Windows display method and apparatus for the left-handed mouse

• US 6,476,832 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Avartar, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Seong-Kook
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/329,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 345/856-862, 345/781, 345/788, 345/789, 345/163-167, 345/786
• US Class Current: 715/789
• 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

Abstract

A method for displaying on-screen windows for use in a graphic user interface environment is provided. This method is carried out in a computer system using a mouse device, the method is made up of: determining whether the mouse button setting has been made for the right-hand operating mode or the left-hand operating mode; and creating a left-hand mode window in which control buttons thereof are placed generally at the left side of windows if the mouse button setting is for the left-hand mode. As usual, the method further comprises the step of creating a window in which control buttons thereof are placed generally at the right side of the window, if the mouse button has set for the right-hand mode.

Claims

1. A computer running in a Windows operating system, comprising:

a bus transferring data;

an input device coupled to said bus entering said data;

a microprocessor coupled to said bus processing said data;

a display configuring a display window by positioning control buttons on a left hand side of said display window if a user has set mouse control buttons for left-handed use and positioning control buttons on a right hand side of said display window if a user has set mouse control buttons for right-handed use; and

a subroutine in a kernel of said Windows operating system causing scroll bars and control buttons to be left justified or right justified when said mouse buttons are set to left handed or right handed respectively.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein said control buttons comprise scroll buttons, maximize buttons, close window buttons and iconize buttons.

3. A personal computer running in Windows operating system, comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling the overall functions of said computer;

a bus for transferring data;

a display electronically connected to said computer displaying Windows in right handed mode and left handed mode depending on whether a user has previously set mouse buttons for right-handed or left-handed use, respectively, said Windows in right handed mode each having a scroll tab and scroll up and scroll down buttons on a right side of each window and having iconize, close window and maximize window control buttons at said right side of each window, said Windows in left handed mode having a scroll tab and scroll up and scroll down buttons on a left side of each window and having iconize, close window and maximize window control buttons at said left side of each window; and

a subroutine in a kernel of said Windows operating system causing scroll bars, scroll buttons, iconize buttons, close Windows buttons and maximize Windows buttons to be left justified or right justified when said mouse buttons are set to left handed or right handed respectively.

4. The computer of claim 3, said iconize, said close window and said maximize window control buttons being on top of each window but positioned as far to the right of each window as possible when said mouse buttons are set to right handed mode and said iconize, said close window and said maximize window control buttons being on top of each window but positioned as far to the left of each window as possible when said mouse buttons are set to left handed mode.

5. The computer of claim 3, further comprising a mouse comprising a left mouse button and a right mouse button and a track ball serving to move a cursor across said display, said mouse buttons used to open and close applications, including windows, said mouse providing said computer input from said user whether to display said windows in said left handed mode or said right handed mode.