Cursor control device with programmable preset cursor positions

• US 5,367,631 A
• Filed: 04/14/1992
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Levy, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/868,909
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/162, 395/164, 345/153, 345/163, 345/119, 340/709, 340/710, 74/471
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for instantaneously and discontinuously moving the cursor in a computer system to any one of a plurality of user-selected screen positions is disclosed. In many known computer systems, a cursor control device known as a mouse is used to move and manipulate the position of the display'"'"'s cursor. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, X- and Y-axis position sensing means are incorporated into the mouse'"'"'s known electronics. A program correlates a plurality of X- and Y-axis mouse positions with a plurality of cursor positions on the display. When the computer user moves the cursor control device into any one of these programmed positions, the cursor on the display automatically moves to the predetermined position. In addition, less extreme motion of the mouse will result in a rate of cursor movement across the screen which increases linearly with the degree of tilt, up to the point where a predefined threshold is reached, at which time the cursor automatically and discontinuously jumps to the user'"'"'s predefined screen location (s).

Claims

1. In a computer system having a central processing unit, a display coupled to the central processing unit, a cursor which is displayed on the display and indicates the location where next display data will be located, and a cursor control device for moving the cursor across the display, an apparatus for moving the cursor to selected positions on the display automatically, the apparatus comprising:

X- and Y-axis sensing means mounted within the cursor control device;

X- and Y-axis position correlating means coupled to the X- and Y-axis sensing means for receiving the X- and Y-axis position signals generated by the X and Y-axis sensing means and generating an X- and Y-axis position signal;

memory means for storing a given X- and Y-axis position signal in relation with a user selected cursor display position, the memory means being coupled to the X- and Y-axis position correlating means, the cursor moving to the user selected display position automatically when the cursor control device is subsequently moved into the X- and Y-axis position associated with that display position stored in the memory means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the X- and Y-axis sensing means comprise magneto-transistors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the X- and Y-axis sensing means comprise electrolytic sensors.

2. A method for automatically moving a display cursor to a user-selected position in a computer system having a display, a display cursor, and a display cursor control means, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first X-axis position of the display cursor control means;

detecting a first Y-axis position of the display cursor control means;

relating the first X- and Y-axis positions with a user-selected display cursor position on the display and storing the relation in a first memory means, the display cursor subsequently moving to the user-selected display cursor position each time the display cursor control means is tilted to the first X- and Y-axis position; and

repeating the detecting steps and relating steps until a predetermined number of positions have been related to a predetermined number of display cursor positions.

5. In a computer system having a display with a cursor, a variable rate cursor movement control device comprising:

X-axis tilt sensor means;

Y-axis tilt sensor means;

X- and Y-axis tilt measurement means coupled to the X- and Y-axis tilt sensor means for measuring the degree of tilt in both the X- and Y-axis; and

processor means coupled to the X- and Y-axis tilt measurement means and the cursor for moving in both the X- and Y- axis at a rate which increases as the degree of tilt along that axis increases.

6. The variable rate cursor movement control device of claim 5 wherein the processor means further automatically and instantaneously moves the cursor to a predefined location on the display when the degree of tilt along either or both axis exceeds a predefined amount.

7. The variable rate cursor movement control device of claim 6 wherein the X- and Y-axis tilt sensor means comprise a pair of magneto-transistors.

8. The variable rate cursor control device of claim 6 wherein the X- and Y-axis tilt sensor means comprise a pair of electrolytic sensors.

9. The variable rate cursor movement device of claim 6 wherein the device has a select button with a select function that is activated when the select button is depressed and wherein a user defined tilt input activates the same function as depressing the select button.