Method and apparatus for modification of pointing device functions in conjunction with dynamic sorting, displaying, listing, and activation

• US 20050010594A1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, 3Yen-Fu, Wang, Raymond Tang
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An Operation Modification Program is disclosed that alters the functions performed with a user input device in conjunction with a Drop Down Menu Program. The Drop Down Menu Program provides for the elimination of some manual steps required by a user when employing a user input device for operations involving activation, selection, sorting and scrolling. The Operation Modification Program provides for modification of pointer device functions to eliminate additional manual steps that would be required by a user with the Drop Down Menu Program. The user may configure the modifications or the user may operate using default settings. Five modifications are provided: pointer-over, pointer-over-with-highlighting, pointer-over-with-clicking, pointer-over-with highlighting-and-clicking, and pointer-movement. The five modifications provide for auto-detection, auto-determination, and auto-execution thereby eliminating one or more manual movements by a user. Each of the five modifications can be applied in the areas of activation, selection, scrolling and sorting.

Claims

1. A programmable apparatus for modifying a drop down menu program, comprising:

a configuration table having at least one pointer operation, the pointer operation having a plurality of selectable modes; and

a configuration processor for detecting changes in the configuration table and distributing the changes to the drop down menu program.

2. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration table has an activating operation.

3. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration table has a selecting operation.

4. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration table has a scrolling operation.

5. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration table has a sorting operation.

6. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration table has a recalling operation.

7. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over mode.

8. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-clicking mode.

9. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-movement mode.

10. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-highlighting mode.

11. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-highlighting-and-clicking mode.

12. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a configuration editor.

13. The programmable apparatus of claim 12 wherein the configuration editor is a graphical configuration editor.

14. The programmable apparatus of claim 13 wherein the configuration editor has at least one operation control panel, the operation control panel having a plurality of selectable mode indicators.

15. The programmable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the operation control panel is an activating control panel.

16. The programmable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the operation control panel is a selecting control panel.

17. The programmable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the operation control panel is a scrolling control panel.

18. The programmable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the operation control panel is a sorting control panel.

19. The programmable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the operation control panel is a recalling control panel.

20. A program product operable on a computer, the program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium;

a drop down menu program stored in the computer-usable medium;

a configuration table stored in the computer-usable medium, the configuration table having at least one pointer operation, the pointer operation having a plurality of selectable modes; and

a configuration processor stored in the computer-usable medium, wherein the computer-usable medium, so configured by the configuration processor, causes the computer to detect changes in the configuration table and distribute the changes to the drop down menu program.

21. The program product of claim 20 wherein the configuration table has an activating operation.

22. The program product of claim 20 wherein the configuration table has a selecting operation.

23. The program product of claim 20 wherein the configuration table has a scrolling operation.

24. The program product of claim 20 wherein the configuration table has a sorting operation.

25. The program product of claim 20 wherein the configuration table has a recalling operation.

26. The program product of claim 20 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over mode.

27. The program product of claim 20 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-clicking mode.

28. The program product of claim 20 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-movement mode.

29. The program product of claim 20 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-highlighting mode.

30. The program product of claim 20 wherein a selectable mode is a pointer-over-with-highlighting-and-clicking mode.

31. The program product of claim 20 further comprising a configuration editor stored in the computer-usable medium.

32. The program product of claim 31 wherein the configuration editor is a graphical configuration editor.

33. The program product of claim 32 wherein the configuration editor has at least one operation control panel, the operation control panel having a plurality of selectable mode indicators.

34. The program product of claim 33 wherein the operation control panel is an activating control panel.

35. The program product of claim 33 wherein the operation control panel is a selecting control panel.

36. The program product of claim 33 wherein the operation control panel is a scrolling control panel.

37. The program product of claim 33 wherein the operation control panel is a sorting control panel.

38. The program product of claim 33 wherein the operation control panel is a recalling control panel.

39. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over mode and responsive to moving a pointer over an up arrow image, sorting the menu items in ascending order.

40. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over mode and responsive to moving a pointer over a down arrow image, sorting the menu items in descending order.

41. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over-with-clicking mode and responsive to moving a pointer over an up arrow image while pressing a user input device button, sorting the menu items in ascending order.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the user input device button is a mouse button.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the user input device button is a trackball button.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the user input device button is a keyboard key.

45. The method of claim 41 further comprising:

responsive to releasing the user input device button, sorting the menu items in original order.

46. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over-with-clicking mode and responsive to moving a pointer over a down arrow image while pressing a user input device button, sorting the menu items in descending order.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the user input device button is a mouse button.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the user input device button is a trackball button.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the user input device button is a keyboard key.

50. The method of claim 46 further comprising:

responsive to releasing the user input device button, sorting the menu items in original order.

51. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over mode and responsive to moving a pointer over an upper boundary of the drop down menu, sorting the menu items in ascending order.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

responsive to moving the pointer over the upper boundary a second time, sorting the menu items in original order.

53. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over mode and responsive to moving a pointer over a bottom boundary of the drop down menu, sorting the menu items in descending order.

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising:

responsive to moving the pointer over the bottom boundary a second time, sorting the menu items in original order.

55. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over-with-clicking mode and responsive to moving a pointer over an upper boundary of the drop down menu while pressing a user input device button, sorting the menu items in ascending order.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the user input device button is a mouse button.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the user input device button is a trackball button.

58. The method of claim 55 wherein the user input device button is a keyboard key.

59. The method of claim 55 further comprising:

responsive to releasing the user input device button, sorting the menu items in original order.

60. A method of editing menu items in a drop down menu displayed by a computer comprising:

responsive to a configuration table having a sorting operation set to a pointer-over-with-clicking mode and responsive to moving a pointer over a bottom boundary of the drop down menu while pressing a user input device button, sorting the menu items in descending order.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the user input device button is a mouse button.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the user input device button is a trackball button.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein the user input device button is a keyboard key.

64. The method of claim 60 further comprising:

responsive to releasing the user input device, sorting the menu items in original order.