VIRTUAL MOUSE FOR A TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE

• US 20150212698A1
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: East, Daniel V., Dane, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,678,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In one embodiment, a technique is provided for using a virtual mouse to interact with an electronic device. The virtual mouse is displayed on a touch screen display of the electronic device. The virtual mouse includes a pointer identifying a position, and a control region positioned proximate to, but offset from, the pointer. The control region includes a movement area for receiving touch input that is mapped to movement of the virtual mouse, and one or more buttons for performing one or more actions related to an item or point located at the identified position. In use, when touch input is received in the movement area of the virtual mouse, the virtual mouse, including the pointer, is moved. When, a button of the one or more buttons is pressed, an action is performed that is related to the item or point located at the identified position.

Claims

1. A method for using a virtual mouse to interact with an electronic device, comprising:

executing a computer aided design (CAD) application on an electronic device, the CAD application showing a user interface including a view of a CAD model on a touch screen display of the electronic device;

displaying the virtual mouse within the user interface of the CAD application on a the touch screen display of the electronic device, the virtual mouse including

a pointer identifying a position, and

a control region positioned proximate to, but offset from, the pointer, the control region including

a movement area for receiving touch input that is mapped to movement of the virtual mouse on the touch screen display, and

one or more buttons for performing one or more actions related to an element of the CAD model or a point within the view of the CAD model located at the identified position;

receiving touch input in the movement area of the virtual mouse;

moving the virtual mouse, including the pointer, in response to the touch input in the movement area;

receiving a button press upon one of the one or more buttons of the virtual mouse; and

causing an action to be performed that is related to the element of the CAD model or point within the view of the CAD model located at the identified position, in response to the button press.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating the virtual mouse by entering a precision selection mode of the CAD application, the activating to cause the virtual mouse to be displayed within the user interface of the CAD application on the touch screen display; and

deactivating the virtual mouse by exiting the precision selection mode of the CAD application, the exiting to cause the virtual mouse to be removed from within the user interface of the CAD application on the touch screen display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activating the virtual mouse is in response to a gesture within the user interface of the CAD application on the touch screen display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the gesture is a multi-touch gesture.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the activating the virtual mouse is in response to a selection in a context menu that is displayed within the user interface of the CAD application about a position of a user'"'"'s touch on the touch screen display.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the deactivating the virtual mouse is performed automatically in response to the action being performed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confining the virtual mouse to use within the user interface of the CAD application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a plurality of other applications on the electronic device, and

allowing the virtual mouse to be moved between the user interface of the CAD application and user interfaces of different ones of the plurality of other applications.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more buttons are a plurality of buttons.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device.

7. (canceled)

14. A mobile device configured to use a virtual mouse, comprising:

a touch screen display that is sensitive to a user'"'"'s touch;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store instructions for a computer aided design (CAD) application and a virtual mouse module, the instructions, when executed by the processor, being operable to;

display a user interface of the CAD application on the touch-screen display, the user interface presenting a view of a CAD model,

display the virtual mouse within the user interface of the CAD application on the touch-screen display, the virtual mouse including a pointer identifying a position, and a control region positioned proximate to, but offset from, the pointer, the control region including a movement area for receiving touch input that is mapped to movement of the virtual mouse on the touch-screen display, and one or more buttons for performing one or more actions related to an element of the CAD model or a point within the view of the CAD model located at the identified position,

in response to touch input received in the movement area, move the virtual mouse within the user interface of the CAD application, and

in response to a button press upon one of the one or more buttons, cause the application to perform an action related to the element of the CAD model or the point within the view of the CAD model located at the identified position.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further operable to:

activate the virtual mouse by entering a precision selection mode of the CAD application, in response to a gesture on the touch screen display.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, are further operable to:

automatically deactivate the virtual mouse by exiting the precision selection mode of the CAD application, in response to the action being performed.

17. (canceled)

8. The method of claim 17, wherein the action is to select the element of the CAD model located at the identified position.

9. The method of claim 17, wherein the action is to select the point within the view of the CAD model that is located at the identified position.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes software executable on a processor, the software, when executed, being operable to:

display a virtual mouse within a user interface of a computer aided design (CAD) application, the virtual mouse superimposed upon a view of a CAD model within the user interface, the virtual mouse including

a pointer identifying a position, and

a control region positioned proximate to, but offset from, the pointer, the control region including

a movement area for receiving touch input that is mapped to movement of the virtual mouse, and

one or more buttons for performing one or more actions related to an element of the CAD model or a point within the view of the CAD model that is located at the identified position,

wherein the one or more actions include selecting, deselecting, or changing a is setting of the element of the CAD model or the point within the view of the CAD model.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the software, when executed, is further operable to:

activate the virtual mouse in response to a gesture on the touch screen display.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the software, when executed, is further operable to:

automatically deactivate the virtual mouse in response to the action being performed.

21. A method for using a virtual mouse to interact with an electronic device, comprising:

displaying the virtual mouse on a touch screen display of the electronic device, the virtual mouse including

a pointer identifying a position, and

a control region positioned proximate to, but offset from, the pointer, the control region including

a movement area for receiving touch input that is mapped to movement of the virtual mouse on the touch screen display, and

one or more buttons;

moving the virtual mouse, including the pointer, in response to the touch input in the movement area, to be over an item or point located at the identified position;

detecting that the pointer is maintained over the item or point for a predetermined period of time;

is causing a first action to be performed that is related to the item or point, in response to the pointer being maintained over the item or point for the predetermined period of time;

receiving a button press upon one of the one or more buttons of the virtual mouse; and

causing a second action to be performed that is related to the item or point, in response to the button press.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first action is displaying a tool tip.