Patent US5504500A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5504500A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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User programmable orientation of cursor movement direction
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1992-03-11
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Granted: 1996-04-02
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Expires: 2012-03-11
Abstract
Abstract A user-configurable computer and pointing device combination and method are disclosed. The user establishes a relationship between a direction of rotation of the ball and direction of movement of the cursor on the screen. This relationship is stored by the computer to maintain a consistency between the direction of rotation of the ball and the direction of movement of the cursor on the screen. Accordingly, the user is able to establish the relationship between the screen coordinate system and his hand coordinate system. Advantageously, a left-handed user may establish a coordinate system based on left-handed use while a right-handed user may re-establish the coordinate system based on right-handed use.
Inventors
- 👤 Charlie Garthwaite
- 👤 Nathan Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:39
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/16; G06F1/1613; G06F1/1632; B; B28; B28B; B28B13/00; B28B13/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
A user-configurable computer and pointing device combination comprising: a computer having a screen with a cursor displayed on said screen; a pointing device housing operatively coupled to said computer; a rotatable ball mounted within said housing, said ball being exposed outside of said housing for rotation by a user; signal generating means within said housing and in contact with said ball for generating electrical ball rotation signals in response to rotation of said ball; signal transfer means coupled between said signal generation means and said computer for transferring said rotation signals into said computer; control means for controlling cursor movement in accordance with a predetermined relationship with said cursor movement in a predetermined direction on said screen in response to said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in a predetermined ball rotation direction; and alteration means operable in a user selected alteration mode for altering said predetermined relationship by sensing said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in a user-selected ball rotation direction different from said predetermined ball rotation direction, said control means controlling subsequent cursor movement in said predetermined direction on said screen in response to said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in said user-selected ball rotation direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
A user-configurable computer and pointing device combination comprising: a computer having a screen with a cursor displayed on said screen; a pointing device housing operatively coupled to said computer; a rotatable ball mounted within said housing, said ball being exposed outside of said housing for rotation by a user; signal generating means within said housing and in contact with said ball for generating electrical ball rotation signals in response to rotation of said ball; signal transfer means coupled between said signal generation means and said computer for transferring said rotation signals into said computer; control means for controlling cursor movement in accordance with a predetermined relationship with said cursor movement in a predetermined direction on said screen in response to said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in a predetermined ball rotation direction; and alteration means operable in a user selected alteration mode for altering said predetermined relationship by sensing said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in a user-selected ball rotation direction different from said predetermined ball rotation direction, said control means controlling subsequent cursor movement in said predetermined direction on said screen in response to said transferred rotation signals corresponding to user rotation of said ball in said user-selected ball rotation direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
The computer and pointing device combination of claim 1 wherein said housing is a track ball housing having said ball extending from a top surface of said housing, and said ball is rotatably supported by said housing in position for rotation of said ball by the user contacting said ball with his thumb and rotating said ball by moving his thumb.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
The computer and pointing device combination of claim 1 wherein said housing is a mouse housing having said ball extending from a bottom surface of said housing and said ball is rotatably retained within said housing in position for rotation of said ball the user moving the housing with said ball in rolling contact with a work surface.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
196 words
A system for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the system comprising: a cursor control device generating signals corresponding to user input to said cursor control device; a cursor controller operable in a first mode to receive said signals and move the cursor on the display screen in response to said signals; initialization means for defining an initial direction of movement of the cursor in said first mode by configuring said cursor controller to move the cursor in a first cursor movement direction on the display screen in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction; and alteration means operable in a second mode for altering said initial direction of movement of the cursor in said first mode by measuring said signals generated by said cursor control device corresponding to user movement of said cursor control device in a user-selected direction different from said predetermined first direction and subsequently configuring said cursor controller to move the cursor on the display screen in said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
196 words
A system for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the system comprising: a cursor control device generating signals corresponding to user input to said cursor control device; a cursor controller operable in a first mode to receive said signals and move the cursor on the display screen in response to said signals; initialization means for defining an initial direction of movement of the cursor in said first mode by configuring said cursor controller to move the cursor in a first cursor movement direction on the display screen in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction; and alteration means operable in a second mode for altering said initial direction of movement of the cursor in said first mode by measuring said signals generated by said cursor control device corresponding to user movement of said cursor control device in a user-selected direction different from said predetermined first direction and subsequently configuring said cursor controller to move the cursor on the display screen in said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
106 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said cursor control device is a trackball having a rotatable ball, the system further including a keyboard coupled to the computer and having left and right side portions with said trackball mounted to said keyboard on one of said left and right side portions, said alteration means using a first rotational direction of said ball as said user-selected direction when said trackball is mounted on said left side portion and said alteration means using a second rotational direction of said ball opposite said first rotational direction as said user-selected direction when said trackball is mounted on said right side portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said alteration means automatically defines three additional predetermined directions of movement of the cursor based on said user-selected direction, said three additional predetermined directions of cursor movement and said first cursor movement direction having a two-dimensional orthogonal relationship, each of said additional predetermined directions corresponding to one of three control directions of said cursor control device, said three control directions and said user-selected second direction having a two-dimensional orthogonal relationship.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said cursor control device is a computer trackball having a rotatable ball and said generated signals correspond to rotational movement of said ball.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said cursor control device is a mouse and said generated signals correspond to user movement of said mouse.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system of claim 4, further including a storage location within the computer to store configuration data used to automatically configure said cursor controller to move the cursor in said first cursor movement direction in response to said signals generated by said cursor control device corresponding to user movement of said cursor control device in said user-selected direction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said cursor controller moves the cursor on the computer display screen in a second cursor movement direction opposite said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a direction opposite said user-selected direction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said cursor controller moves the cursor on the computer display screen in first and second opposite cursor movement directions orthogonal to said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to first and second opposite directions orthogonal to said user-selected direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said alteration means defines the direction of cursor movement in a second cursor movement direction by configuring said cursor controller to move the cursor on the computer display screen in said second cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected additional direction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 12 wherein said second cursor movement direction is orthogonal to said first cursor movement direction.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
278 words
A system for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the system comprising: a cursor control device operable in a first mode to generate signals corresponding to user input to said cursor control device, said cursor control device using a cursor control device coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of desired cursor movement; a cursor controller operable in said first mode to receive said signals and move the cursor on the computer display screen in response to said signals, said cursor controller using a display screen coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of cursor movement on the computer display; initialization means for defining a default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system to configure said cursor controller to generate cursor movement in a first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction in said cursor control device coordinate system; and alteration means operable in a second mode for altering said default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system in said first mode by measuring said signals corresponding to user movement of said cursor control device in a user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system other than said predetermined direction and subsequently configuring said cursor controller to generate cursor movement in said first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
278 words
A system for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the system comprising: a cursor control device operable in a first mode to generate signals corresponding to user input to said cursor control device, said cursor control device using a cursor control device coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of desired cursor movement; a cursor controller operable in said first mode to receive said signals and move the cursor on the computer display screen in response to said signals, said cursor controller using a display screen coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of cursor movement on the computer display; initialization means for defining a default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system to configure said cursor controller to generate cursor movement in a first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction in said cursor control device coordinate system; and alteration means operable in a second mode for altering said default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system in said first mode by measuring said signals corresponding to user movement of said cursor control device in a user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system other than said predetermined direction and subsequently configuring said cursor controller to generate cursor movement in said first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user movement of said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 14, further including a storage location within the computer to store configuration data corresponding to said altered default relationship for subsequent use as said default relationship.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
195 words
A method for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving signals from a cursor control device corresponding to user input to said cursor control device; using a cursor controller to move the cursor on the computer display screen in response to said signals; configuring said cursor controller to have an initial direction of movement of the cursor on the computer display screen in a first cursor movement direction in response to said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction; in an alteration mode, altering said initial direction of movement of the cursor on the computer display screen by measuring said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected direction different from said predetermined direction; and reconfiguring said cursor controller to have subsequent cursor movement in said first cursor movement direction in response to said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
195 words
A method for controlling direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving signals from a cursor control device corresponding to user input to said cursor control device; using a cursor controller to move the cursor on the computer display screen in response to said signals; configuring said cursor controller to have an initial direction of movement of the cursor on the computer display screen in a first cursor movement direction in response to said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction; in an alteration mode, altering said initial direction of movement of the cursor on the computer display screen by measuring said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected direction different from said predetermined direction; and reconfiguring said cursor controller to have subsequent cursor movement in said first cursor movement direction in response to said received signals from said cursor control device resulting from user input to said cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
114 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the computer is coupled to a keyboard having left and right side portions and said cursor control device is a trackball having a rotatable ball, the method further including the step of coupling said trackball to the keyboard on one of said left and right side portions, said step of altering said initial direction of cursor movement by measuring a first rotational direction of said ball when said trackball is mounted on the left side portion as said user-selected direction and measuring a second rotational direction of said ball opposite said first rotational direction as said user-selected direction when said trackball is mounted on the right side portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said cursor control device is a computer trackball having a rotatable ball and said step of receiving signals receives signals corresponding to rotational movement of said ball.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said cursor control device is a mouse and said step of receiving signals receives signals corresponding to movement of said mouse.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 16, further including the step of displaying a target and the cursor on the computer display screen, said target spaced apart from the cursor in said first cursor movement direction to indicate said first cursor movement.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the cursor moves toward said target in response to user movement of said cursor control device control device in said user-selected direction.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 16, further including the step of moving the cursor on the computer display screen in a second cursor movement direction opposite said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control corresponding to a direction opposite said user-selected direction.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 16, further including the step of moving the cursor on the computer display screen in first and second opposite cursor movement directions orthogonal to said first cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to first and second opposite directions orthogonal to said user-selected direction.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 16, further including the step of defining direction of movement of the cursor on the display screen in a second cursor movement direction in response to user input to said cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected additional direction.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 24 wherein said second cursor movement direction is orthogonal to said first cursor movement direction.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
282 words
A method for using a cursor control device and cursor controller to control direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving signals from the cursor control device corresponding to user input to said cursor control device, the cursor control device using a cursor control device coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of desired cursor movement; in response to said signals, using the cursor controller to move the cursor on the computer display using a display screen coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of cursor movement on the computer display; configuring the cursor controller to have a default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system, the cursor controller using said default relationship to move the cursor in a first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to said user input to the cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction in said cursor control device coordinate system; and in an alteration mode, defining an alternative relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system by measuring said received signals from the cursor control device in response to user input to the cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system different from said predetermined direction, and reconfiguring the cursor controller to use said alternative relationship to move the cursor in said first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user input to the cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
282 words
A method for using a cursor control device and cursor controller to control direction of cursor movement on a computer display screen coupled to a computer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving signals from the cursor control device corresponding to user input to said cursor control device, the cursor control device using a cursor control device coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of desired cursor movement; in response to said signals, using the cursor controller to move the cursor on the computer display using a display screen coordinate system that defines four orthogonal directions of cursor movement on the computer display; configuring the cursor controller to have a default relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system, the cursor controller using said default relationship to move the cursor in a first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to said user input to the cursor control device corresponding to a predetermined direction in said cursor control device coordinate system; and in an alteration mode, defining an alternative relationship between said cursor control device coordinate system and said display screen coordinate system by measuring said received signals from the cursor control device in response to user input to the cursor control device corresponding to a user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system different from said predetermined direction, and reconfiguring the cursor controller to use said alternative relationship to move the cursor in said first of said four orthogonal directions of said display screen coordinate system in response to user input to the cursor control device corresponding to said user-selected direction in said cursor control device coordinate system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 26, further including the step of storing configuration data corresponding to said alternative relationship within the computer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-04-02 | 1999-10-02 | 2000-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-04-02 | 2003-10-02 | 2004-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-04-02 | 2007-10-02 | 2008-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |