Virtual pointing device for touchscreens

• US 5,808,605 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SURACI, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US08/664,037
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/178, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/160, 345/162, 345/177
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A computer system, article of manufacture, and method direct a computer system, having at least a processor, memory, and touchscreen, to create a virtual pointing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a hand placed on the touchscreen creating a virtual pointing device on the touchscreen under at least a first portion of the hand, wherein at least a first area of the virtual pointing device is assigned a command, in response to activating the first area of the virtual pointing device, executing the command, and in response to movement of at least a second portion of the first portion of the hand, redefining the command.

Claims

1. A method of directing a computer system having at least a processor, memory and a touchscreen, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a user'"'"'s hand placed on the touchscreen;

displaying a multifunction virtual pointer icon within said computer system in response to said detection of said user'"'"'s hand on the touchscreen;

moving said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of said user'"'"'s hand relative to the touchscreen; and

executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of detecting a user'"'"'s hand placed on the touchscreen comprises the step of detecting a heat, sound, or pressure pattern of the user'"'"'s hand on the touchscreen.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand comprises the step of executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to a lifting and replacing motion of a finger of said user'"'"'s hand.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to a lifting motion of a finger of said user'"'"'s hand for a specified period of time.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specified period of time is five seconds.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand comprises the steps of:

displaying a menu on the touchscreen for redefining said selected function in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand; and

response to an input from a user entered through said menu, redefining said selected function.

7. A computer system, having at least a processor, memory and a touchscreen, for creating a multifunction virtual pointing device, said system comprising:

means for detecting a user'"'"'s hand placed on the touchscreen;

means for displaying a multifunction virtual pointer icon within said computer system in response to said detection of said user'"'"'s hand on the touchscreen;

means for moving said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of said user'"'"'s hand relative to the touchscreen; and

means for executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer system, having a processor, memory and a touchscreen, to create a virtual pointing device, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for detecting a user'"'"'s hand placed on the touchscreen;

computer readable program code means for displaying a multifunction virtual pointer icon within said computer system in response to said detection of said user'"'"'s hand on the touchscreen;

computer readable program code means for moving said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of said user'"'"'s hand relative to the touchscreen; and

computer readable program code means for executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand.

9. A method of directing a computer system having at least a processor, memory and a touchscreen, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of diverse multifunction pointing device definitions within said memory, each of said plurality of diverse multifunction pointing device definitions associated with a particular user among a plurality of users;

detecting a selected user'"'"'s hand placed upon the touchscreen;

determining an identity of said selected user among said plurality of users in response to said detection;

displaying a multifunction virtual pointer icon within said computer system in response to said detection of said selected user'"'"'s hand on the touchscreen, said multifunction virtual pointer icon specified in accordance with a multifunction pointing device definition associated with said selected user; and

executing a selected function among a plurality of defined functions specified in accordance with a multifunction pointing device definition associated with said selected user at a location of said multifunction virtual pointer icon in response to movement of a selected portion of said user'"'"'s hand.