Method of interacting with a computer using a proximity sensor in a computer input device

• US 6,559,830 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Holmdahl, Todd E., Brewer, Timothy T., Sinclair, Michael J., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Kaneko, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/543,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156-184, 345/856-862, 345/808, 345/822, 345/701, 345/702
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

In a method of the present invention, a device message is generated indicating that a touch sensor on an input device has been touched without indicating what location on the touch sensor has been touched. The device message is routed to an application and instructions within the application are executed based on the device message.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a display, an input device separate from the display and a graphical user interface appearing on the display, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first portion that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display and that is displayed when a user is not touching the input device separate from the display; and

a second portion that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display but is not displayed when the user is not touching the input device separate from the display, wherein the second portion is a tool tip.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a mouse.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a track ball.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a joystick.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a game pad.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input device is a keyboard.

7. In a computer system including a display, an input device separate from the display and a graphical user interface appearing on the display, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first portion that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display and that is displayed when a user is not touching the input device separate from the display; and

a second portion that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display but is not displayed when the user is not touching the input device separate from the display, wherein the input device is a headset.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein the second portion is a toolbar.

9. In a computer system including a display and an input device separate from the display, the display comprising:

a graphical user interface appearing on the display;

a first portion of said graphical user interface that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display and that is displayed when a user is not touching the input device separate from the display; and

a second portion that is displayed when the user is touching the input device separate from the display but is not displayed when the user is not touching the input device separate from the display, wherein the second portion is the image of a cursor.