Method and device for managing a key matrix, corresponding computer program product and storage device

1. A method for management, by a device, of a matrix of keys comprising at least one row and at least two columns, each key making it possible, when it is pressed, to short-circuit a row and a column of said matrix, the method comprising at least one iteration of a scan phase comprising the following steps performed by the device for each of the rows processed successively:

writing a predetermined logic value to the row; and

for each column, reading a logic value on the column and determining whether the column is short-circuited with the row, by comparison between the logic value read and the predetermined logic value,

wherein, for each of the rows processed successively:

the step of writing the predetermined logic value to the row is performed during a predetermined time slot;

during said predetermined time slot, for each of said columns:

the step of reading a logic value on the column is performed during a first part of said predetermined time slot; and

the scan phase comprises an additional step of writing the predetermined logic value to the column during a second part of said predetermined time slot, the duration of said predetermined time slot being equal to the sum of the durations of the first and second parts.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, for each column, the order of steps of reading and writing during the predetermined time slot is selected randomly.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein, in each predetermined time slot, the duration of the second part of the predetermined time slot is identical for all the columns.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix of keys comprises a plurality of rows and, at each iteration of the scan phase, the order of successive processing of the rows is random.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix of keys comprises a plurality of rows and, wherein, during a given iteration of the scan phase, at least one parameter varies randomly from one row to the other, said at least one parameter belonging to the group consisting of:

the duration of the predetermined time slot;

the duration of the first part of the predetermined time slot; and

the duration of the second part of the predetermined time slot.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, at least one iteration of the scan phase, which follows an iteration during which at least one short-circuit has been determined between a given column and a given row, comprises the following steps:

for each of the successively processed rows, other than a given row that is short-circuited with a given column:

for each column, writing the predetermined logic value to the column throughout the duration of the time slot;

for each given row short-circuited with a given column:

for each column other than the given column, writing the predetermined logic value to the column throughout the duration of the time slot; and

for the given column, reading a logic value during the first part of the time slot in order to detect a continuing or a stopping of said short-circuit between the given column and the given row, and writing the predetermined logic value during the second part of the time slot.

7. A computer readable and non-transient storage medium storing a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer or a processor to implement a method for managing, by a device, a matrix of keys comprising at least one row and at least two columns, each key making it possible, when it is pressed, to short-circuit a row and a column of said matrix, the method comprising at least one iteration of a scan phase comprising the following steps performed by the device for each of the rows processed successively:

writing a predetermined logic value to the row; and

for each column, reading a logic value on the column and determining whether the column is short-circuited with the row, by comparison between the logic value read and the predetermined logic value,

wherein, for each of the rows processed successively:

the step of writing the predetermined logic value to the row is performed during a predetermined time slot;

during said predetermined time slot, for each of said columns:

the step of reading a logic value on the column is performed during a first part of said predetermined time slot; and

the scan phase comprises an additional step of writing the predetermined logic value to the column during a second part of said predetermined time slot, the duration of said predetermined time slot being equal to the sum of the durations of the first and second parts.

8. A device for managing a matrix of keys comprising at least one row and at least two columns, each key making it possible, when it is pressed, to short-circuit a row and a column of said matrix, the device comprising:

means for scanning, which carries out at least one iteration of a scan phase, the means for scanning comprising the following means, activated for each of the rows processed successively:

means for writing a predetermined logic value to the row; and

means for reading a logic value on each column to determine whether the column is shorted-circuited with the row, by comparison between the logic value read and the predetermined logic value,

wherein the means for scanning comprise additional means for writing, and wherein, for each of the rows processed successively:

the means for writing the predetermined logic value to the row are activated during a predetermined time slot;

during said predetermined time slot, for each of said columns:

the means for reading the logic value on the column are activated during a first part of said predetermined time slot;

the additional means for writing are activated during a second part of said predetermined time slot to write the predetermined logic value to the column, the duration of the predetermined time slot being equal to the sum of durations of the first and second parts.