(19)
(11) EP 0 396 963 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
29.04.1992 Bulletin 1992/18

(43) Date of publication A2:
14.11.1990 Bulletin 1990/46

(21) Application number: 90107849.3

(22) Date of filing: 25.04.1990
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: H01H 13/70
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 08.05.1989 US 348826

(71) Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Company
Palo Alto, California 94304 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Finkle, Thomas W.
    Santa Rosa, California 95401 (US)
  • Swanson, Ralph M.
    Sebastopol, California 95472 (US)

(74) Representative: Schoppe, Fritz, Dipl.-Ing. 
Patentanwalt, Georg-Kalb-Strasse 9
D-82049 Pullach
D-82049 Pullach (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Interchangeable coded key pad assemblies alternately attachable to a user definable keyboard to enable programmable keyboard functions


    (57) Coded interchangeable key pad assemblies alternately installed on a keyboard so that one of a variety of programmable sets of keyboard functions is enabled for selection by user actuation of the keys. Each key pad assembly has a durable construction and is securely attachable to the remainder of the keyboard. Each key pad assembly is installed on the remainder of the keyboard and interacts with the system with which the keyboard interacts, preferably a programmable system, to provide a custom key panel for the user so that key functions can be tailored to a desired selection of operations available to the user upon actuation of the keys.







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