locked screen work around

[epanicbutton]

request:  information and ideas about how to activate a program while Windows Locked Screen is in effect.

I have a software program that send emergency messages.  My clients request that it work while the locked screen is active (without first entering their password). 

While we can activate the program with a hotkey stroke, the lockscreen blocks that input.

we do have a USB foot pedal that is a keyboard emulator but again, the lockscreen, blocks that too.

We may be able to run the program "as a service" and then activate it through a HID devise plugged into the serial port.

Question:
Is there a small, hardy, discreet, serial port hardware device that might work? 
I understand that there are usb adaptors for serial devices too as many of our client will only have usb ports.

we have found those large transcription foot pedal things but I think that they are too large.

I have looked at jellybean switches
http://www.bltt.org/hardware/switches/jellybean.htm

and they can then be plugged into a serial switch interface device
http://www.bltt.org/hardware/switchinterfaces.htm

but not sure if this would work.

Any support or ideas would be much appreciated.

Second question:
anyone programmers experience with getting around windows locked screen to activate their programs?

thank you.

feel free to email me at epanicbutton@zoho.com too.

[Jan Axelson]

Can your PC application read COM-port data and send messages while the screen is locked? If so, you can use a device (which can be a USB virtual-COM-port device) that connects to a switch and sends a message via the COM port on a switch press. The PC will need to be running an application that watches for the messages on the COM port and takes action. You'll need a custom-programmed device to do this.

In other words: switch > device that reads switch and sends messages via USB virtual COM port > application that reads COM port data and sends message.

Jan

[Guido Koerber]

Possibly a generic HID would do the job too.