Method and system for graphically indicating a valid input within a graphical user interface

• US 6,337,702 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ryan, Jeffrey M., Bates, Cary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/735,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/856, 345/857, 345/858, 345/859, 345/860, 345/861, 345/862
• US Class Current: 715/857
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A data processing system and method of graphically indicating a valid input are provided. In accordance with the present invention, a graphical display including one or more regions is displayed within a display device of a data processing system. In addition, a graphical object corresponding to the user input device is displayed within the display device. A particular one of the one or more regions is then identified. An aspect of the graphical object indicates whether or not manipulation of the user input device will generate an input while the particular region is identified.

Claims

1. A method within a data processing system of graphically indicating a valid input, wherein said data processing system includes a display device and a graphical pointing device having a plurality of user-activated buttons, said method comprising:

displaying a graphical display within said display device, said graphical display including one or more regions and a graphical pointer that has a location within said graphical display determined by said graphical pointing device;

identifying a particular region among said one or more regions; and

displaying, within said graphical pointer, a graphical representation of said graphical pointing device, said graphical representation of said graphical pointing device including a plurality of areas that each correspond to a respective one of said plurality of user-activated buttons, wherein an aspect of said plurality of areas indicates whether or not pressing two of said user-activated buttons substantially simultaneously will generate a valid input when said graphical pointer is positioned within said particular region.