Multiple mouse cursors for use within a viewable area for a computer

• US 20060143571A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US11/025,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for displaying and manipulating a plurality of mouse cursors at different locations in a viewable area for a computer. As preferred, only one mouse cursor is active and moveable at any one time, with the user being allowed to switch or toggle among them to activate an appropriate mouse cursor. Each mouse cursor is preferably restrained within a region of the viewable area of the monitor or monitors with which the technique is employed. The user can select among the active and inactive mouse cursors for example by pressing an appropriate key on the keyboard. The regions associated with the mouse cursors can be defined to suit user preferences, and can be set up to encompass logical regions within the viewable area. Alternatively, each cursor is not restrained to its particular region, and more than one mouse cursor can appear within the same region. Data associated with the presently-active cursor can be automatically moved to a newly-active cursor when the cursors are switched.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating a plurality of cursors in the viewable area of a computer, comprising:

displaying a plurality of cursors within the viewable area, only a first of which is active and capable of movement throughout the entirety of at least a portion of the viewable area using an input device, wherein the other cursors can be selected by the user and can be made moveable using the input device starting from their displayed positions, but are presently inactive and incapable of movement using the input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising subsequently selecting a second cursor different from the first cursor, thereby rendering the second cursor active and capable of movement starting from its displayed position throughout the entirety of at least a portion of the viewable area using the input device, wherein the other cursors aside from the second cursor are presently inactive and incapable of movement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the second cursor causes the positions of the inactive cursors to be stored as their last-active positions.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the second cursor causes the position of the inactive cursors to be set and stored to pre-determined positions.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of cursors is bound to its own region within the viewable area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the second cursor comprises moving the first cursor to a boundary of its region.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the second cursor comprises selecting a key coupled to the computer.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the first cursor, when active, is associated with data, and further comprising re-associating the data with the second cursor when it is selected.

9. A method for manipulating a plurality of cursors in the viewable area of a computer, comprising:

displaying a plurality of cursors within the viewable area; and

toggling among the cursors to activate only one of the cursors, wherein only the active cursor is allowed to move starting from its displayed position via control of an input device while the other cursors are render inactive and remain stationary.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein activating a cursor causes the positions of the inactive cursors to be stored as their last-active positions.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein activating a cursor causes the position of the inactive cursors to be set and stored to pre-determined positions.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of cursors is bound to its own region within the viewable area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the regions are non-overlapping.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein toggling among the cursors comprises selecting a key coupled to the computer.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein activating a cursor comprises re-associating data associated with a previously-active cursor.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the active cursor is visually different from the other cursors.

17. A method for manipulating a plurality of mouse cursors in the viewable area of a computer, comprising:

displaying a plurality of mouse cursors, wherein each of the plurality of cursors is displayed in a region of the viewable area associated with each cursor;

activating a first of the plurality of cursors to allow the first cursor to move within its region via control by a mouse coupled to the computer, wherein the other cursors remain stationary within their regions; and

thereafter

activating a second of the plurality of cursors to allow the second cursor to move within its region starting from its displayed position via control by the mouse, wherein the other cursors remain stationary within their regions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the second cursor comprises selecting a key coupled to the computer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein activating the second cursor comprises re-associating data associated with the first cursor with the second cursor.

20. A viewable area for a computer, comprising:

a first active cursor controllable in its movement by an input device coupled to the computer; and

at least one second inactive cursor, wherein the second inactive cursor or any one of the second inactive cursors is selectable to render it controllable in its movement from its present position by the input device.

21. The viewable area of claim 20, wherein the input device comprises a mouse.

22. The viewable area of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of cursors is bound to a region within the viewable area.

23. The viewable area of claim 20, wherein the one of the at least one second inactive cursor is selectable by using a key coupled to the computer.

24. A computer-readable medium containing a program for performing a method for manipulating a plurality of cursors in the viewable area of a computer, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of cursors within the viewable area, only a first of which is active and capable of movement throughout the entirety of at least a portion of the viewable area using an input device, wherein the other cursors can be selected by the user and can be made moveable using the input device starting from their displayed positions, but are presently inactive and incapable of movement using the input device.

25. A computer-readable medium containing a program for performing a method for manipulating a plurality of cursors in the viewable area of a computer, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of cursors within the viewable area; and

toggling among the cursors to activate only one of the cursors, wherein only the active cursor is allowed to move starting from its displayed position via control of an input device while the other cursors are render inactive and remain stationary.