User interactive cursor control in a computer controlled display system with supplemental mouse lighting to aid in cursor positioning

• US 6,819,313 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rojas, Hypatia, Abdelhadi, Sanaa F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US09/801,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/173, 345/158, 345/175, 345/145, 340/325.19, 348/569, 348/520, 348/552
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A visual indication on a cursor control device is triggered when the cursor is within a designated region on said display screen. Usually the user activated cursor control device is a computer control mouse, but the invention may operate effectively with joy sticks and trackballs.

An effective implementation provides a light on the control mouse and the target region on the display screen for the cursor is an icon. The light on the mouse may be a variable light. It may be varied dependent upon the type of region on the screen which is the target region, e.g. one type of light if the target region is a display window and another type of light if the target region is an icon. The variation in the light may be light intensity or color.

Claims

1. In a computer controlled user interactive display having a graphical user interface, a system for controlling cursor movement on the display screen comprising:

a user activated cursor control device connected to said computer and movable in the four orthogonal directions,

means in said computer for converting said user activated orthogonal movements into cursor movements in said four orthogonal directions on said display screen, and

means for providing a visual indication on said cursor control device when said cursor is within a designated region on said display screen.

2. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 1 wherein said user activated cursor control device is a computer control mouse.

3. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 2 wherein said means for providing a visual indication comprises a light on said computer control mouse.

4. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 3 wherein said designated region on said display screen is an icon.

5. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 3 further including means for varying said light.

6. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 5 wherein said means vary the light dependent upon the type of designated region said cursor is within.

7. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 5 wherein said light is varied in intensity.

8. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 5 wherein said light is varied in color.

9. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 3 further including means for varying the light as the cursor approaches the designated region.

10. The system for controlling cursor movement of claim 9 wherein said means vary the light by providing an intermittent light pattern varying as the cursor approaches the designated region.

11. In a computer controlled user interactive display having a graphical user interface with a user activated cursor control device connected to said computer and movable in the four orthogonal directions, a method for controlling cursor movement on the display screen comprising:

providing a visual indication on said cursor control device when said cursor is within a designated region on said display screen.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said user activated cursor control device is a computer control mouse.

13. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 12 wherein said visual indication comprises lighting on said computer control mouse.

14. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 13 wherein said designated region on said display screen is an icon.

15. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 13 further including the step of varying said lighting.

16. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 15 wherein said lighting is varied dependent upon the type of designated region said cursor is within.

17. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 15 wherein said light is varied in intensity.

18. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 15 wherein said light is varied in color.

19. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 13 further including the step of varying the light as the cursor approaches the designated region.

20. The method of controlling cursor movement of claim 19 wherein said light is varied by providing an intermittent light pattern varying as the cursor approaches the designated region.

21. A computer program having data structures included on a computer readable medium for controlling cursor movement on the display screen in a computer controlled user interactive display having a graphical user interface with a user activated cursor control device connected to said computer and movable in the four orthogonal directions, said computer program comprising:

means for converting said user activated orthogonal movements into cursor movements in said four orthogonal directions on said display screen, and

means for providing a visual indication on said cursor control device when said cursor is within a designated region on said display screen.

22. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 21 wherein said user activated cursor control device is a computer control mouse.

23. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 22 wherein said means for providing a visual indication comprises a light on said computer control mouse.

24. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 23 wherein said designated region on said display screen is an icon.

25. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 23 further including means for varying said light.

26. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 25 wherein said means vary the light dependent upon the type of designated region said cursor is within.

27. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 25 wherein said light is varied in intensity.

28. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 25 wherein said light is varied in color.

29. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 23 further including means for varying the light as the cursor approaches the designated region.

30. The computer program for controlling cursor movement of claim 29 wherein said means vary the light by providing an intermittent light pattern varying as the cursor approaches the designated region.