Simulating gestures of a pointing device using a stylus and providing feedback thereto

• US 6,791,536 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Switzer, David, Vong, William Hong, Tsang, Michael Hin-cheung, Jones, David F., Keely, Leroy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/815,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/156, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/168, 345/179, 345/863, 178/19.01, 178/19.04, 178/20.01, 703/17, 703/19, 703/21-24
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for simulating at least one gesture of a pointing device such as a mouse. A left click, right click, left drag, right drag, and/or mouse movement may be simulated using a stylus in conjunction with a touch-sensitive display surface. For example, a computer having the display surface may detect whether a stylus is being held down on a touch-sensitive display surface for at least a threshold amount of time. The computer may further detect whether the stylus is then removed from the touch-sensitive display surface after at least the threshold amount of time. Responsive to the stylus being removed, the computer may generate at least one event representing a right mouse button being pressed.

Claims

1. In a computer, a method for simulating at least one gesture of a pointing device having at least a primary switch and a secondary switch, the method comprising the steps of:

first detecting whether a stylus is being held down on a touch-sensitive display surface for at least a threshold amount of time;

second detecting whether the stylus is then removed from the touch-sensitive display surface after at least the threshold amount of time; and

responsive to the stylus being removed as detected in the step of second detecting, generating at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating further includes generating at least one event representing the secondary switch being deactivated after the event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

3. The method of claim 1, further including generating a state change indicator responsive to the step of first detecting.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

third detecting whether the stylus is moved along the touch-sensitive display surface prior to being removed from the touch-sensitive display surface but after the threshold amount of time has passed; and

responsive to the stylus being moved as detected in the step of third detecting, generating at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the steps of:

fourth detecting whether the stylus is moved along the touch-sensitive display surface after the step of third detecting; and

responsive to the stylus being moved as detected in the step of fourth detecting, generating at least one event representing movement of the pointing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the steps of:

fifth detecting whether the stylus is removed from the touch-sensitive display surface after the step of fourth detecting; and

responsive to the stylus being removed as detected in the step of fifth detecting, generating at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being deactivated.

7. The method of claim 1, further including generating at least one event representing the primary switch of the pointing device being activated responsive to the stylus being removed from the touch-sensitive display surface before the threshold amount of time as detected in the step of first detecting.

8. The method of claim 7, further including generating at least one event representing the primary switch of the pointing device being deactivated after the event representing the primary switch of the pointing device being activated.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

sixth detecting whether the stylus moves along the touch-sensitive display surface prior to the threshold amount of time having passed; and

generating at least one event representing the primary switch of the pointing pointing device being activated responsive to the stylus being moved along the touch-sensitive display surface as detected in the step of sixth detecting.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

seventh detecting whether the stylus is moved along the touch-sensitive display surface after the step of sixth detecting; and

responsive to the stylus being moved as detected in the step of seventh detecting, generating at least one event representing movement of the pointing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the steps of:

eighth detecting whether the stylus is removed from the touch-sensitive display surface after the step of seventh detecting; and

responsive to the stylus being removed as detected in the step of eighth detecting, generating at least one event representing the primary switch of the pointing device being activated.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse, the primary switch comprises a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the mouse.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, the primary switch comprises a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the trackball.

14. A computer configured to simulate at least one gesture of a pointing device having a primary switch and a secondary switch responsive to stylus input, the computer comprising:

a touch-sensitive display surface; and

a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display surface and configured to detect whether the stylus is held against the touch-sensitive display surface for at least a threshold amount of time, and in response to the stylus being held against the touch-sensitive display surface for at least the threshold amount of time generating at least one event representing an activation of the secondary switch of the pointing device, and in response to the stylus being removed from the touch-sensitive display surface before the threshold amount of time generating at least one event representing an activation of the primary switch of the pointing device.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being deactivated after the event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse, the primary switch comprises a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the mouse.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, the primary switch comprises a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the trackball.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for simulating at least one gesture of a pointing device having a primary switch and a secondary switch, the steps comprising:

first detecting whether a stylus is being held on a touch-sensitive display surface for at least a threshold amount of time;

second detecting whether the stylus is then removed from the touch-sensitive display surface after at least the threshold amount of time; and

responsive to the stylus being removed as detected in the step of second detecting, generating event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further having computer-executable instructions for performing the step of generating at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being deactivated after the event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse, the primary switch comprises a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the mouse.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, the primary switch comprises a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the trackball.

22. In a computer, a method for simulating at least one gesture of a pointing device having a primary switch and a secondary switch, the method comprising the steps of:

first detecting whether a stylus is being held down on a touch-sensitive display surface for at least a first threshold amount of time;

second detecting whether the stylus is then removed from the touch-sensitive display surface before or after the first threshold amount of time;

responsive to the stylus being removed at a time before the first threshold amount of time has passed, generating at least one event representing one of the primary switch of the pointing device being activated or the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated; and

responsive to the stylus being removed at a time after the first threshold amount of time has passed, generating at least one event representing the other of the primary switch of the pointing device being activated and the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

23. The method of claim 22, further including the steps of:

third detecting whether the stylus is moved along the touch-sensitive display surface prior to the threshold amount of time having passed; and

responsive to the stylus being moved as detected in the step of third detecting, generating at least one event representing a primary switch drag of the pointing device.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of:

fourth detecting whether the stylus is moved along the touch-sensitive display surface after to the first threshold amount of time having passed but not before; and

responsive to the stylus being moved as detected in the step of fourth detecting, generating at least one event representing a secondary switch drag of the pointing device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first threshold amount of time is about 600 milliseconds.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first threshold amount of time is between 300 and 600 milliseconds.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first threshold amount of time is between 600 milliseconds and 1 second.

28. The method of claim 22, further including the steps of:

fifth detecting whether the stylus remains held down on the touch-sensitive display surface for at least a second threshold amount of time later in time than the first threshold amount of time; and

responsive to the stylus remaining held down as detected in the step of fifth detecting, generating at least one event representing the secondary switch of the pointing device being activated.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the second threshold of time is about 700 milliseconds.

30. The method of claim 22, further including generating a state change indicator responsive to the stylus being held down for at least a third threshold amount of time.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the third threshold amount of time is equal to the first threshold amount of time.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of generating the state change indicator includes generating a visual state change indicator on the touch-sensitive display surface that changes over time.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the third threshold amount of time is less than the first threshold amount of time.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of generating the state change indicator includes generating a visual state change indicator on the touch-sensitive display surface at a location depending upon a location of the stylus.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse, the primary switch comprises a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the mouse.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, the primary switch comprises a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the trackball.

37. In a computer, a method for providing feedback responsive to use of a stylus on a touch-sensitive display surface, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a stylus is being held down on a touch-sensitive display surface for at least a threshold amount of time; and

generating a state change indicator responsive to the stylus being held down for at least the threshold amount of time.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of generating includes generating a visual state change indicator on the touch-sensitive display surface.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of generating includes generating a visual state change indicator at a location on the touch-sensitive display surface depending upon a location of the stylus.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of generating includes generating an animated visual state change indicator on the touch-sensitive display surface.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse, the primary switch comprises a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the mouse.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, the primary switch comprises a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprises a right button of the trackball.

43. An apparatus comprising:

a touch-sensitive display surface; and

a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display surface and configured to;

responsive to detecting that a stylus is brought down on the touch-sensitive display surface, count at least a threshold amount of time and determine whether the stylus is held down on the touch-sensitive display surface for at least the threshold amount of time, and

responsive to detecting that the stylus is later removed from the touch-sensitive display surface, generate at least one event representing one or the other of a left click of a pointing device and a right click of a pointing device depending upon whether the stylus is removed before or after the threshold amount of time has passed.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the processor is running a program, the program being configured to be responsive to the event generated by the processor.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the event comprises one of a LeftMouseButtonDown event and a RightMouseButtonDown event.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse having a primary switch corresponding to the left click and a secondary switch corresponding to the right click, the primary switch comprising a left button of the mouse, and the secondary switch comprising a right button of the mouse.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the pointing device comprises a trackball, having a primary switch corresponding to the left click and a secondary switch corresponding to the right click, the primary switch comprising a left button of the trackball, and the secondary switch comprising a right button of the trackball.