Electronic keyboard template

An electronic keyboard template for software applications programs, said programs being responsive to command signals transmitted by designated keys on a computer keyboard, the template comprising:

• a display screen for displaying icons representative of operations performed in response to command signals from said designated keys;
• driving circuitry for generating the display of said icons on said screen in response to control signals;
• and
• control circuitry for generating said control signals which control the display of said icons on said display screen, said control circuitry comprising a microprocessor and a Random-Access-Memory and a digital Look-Up-Table.

An electronic keyboard template for use with software applications programs, said programs being responsive to command signals transmitted by designated keys on a computer keyboard, said template comprising:

• a display screen for displaying icons representative of operations performed in response to command signals from said designated keys;
• driving circuitry for generating the display of said icons on said screen in response to control signals;
• and
• program circuitry for defining a user designated set of said icons.

An electronic keyboard template for use with software applications programs, said programs being responsive to command signals transmitted by designated function keys on a computer keyboard, said template comprising:

• an LCD display screen for displaying icons representative of operations performed by said function keys, said LCD screen having pixel locations designated within a grid system on said display screen;
• control circuitry for generating control signals which control the display of said icons on said display screen, said control circuitry comprising a microprocessor, a Random-Access-Memory and a digital Look-Up-Table wherein said Look-Up-Table stores digital values representative of said icons to be displayed on said screen;
• and
• driving circuitry for generating the display of said icons on said screen in response to said control signals, said driving circuitry comprising a matrix driver, a refresh sequencer, and a plurality of shift registers for energizing said pixel locations of said display screen.

An electronic keyboard template for use with software applications programs in a computer system comprising a primary display screen, said programs being responsive to command signals transmitted by designated function keys on a computer keyboard, said software programs being operated within a host computer, said template comprising:

• a template display screen separate from said primary display screen and positioned proximate to and aligned with said designated keys, said template display screen displaying icons representative of operations performed in response to command signals form said designated keys;
• interceptor circuitry for receiving signals transmitted from said host computer and generating an activation signal in response thereto;
• and
• enable circuitry for enabling said template in response to a first mode of said activation signal, and disabling said template in response to a second mode of said activation signal.

An electronic keyboard template for use with software applications programs, said programs being responsive to command signals transmitted by designated function keys on a computer keyboard, said software programs being operated within a host computer, said template comprising:

• interceptor circuitry for receiving signals transmitted from said host computer and generating an activation signal in response thereto;
• enable circuitry for enabling said template in response to a first mode of said activation signal, and disabling said template in response to a second mode of said activation signal;
• and
• repeater circuitry for repeating signals received from said keyboard and said host when said template is disabled.