Method for moving a pointing cursor

• US 6,466,199 B2
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ogura, Tsuyoshi, Takase, Harumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US09/354,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20020003529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145-169, 345/339-352, 345/856-858, 345/810, 345/827, 463/37, 463/38
• US Class Current: 345/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 method for moving a pointing cursor wherein the pointing cursor moving toward a target to be processed is temporarily halted when it enters an area of the target to be processed, and it is made to move beyond the area to be processed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

Claims

1. A method for altering a moving sensitivity of a pointing cursor relative to a movement of a pointing device, comprising the sequential steps of:

a) first determining if a movement of the pointing device is less than a threshold speed;

b) if it has been determined in step a) that the movement of said pointing device is less than the threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor has entered an area of a target to be processed;

c) if it has been determined in step b) that said pointing cursor has entered the area of said target to be processed, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by temporarily halting the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device at the target to be processed; and

d) if the moving sensitivity of said pointing cursor has been altered in step c), then permitting said pointing cursor to resume movement beyond said area of said target to be processed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

2. The method for altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

e) if it has been determined in step a) that the movement of said pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor is moving toward a target to be processed and is within a predetermined distance from said target to be processed; and

f) if it has been determined in step e) that said pointing cursor is moving toward a target to be processed and is within a predetermined distance from said target to be processed, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by accelerating the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed.

3. A method for altering a moving sensitivity of a pointing cursor relative to a movement of a pointing device, comprising the sequential steps of:

a) first determining if a movement of the pointing device is less than a threshold speed;

b) if it has been determined in step a) that the movement of said pointing device is less than the threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor has entered an area of a target to be processed; and

c) if it has been determined in step b) that said pointing cursor has entered the area of said target to be processed, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by slowing down the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed.

4. The method for altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

d) if it has been determined in step a) that the movement of said pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor is moving toward a target to be processed and is within a predetermined distance from said target to be processed; and

e) if it has been determined in step e) that said pointing cursor is moving toward a target to be processed and is within a predetermined distance from said target to be processed, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by accelerating the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed.

5. A method for altering a moving sensitivity of a pointing cursor relative to a movement of a pointing device, comprising the steps of:

a) first determining if a movement of the pointing device is less than a threshold speed;

b) if a determination has been made in step a) that the movement of the pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor has entered an area of a target to be processed;

c) if a determination has been made in step b) that the pointing device has entered the area of said target to be processed, then determining if a halting mode has been activated for the pointing device, and if so, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by temporarily halting the movement of said pointing cursor at the target to be processed; and

d) if a determination has been made in step b) that the pointing device has entered the area of said target to be processed, then determining if a slowing mode has been activated for the pointing device, and if so, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by slowing down the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed.

6. A method for altering a moving sensitivity of a pointing cursor relative to a movement of a pointing device, comprising the steps of:

a) first determining if a movement of the pointing device is less than a threshold speed;

b) if a determination has been made in step a) that the movement of the pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor is moving toward a target to be processed and is within a predetermined distance from said target to be processed, and if so, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by accelerating the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed;

c) if a determination has been made in step a) that the movement of the pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor has entered an area of said target to be processed and if a halting mode has been activated for the pointing device, and if so, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by temporarily halting the movement of said pointing cursor at the target to be processed; and

d) if a determination has been made in step a) that the movement of the pointing device is less than said threshold speed, then determining if the pointing cursor has entered the area of said target to be processed and if a slowing mode has been activated for the pointing device, and if so, then altering the moving sensitivity of the pointing cursor by slowing down the movement of said pointing cursor relative to the movement of the pointing device toward the target to be processed.