Customizing input device operation

• US 10,152,143 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Masser, Joel L., Reed, David C., Smith, Max D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US14/674,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An apparatus, method, system, and program product are disclosed for customizing input device operation. In one example, an apparatus includes an interface module that receives an input click pattern from an input device. The apparatus also includes a comparison module that compares the input click pattern to a user defined click pattern. The apparatus includes an execution module that performs a user defined action corresponding to the user defined click pattern in response to the input click pattern matching the user defined click pattern.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface module internal to the apparatus that receives an input click pattern from an input device external to the apparatus, wherein the input device comprises a mouse;

a comparison module internal to the apparatus that compares the input click pattern to a user defined click pattern; and

an execution module internal to the apparatus that performs a user defined action corresponding to the user defined click pattern in response to the input click pattern matching the user defined click pattern, wherein the user defined click pattern and the user defined action are defined by a user of the apparatus, the user defined action is not part of a pool of preexisting actions, and the user defined action is an action performed on an application of the apparatus;

wherein at least a portion of the input module, the comparison module, and the execution module comprise one or more of hardware and program instructions, the program instructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a configuration module that receives a selection of the user defined action, wherein the selection of the user defined action is selected from a plurality of user defined actions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user defined click pattern comprises one or more of a predetermined number of clicks, a predetermined time between clicks, a predetermined input function used for each click, and a predetermined length of each click.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a graphics module that identifies a cursor position corresponding to the input device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a profile module that receives a selection of a profile corresponding to the input device, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of user defined click patterns and a corresponding user defined action for each user defined click pattern of the plurality of user defined click patterns.

6. A method for customizing input device operation, comprising:

receiving, by an apparatus, an input click pattern from an input device external to the apparatus, wherein the input device comprises a mouse;

comparing, by the apparatus, the input click pattern to a user defined click pattern; and

performing, by the apparatus, a user defined action corresponding to the user defined click pattern in response to the input click pattern matching the user defined click pattern, wherein the user defined click pattern and the user defined action are defined by a user of the apparatus, the user defined action is not part of a pool of preexisting actions, and the user defined action is an action performed on an application of the apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a selection of the user defined action, wherein the selection of the user defined action is selected from a plurality of user defined actions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the input click pattern from the input device comprises receiving the input click pattern from the mouse.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the input click pattern to the user defined click pattern comprises comparing the input click pattern to one or more of a predetermined number of clicks, a predetermined time between clicks, a predetermined input function used for each click, and a predetermined length of each click.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the user defined action comprises one or more of saving a file, renaming a file, resizing an object, selecting an object, selecting a menu option, executing a macro, performing a series of functions, and navigating an application.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying a cursor position corresponding to the input device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing the cursor position to a position of a graphical feature of an application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing a cursor graphic in response to the cursor position being proximate to the position of the graphical feature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein changing the cursor graphic in response to the cursor position further comprises changing the cursor graphic in response to the cursor position being proximate to one or more of text, an image, a link, a link to a page within a website, and a link to a page not within the website.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing the graphical feature in response to the cursor position being proximate to the position of the graphical feature.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein changing the graphical feature comprises one or more of changing a color of the graphical feature, underlining the graphical feature, and changing a size of the graphical feature.

17. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a selection of a profile corresponding to the input device, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of user defined click patterns and a corresponding user defined action for each user defined click pattern of the plurality of user defined click patterns.

18. A computer program product for customizing input device operation, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive, by an apparatus, an input click pattern from an input device external to the apparatus, wherein the input device comprises a mouse;

compare, by the apparatus, the input click pattern to a user defined click pattern; and

perform, by the apparatus, a user defined action corresponding to the user defined click pattern in response to the input click pattern matching the user defined click pattern, wherein the user defined click pattern and the user defined action are defined by a user of the apparatus, the user defined action is not part of a pool of preexisting actions, and the user defined action is an action performed on an application of the apparatus.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions cause the processor to receive a selection of the user defined action, wherein the selection of the user defined action is selected from a plurality of user defined actions.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the user defined click pattern comprises one or more of a predetermined number of clicks, a predetermined time between clicks, a predetermined input function used for each click, and a predetermined length of each click.