TOUCH PAD FOR COMPUTER

• US 20090207141A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zawacki, Jennifer Greenwood, Dubs, Justin Tyler, Thrasher, James Joseph, Ganey, Harriss Christopher Neil
• Application Number:
  US12/033,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207141A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A computer touch pad can be used for joystick-type navigation by allowing a user to touch her finger at a location on the pad that is distanced from a reference location of the pad, and the cursor is moved on screen the direction from the reference location to the touch down location at a speed that is proportional to the distance between the locations.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

a monitor configured to display a screen cursor;

a processor configured to control motion of the screen cursor on the monitor; and

a touch pad configured to provide cursor motion input signals to the processor without requiring a user to slide a finger on the touch pad.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the user is given the option of enabling joystick navigation using the touch pad.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the touch pad has a reference point, and cursor motion is effected by a user touching the pad at a location distanced from the reference point without sliding a finger on the pad.

4. The computer of claim 3, wherein direction of cursor motion is established by the direction between the reference point and the location.

5. The computer of claim 4, wherein speed of cursor motion is determined by the distance between the reference point and the location.

6. The computer of claim 3, wherein the reference point cannot be established by the user.

7. The computer of claim 3, wherein the reference point is established by the user.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the reference point is established by an initial finger touch down on the pad after the elapse of a threshold period of inactivity.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a non-sliding finger touch at a touch location on a computer input device;

determining a direction between the touch location and a reference location on the input device; and

based on the direction, moving a cursor on a computer screen.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising moving the cursor at a speed that is proportional to the distance between the locations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the input device is a touch pad.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising giving a user the option of enabling joystick navigation using the touch pad.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein direction of cursor motion is established by the direction from the reference location to the location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference location cannot be established by the user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the reference location is established by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reference location is established by an initial finger touch down on the pad after the elapse of a threshold period of inactivity.

17. A tangible computer readable medium bearing instructions executable by a processor for:

receiving a signal representing a user finger touch on a pad, the signal not indicating sliding motion; and

determining motion of a screen cursor using the finger touch and a pad reference location distanced therefrom.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein direction of cursor motion is established by the direction from the reference location and the location at which the user touched the pad.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein speed of cursor motion is determined by the distance between the reference location and the location at which the user touched the pad.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein cursor motion continues as long as the user touches the pad and stops in response to the user lifting the finger from the pad.