Device, method, and computer readable medium for mapping a graphics tablet to an associated display

• US 20080284730A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Fleck, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window

Abstract

A digitizer system for controlling movement of a pointer on a display unit is provided. The system includes a digitizer tablet for detecting an input position and generating tablet coordinate data according to the detected input position. A mapping unit maps the tablet coordinate data to display coordinate data based on a plurality of different predetermined scaling relationships and provides the display coordinate data to the display unit. An input device controls the mapping unit to switch between the predetermined scaling relationships.

Claims

1. A mapping device usable for mapping positional data on a digitizer tablet to positional data on a display screen, said device comprising:

a mapping unit operable between a first mode in which tablet coordinates are mapped to screen coordinates lying in a region of a first size and a second mode in which tablet coordinates are mapped to screen coordinates lying in a region of a second size; and

an input device for controlling said mapping unit to switch between the first and second modes of the digitizer tablet during real time operation of the digitizer tablet.

2. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein the mapping unit changes between the first and second modes seamlessly.

3. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein:

when operating in the first mode, a first amount of tablet movement produces a predetermined amount of screen movement; and

when operating in the second mode, a second amount of tablet movement, which is greater than the first amount of tablet movement, produces the predetermined amount of screen movement.

4. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a binary physical input device associated with the tablet for controlling said mapping unit to switch between the first and second modes each time said input device is activated by a user.

5. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a binary physical input device associated with the tablet for controlling said mapping unit to operate in the first mode while said input device is not being activated and for controlling said mapping unit to operate in the second mode while said input device is being activated.

6. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a button, a key, a wheel, or a switch associated with the tablet.

7. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein the mapping of the positional data of the digitizer tablet to the positional data of the display screen in the first and second modes is determined by first and second predetermined relationships, respectively, and at least one of the first and second predetermined relationships is preset by a user.

8. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein a pointer displayed on the display screen remains in the same position when the input device switches operation of said mapping unit between the first and second modes.

9. The mapping device of claim 1, wherein the second mode corresponds to a scaling factor of 1 or greater.

10. The mapping device of claim 9, wherein the second mode corresponds to a scaling factor of 2 or greater.

11. A digitizer system for controlling movement of a pointer on a screen of a display unit, said system comprising:

a movement input device for controlling movement of the pointer on the display unit, said movement input device being operable in a rough positioning mode for moving the pointer large distances within a large movement window on the screen and a fine positioning mode for moving the pointer small distances within a small movement window on the screen; and

a user input device associated with said movement input device for receiving a mode switch command for seamlessly switching between the rough positioning mode and the fine positioning mode during real time operation of said movement input device.

12. The digitizer system of claim 11, wherein a current position of the pointer on said screen determines a location of the small movement window when said movement input device is switched between the rough positioning mode and the fine positioning mode.

13. The digitizer system of claim 11, wherein the mode of the movement input device is switched by the user physical input device with a single selection command and without accessing any type of setting screen.

14. A digitizer system for controlling movement of a pointer on a display unit, said system comprising:

a digitizer tablet for detecting an input position and generating tablet coordinate data according to the detected input position;

a mapping unit for mapping the tablet coordinate data to display coordinate data based on a plurality of different predetermined scaling relationships and for providing the display coordinate data to the display unit; and

a binary physical input device for controlling said mapping unit to switch between the predetermined scaling relationships each time said binary physical input device is activated.

15. The digitizer system of claim 14, wherein the pointer remains in the same position on said display unit when said input device switches between predetermined scaling relationships.

16. The digitizer system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined scaling relationships comprise a first scaling relationship having a first movement window size that is about equal to a screen size of said display unit, and a second scaling relationship having a second movement window size that is smaller than the screen size of said display unit.

17. The digitizer system of claim 14, further comprising:

a pointing device associated with said digitizer tablet, said pointing device having a housing and a button disposed on said housing for switching between first and second scaling relationships.

18. The digitizer system of claim 14, wherein said digitizer tablet has a housing and a button disposed on said housing for switching between first and second scaling relationships.

19. The digitizer system of claim 14, further comprising:

a personal computer associated with said digitizer tablet and said display unit, said personal computer having a hot key for switching between a first scaling relationship and a second scaling relationship.

20. A method of mapping positional data on a digitizer tablet to positional data on a display screen, said method comprising:

providing an initial coordinate mapping relationship between the digitizer tablet and the display screen;

receiving a control signal to change the initial coordinate mapping relationship to a predetermined alternate coordinate mapping relationship between the digitizer tablet and the display screen from a binary physical input device associated with the digitizer tablet; and

changing the initial coordinate mapping relationship to the alternate coordinate mapping relationship based on the control signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the alternate coordinate mapping relationship requires more tablet movement than the initial coordinate mapping relationship to affect the same amount of display screen movement.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the control signal is provided by activating the binary physical input device such that when the input device is deactivated, the initial coordinate mapping relationship is restored.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein a pointer displayed on the display screen remains in the same position on the display screen when the coordinate mapping relationship is changed.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the alternate coordinate mapping relationship has a larger scaling factor than the initial coordinate mapping relationship.

25. A computer readable medium containing executable code for performing a method of mapping positional data on a digitizer tablet to positional data on a display screen, said medium comprising:

executable code for providing an initial coordinate mapping relationship between the digitizer tablet and the display screen;

executable code for receiving a control signal to change the initial coordinate mapping relationship to a predetermined alternate coordinate mapping relationship between the digitizer tablet and the display from a binary physical input device; and

executable code for changing the initial coordinate mapping relationship to the alternate coordinate mapping relationship based on the control signal,

wherein the alternate coordinate mapping relationship requires more tablet movement than the initial coordinate mapping relationship to affect the same amount of display screen movement.