Method and system for recognition of pointers

• US 5,898,422 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zetts, John Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/660,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/159, 345/162, 345/161, 345/145, 345/146, 395/334, 395/339, 395/348, 395/349, 395/358
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether or not a non-system pointer is equivalent to a system pointer. The system and the non-system pointer each have pointer IDs. The system first determines whether the pointer ID of the non-system pointer is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in the table as being equivalent to the system pointer. Whenever the pointer ID of the non-system pointer is not in the table of pointer IDs, the system determines, based on the shape of the non-system pointer, whether the non-system pointer is equivalent to the system pointer.

Claims

1. In a pen-based computer system having a system I-beam pointer having a system I-beam pointer ID, a method of determining that a location of a pointer is capable of accepting character data, said pointer having a pointer ID, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

determining whether said pointer ID equals said system I-beam pointer ID;

whenever said pointer ID does not equal said system I-beam pointer ID, determining whether said pointer ID is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in said table as being an I-beam pointer;

whenever said pointer ID is not in said table of pointer IDs, determining whether said pointer has an I-beam shape; and

in response to said pointer ID equaling said system I-beam pointer ID or if said pointer ID is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in said table as being an I-beam pointer or whenever said pointer has an I-beam shape, changing said pointer to a pen-shaped pointer to indicate computer system acceptance of text input.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, including the further computer implemented step of:

whenever said pointer is determined to have an I-beam shape, adding said pointer ID to said table of pointer IDs and flagging said pointer ID as being an I-beam pointer.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether said pointer has an I-beam shape includes the computer implemented step of:

comparing said pointer to a predefined I-beam pointer-shaped mask.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said step of determining whether said pointer has an I-beam shape includes the further computer implemented step of:

whenever all picture elements of said pointer lie within said I-beam pointer-shaped mask, counting the number of picture elements comprising said pointer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, including the further computer implemented step of:

whenever the number of picture elements comprising said pointer is greater than a predetermined threshold, changing said pointer to a pen-shaped pointer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pointer is in a bit map and said method includes the computer implemented step of:

converting said bit map from 8-bit to 32-bit alignment.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pointer is in a bit map and said method includes the computer implemented steps of:

left-justifying and bottom-justifying said pointer in said bit map.

8. A method of determining that a non-system pointer is equivalent to a system pointer, said non-system pointer having a pointer ID, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

determining whether said pointer ID is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in said table as being equivalent to said system pointer; and

,

whenever said pointer ID is not in said table pointer IDs, determining, based on the shape of said non-system pointer, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, including the further computer implemented step of:

whenever said non-system pointer is determined, based on shape, to be equivalent to said system pointer, adding said pointer ID to said table of pointer IDs and flagging said pointer ID as being equivalent to said system pointer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the computer implemented step of:

comparing said non-system pointer to a predefined mask.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the further computer implemented step of:

whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said mask, counting the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the further computer implemented step of:

whenever the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer is greater than a predetermined threshold, determining whether said non-system pointer satisfies a predetermined symmetry condition.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the computer implemented step of:

comparing said non-system pointer to a predefined course mask.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the computer implemented step of:

whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said course mask, comparing said non-system pointer to a predefined fine mask.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the further computer implemented step of:

whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said fine mask, counting the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said step of determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the further computer implemented step of:

whenever the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer is greater than a predetermined threshold, determining whether said non-system pointer satisfies a predetermined symmetry condition.

17. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said non-system pointer is an hour glass pointer.

18. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said non-system pointer is an I-beam pointer.

19. In a pen-based computer system having a display and system I-beam pointer displayable on said display, said system I-beam pointer having a system I-beam pointer ID, a system for determining that a location on said display indicated by a pointer is capable of accepting character data, said pointer having a pointer ID, said system comprising:

means for determining whether said pointer ID equals said system I-beam pointer ID;

means for determining, whenever said pointer ID does not equal said system I-beam pointer ID, whether said pointer ID is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in said table as being an I-beam pointer; and

,

means for determining, whenever said pointer ID is not in said table pointer IDs, whether said pointer has an I-beam shape.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

means for adding, whenever said pointer is determined to have an I-beam shape, said pointer ID to said table of pointer IDs and flagging said pointer ID as being an I-beam pointer.

21. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein means for determining whether said pointer has an I-beam shape includes:

means for comparing said pointer to a predefined I-beam pointer-shaped mask.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said means for determining whether said pointer has an I-beam shape further includes:

means for counting, whenever all picture elements of said pointer lie within said I-beam pointer-shaped mask, the number of picture elements comprising said pointer.

23. In a computer system having a display, a system for determining that a non-system pointer is equivalent to a system pointer, said non-system pointer having a pointer ID, said system comprising:

means for determining whether said pointer ID is in a table of pointer IDs and flagged in said table as being equivalent to said system pointer; and

,

means for determining, whenever said pointer ID is not in said table pointer IDs, based on the shape of said non-system pointer, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23, including:

means for adding, whenever said non-system pointer is determined, based on shape, to be equivalent to said system pointer, said pointer ID to said table of pointer IDs and flagging said pointer ID as being equivalent to said system pointer.

25. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for comparing said non-system pointer to a predefined mask.

26. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for counting, whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said mask, the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for determining, whenever the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer is greater than a predetermined threshold, whether said non-system pointer satisfies a predetermined symmetry condition.

28. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for comparing said non-system pointer to a predefined course mask.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes the computer implemented step of:

means for comparing, whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said course mask, said non-system pointer to a predefined fine mask.

30. The system as claimed in claim 29, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for counting, whenever all picture elements of said non-system pointer lie within said fine mask, the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer.

31. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein said means for determining, based on shape, whether said non-system pointer is equivalent to said system pointer includes:

means for determining, whenever the number of picture elements comprising said non-system pointer is greater than a predetermined threshold, whether said non-system pointer satisfies a predetermined symmetry condition.

32. The method system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said non-system pointer is an hour glass pointer.

33. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said non-system pointer is an I-beam pointer.