System and method for improved scroll mouse operation

• US 20060095862A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Munoz-Bustamante, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A system and method for improved scroll mouse operation is presented. A user operates a computer mouse, which includes a scroll ring that functions as a middle mouse button. During operation, the user configures a scroll suppression manager to discard a particular number of scroll commands when the user moves the computer mouse'"'"'s scroll ring. The user specifies a number of scroll commands to discard when the computer mouse'"'"'s pointer location is positioned over particular mouse-over conditions, such as a web page link or a drop down menu. Once the scroll suppression manager has discarded the user-specified number of scroll commands, the scroll suppression manager processes subsequent scroll commands until the user stops scrolling or the user selects an object on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a scroll command and a mouse pointer location corresponding to a computer mouse;

determining whether to discard the scroll command based upon the mouse pointer location; and

discarding the scroll command in response to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining further comprises:

identifying one or more scroll suppression preferences, the scroll suppression preferences corresponding to the computer mouse;

incrementing a suppression counter based upon, the mouse pointer location matching one of the scroll suppression preferences; and

comparing the value of the suppression counter with a predetermined scroll command discard quantity, the predetermined scroll command discard quantity being included in the scroll suppression preferences.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

resetting the suppression counter and processing the scroll command in response to the comparing.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving subsequent scroll commands after the processing of the scroll command; and

processing the subsequent scroll commands up until receiving a mouse click that is generated from the computer mouse.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the scroll suppression preferences is selected from the group consisting of a user-specified mouse-over condition, a drop down menu, a scroll suppression flag, and a scroll command discard quantity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting whether the computer mouse supports a middle mouse button functionality by depressing a scroll ring, wherein moving the scroll ring in a forward or reverse direction generates the scroll command.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a configuration request from a user;

displaying a configuration window to the user in response to receiving the configuration request;

receiving the scroll suppression preferences from the user in response to the displaying; and

enabling a scroll suppression flag based on the scroll suppression preferences, wherein the scroll suppression flag is used in the determining.

8. A program product comprising:

computer operable medium having computer readable code, the computer readable code being effective to;

receive a scroll command and a mouse pointer location corresponding to a computer mouse;

determine whether to discard the scroll command based upon the mouse pointer location; and

discard the scroll command in response to the determination.

9. The program product of claim 8 wherein the computer readable code is further effective to:

identify one or more scroll suppression preferences, the scroll suppression preferences corresponding to the computer mouse;

increment a suppression counter based upon the mouse pointer location matching one of the scroll suppression preferences; and

compare the value of the suppression counter with a predetermined scroll command discard quantity, the predetermined scroll command discard quantity being included in the scroll suppression preferences.

10. The program product of claim 9 wherein the computer readable code is further effective to:

reset the suppression counter and processing the scroll command in response to the comparing.

11. The program product of claim 10 wherein the computer readable code is further effective to:

receive subsequent scroll commands after the processing of the scroll command; and

process the subsequent scroll commands up until receiving a mouse click that is generated from the computer mouse.

12. The program product of claim 8 wherein at least one of the scroll suppression preferences is selected from the group consisting of a user-specified mouse-over condition, a drop down menu, a scroll suppression flag, and a scroll command discard quantity.

13. The program product of claim 8 wherein the computer readable code is further effective to:

detect whether the computer mouse supports a middle mouse button functionality by depressing a scroll ring, wherein moving the scroll ring in a forward or reverse direction generates the scroll command.

14. The program product of claim 8 wherein the computer readable code is further effective to:

receive a configuration request from a user;

display a configuration window to the user in response to receiving the configuration request;

receive the scroll suppression preferences from the user in response to the displaying; and

enable a scroll suppression flag based on the scroll suppression preferences, wherein the scroll suppression flag is used in the determining.

15. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer mouse;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a scroll command suppression tool accessible by said computer mouse which discards scroll commands, the scroll command suppression tool being effective to;

receive a scroll command and a mouse pointer location corresponding to the computer mouse;

determine whether to discard the scroll command based upon the mouse pointer location; and

discard the scroll command in response to the determination.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the scroll command suppression tool is further effective to:

identify one or more scroll suppression preferences located in one of the nonvolatile storage devices, the scroll suppression preferences corresponding to the computer mouse;

increment a suppression counter based upon the mouse pointer location matching one of the scroll suppression preferences, the scroll suppression counter located in the memory; and

compare the value of the suppression counter with a predetermined scroll command discard quantity, the predetermined scroll command discard quantity being included in the scroll suppression preferences.

17. The information handling system of claim 16 wherein the scroll command suppression tool is further effective to:

reset the suppression counter located in the memory and processing the scroll command in response to the comparing.

18. The information handling system of claim 17 wherein the scroll command suppression tool is further effective to:

receive subsequent scroll commands corresponding to the computer mouse after the processing of the scroll command; and

process the subsequent scroll commands up until receiving a mouse click that is generated from the computer mouse.

19. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the scroll suppression preferences is selected from the group consisting of a user-specified mouse-over condition, a drop down menu, a scroll suppression flag, and a scroll command discard quantity.

20. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the scroll command suppression tool is further effective to:

detect whether the computer mouse supports a middle mouse button functionality by depressing a scroll ring, wherein moving the scroll ring in a forward or reverse direction generates the scroll command.