Input placement control guidance on a display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020167056-A1
Application number	US-201816200426-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and a system where a processor(s) of a computing device identifies at least two displays coupled to the processor(s) to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, like a cursor, and processor(s) obtains instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the displays via an input device. The processor(s) obtain a display layout for the displays and resolutions of displays and generates an initial virtual desktop that includes physical real estate of the displays where the processor(s) renders visual objects. The processor(s) obtains a request and generates a simulacrum of the displays, in virtual space. The processor(s) displays, on a portion of the virtual desktop, the simulacrum. The processor(s) obtains, via the input device, a selection of a location on the simulacrum and automatically moves the cursor to a location on the virtual desktop that corresponds to the selected location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising
identifying, by one or more processors of a computing device, two or more displays communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the two or more displays are utilized by the one or more processors to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, wherein a cursor is a visual object of the visual objects, wherein the one or more processors obtain instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the two or more displays via an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, a display layout for the identified two or more displays; obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, resolutions of the two or more displays; generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, a virtual desktop comprising physical real estate of each of the two or more displays, wherein the physical real estate is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects; obtaining, by the one or more processors, a request, via the input device; based on obtaining the request, generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, a simulacrum of the two or more displays, in virtual space; displaying, by the one or more processors, on a portion of the virtual desktop, the simulacrum; obtaining, by the one or more processors, via the input device, a selection of a location on the simulacrum; and based on obtaining the selection, automatically moving, by the one or more processors, the cursor to a location on the virtual desktop that corresponds to the selected location on the simulacrum.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the display layout and the resolutions comprises obtaining the display layout and the resolutions from an operating system installed on the computing device.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the display layout and the boundaries, further comprises communicating with the operating system utilizing a communication interface of the operating system.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein generating the virtual desktop comprises:
facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the initial virtual desktop; and obtaining, by the one or more processors, the virtual desktop from the operating system.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein generating the simulacrum comprises:
facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the simulacrum; and obtaining, by the one or more processors, the simulacrum from the operating system.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request is triggered, via the input device, by an action selected from the group consisting of: entry of a hotkey, entry of a pre-defined input on the input device, completion of entry of a pre-defined entry sequence, completion of entry of a combination of inputs, and completion of a specified motion utilizing the input device.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of: a mouse and a keyboard.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the location is facilitated via the input device with an action selected from the group consisting of: entry of a hotkey, entry of a pre-defined input on the input device, completion of entry of a pre-defined entry sequence, completion of entry of a combination of inputs, and completion of a specified motion utilizing the input device.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on obtaining the selection, designating, by the one or more processors, a monitor of the two or more monitors comprising the location on the virtual desktop that corresponds to the selected location on the simulacrum, a primary monitor.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the designating comprises recording the designation in the operating system.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more displays comprise graphical user interfaces.

12 . A computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium readable by one or more processors and storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors for performing a method comprising:
identifying, by the one or more processors of a computing device, two or more displays communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the two or more displays are utilized by the one or more processors to render visual objects to a user of the computing device, wherein a cursor is a visual object of the visual objects, wherein the one or more processors obtain instructions to render the cursor in various locations on the two or more displays via an input device communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;
obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, a display layout for the identified two or more displays;
obtaining, by the one or more processors, based on the identifying, resolutions of the two or more displays;
generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, a virtual desktop comprising physical real estate of each of the two or more displays, wherein the physical real estate is useable by the one or more processors to render visual objects;
obtaining, by the one or more processors, a request, via the input device;
based on obtaining the request, generating, by the one or more processors, based on the resolutions and the display layout, a simulacrum of the two or more displays, in virtual space;
displaying, by the one or more processors, on a portion of the virtual desktop, the simulacrum;
obtaining, by the one or more processors, via the input device, a selection of a location on the simulacrum; and
based on obtaining the selection, automatically moving, by the one or more processors, the cursor to a location on the virtual desktop that corresponds to the selected location on the simulacrum.

13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein obtaining the display layout and the resolutions comprises obtaining the display layout and the resolutions from an operating system installed on the computing device.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein obtaining the display layout and the boundaries, further comprises communicating with the operating system utilizing a communication interface of the operating system.

15 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein generating the virtual desktop comprises:
facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the initial virtual desktop; and obtaining, by the one or more processors, the virtual desktop from the operating system.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein generating the simulacrum comprises:
facilitating, by the one or more processors, the operating system to generate the simulacrum; and obtaining, by the one or more processors, the simulacrum from the operating system.

17 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the request is triggered, via the input device, by an action selected from the group consisting of: entry of a hotkey, entry of a pre-defined input on the input device, completion of entry of a pre-defined entry sequence, completi

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bender Michael
• Kelley John F
• Seager Todd P
• Dolph Blaine H

Classifications

• G06F3/03541

  Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

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

• G06F3/04812 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title

• G09G2370/20

  Details of the management of multiple sources of image data · CPC title

• G09G5/14

  Display of multiple viewports · CPC title