Method, article of manufacture and apparatus for processing screen pointers in a display

• US 6,489,981 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Steven Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US09/644,779
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 345/856-862, 345/157
• US Class Current: 715/862
• 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, article of manufacture, and apparatus for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity. A determination is made as to whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer. If the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer, at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer is altered to prevent the second screen pointer from obstructing the first screen pointer.

Claims

1. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a threshold number of characters of the second screen pointer; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the threshold number of characters of the second screen pointer.

2. A method for processing a text cursor and a mouser pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, the method comprising:

determining whether the text cursor moves within a first predetermined distance of the mouse pointer, and

altering at least one of the text cursor and the mouse pointer If the text cursor moves within the first predetermined distance of the mouse pointer.

3. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

moving the second screen pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position in the active window if the first screen pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

4. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

moving the second screen pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position outside of the active window if the first screen pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

5. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer, wherein altering comprises moving the active window containing the first screen pointer, where the first screen pointer is moved from a first position in the viewable screen area to a second position in the viewable screen area.

6. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

making the second screen pointer appear semi-transparent to a user viewing the viewable screen area if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

7. A method for processing a text cursor and a mouser pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, the method comprising:

determining whether the mouse pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the text cursor; and

moving the mouse pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position in the active window if the mouse pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the text cursor.

8. An apparatus for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a window display program;

a display device for displaying the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer in the active window of the viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in the viewable screen area in response to user activity, and

a processor, coupled to the memory and the display device, for performing an operation upon executing the window display program retrieved from the memory, the operation comprising;

determining whether the first screen pointer is within a threshold number of characters from the second screen pointer; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer is within a threshold number of characters from the second screen pointer.

9. An apparatus for processing a text cursor and a mouse pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a window display program;

a display device for displaying the text cursor and the mouse pointer in the active window of the viewable screen area; and

a processor, coupled to the memory and the display device, for performing an operation upon executing the window display program retrieved from the memory, the operation comprising;

determining whether the text cursor moves within a predetermined distance of the mouse pointer; and

altering at least one of the text cursor and the mouse pointer if the text cursor moves within the predetermined distance of the mouse pointer.

10. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether a first screen pointer moves within a threshold number of characters of a second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the threshold number of characters of the second screen pointer.

11. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether a text cursor moves within a predetermined distance of a mouse pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the text cursor moves in response to user activity; and

altering at least one of the text cursor and the mouse pointer if the text cursor moves within the predetermined distance of characters of the mouse pointer.

12. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

moving the second screen pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position in the active window if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

13. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

moving the second screen pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position outside of the active window if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

14. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer, wherein altering comprises moving the active window containing the first screen pointer, where the first screen pointer is moved from a first position in the viewable screen area to a second position in the viewable screen area.

15. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a predetermined distance of the second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

making the second screen pointer appear semi-transparent to a user viewing the viewable screen area if the first screen pointer moves within the predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

16. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether a mouse pointer moves within a predetermined distance of a text cursor within an active window of a viewable screen area; and

moving the mouse pointer from a first position in the active window to a second position in the active window if the mouse pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the text cursor.

17. A method for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity, the method comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer;

whereby the second screen pointer is prevented from obstructing a user'"'"'s view of the first screen pointer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of altering comprises:

changing the appearance of the second screen pointer in the viewable screen area.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of changing comprises:

making the second screen pointer appear invisible to a user viewing the viewable screen area.

20. The method or claim 18, further comprising:

restoring the appearance of the second screen pointer when the first screen pointer moves outside a second predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the first screen pointer comprises a text cursor and the second screen pointer comprises a mouse cursor.

22. An apparatus for processing a first screen pointer and a second screen pointer in an active window of a viewable screen area, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a window display program;

a display device for displaying the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer in the active window of the viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in the viewable screen area in response to user activity, and

a processor, coupled to the memory and the display device, for performing an operation upon executing the window display program retrieved from the memory, the operation comprising;

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer;

whereby the second screen pointer is prevented from obstructing a user'"'"'s view of the first screen pointer.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the step of altering comprises:

changing the appearance of the second screen pointer in the viewable screen area.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first screen pointer comprises a text cursor and the second screen pointer comprises a mouse cursor.

25. A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a processor of a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:

determining whether the first screen pointer moves within a first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer within an active window of a viewable screen area, where the first screen pointer moves in response to user activity; and

altering at least one of the first screen pointer and the second screen pointer if the first screen pointer moves within the first predetermined distance of the second screen pointer;

whereby the second screen pointer is prevented from obstructing a user'"'"'s view of the first screen pointer.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the step of altering comprises:

changing the appearance of the second screen pointer in the viewable screen area.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the step of changing comprises:

making the second screen pointer appear invisible to a user viewing the viewable screen area.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26 wherein the operation further comprises:

restoring the appearance of the second screen pointer when the first screen pointer moves outside a second predetermined distance of the second screen pointer.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the first screen pointer comprises a text cursor and the second screen pointer comprises a mouse cursor.