System and method for implementing remote control functions in a mouse in a video playback system

• US 7,937,662 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberlink Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cyberlink Corporation
• Inventors: Juang, Fu-Kai, Tsai, Yi-Chao, Peng, Chi-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/556,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20080022219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/716
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A method for implementing remote control functionality with a mouse in a video playback system includes the steps of identifying all selectable buttons within the page, depressing a key on a mouse device while the mouse is positioned over a first button currently selected, dragging the mouse device in the direction of a second button to be selected while depressing the key, and releasing the key on the mouse device once the mouse device is positioned over the second button to select the second button.

Claims

1. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the selectable buttons within the page;

defining positions of all of the selectable buttons within the page according to the identified buttons comprising at least a first button and a second button;

receiving a depression of a key on the standard input/output device while the standard input/output device is positioned over the first button currently selected;

receiving dragging of the standard input/output device in the direction of the second button to be selected while the key is depressed;

detecting release of the key on the standard input/output device once the standard input/output device is positioned over the second button; and

responsive to the release detection, selecting the second button.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the selectable buttons corresponding to different actions are overlaid on top of each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting releasing the key on the standard input/output device selects and activates the button.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a click of the key on the standard input/output device and responsive to occurrence of the click detection while the second button is selected, activating the second button.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the second button comprises setting the second button to a selected state and then to an activated state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second button is also responsive to the second button being identified as a neighbor of the first button.

7. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the selectable buttons within the page;

defining positions of all of the selectable buttons within the page according to the identified buttons comprising at least a first button and a second button;

visibly distinguishing the first button in a selected state among the selectable buttons;

receiving dragging of the standard input/output device in the direction of the second button to be selected; and

selecting the second button responsive to detecting cessation of movement of the standard input/output device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving dragging of the standard input/output device results in other buttons located within the page between the first button and the second button being selected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a new button is selected only when a pre-determined number of pixels within the page have been traversed by receiving dragging of the standard input/output device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a new button is selected only when the standard input/output device is dragged in an accelerated fashion.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a new button is selected only when the standard input/output device is dragged beyond an edge within the page.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

hiding a pointer that is associated with the standard input/output device and that is normally displayed on the page.

13. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the non-discernible buttons within the page;

in response to rotation of a wheel on the standard input/output device, selecting a second one of the non-discernible buttons based on the direction of rotation and on the relative position of the first one of the non-discernible buttons.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second button is aligned along a common axis with the first button.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

detecting rolling of another wheel on the standard input/output device; and

selecting buttons that are orthogonal to the axis on which the first button and second button are aligned.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein rolling the wheel results in selecting buttons in a left and right fashion and rolling the another wheel results in selecting buttons in an up and down fashion.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein depressing a button on the standard input/output device results in buttons being selected in a direction that is orthogonal with respect to a direction in which the buttons were selected prior to depressing the button.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein at least some of the non-discernible buttons in the page are transparent.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein at least some of the buttons in the page are smaller than a pre-defined size.

20. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the selectable buttons within the page;

defining positions of all of the selectable buttons within the page according to the identified buttons comprising at least a first button and a second button;

detecting positioning of the standard input/output device over one of the selectable buttons; and

displaying a context menu upon receiving a depression of a key on the standard input/output device, the context menu presenting a user with possible actions that can be performed in relation to the button.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein displaying the context menu upon receiving a depression of a key on the standard input/output device occurs when the standard input/output device is positioned over one of the selectable buttons.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical display is comprised of arrows which allow the user to select neighboring buttons by clicking on the arrows.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the context menu is comprised of a pop-up menu presenting a list of actions that can be executed in relation to the button.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the possible actions is navigating to another one of the selectable buttons.

25. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the selectable buttons within the page;

defining positions of all of the selectable buttons within the page according to the identified buttons comprising at least a first button and a second button;

determining the properties for each selectable button within the page;

overlaying a graphic display over each selectable button, the graphic display presenting to a user actions that can be performed in relation to the button based on the properties of the button.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the graphic display is comprised of arrows that allow the user to select neighboring buttons.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of overlaying the graphic display is performed only after the page has been displayed for a pre-defined period of time.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of overlaying the graphic display is performed immediately after a page is displayed.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of overlaying the graphic display is performed only when the standard input/output device is positioned over a particular button.

30. A method for selecting between a plurality of buttons in a page within a video playback system for implementing remote control functions with a standard input/output device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of buttons from one or more pages in a video content, wherein the buttons are originally designed for selection via a remote control, wherein the buttons are incompatible with the standard input/output device other than the remote control, and wherein the buttons comprise selectable buttons and non-selectable buttons;

identifying all of the selectable buttons within the page;

defining positions of all of the selectable buttons within the page according to the identified buttons comprising at least a first button and a neighboring button;

visibly distinguishing the first button in a selected state among the selectable buttons;

receiving dragging of the standard input/output device in a circular fashion in the clockwise direction; and

selecting a neighboring button on one side of the first button.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving dragging of the standard input/output device in a circular fashion in the counter-clockwise direction results in the selection of a neighboring button on the opposite side of the first button.