Pointing device for navigating a 3 dimensional GUI interface
First Claim
1. An information processing system input device for entering data comprising:
- a mouse for sensing movement in a horizontal plane upon which the mouse is resting, the mouse providing cursor control in two dimensions on a display attached to an information processing system;
a joystick actuator mounted on a top surface of the mouse so that the joystick actuator is operable by at least one of a user'"'"'s index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger when a user'"'"'s palm is resting on the top surface of the mouse; and
a software driver providing cursor control in a third dimension of the display so that the cursor is controlled in the third dimension in response to a combination of;
(i) a vertical downward coaxial force on the joystick actuator applied in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to move the joystick actuator from an upper vertical quiescent position to a lower vertical active position; and
(ii) a force applied to the joystick actuator parallel to the horizontal plane, whereby a determination is made on whether the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, and if the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, then a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is doubled a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display for a force that is less than the double speed change in pressure;
wherein the scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is expressed by a positional state of a third dimension windows queue W, where the state of the windows queue W in time changes in proportion to the scrolling speed, where W is the windows queue in the third dimension comprising windows w1, w2, w3, . . . wn, where w1, is a first window in the windows queue W, and where wn, is a last window in the windows queue W, whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is less than the double scroll rate in a first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1 W(t=2)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is the double scroll rate in the first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 W(t=2)=w5, . . . wn, w1, w2, w3, w4.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pointing device for entering data into an information processing system for a 3-dimensional graphical user interface. The pointing device comprises: a switch mounted on a pointing device for producing a first signal during actuation by a vertical downward pressure on a first region of the switch; a circuit for coupling the first signal to a Z-axis on a display attached to the information processing system so as to control movement of information along the Z-axis presented on the display. In another embodiment, the switch produces a second signal by a vertical downward pressure on a second region of the switch; and a circuit for coupling the second signal to a Z-axis on the display so as to move information present on the display along the Z-axis in a direction opposite to that of the movement along the Z-axis in response to the first signal.
66 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An information processing system input device for entering data comprising:
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a mouse for sensing movement in a horizontal plane upon which the mouse is resting, the mouse providing cursor control in two dimensions on a display attached to an information processing system;
a joystick actuator mounted on a top surface of the mouse so that the joystick actuator is operable by at least one of a user'"'"'s index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger when a user'"'"'s palm is resting on the top surface of the mouse; and
a software driver providing cursor control in a third dimension of the display so that the cursor is controlled in the third dimension in response to a combination of;
(i) a vertical downward coaxial force on the joystick actuator applied in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to move the joystick actuator from an upper vertical quiescent position to a lower vertical active position; and
(ii) a force applied to the joystick actuator parallel to the horizontal plane, whereby a determination is made on whether the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, and if the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, then a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is doubled a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display for a force that is less than the double speed change in pressure;
wherein the scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is expressed by a positional state of a third dimension windows queue W, where the state of the windows queue W in time changes in proportion to the scrolling speed, where W is the windows queue in the third dimension comprising windows w1, w2, w3, . . . wn, where w1, is a first window in the windows queue W, and where wn, is a last window in the windows queue W, whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is less than the double scroll rate in a first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1 W(t=2)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is the double scroll rate in the first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 W(t=2)=w5, . . . wn, w1, w2, w3, w4. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An information processing system input device for entering data comprising:
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a mouse for sensing movement in a horizontal plane upon which the mouse is resting, the mouse providing cursor control in two dimensions on a display attached to an information processing system;
a joystick actuator mounted on a top surface of the mouse so that the joystick actuator is operable by at least one of a user'"'"'s index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger when a user'"'"'s palm is resting on the top surface of the mouse; and
a software driver providing cursor control in a third dimension of the display so that the cursor is controlled in the third dimension in response to a combination of;
(i) a vertical downward coaxial force on the joystick actuator applied in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to move the joystick actuator from an upper vertical quiescent position to a lower vertical active position; and
(ii) a force applied to the joystick actuator parallel to the horizontal plane, whereby a determination is made on whether the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, and if the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, then a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is doubled a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display for a force that is less than the double speed change in pressure;
wherein the scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is expressed by a positional state of a third dimension windows queue W, where the state of the windows queue W in time changes in proportion to the scrolling speed, where W is the windows queue in the third dimension comprising windows w1, w2, w3, . . . wn, where w1, is a first window in the windows queue W, and where wn is a last window in the windows queue W, whereby the change in state of the windows queue modulo n+1 W(t±
1) for a scrolling rate that is less than the double scroll rate in a first direction is given byW(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1 W(t=2)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 whereby the change in state of the windows queue modulo n+1 W(t±
1) for a scrolling rate that is the double scroll rate in the first direction is given byW(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 W(t=2)=w5, . . . wn, w1, w2, w3, w4.
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8. A method to enter data in an information processing system comprising:
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mounting a joystick actuator on a mouse providing cursor control in two dimension on a display attached to an information processing system by sensing a movement in a horizontal plane upon which the mouse is resting; and
detecting forces applied on the joystick actuator within a software driver which is responsive to the combination of;
(i) a vertical downward coaxial force on the joystick actuator in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to move the joystick actuator from an upper vertical quiescent position to a lower vertical active position; and
(ii) a force applied to the joystick actuator parallel to the horizontal plane, whereby a determination is made on whether the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, and if the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, then a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is doubled a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display for a force that is less than the double speed change in pressure;
wherein the joystick is operable by at least one of a user'"'"'s index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger when a user'"'"'s palm is resting on the top surface of the mouse;
wherein the scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is expressed by a positional state of a third dimension windows queue W, where the state of the windows queue W in time changes in proportion to the scrolling speed, where W is the windows queue in the third dimension comprising windows w1, w2, w3, . . . wn, where w1, is a first window in the windows queue W, and where wn is a last window in the windows queue W, whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is less than the double scroll rate in a first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1 W(t=2)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 whereby the change in state of the windows queue W(t) for a scrolling rate that is the double scroll rate in the first direction is given by W(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 W(t=2)=w5, . . . wn, w1, w2, w3, w4. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
biasing the joystick actuator to return to a quiescent position where cursor control in the third dimension of the display is not activated.
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10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mounting a joystick actuator comprises mounting the joystick actuator on a two button mouse.
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11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mounting a joystick actuator comprises mounting the joystick actuator between two buttons of the two button mouse.
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12. A method to enter data in an information processing system comprising:
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mounting a joystick actuator on a mouse providing cursor control in two dimension on a display attached to an information processing system by sensing a movement in a horizontal plane upon which the mouse is resting; and
detecting forces applied on the joystick actuator within a software driver which is responsive to the combination of;
(i) a vertical downward coaxial force on the joystick actuator in a direction which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to move the joystick actuator from an upper vertical quiescent position to a lower vertical active position; and
(ii) a force applied to the joystick actuator parallel to the horizontal plane, whereby a determination is made on whether the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, and if the force applied parallel to the horizontal plane on the joystick actuator represents a double speed change in pressure, then a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is doubled a scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display for a force that is less than the double speed change in pressure;
wherein the joystick is operable by at least one of a user'"'"'s index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky finger when a user'"'"'s palm is resting on the top surface of the mouse;
wherein the scrolling speed in the third dimension of the display is expressed by a positional state of a third dimension windows queue W, where the state of the windows queue W in time changes in proportion to the scrolling speed, where W is the windows queue in the third dimension comprising windows w1, w2, w3, . . . wn, where w1, is a first window in the windows queue W, and where wn is a last window in the windows queue W, whereby the change in state of the windows queue modulo n+1 W(t±
1) for a scrolling rate that is less than the double scroll rate in a first direction is given byW(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1 W(t=2)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 whereby the change in state of the windows queue modulo n+1 W(t±
1) for a scrolling rate that is the double scroll rate in the first direction is given byW(t=0)=w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, . . . wn W(t=1)=w3, w4, w5, . . . wn, w1, w2 W(t=2)=w5, . . . wn, w1, w2, w3, w4. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification