System and method for emulating a mouse input device with a touchpad input device

• US 5,327,161 A
• Filed: 10/21/1991
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Evans, Blair, Logan, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US07/780,446
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 340/706, 340/707, 340/709, 340/710, 340/712, 340/724, 340/726, 341/20, 178/18, 178/19, 273/148 B, 273/438, 273/434, 273/DIG. 28, 74/471 XY, 200/6 A
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A system and method for emulating a mouse input device with a touchpad input device having a drag switch and touch device in which the direction of movement of the touch device across the touchpad surface is determined, a display cursor is caused to move in the same relative direction as the direction determined by the touch device, and the cursor movement is continued in that same relative direction either in or out of a drag mode, even after the touch device stops moving so as to allow the cursor to be moved a greater distance than the touch device.

Claims

1. A method of emulating a mouse input device with a touchpad input device, comprising:

designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

determining the direction of movement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

causing a display cursor to move in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement to allow the cursor to be positioned where desired; and

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction to allow the cursor to be moved a greater distance than the touch device.

2. The method of claim 1 in which determining the direction of movement includes designating an area of the border area in which the touch device must reside to determine the direction of movement.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the designated area is the touchpad perimeter.

4. The method of claim 3 further including stopping the cursor movement in the relative direction on removal of the touch device from the touchpad perimeter.

5. The method of claim 3 in which determining the direction of movement includes determining a change in direction of movement of the touch device in the touchpad perimeter.

6. The method of claim 5 in which causing the cursor to move includes causing the cursor to change direction in response to the determined change to maintain the cursor relative movement.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the touchpad input device includes a drag switch on its lower surface, the method further including:

entering a drag mode only after at least the touchpad is pushed down with sufficient force to engage the drag switch;

continuing in the drag mode for at least a predetermined time after the release of the sufficient force to allow the touch device to be repositioned on the touchpad without terminating the drag mode; and

terminating the drag mode when the time elapsed after the touch device is lifted off the touchpad and before the touch device is repositioned on the touchpad exceeds said predetermined time.

8. The method of claim 7 in which continuing in the drag mode includes designating an area of the touchpad in which the touch device must reside when the force is released to continue the drag mode.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the designated area is the touchpad perimeter.

10. The method of claim 7 further including terminating the drag mode upon expiration of the predetermined time without the sufficient force being reapplied.

11. The method of claim 10 further including terminating the drag mode upon lifting of the touch device from the touchpad surface within the predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 7 in which the drag mode is entered only after the touch device moves across the touchpad surface at least a predetermined distance after the drag switch is engaged.

13. The method of claim 12 in which the drag mode is entered only if the sufficient force is maintained while the touch device is moving the predetermined distance.

14. A system for emulating a mouse input device using a touchpad input device, comprising:

means for designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

means for determining the direction of movement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

means for causing the cursor to move in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement to allow the cursor to be positioned when desired; and

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction to allow the cursor to be moved a greater distance than the touch device.

15. The system of claim 14 in which said means for determining the direction of movement includes means for designating an area of the border area in which the touch device must reside to determined the direction of movement.

16. The system of claim 15 in which the designated area is the touchpad perimeter.

17. The system of claim 16 further including means for stopping the cursor movement in the relative direction on removal of the touch device from the touchpad perimeter.

18. The system of claim 16 in which said means for determining the direction of movement includes means for determining a change in direction of movement of the touch device in the touchpad perimeter.

19. The system of claim 18 in which said means for causing the cursor to move includes means for causing the cursor to change direction in response to the determined change to maintain the cursor relative movement.

20. The system of claim 14 further including:

a drag switch on the lower surface of the touchpad input device;

means for determining when the drag switch is engaged;

means, responsive to said means for determining, for entering a drag mode only after the drag switch is engaged; and

means, responsive to said means for entering, for continuing in the drag mode for at least a predetermined time after the drag switch is no longer engaged to allow the touch device to be repositioned on the touchpad without terminating the drag mode; and

means, responsive to said means for entering, for terminating the drag mode when the time elapsed after the touch device is lifted off the touchpad and before the touch device is repositioned on the touchpad exceeds said predetermined time.

21. The system of claim 20 in which said means for continuing in the drag mode includes means for designating an area of the touchpad in which the touch device must reside when the drag switch is disengaged to continue the drag mode.

22. The system of claim 21 in which the designated area is the touchpad perimeter.

23. The system of claim 20 further including means for terminating the drag mode upon expiration of the predetermined time without the drag switch being reengaged.

24. The system of claim 23 further including means for terminating the drag mode upon lifting of the touch device from the touchpad surface within the predetermined time.

25. The system of claim 20 further including means for determining if the touch device has moved at least a predetermined distance across the touchpad after the drag switch is engaged.

26. The system of claim 25 in which said means for entering the drag mode is further responsive to said means for determining if the touch device has moved for entering the drag mode only after the touch device moves at least a predetermined distance across the touchpad surface after the drag switch is engaged.

27. The system of claim 26 further including means for establishing if the drag switch is engaged while the touch device is moving the predetermined distance.

28. The system of claim 27 in which said means for entering the drag mode is further responsive to said means for establishing for entering the drag mode only if the switch remains engaged while the touch device is moving the predetermined distance.

29. A system for emulating a trackball input device using a touchpad input device, comprising:

means for designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

means for determining the velocity and direction of movement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

means for moving a display cursor in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement;

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction;

means for establishing or setting a friction factor prior to touchpad operation; and

means for establishing continuing cursor velocity after touch device leaves the touchpad as a function of determined velocity modified by the friction setting.

30. The system of claim 29 further including means for establishing a relationship between the distance moved by the cursor and the friction setting.

31. A system for emulating a joystick input device using a touchpad input device, comprising:

means for designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

means for determining the direction and relative displacement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

means for moving the cursor in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement; and

means for sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction to allow the cursor to be moved a greater distance than the touch device.

32. The system of claim 31 in which the velocity is directly related to the determined relative displacement.

33. The system of claim 32 in which said means for moving the cursor at a velocity related to the determined relative displacement includes means for varying the cursor velocity in relation to variation of the determined relative displacement.

34. A method for emulating a trackball input device with a touchpad input device, comprising:

designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

determining the velocity and direction of movement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

causing a display cursor to move in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement; and

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction;

establishing or setting a friction factor prior to touchpad operation; and

establishing continuing cursor velocity after touch device leaves the touchpad as a function of determined velocity modified by the friction setting.

35. The method of claim 34 further including establishing a relationship between the distance moved by the cursor and the friction setting.

36. A method for emulating a joystick input device with a touchpad input device, comprising:

designating a touch sensitive border area on the touchpad input device;

determining the direction and relative displacement of a touch device across the surface of the touchpad input device;

causing a display cursor to move in the same relative direction as the determined direction;

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction in a touch sensitive area excluding the border area and in response stopping the display cursor movement; and

sensing when the touch device stops moving in the determined direction after entering the border area and in response continuing the cursor movement in the relative direction to allow the cursor to be moved a greater distance than the touch device.

37. The method of claim 36 in which the velocity is directly related to the determined relative displacement.

38. The method of claim 37 further including varying the cursor velocity in relation to variation of the determined relative displacement.