Pointer control system

• US 20050083300A1
• Filed: 10/20/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Castle, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US10/690,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083300A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

Systems for controlling the motion of a pointer on a display. These systems may involve, among other aspects, (1) providing a reference object on the display; (2) defining an orientation indicated by the reference object; (3) changing the orientation indicated by the reference object; (4) moving the pointer in response to a start movement signal, in a direction correlated with the orientation indicated by the reference object.

Claims

1. A method of using a pointer on a display, comprising:

providing a reference object on the display;

defining an orientation indicated by the reference object;

changing the orientation indicated by the reference object; and

moving the pointer in response to a start movement signal, in a direction correlated with the orientation indicated by the reference object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the pointer in response to the start movement signal includes moving the pointer based on the orientation of the reference object at a time that the start movement signal is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the start movement signal includes at least one sound received at a microphone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the start movement signal includes at least one keystroke received at a keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the start movement signal includes at least one touch received at a touch pad.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the pointer in response to a stop movement signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stop movement signal includes at least one sound received at a microphone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stop movement signal includes at least one keystroke received at a keyboard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the stop movement signal includes at least one touch received at a touch pad.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one pointer function in response to at least one function signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one function signal includes a sound received at a microphone.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one function signal includes a keystroke received at a keyboard.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one function signal includes a touch received at a touch pad.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the orientation indicated by the reference object includes revolving at least one point associated with the reference object around a point on the display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the revolving occurs in response to an operator signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the revolving occurs in a direction of revolution determined by the operator signal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the revolving occurs unless the pointer is moving.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference object is a contiguous graphical indicium.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reference object includes a graphical arrow.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the orientation indicated by the reference object includes rotating the reference object.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the rotating occurs unless the pointer is moving, and wherein the rotating does not occur while the pointer is moving.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising performing at least one pointer function in response to at least one function signal.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising removing the reference object from the display.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation indicated by the reference object changes automatically.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference object includes a text box that includes an alphanumeric representation of the orientation.

26. A system for selecting points on a display, comprising:

an orientable reference object including at least one graphical point on a display that is selectively and automatically rotatable around another point on the display; and

a pointer configured to translate in response to a movement signal, in a direction correlated with an orientation of the reference object.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the reference object includes a graphical arrow.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the movement signal includes a keystroke received at a keyboard.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the movement signal includes a touch received at a touch pad.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the movement signal includes a sound received at a microphone.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the sound is produced by a human voice.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the pointer is further configured to perform at least one pointer function in response to an operator function signal.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the pointer and the reference object are identical.

34. A system for controlling a pointer on a display, comprising:

means for providing a reference object indicating an orientation on the display;

means for changing the orientation indicated by the reference object;

means for moving the pointer in a direction correlated with the orientation indicated by the reference object in response to an operator-inputted start movement signal; and

means for stopping the pointer at a desired location on the display in response to an operator-inputted stop movement signal.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising means for performing at least one pointer function in response to at least one operator-inputted function signal.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the start movement signal, the stop movement signal, and the at least one function signal include at least one keystroke received at a keyboard.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the start movement signal, the stop movement signal, and the at least one function signal include at least one touch received at a touch pad.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the start movement signal, the stop movement signal, and the at least one function signal include at least one sound received at a microphone.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein means for changing the orientation of the reference object includes means for rotating the reference object.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein means for rotating the reference object includes means for rotating the reference object continuously unless the pointer is moving.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein means for rotating the reference object includes means for ceasing rotating the reference object while the pointer is moving.

42. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for adjusting rotating speed of the reference object;

means for adjusting size of the reference object; and

means for adjusting moving speed of the pointer.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising means for removing the reference object from the display.

44. A storage medium readable by a computer, having embodied therein a program of executable instructions, comprising executable instructions for:

providing a pointer on a display;

providing a reference object on the display;

defining an orientation indicated by the reference object;

changing the orientation indicated by the reference object;

moving the pointer in a direction correlated with the orientation indicated by the reference object; and

stopping the pointer at a desired location on the display.

45. The storage medium of claim 44, wherein the executable instructions for moving the pointer are executed in response to an operator signal.

46. The storage medium of claim 45, wherein the executable instructions for moving the pointer effect movement of the pointer based on an orientation of the reference object at a time the operator signal is received.

47. The storage medium of claim 44, further embodying therein executable instructions for:

adjusting the rate at which the orientation of the reference object changes;

adjusting the size of the reference object; and

adjusting the speed at which the pointer moves.

48. The storage medium of claim 44, further embodying therein executable instructions for performing at least one pointer function.

49. The storage medium of claim 48, further embodying therein executable instructions for removing the reference object from the display.

50. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising:

instructions executable by a computer for controlling a pointer on a primary display with a secondary display, including instructions for;

providing a reference object on the secondary display;

defining an orientation indicated by the reference object;

changing the orientation indicated by the reference object;

moving the pointer on the primary display in a direction correlated with the orientation indicated by the reference object; and

stopping the pointer at a desired location on the primary display.

51. The data signal of claim 50, further including instructions for performing at least one pointer function.

52. The data signal of claim 50, wherein the reference object is a contiguous graphical indicium.

53. The data signal of claim 52, wherein the reference object is a graphical arrow.

54. The data signal of claim 50, further including instructions for removing the reference object from the secondary display.

55. The data signal of claim 50, further including instructions for removing the pointer from the primary display.

56. A computer having a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:

a display;

a reference object having an orientation on the display; and

a pointer on the display configured to selectively translate in a direction correlated with the orientation of the reference object.

57. The computer of claim 56, wherein the pointer translates in response to a keystroke received at a keyboard.

58. The computer of claim 56, wherein the pointer translates in response to a sound received at a microphone.

59. The computer of claim 58, wherein the sound is produced by a human voice.

60. The computer of claim 56, wherein the pointer translates in response to a touch received at a touch pad.

61. The computer of claim 57, wherein the orientation of the reference object changes in response to a keystroke received at a keyboard.

62. The computer of claim 58, wherein the orientation of the reference object changes in response to a sound received at a microphone.

63. The computer of claim 60, wherein the orientation of the reference object changes in response to a touch received at a touch pad.

64. The computer of claim 56, wherein the pointer is further configured to perform at least one pointer function in response to at least one operator function signal.