Cursor control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11054959-B2
Application number	US-201816203713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A cursor control system and method are provided. The method may include receiving a first input from a cursor control device that places a cursor in an engaged state. The method may further include receiving an indication to switch from a gross cursor control mode to an engaged cursor control mode while the cursor is in the engaged state. The method may also include, in response to receiving the indication to switch from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode, switching from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode and locking the cursor in the engaged state such that the cursor maintains the engaged state even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated. The method may additionally include, in response to receiving a second input, performing an operation on a screen object the engaged cursor control mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a cursor, the method comprising:
receiving a first input from a cursor control device that places a cursor in an engaged state to select a screen object;
receiving an indication to switch from a gross cursor control mode to an engaged cursor control mode while the cursor is in the engaged state;
in response to receiving the indication to switch from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode, switching from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode and (i) locking the cursor in the engaged state such that the cursor maintains the engaged state even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated and (ii) locking the cursor control device such that only a keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object, wherein while the cursor is in the engaged state, the cursor is engaged on the selected screen object and the screen object remains selected and only the keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object; and
in response to receiving a second input, performing an operation on the screen object while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state without having to reselect the screen object even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated and moving the cursor at a more granular rate using one or more arrow keys of the keyboard while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state than the cursor would move while in the gross cursor control mode, wherein the more granular rate is user-configurable on a pixel basis.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving a third input, switching from the engaged cursor control mode to the gross cursor control mode and unlocking the cursor from the engaged state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the cursor at the more granular rate in response to receiving the second input further comprises performing, at least in part, at least one of: a drag and drop operation, a scaling operation, a move operation, a highlight operation, a select operation, or a draw operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cursor control device is selected from the group consisting of: a track ball, a track pad, a stylus, a mouse, a pointer device, and an eye tracking device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a click operation initiates the first input that places the cursor in the engaged state and, when in the engaged cursor control mode, the cursor remains in the engaged state even when the click operation has terminated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said moving the cursor at the more granular rate using the one or more arrow keys of the keyboard while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state comprises moving the object at distances less than a pixel.

7. A computer system for controlling a cursor, comprising:
a processor;
a memory device coupled to the processor; and
a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, wherein the storage device contains program code executable by the processor via the memory device to implement a method for controlling the cursor, the method comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a first input from a cursor control device that places a cursor in an engaged state to select a screen object;
receiving, by the processor, an indication to switch from a gross cursor control mode to an engaged cursor control mode while the cursor is in the engaged state;
in response to receiving the indication to switch from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode, switching from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode and (i) locking the cursor in the engaged state such that the cursor maintains the engaged state even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated and (ii) locking the cursor control device such that only a keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object, wherein while the cursor is in the engaged state the cursor is engaged on the selected screen object and the screen object remains selected and only the keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object; and
in response to receiving a second input, performing, by the processor, an operation on the screen object while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state without having to reselect the screen object even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated and moving the cursor at a more granular rate while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state than the cursor would move while in the gross cursor control mode, wherein the more granular rate is user-configurable on a pixel basis.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to receiving a third input, switching from the engaged cursor control mode to the gross cursor control mode and unlocking the cursor from the engaged state.

9. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein moving the cursor at the more granular rate in response to receiving the second input further comprises performing, at least in part, at least one of: a drag and drop operation, a scaling operation, a move operation, a highlight operation, a select operation, or a draw operation.

10. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the cursor control device is selected from the group consisting of: a track ball, a track pad, a stylus, a mouse, a pointer device, and an eye tracking device.

11. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein a click operation initiates the first input that places the cursor in the engaged state and, when in the engaged cursor control mode, the cursor remains in the engaged state even when the click operation has terminated.

12. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein said moving the cursor at the more granular rate using the one or more arrow keys of the keyboard while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the engaged state comprises moving the object at distances less than a pixel.

13. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a computing system implements a method for controlling a cursor, comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a first input from a cursor control device that places a cursor in an engaged state to select a screen object;
receiving, by the processor, an indication to switch from a gross cursor control mode to an engaged cursor control mode while the cursor is in the engaged state;
in response to receiving the indication to switch from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode, switching from the gross cursor control mode to the engaged cursor control mode and (i) locking the cursor in the engaged state such that the cursor maintains the engaged state even after the first input from the cursor control device has terminated and (ii) locking the cursor control device such that only a keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object, wherein while the cursor is in the engaged state, the cursor is engaged on the selected screen object and the screen object remains selected and only the keyboard may be used to move the selected screen object; and
in response to receiving a second input, performing, by the processor, an operation on the screen object while in the engaged cursor control mode and while the cursor is locked in the en

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brugler Thomas S
• Craig Randall A
• Kelley John F
• Hatfield Jennifer M
• Sonier Corey

Classifications

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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 title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0486 Primary

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title