Cursor display privacy product

• US 7,034,803 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reiffel Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Leonard Reiffel
• Inventors: Reiffel, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer T.
• Application Number:
  US10/344,457
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 715/856, 715/857, 715/858
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

The privacy product—used with an information system which has a data processor (71) signal connected (72) to a display device (81) and has an input device (51, 51A) signal connected (52, 52A) to the data processor with the input device being manipulated (21) by a person to control cursor motions—comprises a computer readable signal bearing medium (11) signal connected (14) to the data processor with the medium having a chaff component (12) which causes the data processor to cause the display device to display (82) a chaff path (31A) which is indistinguishable from the cursor path (31) by a sequent person.

Claims

1. A privacy product used with an information system, the information system comprising:

a data processor;

a display device signal connected to the data processor; and

an input device signal connected to the data processor, the input device being manipulated by a person to control cursor motions, the input device sending a motion signal to the data processor, the data processor using the motion signal to generate a cursor component of a display signal sent to the display device, the cursor component causing the display device to display a cursor path representing cursor motions;

the privacy product comprising;

a computer readable signal bearing medium signal connected to the data processor; and

a chaff component of the medium, the chaff component causing the data processor to add a chaff component to the display signal, the chaff component causing the display device to display a chaff path which is indistinguishable from the cursor path by a sequent person.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein the cursor path comprises a blinking cursor and the chaff path comprises a blinking chaff cursor.

3. The product of claim 2 wherein the blinking cursor changes shape and the blinking chaff cursor changes shape.

4. The product of claim 1 wherein the cursor path comprises a shape changing cursor and the chaff path comprises a shape changing chaff cursor.

5. The product of claim 1 further comprising a segment component of the medium, the segment component causing the data processor to segment the cursor component of the display signal so that the cursor component causes the display device to display cursor path segments representing cursor motion segments.

6. A privacy product used with an information system, the information system comprising:

a data processor;

a display device signal connected to the data processor;

an input device signal connected to the data processor, the input device being manipulated by a person to control cursor motions, the input device sending a motion signal to the data processor, the data processor using the motion signal to generate a cursor component of a display signal sent to the display device, the cursor component causing the display device to display a cursor path representing cursor motions; and

a sequent input device signal connected to the data processor, the sequent input device being manipulated by a sequent person to control sequent cursor motions, the sequent input device sending a sequent motion signal to the data processor, the data processor using the sequent motion signal to generate a sequent cursor component of the display signal, the sequent cursor component causing the display device to display a sequent cursor path representing sequent cursor motions;

the privacy product comprising;

a computer readable signal bearing medium signal connected to the data processor; and

a chaff component of the medium, the chaff component causing the data processor to add a chaff component to the display signal, the chaff component causing the display device to display a chaff path which is indistinguishable from the cursor path by the sequent person, and the chaff component causing the display device to display a sequent chaff path which is indistinguishable from the sequent cursor path by the person.

7. The product of claim 6 further comprising a segment component of the medium, the segment component causing the data processor to segment the cursor component of the display signal and to segment the sequent cursor component of the signal so that the display signal causes the display device to display cursor path segments and sequent cursor path segments representing cursor motion segments and sequent cursor motion segments.

8. A privacy product used with an information system, the information system comprising:

a data processor;

a display device signal connected to the data processor;

an input device signal connected to the data processor, the input device being manipulated by a person to control cursor motions, the input device sending a motion signal to the data processor, the data processor using the motion signal to generate a cursor component of a display signal sent to the display device, the cursor component causing the display device to display a cursor path representing cursor motions; and

a sequent input device signal connected to the data processor, the sequent input device being manipulated by a sequent person to control sequent cursor motions, the sequent input device sending a sequent motion signal to the data processor, the data processor using the sequent motion signal to generate a sequent cursor component of the display signal, the sequent cursor component causing the display device to display a sequent cursor path representing sequent cursor motions;

the privacy product comprising;

a computer readable signal bearing medium signal connected to the data processor;

a chaff component of the medium, the chaff component causing the data processor to add a chaff component to the signal, the chaff component causing the display device to display a chaff path which is indistinguishable from the cursor path by the sequent person, and the chaff component causing the display device to display a sequent chaff path which is indistinguishable from the sequent cursor path by the person; and

a segment component of the medium, the segment component causing the data processor to segment the cursor component of the signal and to segment the sequent cursor component of the signal so that the display signal causes the display device to display cursor path segments and sequent cursor path segments representing cursor motion segments and sequent cursor motion segments.