Graphical click surfaces for force feedback applications to provide selection of functions using cursor interaction with a trigger position of a graphical object
First Claim
1. A method for providing a force feedback click surface in a graphical environment provided by a host computer, said click surface for selecting a function in a graphical user interface implemented on said host computer, said host computer coupled to a force feedback device, the method comprising:
- causing the display of said click surface on a display screen in said graphical environment and receiving position data from said force feedback device describing a position of at least a portion of the force feedback device adapted to be contacted and manipulated by a user in at least one degree of freedom, wherein a user-controlled cursor is displayed at a position in said graphical environment based on said position data;
providing a force command to said force feedback device causing said force feedback device to output a force to the user when said user-controlled cursor contacts said click surface displayed in said graphical environment;
maintaining a display of said click surface at a point where said cursor first engaged said click surface while said at least a portion of the force feedback device is moved to positions into and past said engagement point of said click surface; and
selecting said function when a trigger point of said click surface positioned past said engagement point of said click surface has been reached by said at least a portion of the force feedback device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a click surface in a graphical environment, such as a graphical user interface, implemented on a host computer for use with a force feedback interface device. A displayed cursor is controlled by a user-moveable user object, such as a mouse, of the interface device. A click surface is displayed with an associated graphical object, such as a graphical button or an edge of a window, icon, or other object. When the click surface is contacted by the cursor, a force is output opposing movement of the user object in a direction into the click surface and into the graphical object. When the user object has moved to or past a trigger position past the contact with the click surface, a command gesture signal is provided to the host computer indicating that the graphical object has been selected as if a physical input device on the user object, such as a button, has been activated by the user. Preferably, the host computer displays the graphical environment including the click surface and cursor, while a microprocessor local to the interface device controls the force output of the click surface in parallel with the host display.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for providing a force feedback click surface in a graphical environment provided by a host computer, said click surface for selecting a function in a graphical user interface implemented on said host computer, said host computer coupled to a force feedback device, the method comprising:
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causing the display of said click surface on a display screen in said graphical environment and receiving position data from said force feedback device describing a position of at least a portion of the force feedback device adapted to be contacted and manipulated by a user in at least one degree of freedom, wherein a user-controlled cursor is displayed at a position in said graphical environment based on said position data;
providing a force command to said force feedback device causing said force feedback device to output a force to the user when said user-controlled cursor contacts said click surface displayed in said graphical environment;
maintaining a display of said click surface at a point where said cursor first engaged said click surface while said at least a portion of the force feedback device is moved to positions into and past said engagement point of said click surface; and
selecting said function when a trigger point of said click surface positioned past said engagement point of said click surface has been reached by said at least a portion of the force feedback device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of using a force feedback interface device to select a function in a graphical user interface implemented on a host computer, the host computer in communication with the force feedback interface device, the method comprising:
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updating a location of a cursor within said graphical user interface using sensor information received from said force feedback interface device, said sensor information representing motion of at least a portion of said force feedback interface device;
determining when said cursor engages a click surface of a graphical element displayed within said graphical user interface;
providing a force command to said force feedback interface device to cause a force to be output to a user when said cursor engages said click surface;
maintaining a display of said click surface of said graphical element at a point where said cursor first engaged said click surface while said at least a portion of said force feedback interface device is moved into said click surface;
determining when said cursor has moved to or past a trigger location positioned into said click surface;
when said cursor has moved to or past said trigger location, selecting said function within said graphical user interface; and
changing said force to indicate to said user that said function has been selected. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of providing a click surface in a graphical environment implemented on a host computer for use with a force feedback interface device coupled to said host computer, the method comprising:
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determining when a click surface of a first graphical object displayed in a graphical environment is contacted by a user-controlled second graphical object at an original position of said click surface, said user-controlled second graphical object being displayed at a position corresponding to a position of at least a portion of said interface device in a physical object workspace, said at least a portion of said interface device physically contacted by a user and moveable in a degree of freedom;
causing the output of a force to said user, wherein said click surface remains displayed at said original position while said at least a portion of said interface device moves in a direction corresponding to movement into said click surface; and
when said at least a portion of said interface device has moved to or past a trigger position past said original position of said click surface, selecting said first graphical object as if said first graphical object had been selected by an activation of a physical input device on said interface device by said user. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for providing a force feedback click surface in a graphical environment provided by a host computer, said click surface for selecting a function in a graphical user interface implemented on said host computer, said host computer coupled to a force feedback device, the method comprising:
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causing the display of said click surface on a display screen in said graphical environment and receiving position data from said force feedback device describing a position of at least a portion of the force feedback device adapted to be contacted and manipulated by a user in at least one degree of freedom, wherein a user-controlled cursor is displayed at a position in said graphical environment based on said position data;
providing a force command to said force feedback device causing said force feedback device to output a force to the user when said user-controlled cursor contacts said click surface displayed in said graphical environment;
moving a display of said click surface with said cursor when said cursor is moved to positions into and past a point where said cursor first engaged said click surface; and
selecting said function when a trigger point of said click surface positioned past said engagement point of said click surface has been reached by said cursor and thereafter maintaining a display of said click surface at a position other than at a point where said cursor first engaged said click surface, wherein said cursor can be disengaged from said click surface while said display of said click surface is maintained at said position. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification