Display-pointer visibility

• US 7,586,481 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Howard A., Hayward, David, Paquette, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Long
• Application Number:
  US11/126,096
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 342/183, 715/711, 715/754, 715856-863
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• 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

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for accentuating a pointer. An idle time period associated with a pointer relating to a display is monitored. A determination is made whether a termination of the idle time period associated with the pointer has occurred based upon the monitoring. A representation of the pointer is modified in response to the termination of the idle time period associated with the pointer.

Claims

1. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method, comprising:

monitoring an idle time period associated with a pointer relating to a display;

determining whether a termination of said idle time period associated with the pointer has occurred based upon said monitoring, wherein determining whether the termination has occurred comprises determining whether a stimulation event has occurred, wherein determining whether the stimulation event has occurred comprises determining whether a change in an acceleration relating to a device associated with said pointer has occurred, wherein determining whether a change in the acceleration has occurred comprises;

calculating at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer; and

comparing the at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer to a pre-defined value; and

modifying a representation of said pointer in response to said termination of said idle time period associated with said pointer.

2. The computer readable program storage device of claim 1,

wherein the computer is communicatively coupled to an input device.

3. The computer readable program storage device of claim 1,

wherein modifying a representation of said pointer further comprises at least one of modifying the size of said pointer, animating said pointer, modifying a color associated with said pointer, dimming at least a portion of one or more regions associated with said display to highlight said pointer, dimming a plurality of display devices to highlight a regions associated with said pointer, highlighting a plurality of pointers associated with said display, and or providing an audible cue for locating said pointer.

4. A display apparatus, comprising a controller adapted to:

monitor an idle time period associated with a pointer relating to a display;

determine whether a termination of said idle time period associated with the pointer has occurred based upon said monitoring, wherein determining whether the termination has occurred comprises determining whether an input event has occurred, wherein determining whether the input event has occurred comprises determining whether a change in an acceleration relating to a device associated with said pointer has occurred, wherein determining whether a change in the acceleration has occurred comprises;

calculating at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer; and

comparing the at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer to a pre-defined value;

and

modify a representation of said pointer in response to said termination of said idle time period associated with said pointer.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to an input device.

6. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein said controller is further adapted modify the size of said pointer, animate said pointer, modify a color associated with said pointer, dim at least a portion of one or more regions associated with said display to highlight said pointer, dim a plurality of display devices to highlight a regions associated with said pointer, highlight a plurality of pointers associated with said display, or provide an audible cue for locating said pointer.

7. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein said controller is adapted to brighten a circular portion of said display upon which said pointer is displayed, wherein said circular portion of the display is a circular region around said pointer, wherein brightening of said circular portion is relative to the brightness of the remaining portion of said display.

8. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein said input event is based upon a depression of an input key of an external source from the group consisting a keyboard, a pen input device, a voice input device, or a touch screen input unit.

9. The display apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an interface operatively coupled to said controller, said interface to receive data relating to controlling said pointer and provide said data to said controller.

15. The display apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an interface operatively coupled to said controller, said interface to receive data relating to controlling said pointer and provide said data to said controller.

10. A method, comprising:

monitoring an idle time period associated with a pointer relating to a display;

determining whether a termination of said idle time period associated with the pointer has occurred based upon said monitoring, wherein determining whether the termination has occurred comprises determining whether an input event has occurred, wherein determining whether the input event has occurred comprises determining whether a change in an acceleration relating to a device associated with said pointer has occurred, wherein determining whether a change in the acceleration has occurred comprises;

calculating at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer; and

comparing the at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer to a pre-defined value; and

modifying a representation of said pointer in response to said termination of said idle time period associated with said pointer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer is communicatively coupled to an input device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying a representation of said pointer further comprises at least one of modifying the size of said pointer, animating said pointer, modifying a color associated with said pointer, dimming at least a portion of one or more regions associated with said display to highlight said pointer, dimming a plurality of display devices to highlight a regions associated with said pointer, highlighting a plurality of pointers associated with said display, or providing an audible cue for locating said pointer.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising brightening a circular portion of said display upon which said pointer is displayed, wherein said circular portion of the display is a circular region around said pointer, wherein brightening of said circular portion is relative to the brightness of the remaining portion of said display.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the input event has occurred comprises determining whether an input based upon a depression of an input key of an external source from the group consisting of a keyboard, a pen input device, a voice input device, or a touch screen input unit, has occurred.

16. A system, comprising:

a display device for displaying data and a pointer;

a data input device capable of controlling said pointer; and

a controller operatively coupled to said display device, said controller adapted to;

monitor an idle time period associated with said pointer displayed on said display device;

determine whether a termination of said idle time period associated with the pointer has occurred based upon said monitoring, wherein determining whether the termination has occurred comprises determining whether an input event has occurred, wherein determining whether the input event has occurred comprises determining whether a change in an acceleration relating to a data input device has occurred, wherein determining whether a change in the acceleration has occurred comprises;

calculating at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer; and

comparing the at least one of an acceleration of the pointer or a change in the acceleration of the pointer to a pre-defined value;

and

modify a representation of said pointer in response to said termination of said idle time period associated with said pointer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said data input device is at least one of a mouse, a pen device, a trackball device, an audio input device, and a keyboard.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is capable of determining whether a user is attempting to locate said pointer based upon an input signal received by said controller.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said input signal is one of a movement of a mouse, a movement of a pen peripheral device, an audio command, and a predetermined data entry of a key relating to a keyboard.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is adapted to perform at least one of modifying the size of said pointer, animating said pointer, modifying a color associated with said pointer, dimming at least a portion of one or more regions associated with said display device to highlight said pointer, and providing an audible cue for locating said pointer.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is integrated into a computer system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said cursor controller is a portion of an operating system associated with said computer system.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein said computer system comprises a cursor controller capable of modifying said pointer.