METHOD FOR CURSOR MOTION CONTROL BY A TOUCHPAD TO MOVE A CURSOR ON A DISPLAY SCREEN

• US 20110109575A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: CHANG, WEI-KUO, LII, JIA-YIH
• Granted Patent: US 8,963,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A cursor control method using a touchpad triggers an automatic movement signal for a cursor when an object moves from a first defined region into a second defined region of a two-dimensional touch sensor, or when an object stays in the second defined region for a preset duration after it moves from the first defined region into the second defined region, and define the automatic movement signal with the direction identical to that of the object moving into the second defined region, so that the cursor will keep moving in its last moving direction.

Claims

1. A cursor control method using a touchpad including a two-dimensional touch sensor for position detection and having two defined regions thereon, the cursor control method comprising the steps of:

detecting a movement of an object from the first one into the second one of the two defined regions; and

in response to the movement of the object into the second defined region, triggering an automatic movement signal for a cursor along a direction identical to that of the object moving into the second defined region.

2. The cursor control method of claim 1, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving into the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

3. The cursor control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

varying the direction of the automatic movement signal with the direction of the object moving in the second defined region.

4. The cursor control method of claim 3, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

5. The cursor control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

varying the direction of the automatic movement signal depending on the direction of the object moving into the second defined region and the direction of the object moving in the second defined region.

6. The cursor control method of claim 5, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

7. The cursor control method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

stopping the automatic movement signal and triggering an automatic scroll signal when the object is first time detected moving in the second defined region, wherein the automatic scroll signal has a direction identical to that of the object moving in the second defined region.

8. The cursor control method of claim 7, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic scroll signal.

9. A cursor control method using a touchpad including a two-dimensional touch sensor for position detection and having two defined regions thereon, the cursor control method comprising the steps of:

detecting a movement of an object from the first one into the second one of the two defined regions; and

monitoring a duration of the object staying in the second defined region after the object moves into the second defined region; and

in response to the duration reaching a preset value, triggering an automatic movement signal for a cursor along a direction identical to that of the object moving into the second defined region.

10. The cursor control method of claim 9, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving into the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

11. The cursor control method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

varying the direction of the automatic movement signal with the direction of the object moving in the second defined region.

12. The cursor control method of claim 11, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

13. The cursor control method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

varying the direction of the automatic movement signal depending on the direction of the object moving into the second defined region and the direction of the object moving in the second defined region.

14. The cursor control method of claim 13, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic movement signal.

15. The cursor control method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

after triggering the automatic movement signal, monitoring a movement of the object in the second defined region; and

stopping the automatic movement signal and triggering an automatic scroll signal when the object is first time detected moving in the second defined region, wherein the automatic scroll signal has a direction identical to that of the object moving in the second defined region.

16. The cursor control method of claim 15, further comprising the step of embedding a displacement per unit time of the object moving in the second defined region into the automatic scroll signal.