Signals are transmitted using light or the like in a cordless manner between a keyboard and a controller related thereto. The keyboard transmits a signal that indicates a keycode corresponding to a key to the controller in a cordless manner, and the controller sends the keycode signal back to the keyboard. The keyboard compares the transmitted keycode with the received keycode to check whether the keycode signal is correctly transmitted to the controller. When the communication is to be carried out between a plurality of keyboards and the related controllers, a device code specific to the keyboard is attached to the keycode such that the individual keyboards can be identified.