for each different faceplate detected, so that a functional behavior associated with the key of the peripheral device is dependent upon the faceplate that is coupled to the peripheral device by the user, but functions performed by the plurality of additional keys are unaffected by the faceplate that is coupled to the peripheral device by the user, wherein associating the one function with the key comprises the following: accessing a function identifier for the one function to be associated with the key for the selected faceplate that has been automatically detected as being coupled to the peripheral device; and assigning the function identifier to a key code for the key of the peripheral device, so that when the key is actuated, the key code is transmitted and detected, invoking the one function associated with the key.