1. A retractable key storage apparatus comprising:
one or more outer cover plates, each of said outer cover plates having a plurality of openings therethrough, and each of said outer cover plates having pivot guides comprised of curved grooves;
each of said pivot guides further comprising first and second lock orifices, each of such orifices located at opposite ends of said curved grooves;
one or more middle plates, each anchoring a plurality of spring-loaded key release button mechanisms adapted for mounting internally stored keys;
a plurality of keys fixedly mounted on said plurality of spring-loaded key release button mechanisms;
one or more key plates which facilitate the mounting of said keys in the apparatus and provide mounting support for said spring-loaded key release button mechanisms;
each of said plurality of spring-loaded key release button mechanisms comprising a tubular retaining pin element having an open end and a closed end, an internal helical spring, and an \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin protruding therefrom;
wherein said closed end of said tubular retaining pin element protrudes through said opening on said outer cover plate to provide a button;
wherein said helical spring linearly biases said tubular retaining pin element towards said opening on said outer cover plate;
wherein said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin engages inside said curved grove of said pivot guide and is adapted to reciprocally travel along said curved grove between said first and second lock orifices;
wherein said helical spring rotationally biases said tubular retaining pin element towards said first lock orifice and opposite said second lock orifice;
wherein each of said spring-loaded key release button mechanisms is in a stowed position when said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin is engaged in said first lock orifice and in an open position when said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin is engaged in said second lock orifice;
wherein each of said plurality of spring-loaded key release button mechanisms transitions from a stowed position to an open position when said closed end of said tubular retaining element is depressed, said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin disengages said first lock orifice, and said helical spring urges said spring-loaded, key release button mechanism to pivot until said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin engages said second lock orifice; and
wherein each of said plurality of spring-loaded key release button mechanisms transitions from an open position to a stowed position when said closed end of said tubular retaining element is depressed, said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin disengages said second lock orifice, and said key mounted on said spring-loaded key release button mechanism is manually urged to pivot until said \u201cL\u201d shaped guide pin engages said second lock orifice.
2. The retractable key storage apparatus according to claim 1, further including a LED or incandescent bulb flashlight, that operates through a separate button accessed from said one or more outer cover plates.
3. The retractable key storage apparatus according to claim 1, further including an adaptor that enables the installation of standard keys on the apparatus.
4. The retractable key storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the adaptor includes an adaptor clamp into which a standard key is placed and a standard key ring hole that is aligned with an adaptor hole; wherein the aligned standard key ring hole and the adaptor hole are slid onto said key release button mechanism and onto said \u201cL\u201d shape guide pin, then a nut cap is securely placed on top of the key release button, whereby the nut cap becomes the portion of said spring-loaded key release button mechanism that protrudes through said opening on said outer cover plate to provide a button.
5. The retractable key storage apparatus according to claim 1, which further includes storage and deployment of accessories selected from the group consisting of: USB drives, files, screwdrivers, scissors and openers.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim as our invention:
1. An input method comprising the steps of:
reporting to an application an emulated latch state in response to continuous ON operation of a pointing device beyond a predetermined period, said emulated latch state emulating the ON state for the application even when the OFF operation of the pointing device has taken place; and
providing humanly perceivable indicia that said emulated latch state exists.
2. The input method according to claim 1, wherein operation of the pointing device is measured by starting a timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the ON state and by stopping the timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the OFF state.
3. The input method according to claim 1, wherein said humanly perceivable indicia is a sound.
4. The in put method using a pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said humanly perceivable indicia is visible.
5. The input method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
detecting, while the operation of the pointing device is in said emulated latch state, that the operation of the pointing device has again transitioned to the ON state; and
terminating, based on said detection, said emulated latch state.
6. A computer system comprising;
a pointing device port which accepts ONOFF signals provided by a pointing device, the ONOFF signals being indicative of pointing device ONOFF operation; and
a pointing device latch state recognition routine which monitors said port for the state of the ONOFF signals and reports signal state information to any application requesting such state information;
said recognition routine being effective to:
report to the application an emulated latch state in response to a continuous ON signal over a predetermined time period, said emulated latch state emulating an ON state for the application even when any OFF signal has taken place; and
provide humanly perceivable indicia that said emulated latch state exists.
7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein said continuous ON signal is measured by starting a timer upon transition to said ON state and by stopping the timer upon detection of any OFF signal.
8. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein said humanly perceivable indicia is a sound.
9. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein said humanly perceivable indicia is visible.
10. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein said recognition routine is further effective to:
detect, while in said emulated latch state, that a subsequent ON signal has again transitioned to the ON state; and
terminate, based on said detection, said emulated latch state.