Sequential information controller
First Claim
1. A controller for use in combination with a display system and a user operable control device for producing control signals for regulating the flow direction and the flow velocity of sequential information, said control device including means for selecting and manipulating images on a display of said display system, the means for selecting and manipulating images including a button, the controller comprising:
- an interactive slide indicator responsive to said control device for indicating an available range of selectable flow directions and selectable flow velocities for said sequential information, said slide indicator including means for generating a slide indicator image on said display corresponding to said available range;
an interactive control icon responsive to said control device for selecting a selected flow direction and a selected flow velocity for said sequential information from said available range, said control icon including means for generating a control icon image on said display over said slide indicator image, said control icon image being operative to be moved by said control device to a selected position along said slide indicator image corresponding to the selected flow direction and the selected flow velocity for said sequential information, the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being selected in a one of a tentative set mode and a fixed set mode, in the tentative set mode the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being continuously variable according to the selected position of the control icon image while the button is in a one of two button states, in the fixed set mode the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being independent of control icon image position, said tentative set mode an said fixed set mode being alternatively selectable through operation of said control device; and
means for detecting the presence of said control icon image at said selected position and for generating said control signals corresponding to said selected flow direction and said selected flow velocity for use in regulating the flow of said sequential information.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sequential information controller for use in combination with a computer comprising a slider bar, integrating standard velocity and direction indicators, and a control icon. The user controls the playback velocity and direction of the sequential information, such as video information, on the display of the computer through an interactive user interface, which works in combination with the computer'"'"'s system software. The interface includes an interactive slider bar and an interactive control icon which are depicted within an operating window of the display. The slider bar includes both playback direction/velocity indicators and control buttons. The playback of video information is primarily controlled by manipulating the image of the control icon with respect to the image of the slider bar. The image of the control icon is that of a human-like hand, which holds the slider bar image in either its open or closed hand, depending on the desired playback mode, and can be moved along the length of the slider bar image by a control device, such as a mouse, to control the playback direction and velocity of the video information on the display. When the control icon'"'"'s hand is open, the control icon is spring loaded from the stop playback position of the slider bar. To keep the control icon from automatically returning to the stop playback position when the control icon'"'"'s hand is open, the user must continue to hold the control icon in position with the mouse. When the control icon'"'"'s hand is closed, the control icon will remain at any position along the slider bar it is placed, until moved by operation of the mouse, or until returned to the spring-loaded mode and released by the mouse, thereby allowing it to spring back to the stop position. The mode of the control icon is modulated by positioning the cursor over the control icon, selecting the control icon, and moving the cursor either up or down. Moving the cursor down, when the hand is open, closes the hand and freezes the playback velocity at the speed selected when the hand was closed. Moving the cursor up, when the hand is closed, opens the hand and spring loads the control icon. The control icon can also be rapidly moved to different positions by simply clicking on the slide bar with the mouse, regardless of the mode of operation.
317 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A controller for use in combination with a display system and a user operable control device for producing control signals for regulating the flow direction and the flow velocity of sequential information, said control device including means for selecting and manipulating images on a display of said display system, the means for selecting and manipulating images including a button, the controller comprising:
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an interactive slide indicator responsive to said control device for indicating an available range of selectable flow directions and selectable flow velocities for said sequential information, said slide indicator including means for generating a slide indicator image on said display corresponding to said available range; an interactive control icon responsive to said control device for selecting a selected flow direction and a selected flow velocity for said sequential information from said available range, said control icon including means for generating a control icon image on said display over said slide indicator image, said control icon image being operative to be moved by said control device to a selected position along said slide indicator image corresponding to the selected flow direction and the selected flow velocity for said sequential information, the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being selected in a one of a tentative set mode and a fixed set mode, in the tentative set mode the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being continuously variable according to the selected position of the control icon image while the button is in a one of two button states, in the fixed set mode the selected flow velocity and the selected flow direction being independent of control icon image position, said tentative set mode an said fixed set mode being alternatively selectable through operation of said control device; and means for detecting the presence of said control icon image at said selected position and for generating said control signals corresponding to said selected flow direction and said selected flow velocity for use in regulating the flow of said sequential information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A controller for producing control signals for use in regulating the flow of sequential information, comprising:
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a first means for indicating a range of selectable flow directions and flow velocities for said sequential information; a second means responsive to a user for choosing a selection position from said range of selectable flow directions and flow velocities, said selection position corresponding to a selected flow direction and a selected means for operating in a first mode for tentatively maintaining said selection position, means for operating in a second mode for fixedly maintaining said selection position, and means for switching between said first and second modes while maintaining said selection position; and a third means responsive to said second means for detecting said selection position and producing said control signals for regulating the flow of said sequential information as selected by said second means in said selected flow direction and at said selected flow velocity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A controller for use in combination with a display system and a user operable control device for producing control signals for regulating the flow direction and the flow velocity of sequential information, said control device including means for selecting and manipulating images on a display of said display system, comprising:
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a first means for generating an interactive controller image for display on said display, said controller image including a plurality of selectable markers and a slide indicator, each said marker corresponding to a predetermined flow velocity for said sequential information in a predetermined flow direction, said slide indicator corresponding to a range of gradational flow velocities for said sequential information in one or more predetermined flow directions; a second means responsive to a user for selecting a selection position along said controller image corresponding to a selected flow direction and a selected flow velocity for said sequential information; and a third means responsive to said second means for detecting said selection position and generating said control signals for regulating the flow of said sequential information as selected by said second means in said selected flow direction and at said selected flow velocity, said second means having a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode, said third means being operative to tentatively generate said control signals in response to said first operating mode, said third means being operative to fixedly generate said control signals in response to said second operating mode, said third operating mode being operative to switch between said first operating mode and said second operating mode while said third means continues to generate said control signals. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for producing control signals for controlling the flow of sequential information, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a flow operation mode for the flow of the sequential information, said flow operation mode including a tentative flow operation mode for controlling the flow of said sequential information according to a position of a control icon image while a selecting means of a control device is in a one of two states, on a temporary basis and a fixed flow operation mode for maintaining a fixed flow of said sequential information; selecting a selected flow direction and a selected flow velocity for the sequential information; and producing control signals for regulating the flow of the sequential information in accordance with the selected flow direction and the selected flow velocity. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification