Creating a virtual mouse input device

• US 9,207,806 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Burtner, Edwin Russ, Russ, V. Kevin, Sands, Ian M., Snavely, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US12/474,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345/173, 715/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A virtual mouse input device is created in response to a placement of a card on a touch surface. When the card is placed on the touch surface, the boundaries of the card are captured and a virtual mouse appears around the card. The virtual mouse may be linked with a user through an identifier that is contained on the card. Other controls and actions may be presented in menus that appear with the virtual mouse. For instance, the user may select the type of input (e.g. mouse, keyboard, ink or trackball) driven by the business card. Once created, the virtual mouse is configured to receive user input until the card is removed from the touch surface. The virtual mouse is configured to move a cursor on a display in response to movement of the card on the touch surface.

Claims

1. A method for creating a virtual mouse input device, comprising:

determining when an object is detected by a touch input device;

determining when the object is a card;

determining when the card includes an identifier;

when the card is determined to include the identifier, parsing the identifier to identify a specific user;

creating a virtual mouse input device in response to the card being detected by the touch input device;

sizing the virtual mouse input device according to a size of the card such that the virtual mouse input device is larger than the size of the card;

providing one or more applications associated with the virtual mouse input device, one of the one or more applications including selectable menu options for setting a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device based on selection of a menu option;

displaying the virtual mouse input device at a location on a display of the touch input device around borders of the placed card while the card is detected by the touch input device; and

receiving user input from the virtual mouse input device while the card is detected by the touch input device;

wherein a position of the virtual mouse input device moves on the display in response to a movement of the location of the card that is detected by the touch input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking the virtual mouse input device to the specific user, wherein linking the virtual mouse input device to the specific user comprises associating the identifier with a cursor that is displayed on a different screen such that the cursor is identified with the created virtual mouse input device such that the different screen is operable to display the associated cursor on subsequent identifications of the specific user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a boundary of the card and displaying the virtual mouse around the boundary of the card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual mouse input device includes a virtual option for switching the virtual mouse input device between a left handed virtual mouse input device and a right handed virtual mouse input device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual mouse input device comprises virtual options to select an avatar to be associated with the virtual mouse input device and a type of input that is supported by the virtual mouse input device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of input supported comprises:

a mouse input, a keyboard input, an ink input, and a trackball input.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the virtual options change in response to a context that is associated with a current application being interacted with by the specific user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a magnetic strip including data operable to identify the specific user.

8. A computer-readable storage device excluding a signal having computer-executable instructions for creating a virtual mouse input device in response to a touch input, comprising:

determining when a business card is placed on a touch surface;

creating a virtual mouse input device in response to the business card being detected by the touch input device;

sizing the virtual mouse input device according to a size that is larger than the business card;

displaying the virtual mouse input device at a location on a display of the touch input device around borders of the placed business card that is updated in response to the location of the business card changing;

associating the virtual mouse input device with a specific user based on an identifier on the business card, wherein the identifier comprises text on the business card;

providing one or more applications associated with the virtual mouse input device, one of the one or more applications including selectable menu options for setting a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device based on selection of a menu option; and

receiving input from the virtual mouse input device while the business card is on the touch surface;

wherein the virtual mouse input device controls a location of a cursor.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein associating the virtual mouse input device with the specific user comprises associating a graphical avatar with the cursor that is displayed on a different screen.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, further comprising determining a boundary of the card and displaying the virtual mouse around the boundary of the card.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the virtual mouse input device includes virtual options that comprise an option for switching the virtual mouse input device between a left handed virtual mouse input device and a right handed virtual mouse input device and a virtual option to select a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the type of input supported comprises:

a mouse input, a keyboard input, an ink input, and a trackball input.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the virtual options change in response to a context that is associated with a current application being interacted with by the virtual mouse input device.

18. The computer readable device of claim 8, further comprising:

determining when a second business card is placed on the touch surface;

creating a second virtual mouse input device in response to the second business card being detected by the touch input device, wherein the second virtual mouse input device is concurrently operable with the virtual mouse input device and is separately operable from the virtual mouse input device;

sizing the second virtual mouse input device according to a size that is larger than the second business card;

displaying the second virtual mouse input device at a location on the display of the touch input device around borders of the second business card that is updated in response to the location of the second business card changing;

associating the second virtual mouse input device with a second user based on an identifier on the second business card, wherein the identifier comprises text on the second business card; and

receiving input from the second virtual mouse input device while the second business card is on the touch surface, wherein the second virtual mouse input device controls a location of a second cursor.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein setting the type of input for the virtual mouse input device is based on a user-preferred input type associated with the identifier.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the virtual mouse device is displayed until the business card is removed from the touch surface.

14. A system for creating and interacting with a virtual mouse input device created in response to touch inputs, comprising:

a touch surface that is configured to receive multiple touches;

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor; and

a touch manager operating under the control of the operating environment and operative to;

determine when a card that includes an identifier for a user is placed on the touch surface;

parse the identifier via optical character recognition;

identify the user based on the parsed identifier;

create a virtual mouse input device in response to the card being detected;

size the virtual mouse input device according to a size of the business card and the parsed identifier;

display the virtual mouse input device on the touch surface that encompasses borders of the business card that is placed on the touch surface;

associate the virtual mouse input device with the identified user including setting a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device;

provide one or more applications associated with the virtual mouse input device, one of the one or more applications including selectable menu options for setting a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device from a standard mouse input to one of;

a stylus input;

a trackball input;

or a keyboard input; and

receive input from the virtual mouse input device while the card remains on the touch surface;

wherein the virtual mouse input device and a location of the card controls a location of a cursor on a different display from the touch surface;

wherein the cursor includes a display that indicates the identified user.

15. The system of claim 14, further operative to:

determine a boundary of the card and displaying the virtual mouse around the boundary of the card; and

wherein the virtual mouse input device includes virtual options that comprise virtual options to select a type of input that is driven by the virtual mouse input device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual options change in response to a context that is associated with a current application being interacted with by the virtual mouse input device.