Dynamic cursor focus in a multi-display information handling system environment

• US 9,804,733 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Walline, Erin K., Bryan, Rex W., Krishnakumar, Karthik
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parcher, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/691,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20160313890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Plural applications present visual information at plural windows with a cursor focus at one of the windows to direct inputs to the application presenting information at the window. In response to inputs at another application associated with another window, cursor focus changes to the other application and then automatically returns to the first application and window without a user command. Automated management of cursor focus is supported with sensors that detect conditions proximate a display that presents visual information and with user settings, such as a press and hold at an application that a user desires to retain cursor focus on an automated basis.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors operable to execute plural applications, each application operable to process information for presentation to a user as visual images;

memory interfaced with the one or more processors and operable to store the information;

a graphics system interfaced with the processor and memory, the graphics system operable to generate the visual images at plural display devices;

plural display devices interfaced with the graphics system and operable to present the visual images, each application having a display portion defined on one or more of the plural display devices;

one or more input devices operable to accept inputs from an end user; and

a cursor focus engine operable to define which of the plural applications is to receive the inputs with a cursor focus, the cursor focus engine moving cursor focus from a first application window presented at either a first or second display to a second application window presented at a third display in response to an end user selection, the cursor focus engine automatically without an intervening end user selection returning cursor focus to the first application window presented at the first display in response to a first set of one or more conditions, and in response to a second set of one or more conditions, returning the cursor focus to the first application window presented at the second display, the first display comprising a display mat disposed on a desktop surface, the second display comprising a projector projecting onto the desktop surface.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a camera interfaced with the cursor focus engine;

wherein the cursor focus engine applies end user position information provided from an image captured by the camera to determine the first and second sets of one or more conditions.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

cursor focus settings interfaced with the cursor focus engine and storing cursor focus information associated with each of the plural applications;

wherein the cursor focus engine applies the cursor focus information to sensed conditions as the first and second set of one or more conditions.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the cursor focus information comprises a snap back time, the cursor focus engine setting focus on the second application for the snap back time and returning focus to the first application if the end user does not input to the second application for the snap back time.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the second application comprises a universal tool bar for adapting end user inputs to the first application, and wherein the snap back time for the universal tool bar is substantially zero.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second sets of one or more conditions comprises first and second focus inputs by an end user, the first focus input indicating a temporary focus having an associated snap back, the second focus input having a focus hold without an associated snap back.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the first focus input comprises a press and release input and the second focus input comprises a press and hold input.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a camera interfaced with the cursor focus engine;

wherein the cursor focus engine applies end user eye position information provided from an image captured by the camera to determine the first and second sets of one or more conditions.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first input device of a keyboard; and

a second input device of a touchscreen disposed on a display;

wherein the first and second sets of one or more conditions comprises whether the most recent application to receive end user inputs received the end user inputs through the keyboard or the touchscreen.

10. A method for focusing a cursor to accept inputs from an input device to a selected of plural windows presented by an information handling system, the method comprising:

presenting visual information generated by plural applications in plural windows;

selecting a first of the plural windows to have cursor focus, the cursor focus causing keyboard inputs to be directed to the application of the first window displayed at either a first or second display;

detecting an input at a second window displayed at a third display;

in response to the detecting, moving cursor focus to the second window to accept the input;

in response to a first set of one or more conditions, returning the cursor focus to the first window without an intervening end user selection at the first window, the first window presented at the first display comprising a display mat disposed on a desktop surface;

in response to a second set of one or more conditions, returning the cursor focus to the first window without an intervening end user selection at the first window, the first window presented at the second display comprising a projector that projects onto the desktop surface.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

monitoring an end user with a camera to detect end user hand position relative to the first and second windows; and

analyzing the end user hand positions to detect the one or more conditions to return the cursor focus to the first window.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

monitoring an end user with a camera to detect end user eye positions relative to the first and second windows; and

analyzing the eye positions to detect the one or more conditions to return the cursor focus to the first window.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second window presents a tool bar of a tool bar application to alter an input made to the first window with a keyboard, the first window presenting a word processor of a word processor application, the one or more conditions comprising communication of a tool bar selection to the word processor application.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or conditions comprise a press and release input to indicate a snap back of the cursor focus to the first window and a press and hold input to indicate a shift of the cursor focus from the first window to the second window.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein presenting visual information with the projector comprises presenting a menu operable to control an output device of the information handling system, the first and second set of one or more conditions including the ceasing of a touch input at the menu.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

detecting an input at an input device other than the keyboard before return of the cursor focus to the first window;

wherein the first and second sets of one or more conditions comprises the identity of the input device other than the keyboard.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the input device other than the keyboard comprises a totem disposed on a capacitive mat.

18. A method for focusing a cursor to accept inputs from an input device to a selected of plural applications executing on an information handling system presenting visual images at plural display devices, the method comprising:

focusing a cursor in a window presented at either of a first or second of the plural display devices, the cursor accepting keyboard inputs into a first of the plural applications;

detecting an input made to a second of the plural applications;

in response to the detecting, moving the cursor focus to accept inputs to the second of the plural applications, the second of the plural applications presented at a third of the plural display devices; and

automatically, without an input to the first of the plural applications, returning cursor focus to the first of the plural applications at the first of the plural display devices in response to a first set of one or more conditions, the first of the plural display devices comprising a projector projecting onto a desktop surface; and

automatically, without an input to the first of the plural applications, returning cursor focus to the first of the plural applications at the second of the plural display devices in response to a second set of one or more conditions, the second display device comprising a display mat disposed on the desktop surface.

19. The method claim 18 further comprising:

detecting conditions proximate the plural displays with one or more sensors;

performing the automatically returning cursor focus in response to the first set of one or more conditions; and

refraining in response to a third set of one or more conditions from performing the automatically returning cursor focus in response to the second set of one or more conditions.