Cursor positioning method

• US 5,745,099 A
• Filed: 12/18/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Intergraph Corporation (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Blomqvist, Per
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/573,689
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158-168, 395/118, 395/133, 395/339, 395/964
• US Class Current: 715/862
• 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: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/012 Dimensioning, tolerancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/964 CAD or CAM, e.g. interactive design tools

Abstract

A method for positioning a cursor relative to a reference position on the display using the pointing device includes the steps of positioning the cursor at a position on a display with a pointing device, selecting the position as the reference position, the reference position associated with an object, moving the cursor to a plurality of cursor positions not associated with the object on the display with the pointing device, and displaying a plurality of offset values on the display, the offset values being calculated in response to the reference position and the plurality of cursor positions.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a display and a pointing device, a method for positioning a cursor relative to a reference position on the display using the pointing device, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the cursor at a position on the display with the pointing device;

selecting the position as the reference position, the reference position associated with an object;

moving the cursor to a plurality of cursor positions not associated with the object on the display with the pointing device; and

displaying a plurality of offset values on the display, the offset values being calculated in response to the reference position and the plurality of cursor positions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference position is on the object and the plurality of cursor positions are not on the object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting a cursor position on the display, the cursor position having user-selected offset values.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of drawing a new object on the display at the cursor position on the display.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of selecting an existing object on the display;

and

moving the existing object on the display to the cursor position on the display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a coordinate system for the plurality of offset values.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of offset values comprise a pair of offset values.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of offset values comprise degree offset values and magnitude offset values.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a constrained plurality of cursor positions from the plurality of cursor positions on the display; and

selecting a cursor position from the constrained plurality of cursor positions on the display, the cursor position having user-selected offset values.

10. In a computer system including a display and a pointing device, a method for determining an offset value relative to a reference position on the display using the pointing device, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the cursor at a first cursor position on the display with a pointing device

the first cursor position on the display corresponding to the reference position, the reference position associated with an object;

moving the cursor to a second cursor position on the display with the pointing device, the second cursor position not associated with the object; and

displaying the offset value on the display, the offset value being calculated in response to an offset between the reference position and the second cursor position on the display.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second cursor location on the display is constrained in response to the reference position.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising, before the step of moving the cursor, the steps of:

positioning the cursor at a third cursor position on the display with the pointing device, the third cursor position associated with another object; and

selecting the another object; and

wherein the step of moving the cursor to the second cursor position comprises the step of moving the another object to the second cursor position on the display with the pointing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the third cursor position is on the another object.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the first cursor position is located at a center of gravity of the object.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the first cursor position is located at an axis of rotation of the object.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the first cursor position is located on the perimeter of the object.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the offset value comprises a pair of offset values between the first cursor position and the second cursor position.

12. A computer system including a display for positioning a cursor relative to a reference position on the display, the computer further comprising:

a pointing device;

means for positioning the cursor at a position on the display with the pointing device;

means for selecting the position as the reference position, the reference position associated with an object;

means for moving the cursor to a plurality of cursor positions not associated with the object on the display with the pointing device; and

means for displaying a plurality of offset values on the display, the offset values being calculated in response to an offset between the reference position and the plurality of cursor positions.

13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for selecting a cursor position on the display, the cursor position having user-selected offset values.

21. The computer system of claim 12 further comprising,

means for positioning the cursor at a third cursor position on the display with the pointing device, the third cursor position associated with another object;

and

means for selecting the another object; and

wherein the means for moving the cursor comprises means for moving the another object to the second cursor position on the display with the pointing device.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the third cursor position is on the another object.

23. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the offset value comprises a pair of offset values between the first cursor position and the second cursor position.

24. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the reference position is on a corner of the object.

14. A computer program that displays offset values between a reference position associated with an object and a plurality of cursor positions not associated with the object on a display, the computer program comprising:

code that allows the user to select the reference position associated with the object on the display with the pointing device;

code that allows the user to select a cursor position not associated with the object on the display with the pointing device; and

code that displays the offset values on the display, the offset values determined in response to the reference position and the cursor position;

wherein the codes are stored on a tangible medium.

25. The computer program of claim 14 wherein the reference position is on the object and the plurality of cursor positions are not on the object.

26. The computer program of claim 14 wherein the code that allows the user to select a cursor position includes code that constrains the cursor position to user-selected offset values.

27. The computer program of claim 14 further comprising code that allows the user to draw a new object on the display at the cursor position on the display.

28. The computer program of claim 14 further comprising:

code that allows the user to select an existing object on the display; and

code that allows the user to move the existing object on the display to the cursor position on the display.

29. The computer program of claim 14 further comprising code that allows the user to select a coordinate system for the offset values.

30. The computer program of claim 14 wherein each of the offset values comprise a pair of offset values.