Method and system for mouse pointer to automatically follow cursor

• US 10,073,586 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced New Technologies Company Limited (Ant Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Rayeez
• Application Number:
  US14/936,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20160139767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a method for controlling a mouse pointer to automatically follow a cursor. During operation, the system detects whether the cursor is in a currently active window displayed on a screen of a computing device. In response to detecting that the cursor is in the currently active window, the system obtains coordinates of the cursor. The system then calculates follow coordinates according to the coordinates of the cursor and a predetermined distance value. The system subsequently sets coordinates of the mouse pointer to the follow coordinates.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a mouse pointer to automatically follow a cursor, comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, whether the cursor is in a currently active window displayed on a screen of the computing device; and

in response to detecting that the cursor is in the currently active window, entering a state in which the mouse pointer automatically follows the cursor, by;

obtaining coordinates of the cursor;

calculating follow coordinates based on the coordinates of the cursor and a predetermined distance, by;

determining an angle formed between a y-axis coordinate of the cursor and a hypothetical line connecting the cursor with a position of a mouse pointer, wherein a mouse pointer device controls the position of the mouse pointer, and wherein calculating the follow coordinates is further based on the angle;

setting coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the follow coordinates; and

in response to detecting any movement of the cursor;

 

intercepting signals from the mouse pointer device;

 

calculating updated follow coordinates based on current coordinates of the cursor and the predetermined distance; and

 

updating the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the updated follow coordinates,

 

which causes the mouse pointer to be displayed on the screen of the computing device at the updated follow coordinates, and further causes the computing device to display on the screen and maintain the predetermined distance between the cursor and the mouse pointer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a width of a character in an editing region where the cursor is located when the cursor is in the currently active window; and

setting the predetermined distance to be the width of the character.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a circle that is centered on the coordinates of the cursor, and

setting the follow coordinates to be a point on the circle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to detecting any movement of the cursor, the method further comprises:

continually updating coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to follow the cursor at a distance equal to the predetermined distance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a configuration option to allow the user to enable the mouse pointer to follow the cursor; and

receiving user input to enable the configuration option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the mouse pointer to the left of the cursor until receiving user input to stop following the cursor.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the cursor is no longer in the currently active window, exiting the state in which the mouse pointer automatically follows the cursor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein exiting the state in which the mouse pointer automatically follows the cursor is further in response to detecting an action by a user of the computing device to regain control of the intercepted signals.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the action of the user includes one or more of:

pressing a first predetermined combination of keys on a keypad associated with the computing device;

moving the mouse pointer device in a first predetermined pattern;

inputting a predetermined combination of pressing a second predetermined combination of keys on the keypad and moving the mouse pointer device in a second predetermined pattern; and

tracing a predetermined pattern on a touch panel associated with the computing device.

7. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors storing instructions stored that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a method for controlling a mouse pointer to automatically follow a cursor, comprising;

detecting, by the computing system, whether the cursor is in a currently active window displayed on a screen of the computing system; and

in response to detecting that the cursor is in the currently active window, entering a state in which the mouse pointer automatically follows the cursor, by;

obtaining coordinates of the cursor;

calculating follow coordinates based on the coordinates of the cursor and a predetermined distance, by;

determining an angle formed between a y-axis coordinate of the cursor and a hypothetical line connecting the cursor with a position of a mouse pointer, wherein a mouse pointer device controls the position of the mouse pointer, and wherein calculating the follow coordinates is further based on the angle;

setting coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the follow coordinates; and

in response to detecting any movement of the cursor;

intercepting signals from the mouse pointer device;

calculating updated follow coordinates based on current coordinates of the cursor and the predetermined distance; and

updating the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the updated follow coordinates,

which causes the mouse pointer to be displayed on the screen of the computing device at the updated follow coordinates, and further causes the computing device to display on the screen and maintain the predetermined distance between the cursor and the mouse pointer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a width of a character in an editing region where the cursor is located when the cursor is in the currently active window; and

setting the predetermined distance to be the width of the character.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a circle that is centered on the coordinates of the cursor, and

setting the follow coordinates to be a point on the circle.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein in response to detecting any movement of the cursor, the method further comprises:

continually updating coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to follow the cursor at a distance equal to the predetermined distance.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a configuration option to allow the user to enable the mouse pointer to follow the cursor; and

receiving user input to enable the configuration option.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the mouse pointer to the left of the cursor until receiving user input to stop following the cursor.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for controlling a mouse pointer to automatically follow a cursor, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computer, whether the cursor is in a currently active window displayed on a screen of the computer; and

in response to detecting that the cursor is in the currently active window, entering a state in which the mouse pointer automatically follows the cursor, by;

obtaining coordinates of the cursor;

calculating follow coordinates based on the coordinates of the cursor and a predetermined distance, by;

determining an angle formed between a y-axis coordinate of the cursor and a hypothetical line connecting the cursor with a position of a mouse pointer, wherein a mouse pointer device controls the position of the mouse pointer, and wherein calculating the follow coordinates is further based on the angle;

setting coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the follow coordinates; and

in response to detecting any movement of the cursor;

intercepting signals from the mouse pointer device;

calculating updated follow coordinates based on current coordinates of the cursor and the predetermined distance; and

updating the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the updated follow coordinates,

which causes the mouse pointer to be displayed on the screen of the computing device at the updated follow coordinates, and further causes the computing device to display on the screen and maintain the predetermined distance between the cursor and the mouse pointer.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a width of a character in an editing region where the cursor is located when the cursor is in the currently active window; and

setting the predetermined distance to be the width of the character.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein calculating the follow coordinates further comprises:

determining a circle that is centered on the coordinates of the cursor, and

setting the follow coordinates to be a point on the circle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein in response to detecting any movement of the cursor, the method further comprises:

continually updating coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to follow the cursor at a distance equal to the predetermined distance.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a configuration option to allow the user to enable the mouse pointer to follow the cursor; and

receiving user input to enable the configuration option.

18. A method of controlling a mouse pointer displayed on a screen of a device, comprising:

detecting the cursor in a currently active window displayed on the screen of the device;

obtaining coordinates of the cursor; and

resetting coordinates for a position of the mouse pointer to a predetermined position in the currently active window, by;

determining an angle formed between a y-axis coordinate of the cursor and a hypothetical line connecting the cursor with a position of a mouse pointer, wherein a mouse pointer device controls the position of the mouse pointer, and wherein the predetermined position is based on the angle; and

in response to detecting any movement of the cursor;

intercepting signals from the mouse pointer device;

calculating updated follow coordinates based on current coordinates of the cursor and the predetermined position; and

updating the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to the updated follow coordinates,

which causes the mouse pointer to be displayed on the screen of the device at the updated follow coordinates, and further causes the device to display on the screen and maintain the predetermined distance between the cursor and the mouse pointer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined position has coordinates.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein resetting the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer includes setting the coordinates for the position of the mouse pointer to follow the coordinates of the cursor.