Patent attributes
A new-type user interface for providing a hotkey is disclosed, which has high operability and which can also be used to provide the hotkey in a conventional manner. In information processing apparatus has a hierarchical structure including a keyboard as one of hardware parts in a bottom layer, a built-in controller as one of hardware parts in a layer higher than the keyboard, and an operating system and an application program as software part in a layer higher than the built-in controller, wherein the operating system and the application program are connected to the built-in controller via a bus. In this information processing apparatus, if an Fn key is pressed and released, information indicating that the Fn key has been pressed and released is supplied to a utility via an SPIC which is logically different from the keyboard controller. In response, a launcher including hotkey menu icons corresponding to additional keys is displayed on a display.
