Input method using pointing device and portable information terminal with function thereof
First Claim
1. An input method comprising the steps of:
- reporting to an application an emulated latch state in response to continuous ON operation of a pointing device beyond a predetermined period, said emulated latch state emulating the ON state for the application even when the OFF operation of the pointing device has taken place; and
providing humanly perceivable indicia that said emulated latch state exists;
wherein operation of the pointing device is measured by starting a timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the ON state and by stopping the timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the OFF state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an input method using the pointing device in which the pointing device'"'"'s ON operation causes an application to recognize that the state of the pointing device has transitioned to an ON state and the pointing device'"'"'s OFF operation causes the application to recognize that the state of the pointing device has transitioned to an OFF state. The input method includes responding to the ON operation of the pointing device maintained in a certain period and bringing about a latch state in which the pointing device remains in the ON state for the application even if the OFF operation of the pointing device has taken place; and executing a program for informing a user that the latch state has been brought about.
9 Citations
8 Claims
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1. An input method comprising the steps of:
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reporting to an application an emulated latch state in response to continuous ON operation of a pointing device beyond a predetermined period, said emulated latch state emulating the ON state for the application even when the OFF operation of the pointing device has taken place; and
providing humanly perceivable indicia that said emulated latch state exists;
wherein operation of the pointing device is measured by starting a timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the ON state and by stopping the timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the OFF state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
detecting, while the operation of the pointing device is in said emulated latch state, that the operation of the pointing device has again transitioned to the ON state; and
terminating, based on said detection, said emulated latch state.
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5. A computer system comprising:
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a pointing device port which accepts ON/OFF signals provided by a pointing device, the ON/OFF signals being indicative of pointing device ON/OFF operation; and
a pointing device latch state recognition routine which monitors said port for the state of the ON/OFF signals and reports signal state information to any application requesting such state information;
said recognition routine being effective to;
report to the application an emulated latch state in response to a continuous ON signal over a predetermined time period, said emulated latch state emulating an ON state for the application even when any OFF signal has taken place; and
provide humanly perceivable indicia that said emulated latch state exists;
wherein said continuous ON signal is measured by starting a timer upon transition to said ON state and by stopping the timer upon detection of any OFF signal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
detect, while in said emulated latch state, that a subsequent ON signal has again transitioned to the ON state; and
terminate, based on said detection, said emulated latch state.
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Specification