System and method for acquiring a target with intelligent pointer movement

• US 7,383,517 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Eversole, Adam, Hellyar, Paul S., Baudisch, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulrich; Nicholas S
• Application Number:
  US10/829,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 715/701, 715/862, 715/856, 715/858, 715/857
• US Class Current: 715/857
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to assisting users to position a pointer on a target. Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium that guide a pointer toward a target. After the pointer is located on a target, pointer movement continues to be adjusted so that the user may easily keep the pointer located on the target.

Claims

1. A user interface that displays graphics on a computer display including a pointer that may be relocated on the computer display by a user employing an input device, the user interface operative to:

receive notice of pointer movement events and pointer selection events;

communicate with an operating system to obtain event data associated with pointer movement and selection events;

allow application programs to create GUI objects comprised of a guide area and a target, wherein adjusted coordinate positions for the pointer are identified when the pointer is inside a guide area so that movement of the point is redirected toward the target, and wherein pointer movement inside the guide area is non-linear in one component direction in relation to movement of the input device;

wherein allowing application programs to create GUI objects comprised of a guide area and a target includes;

determining whether guide areas on the user interface are scheduled to overlap;

if a determination is made that guide areas are scheduled to overlap, preventing the guide areas from overlapping; and

cause the operating system to display the pointer at the adjusted coordinate position.

2. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein preventing the guide areas from overlapping includes shortening the length of guide areas from competing targets that are scheduled to overlap.

3. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein preventing the guide areas from overlapping includes changing the angle that the guide area extends outward from a corresponding target toward a competing target.

4. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide areas that correspond to a target may be configured to redirect pointer movement in any direction on the computer display.

5. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the amount that pointer movement is redirected toward the target in one component direction increases as the proximity of the pointer is closer to the target.