Pointright: a system to redirect mouse and keyboard control among multiple machines

• US 20040201628A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tidebreak, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bradley E. Johanson, Gregory M. Hutchins, Terry A. Winograd
• Inventors: Johanson, Bradley E., Winograd, Terry A., Hutchins, Gregory M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,430,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller

Abstract

The present invention provides a software system, PointRight, that allows for smooth and effortless control of pointing and input devices among multiple displays. With PointRight, a single free-floating mouse and keyboard can be used to control multiple screens. When the cursor reaches the edge of a screen it seamlessly moves to the adjacent screen and keyboard control is simultaneously redirected to the appropriate machine. Laptops may also redirect their keyboard and pointing device, and multiple pointers are supported simultaneously. The system automatically reconfigures itself as displays go on, go off, or change the machine they display.

Claims

1. In an enclosure characterized as an interactive workspace for one or more users, said interactive workspace having a plurality of display means, a plurality of independent machines, wherein each of said independent machines is operatively coupled to one or more input devices, and a local area network connecting said independent machines and said display means, an input redirection method comprising:

tracking dynamic states of said display means, said independent machines, and logical relationship of said display means and said independent machines;

initiating one of said independent machines as a sender;

determining another one of said independent machines to be a receiver based on a topology map of said interactive workspace and said dynamic states;

redirecting local input events from one or more local input devices driven by said sender to one of said display means characterized as a target display means driven by said receiver, said local input events containing an absolute position or relative motion of a pointer/cursor driven by said sender;

receiving, at said receiver, remote input events containing said absolute position or said relative motion of said pointer/cursor driven by said sender; and

displaying said absolute position or said relative motion of said pointer/cursor driven by said sender on said target display means driven by said receiver.

2. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

toggling a button or key to begin said redirecting, allowing said sender to control said receiver via said pointer/cursor.

3. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

sliding said pointer/cursor off one screen to begin said redirecting, allowing said sender to enter said interactive workspace as a universal pointer, wherein said target display means is adjacent to said one screen.

4. The input redirection method of claim 1, in which said sender is characterized as in a screen-bound mode and is connected to a screen-bound absolute positioning device, further comprising:

automatically forwarding positions of user interaction on said screen-bound absolute positioning device to said receiver, wherein said target display means, driven by said receiver, is connected to said screen-bound absolute positioning device, thereby allowing a user to interact with pixels displayed by a graphical user interface (GUI) of said receiver, wherein said pixels appear on said GUI at locations corresponding to said positions of user interaction on said screen-bound absolute positioning device.

5. The input redirection method of claim 1, in which said sender is characterized as in a normal mode, further comprising:

scaling said relative motion of said pointer/cursor to a range managed by said receiver; and

placing said scaled motion of said pointer/cursor into a local event stream of said receiver.

6. The input redirection method of claim 1, in which said sender is characterized as in a normal mode, further comprising:

determining a virtual location for said pointer/cursor based on current screen coordinates and said relative motion of said pointer/cursor extending beyond said current screen coordinates;

normalizing and converting said virtual location to generate a normalized position that is appropriate for said target display means; and

displaying, or causing to be displayed, said pointer/cursor at said normalized position on said target display means.

7. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

constructing said topology map by specifying configurations of said independent machines, said display means, and valid pointer transitions between said display means.

8. The input redirection method of claim 7, further comprising:

specifying in said topology map physical dimensions and aspect ratios of said display means, respectively.

9. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining configuration and status of said independent machines, said display means, physical connections, and valid pointer transitions.

10. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically updating said topology map with changes to configurations and status of said independent machines, said display means, physical connections, and valid pointer transitions.

11. The input redirection method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring each of said independent machines with a universal pointer application that enables each of said independent machines to function either as a sender or a receiver, said independent machines having same or different topology maps of said interactive workspace.

12. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program implementing the input redirection method of claim 1.

13. A computer system programmed to perform the input redirection method of claim 1.

14. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program enabling a pointer/cursor to seamlessly travel between adjacent screens driven by independent machines in a local area network in an enclosure characterized as an interactive workspace for one or more users, said interactive workspace having a flexible topology map specifying said independent machines, said screens, and valid pointer transitions,

said computer program tracking dynamic states of said independent machines, said screens, and said valid pointer transitions, and

said computer program enabling said one or more users to control said independent machines in said interactive workspace via said pointer/cursor.

15. An input redirection system comprising:

an enclosure characterized as an interactive workspace for one or more users;

a plurality of display means;

a plurality of independent machines, wherein each of said independent machines is operatively coupled to one or more input devices and to one of said display means; and

a local area network connecting said independent machines and said display means;

wherein the improvement comprises;

a computer-readable medium storing a computer program enabling a pointer/cursor to seamlessly travel between adjacent display means driven by said independent machines in said interactive workspace,

said interactive workspace having a flexible topology map specifying said independent machines, said display means, and valid pointer transitions,

said computer program tracking dynamic states of said independent machines, said screens, and said valid pointer transitions, and

said computer program enabling said one or more users controlling said independent machines in said interactive workspace via said pointer/cursor.

16. The input redirection system of claim 15, in which

one of said independent machine is characterized as a sender that redirects input from local input device or devices to another one of said independent machine characterized as a receiver;

wherein said input includes mouse/pointer and keyboard events.

17. The input redirection system of claim 16, further comprising:

a space topology map specifying said independent machines, said display means, and valid pointer transitions, said space topology map further specifying respectively screen sizes and aspect ratios of said display means.

18. The input redirection system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for tracking and maintaining dynamic state information about said independent machines, said display means, and which of said independent machines is displaying to which of said display means.

19. The input redirection system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for maintaining a dynamic topology map of said interactive workspace; and

means for mapping between said independent machines and said display means.

20. The input redirection system of claim 16, in which said independent machines run one or more operating systems, further comprising:

two or more senders, each controlling a respective pointer/cursor on a single display means.

21. The input redirection system of claim 16, in which at least one of said independent machines is characterized as a multi-head machine having two or more output ports connected to at least two of said display means.

22. The input redirection system of claim 16, in which at least one of said display means is connected to at least two of said independent machines, displaying one of said connected independent machines at any given time.