Input device with forward/backward control

• US 7,283,121 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Plank, Robert Scott, Kaneko, Steven T., Adan, Manolito E., Holmdahl, Todd E., Lipscomb, Terry M., Hooning, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US10/978,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345159-160, 345162-163, 345164-169, 345172-173, 345/531, 345/684, 345/856, 715700-701, 715/767
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0312 for tracking the rotation of a spherical or circular member, e.g. optical rotary encoders used in mice or trackballs using a tracking ball or in mouse scroll wheels tracking relative movement in co-operation with a regularly or irregularly patterned surface, e.g. as in optical mice G06F3/0317; constructional details of scroll or thumb-wheels G06F3/0362; optical rotary encoders G01D5/3473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

In a computer system having a display and a keyboard, a computer readable medium includes instructions for invoking a message hook procedure based on a mouse message indicative of a mouse event. Instructions also provide for identifying at least one focus application that has a current keyboard focus and of converting the mouse message into a command for the focus application. The command is then sent to the focus application and the mouse message is prevented from being routed to any other applications. In one embodiment, the commands include the command to page forward or backward through pages of Internet documents. In other embodiments, instead of converting the mouse message into a command, the message hook procedure displays a graphical user interface based on the focus application and the mouse message. The graphical user interface includes one or more commands that the user may select. Based on the selection made by the user, the message hook procedure sends a corresponding command to the focus application.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display, a pointing device, and a keyboard, a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a pointing device message indicative of a pointing device event;

identifying a message hook procedure by accessing a list of message hook procedures maintained by an operating system;

activating the message hook procedure to perform steps comprising;

evaluating whether the pointing device message should be passed to a next message hook procedure or intercepted to form a command based on the type of pointing device event and determining that the pointing device message should be intercepted to form a command;

identifying at least one focus application as having a current keyboard focus, the current keyboard focus such that keyboard messages indicative of keyboard activity are sent to the focus application;

converting the pointing device message into a command for the focus application; and

sending the command to the focus application.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the command is placed in the form of at least one keyboard message representing at least one activity of a key on the keyboard.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the pointing device message is indicative of a button on the pointing device being pressed.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the command causes the focus application to undo a function that was performed by the focus application prior to the command being sent to the focus application.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the command causes the focus application to page downward through a displayed document.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the focus application is an Internet browser and the command causes the Internet browser to page backward to display a previously displayed Internet page.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the command is in the form of at least one keyboard message representing at least one activity of a key on the keyboard.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the focus application is an Internet browser and the command causes the Internet browser to page forward to display a previously displayed Internet page.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the command is in the form of at least one key board message representing at least one activity of a key on the keyboard.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the pointing device message is indicative of a button on the pointing device being pressed and the command causes the focus application to repeat a function that was previously undone by the focus application.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the pointing device message is indicative of a button on the pointing device being pressed and wherein the command causes the focus application to page upward through a displayed document.

12. In a computer system having a display, an input device, and a keyboard, a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a mouse message indicative of an input device event, wherein the input device comprises a mouse;

identifying at least one focus application as having a current keyboard focus, the current keyboard focus such that keyboard messages indicative of keyboard activity are sent to the focus application;

determining if a graphical user interface is associated with the mouse message and focus application;

before displaying the graphical user interface waiting for a period of time;

receiving a second mouse message during the period of time;

combining the mouse message and the second mouse message to identify a command for the focus application instead of displaying the graphical user interface wherein combining the mouse message and the second mouse message comprises comparing the position of the mouse given by the second mouse message to the position of the mouse given by the mouse message to produce a change in the mouse position; and

sending the command to the focus application.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the graphical user interface is a pie menu.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the command is identified by comparing the change in mouse position to a change in mouse position required to select an item displayed in the graphical user interface when the graphical user interface is displayed.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the graphical user interface is a pie menu.