Automatic mapping of pointing devices to multiple displays

• US 7,757,186 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fabrick, Richard W. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US10/614,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,563 Days
• Field of Search: 715/856, 715/862
• US Class Current: 715/862
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An automatic pointing device mapping method (400, 420) and associated apparatus for automatically remapping the active area (12) of a graphics tablet (10) to a plurality of displays (122, 124), such as might be used in conjunction with a graphics program (130), a CAD program, or the like. Proximity zones (230, 232) are established along the edge of the active area (12). When a stylus (146) is moved into one of the proximity zones (230, 232), the graphics tablet (10) is switched to control the display (122, 124) in the corresponding direction, provided such a display (122, 124) exists in that direction. In one embodiment data regarding an elapsed time data (220), which is the time the stylus (146) has remained in the proximity zone (230, 232) is monitored, such that the multi-display system (110) is not remapped until the stylus (146) has remained in the proximity zone (230, 232) until a preset time (218) has elapsed.

Claims

1. An input device control method for mapping an absolute input device to a plurality of displays, comprising:

mapping the absolute input device to a first one of the displays;

detecting a position indicated by the absolute input device;

determining if the position indicated by the absolute input device is a position that corresponds to another one of the displays; and

remapping the absolute input device to the other one of the displays.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position corresponding to the other display is near an edge.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the edge is an edge of a graphics tablet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the edge is an edge of an active display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute input device is an absolute pointing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute input device includes a graphics tablet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute input device includes a stylus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein remapping the absolute input device includes changing which of the plurality of displays is controlled by the absolute input device.

9. The method of claim 1, and further including a preliminary step of defining the width of a proximity zone near an edge to establish the position corresponding to the other monitor.

10. The method of claim 1, and further including a preliminary step of identifying and storing the relative positions each of the plurality of displays.

11. The method of claim 1, and further including:

a preliminary step of recording the existence or nonexistence of a display on the left of each of the plurality of displays; and

a preliminary step of recording the existence or nonexistence of a display on the right of each of the plurality of displays.

12. The method of claim 1, and further including determining how long the absolute input device has indicated the position corresponding to the other one of the displays.

13. The method of claim 1, and further including:

a preliminary step of setting an elapsed time which the absolute input device must remain indicating a position near an edge before the absolute input device is remapped.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the position indicated by the absolute input device is a position that corresponds to another one of the displays includes:

determining which of the plurality of displays is inactive display;

determining whether the absolute input device is indicating a position near a specific edge; and

determining if there is a display in a direction indicated by the specific edge.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the position indicated by the absolute input device is a left edge.

16. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform:

the method of claim 1.

17. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 2.

18. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 3.

19. An electronically readable storage medium having, code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 4.

20. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 5.

21. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 6.

22. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 7.

23. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 8.

24. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 9.

25. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 10.

26. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 11.

27. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 12.

28. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 13.

29. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 14.

30. An electronically readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 15.

31. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a position field containing data representing a position for triggering a process for remapping an absolute input device to another display; and

a position field containing data representing the position of the absolute input device; and

wherein

the position field contains data representing the width of an area near an edge.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein:

the absolute input device includes a graphics tablet and a stylus; and

the edge is an edge of the graphics tablet.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, and further including a preset time field containing data representing an activation time period.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, and further including an elapsed time field containing data representing an elapsed time.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the elapsed time is a time which the absolute input device has remained in a designated zone.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, and further including an adjacent monitor field containing data representing the presence of a display adjacent an active monitor.

37. A graphics display system comprising:

a plurality of displays;

a pointing device;

a position monitor; and

a remapper responsive to output from said position monitor, and operative to automatically remap the position monitor from one of the displays to another one of the displays.

38. A graphics display system comprising:

a plurality of displays;

an absolute input device;

means for receiving position data via said absolute input devices; and

means for automatically remapping the absolute input device from one of the displays to another one of the displays responsive to said position data.

39. A method for mapping an absolute input device to multiple displays, said method comprising:

mapping the absolute input device to a first display;

receiving position data from a user via said absolute input device; and

automatically remapping the absolute input device to a second display responsive to said position data.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of automatically remapping the absolute input device to the second display includes:

receiving a predefined input via the absolute input device indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to use the second display; and

remapping the absolute input device to the second display responsive to receipt of the predefined input.

41. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first field containing data indicative of a particular display; and

a second field containing data indicative of said particular display'"'"'s position relative to a second display; and

wherein said data contained in said second field is further indicative of a location for triggering a process for remapping an absolute input device between said second display and said particular display.

42. A computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein:

said second field contains perimeter coordinates associated with a display area of said particular display.

43. A computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein said second field contains data indicative of the position of a boundary between said particular display and said second display.

44. A computer-readable medium according to claim 43, wherein said data structure further comprises a third field containing data indicative of said second display.