Sensitivity adjustment for a pointing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024647-A1
Application number	US-201615215814-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer program product includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method. The method includes monitoring use of a user input device of a computer system relative to a graphical user interface (GUI) of an active application, wherein the user input device includes a pointing device, wherein user input to the pointing device controls movement of a pointer within the GUI, and wherein a software interface establishes a level of sensitivity between the user input to the pointing device and the resulting movement of the pointer. The method further includes determining a value of one or more parameters characterizing the use of the at least one user input device, and automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
monitoring use of at least one user input device of a computer system relative to a graphical user interface of an active application, wherein the at least one user input device includes a pointing device, wherein user input to the pointing device controls movement of a pointer within the graphical user interface, and wherein a software interface to the pointing device establishes a level of sensitivity between the user input to the pointing device and the resulting movement of the pointer within the graphical user interface; determining a value of one or more parameters characterizing the use of the at least one user input device; and automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters.

2 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the pointing device is selected from a computer mouse, touchpad, pointing stick, trackball, joystick, puck, finger tracking system and eye tracking system.

3 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein monitoring use of the at least one user input device, includes monitoring movement of the pointer within the graphical user interface, and wherein determining a value of one or more parameters characterizing the use of the at least one user input device, includes determining one or more parameters characterizing the movement of the pointer.

4 . The computer program product of claim 3 , wherein determining one or more parameters characterizing the movement of the pointer, includes measuring an amount of the one or more parameters characterizing the movement of the pointer.

5 . The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the one or more parameters characterizing the movement of the pointer include pointer speed.

6 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters, includes automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in an amount that is a function of the value of the one or more parameters.

7 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters, includes automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity from a first sensitivity level to a second sensitivity level in response to the value of one of the parameters exceeding a predetermined value.

8 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user input device further includes a keyboard.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein monitoring use of the at least one user input device includes monitoring use of at least one correction key or cursor movement key of the keyboard subsequent to receiving a click entry from the pointing device.

10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the at least one correction key or cursor movement key includes a correction key selected from a backspace key and a delete key.

11 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the at least one correction key or cursor movement key includes a cursor movement key selected from a tab key and an arrow key.

12 . The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein determining a value of one or more parameters characterizing the use of the at least one user input device, includes determining a frequency with which the at least one correction key or cursor movement key is used subsequent to receiving a click entry from the pointing device.

13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters, includes incrementally adjusting the level of sensitivity of the pointing device.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
determining whether the incrementally adjusted level of sensitivity results in a change in the frequency with which the at least one correction key or movement key is used subsequent to receiving a click entry from the pointing device; and continuing use of the pointing device with the adjusted sensitivity level that results in a lowest frequency of use of the at least one correction key or cursor movement key.

15 . The computer program product of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
storing the adjusted level of sensitivity for the pointing device in association with one or more condition under which the one or more parameters were determined.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more condition is selected from an identity of the application, a type of the application, a type of the pointing device, a hardware configuration of the computer system, a time of day, and combinations thereof.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein storing the adjusted level of sensitivity for the pointing device in association with one or more condition under which the one or more parameters were determined, includes storing the adjusted level of sensitivity in a sensitivity table that associates the adjusted level of sensitivity with the one or more condition under which the one or more parameters were determined.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more condition includes an identity of the application.

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , the method further comprising:
detecting that the active application has changed from a first application to a second application, wherein automatically adjusting the level of sensitivity in response to the value of the one or more parameters, includes immediately adjusting the level of sensitivity from a first level of sensitivity to a second level of sensitivity stored in a sensitivity table in association with the second application without waiting for the second application to receive input from the pointing device.

20 . The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the user input to the pointing device is selected from a directional movement over a distance and a directional force.

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Coletrane-Pagan Candice L
• Brundidge Jimmie Lee

Classifications

• G06F3/03543

  Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0338

  with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks · CPC title

• G06F2203/0382

  Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F1/169

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title