System for pointing

• US 6,836,566 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hirayama, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US09/439,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 382/209, 345/157-167, 345/856-863, 345/179
• US Class Current: 382/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

A method and a system in a computing environment which are capable of accurately pointing to any desired position in displayed images of various shapes. Pointing to a desired position on a displayed image is performed by using position correction information (position information of a hot spot) and an associated image as a template. A hot spot is an arbitrary point specified in advance in a template image, and a hot spot position in the template image is used as correction information of a pointing position. First, an image in the vicinity of a display coordinate obtained from a pointing device is compared with at least one template image. A closest matching template image and its position on an image are determined, and a final pointing position is calculated from the position on the image and position correction information (position information of a hot spot) associated with the template image.

Claims

1. A system for pointing in a graphical user interface by using position correction information and an associated image as a template, said system comprising:

means for obtaining a coordinate in a graphical user interface from a pointing device;

means for comparing an image, in the graphical user interface, in the vicinity of the coordinate with predetermined images of templates, the templates having position correction information associated therewith;

means for locating a most matching template and its position on said image; and

from the position on said image and position correction information associated with the template, means for calculating a final pointing position.

2. A system for registering a template for a graphical user interface which dynamically generates a template, said system comprising:

means for selecting an image area, from an image in a graphical user interface, to be a subject of a template;

means for storing said image area as a template image;

means for selecting a point in said image area with a pointing device; and

means for storing said selected point as position correction information associated with said template image.

3. In a computing environment, a method for pointing to a position associated with an image in a graphical user interface displayed on a display by using position correction information and an associated image as a template, said method comprising the steps of:

comparing an image in a graphical user interface with template images in the vicinity of a display coordinate obtained from a pointing device, the template images having position correction information associated therewith;

locating a most matching template image and its position relative to said image; and

from the position on said image and the position correction information associated with the most matching template image, calculating a final pointing position.

4. A medium which comprises a program for having pointing to a position associated with an image in a graphical user interface displayed on a display implemented by using position correction information and an associated image as a template, said program having a computer implement the functions of:

comparing an image in a graphical user interface to at least one template image in the vicinity of a display coordinate obtained from a pointing device, each of the template images having position correction information associated therewith;

locating a matching template image and its position relative to said image; and

from the position on said image and the position correction information associated with the matching template image, calculating a final pointing position.