Simple Example of Using Keyboard Events from Javascript to Actionscript, so you can hijack Browser Keyboard Handlers

Flex Keyboard Handler

var FlexKeyboardHandler = FlexKeyboardHandler || {}

FlexKeyboardHandler.setup = function ()
{
	window.addEventListener("keypress", FlexKeyboardHandler.keydownHandler, true);
	window.addEventListener("keydown", FlexKeyboardHandler.keydownHandler, true);
	getFlexApplication("MyApp").addEventListener("keypress", FlexKeyboardHandler.keydownHandler, true);
	getFlexApplication("MyApp").addEventListener("keypress", FlexKeyboardHandler.keydownHandler, false);
	window.focus();
};

var hotKey = null;
FlexKeyboardHandler.keydownHandler = function(event)
{
	// without focus, the javascript will recieve special keys
	// however, without focus, it won't recieve anything else
	// as a workaround, set the focus when the first special key is pressed
	window.focus();
	var evtobj = window.event ? event : e;
	var hotKeyPressed = (evtobj.altKey || evtobj.ctrlKey || evtobj.shiftKey);
	// first capture the special key
	if (!hotKey && hotKeyPressed)
	{
		hotKey = evtobj.keyCode;
		return;
	}
	// if it's pressed, then check for the letter
	if (hotKeyPressed && event.keyCode != hotKey)
	{
		// in this hotKeyHandler function, it's a good idea to restore
		// the flex application's focus to what it originally was
		// before we called window.focus();
		getFlexApplication("MyApp").hotKeyHandler(hotKey, event.keyCode);
	}
	hotKey = null;
};

function getFlexApplication(appName)
{
	if (navigator.appName.indexOf ("Microsoft") !=-1)
		return window[appName];
	else
		return document[appName];
}
	
window.addEventListener("load", FlexKeyboardHandler.setup, false);

gistfile2.txt

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application 
	xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
	xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
	xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
	viewSourceURL="srcview/index.html"
	creationComplete="creationCompleteHandler()">
	
	<fx:Script>
		<![CDATA[
			
			protected function creationCompleteHandler():void
			{
		        if (ExternalInterface.available)
		        {
					ExternalInterface.addCallback("hotKeyHandler", hotKeyHandler);
					ExternalInterface.addCallback("traceKey", traceKey);
				}
			}
	        
			protected function hotKeyHandler(specialKey:int, letterKey:int):void
			{
				trace(specialKey, letterKey);
			}
			
			protected function traceKey(hotKeyPressed:Boolean):void
			{
				trace(hotKeyPressed);
			}
		]]>
	</fx:Script>
	
	<s:Group width="100%" height="100%">
		<s:Rect width="100%" height="100%">
			<s:fill>
				<mx:SolidColor color="0xaaaaaa" alpha=".5"/>
			</s:fill>
		</s:Rect>
	</s:Group>
</s:Application>