Computer pointing device having theme identification means

• US 6,392,671 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence F. Glaser
• Inventors: Glaser, Lawrence F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/178,738
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 345/334, 345/339, 345/333, 345/157, 345/163, 345/145, 345/172, 345/861, 345/765, 345/789, 345/744-745, 345/747, 345/866, 345/158
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A pointing device operable with a computer system having a graphical user interface. The pointing device includes a unique identifier that is associated with the pointing device, wherein a theme of the graphical user interface is automatically changed in accordance with the unique identifier. The theme may be a desktop theme. The unique identifier may also initiate a security protocol.

Claims

1. A pointing device operable with a computer system having a graphical user interface, the pointing device comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting data between the pointing device and the computer system; and

identification means for presenting to the computer system, via the transmitting means, a unique identifier associated with the pointing device, wherein a theme of the graphical user interface is changed in accordance with the unique identifier presented by the transmitting means to the computer system.

2. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting data between the pointing device and the computer comprises a cable.

3. The pointing device of claim 2, wherein the cable is modularly coupled with the pointing device.

4. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting data between the pointing device and the computer comprises an optoelectronic transmitter and receiver.

5. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting comprises an electromagnetic transmitter and receiver.

6. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the identification means comprises a semiconductor memory which is disposed in the pointing device.

7. The pointing device of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor memory is non-volatile.

8. The pointing device of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor memory is modifiable.

9. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier corresponds to a pointer stored in a look-up table that is stored in the computer system.

10. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier further includes user data.

11. The pointing device of claim 10, wherein the unique identifier further includes user preferences.

12. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the theme includes at least one of background color, cursor shape, wallpaper design, icon shape, sounds, button shape and control bar color.

13. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is identifiable by an operating system of the computer system.

14. The pointing device of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is automatically identifiable by the operating system.

15. The pointing device of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier can be masked from the computer system.

16. The point device of claim 1, wherein the pointing device is wireless.

17. The pointing device of claim 16, wherein a single wireless mouse only of a plurality of wireless mice is active at any one time.

18. A computer input device, comprising:

one or more control elements for inputting information to a computer system;

a connection port for connection of the device to the computer system; and

means for identifying, to a device driver contained in the computer system, the computer input device as one of a plurality of computer input devices, each of the plurality of computer input devices being associated with a unique theme, wherein said theme is displayed on a screen of the computer system in response to said identification of the computer input device.

19. A computer system, comprising:

a microprocessor unit having a device driver,

a display, and

at least one peripheral input device removably attachable to the microprocessor unit, the device driver altering a unique desktop theme associated with the microprocessor unit to a unique theme associated with the peripheral input device when the peripheral input device is attached to the microprocessor unit.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the input device is encoded with a unique code associated with the unique desktop theme associated with the peripheral input device.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the microprocessor unit includes a device driver for identifying the unique code of the input device.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the device driver includes a plurality of pointers to files containing unique displays.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the device driver can be disabled such that any existing display remains unchanged.

24. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the microprocessor unit is connected to a network, and the device driver automatically receives the unique desktop theme associated with the peripheral input device via the network.

25. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the input device is one of a mouse and a track ball.

26. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the at least one peripheral input device is removably attachable without re-booting the computer system.

27. A computer system, comprising:

a peripheral device;

memory means for storing a unique theme associated with the peripheral device, the theme being displayable by a graphical user interface of the computer system; and

display means for displaying the graphical user interface including the theme associated with the peripheral device.

28. The computer system of claim 27, wherein the theme is, upon connection of the peripheral device to the computer system, automatically displayed by the graphical user interface.

29. A computer system, comprising:

a microprocessor further comprising a device driver;

a display including a graphical user interface; and

at least one peripheral input device wherein each of said at least one peripheral input devices comprises a user data file, wherein the user data file is associated with a unique desktop theme, and wherein said microprocessor, upon detection of said user data file, performs a change to said graphical user interface, wherein said change displays said unique desktop theme.