Patent ID: 8760321

Claim:
A method for detecting and processing key scan codes of a computer keyboard electrically connected to a computer device comprising a central processing unit, a basic input/output system, a north bridge, a south bridge, the computer device being operated with an operating system, a keyboard controller being connected to the central processing unit through the south bridge and the north bridge, the keyboard controller comprising a data register and connected to a keyboard basic input/output system and a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the method comprising the following steps: (a) establishing and storing at least one scan code table in an external scan code table memory that is accessible by the keyboard controller via a bus, each scan code table containing a plurality of sets of correlated data of keys and corresponding scan codes; (b) the keyboard controller, after being initialized, loading one scan code table from the external scan code table memory into a scan code table load-in area of the keyboard controller; (c) the keyboard controller, upon detecting actuation of one of the keys of the keyboard, retrieving a corresponding scan code from the loaded scan code table and generating an interrupt request signal to the south bridge; and (d) the south bridge issuing a command signal to the keyboard to retrieve the corresponding scan code from the data register of the keyboard controller; wherein a plurality of scan code tables are provided in the external scan code table memory, and a selection signal is applied between the keyboard controller whereby the keyboard controller selects and retrieves a selected scan code table among a plurality of scan code tables for loading in the scan code table load-in area.