Clickless tool

• US 7,574,628 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hadi Qassoudi
• Original Assignee: Hadi Qassoudi
• Inventors: Qassoudi, Hadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; David
• Application Number:
  US11/402,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 714/39, 345/163, 345/168, 713/2, 715/704
• US Class Current: 714/39
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

A novel click-less tool system for performing user input device actions on computer systems, such as mouse clicks, automatically and without the need to mechanically perform these actions. All input is carried out by moving the cursor only. The system provides a user with visual trigger windows arranged near the position of the cursor on the screen and which becomes visible for a short period of time whenever the user mouse/input cursor stops. When the user moves the cursor and hovers over one of the visible activator windows, the click-less tool program automatically performs a preprogrammed action, then places the cursor back to where the user stopped before the trigger windows were visible. Once the action is performed the trigger windows disappear.

Claims

1. A system for a user to input commands to a computer system, comprising:

a pointing device to manipulate a cursor on a computer screen,

software means to track the movement of the cursor,

wherein the software means displays a least one trigger window after a time period in which the cursor pauses on a position on the computer screen,

the user moving the cursor to a trigger window and then pausing on said trigger window,

said trigger window designating a pre-selected user input,

the software means returning the cursor to the position on the computer screen when the software means displays said at least one trigger window, and

the software means simulating a user input at the position of the cursor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input is a button press of the input device selected from the group consisting of right button click, left button click, left button double-click, right button double click, middle button click, middle button double-click, left button click and hold, right button click and hold, and middle button click and hold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the time period between the cursor pausing on a position on the computer screen and the software means displays said at least one trigger window is user configurable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of trigger windows displayed is user configurable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein moving the cursor onto a first trigger window triggers the display of secondary trigger windows, each of said secondary trigger windows designating a different user input from the first trigger window.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said software means is a software application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said software means is integrated into the computer system'"'"'s operating system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the appearance of the trigger window is user configurable.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user configurable appearance aspect is chosen from the group consisting of size, opacity, height, width, color, back ground display, distance from the cursor, and border color.

10. A system for a user to input commands to a computer system, comprising:

a pointing device to manipulate a cursor on a computer screen,

software means to track the movement of the cursor,

wherein the software means records the position of the cursor when the cursor stops moving,

the user moving the cursor to a trigger window and then pausing on said trigger window,

said trigger window designating a pre-selected user input,

the software means returning the cursor to said recorded position on the computer screen and the software means simulating a user input at said recorded position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger window remains hidden until after a pre-set period after the cursor stops moving.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger window is always visible.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the user input is a button press of the input device selected from the group consisting of right button click, left button click, left button double-click, right button double click, middle button click, middle button double-click, left button click and hold, right button click and hold, and middle button click and hold.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the time period between the cursor pausing on a position on the computer screen and the software means displays said at least one trigger window is user configurable.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the number of trigger windows displayed is user configurable.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein moving the cursor onto a first trigger window triggers the display of secondary trigger windows, each of said secondary trigger windows designating a different user input from the first trigger window.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said software means is a software application.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said software means is integrated into the computer system'"'"'s operating system.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the appearance of the trigger window is user configurable.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user configurable appearance aspect is chosen from the group consisting of size, opacity, height, width, color, back ground display, distance from the cursor, and border color.