PROVIDING VISUAL CONTROL GUIDANCE ON A DISPLAY

• US 20200133459A1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bender, Michael, Kelley, John F., Seager, Todd P., Dolph, Blaine H.
• Granted Patent: US 11,010,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and a system where a processor(s) of a computing device identifies at least two displays coupled to the processor(s) to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, like a cursor, and processor(s) obtains instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the displays via an input device. The processor(s) obtain a display layout for the displays and resolutions of displays and generates an initial virtual desktop that includes physical real estate of the displays where the processor(s) renders visual objects. The processor(s) determines boundaries of each display and selects outermost two dimensional boundaries of the initial virtual desktops and updates the initial virtual desktop to an area bounded by a virtual rectangle comprising the outermost boundaries, which includes the displays and physical space not useable by the processor(s) to render visual objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising

identifying, by one or more processors of a computing device, two or more displays communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the two or more displays are utilized by the one or more processors to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, wherein a cursor is a visual object of the visual objects, wherein the one or more processors obtain instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the two or more displays via an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, a display layout for the identified two or more displays;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, resolutions of the two or more displays;

generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, an initial virtual desktop comprising physical real estate of each of the two or more displays, wherein the physical real estate is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects;

determining, by the one or more processors, boundaries of each display of the two or more displays, wherein for each display, physical real estate within the boundaries is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects on the display;

selecting, by the one or more processors, from the boundaries, outermost two dimensional boundaries of the initial virtual desktop, wherein each outermost boundary of the outermost two dimensional boundaries represents a furthest point on the initial virtual desktop in a given direction where the one or more processors render visual objects; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the initial virtual desktop to comprise an area bounded by a virtual rectangle comprising the outermost boundaries, wherein the area bounded comprises the physical real estate of each of the two or more displays and physical space not useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking, by the one or more processors, the instructions to render the cursor in the various locations on the two or more displays via the input device;

determining, by the one or more processors, that executing a series of the instructions to render the cursor comprises rendering the cursor as moving through a series of locations on the updated virtual desktop, wherein the moving orients the cursor progressively closer to an edge of a first display of the two or more displays, wherein the one or more processors cannot render an image of the cursor in an area proximate to the edge, wherein the area comprises a distance between the edge of the first display and an edge of a second display of the two or more displays, and wherein a starting point comprises a last location on the first display of the series of locations, where the one or more processors can render the cursor;

generating, by the one or more processors, a directional indicator comprising a projection of a direction of motion of the cursor from the starting position, through the area, and to the second display, based on the series of instructions; and

rendering, by the one or more processors, the cursor on the second display, at a landing position, based on the projection.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein virtual space comprising the initial virtual desktop is determined relative to a physical size of each display of the two of more displays.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries, comprises obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries from an operating system installed on the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries, further comprises communicating with the operating system utilizing a communication interface of the operating system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein generating the initial virtual desktop comprises:

facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the initial virtual desktop; and

obtaining, by the one or more processors, the initial virtual desktop from the operating system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two or more displays comprise graphical user interfaces.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a mouse.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the directional indicator comprises a vector commencing at the starting position and terminating at the landing position.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein rendering the cursor on the second display at the landing position further comprises simultaneously rendering the cursor at the starting position.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein tracking the instructions comprises determining coordinates for each location on a display, of the two or more displays, specified by an instruction, where the cursor is rendered, relative to the virtual rectangle.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the coordinates comprise an x coordinate and a y coordinate.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, the method further comprising:

tracking, by the one or more processors, the instructions to render the cursor in the various locations on the two or more displays via the input device;

determining, by the one or more processors, that executing a series of the instructions to render the cursor comprises rendering the cursor as moving through a series of locations on the updated virtual desktop, wherein the moving orients the cursor progressively closer to an edge of a first display of the two or more displays, wherein the one or more processors cannot render an image of the cursor in an area proximate to the edge, wherein the area comprises a distance between the edge of the first display and an edge of a second display of the two or more displays, and wherein a starting point comprises a last location on the first display of the series of locations, where the one or more processors can render the cursor;

generating, by the one or more processors, a directional indicator comprising a projection of a direction of motion of the cursor from the starting position, through the area, and to the second display, based on the series of instructions; and

rendering, by the one or more processors, the cursor on the second display, at a landing position, based on the projection.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by one or more processors and storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors for performing a method comprising;

identifying, by the one or more processors of a computing device, two or more displays communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the two or more displays are utilized by the one or more processors to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, wherein a cursor is a visual object of the visual objects, wherein the one or more processors obtain instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the two or more displays via an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, a display layout for the identified two or more displays;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, resolutions of the two or more displays;

generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, an initial virtual desktop comprising physical real estate of each of the two or more displays, wherein the physical real estate is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects;

determining, by the one or more processors, boundaries of each display of the two or more displays, wherein for each display, physical real estate within the boundaries is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects on the display;

selecting, by the one or more processors, from the boundaries, outermost two dimensional boundaries of the initial virtual desktop, wherein each outermost boundary of the outermost two dimensional boundaries represents a furthest point on the initial virtual desktop in a given direction where the one or more processors render visual objects; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the initial virtual desktop to comprise an area bounded by a virtual rectangle comprising the outermost boundaries, wherein the area bounded comprises the physical real estate of each of the two or more displays and physical space not useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein virtual space comprising the initial virtual desktop is determined relative to a physical size of each display of the two of more displays.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries, comprises obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries from an operating system installed on the computing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein obtaining the display layout, the resolutions, and the boundaries, further comprises communicating with the operating system utilizing a communication interface of the operating system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein generating the initial virtual desktop comprises:

facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the initial virtual desktop; and

obtaining, by the one or more processors, the initial virtual desktop from the operating system.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the two or more displays comprise graphical user interfaces.

20. A system comprising:

a memory;

one or more processors in communication with the memory;

program instructions executable by the one or more processors via the memory to perform a method, the method comprising;

identifying, by the one or more processors of a computing device, two or more displays communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the two or more displays are utilized by the one or more processors to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, wherein a cursor is a visual object of the visual objects, wherein the one or more processors obtain instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the two or more displays via an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, a display layout for the identified two or more displays;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, resolutions of the two or more displays;

generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, an initial virtual desktop comprising physical real estate of each of the two or more displays, wherein the physical real estate is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects;

determining, by the one or more processors, boundaries of each display of the two or more displays, wherein for each display, physical real estate within the boundaries is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects on the display;

selecting, by the one or more processors, from the boundaries, outermost two dimensional boundaries of the initial virtual desktop, wherein each outermost boundary of the outermost two dimensional boundaries represents a furthest point on the initial virtual desktop in a given direction where the one or more processors render visual objects; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the initial virtual desktop to comprise an area bounded by a virtual rectangle comprising the outermost boundaries, wherein the area bounded comprises the physical real estate of each of the two or more displays and physical space not useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects.