Patent US5969708A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5969708A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Time dependent cursor tool

Assignee: Trimble Inc
•
Filing: 1996-10-15
•
Granted: 1999-10-19
•
Expires: 2016-10-15
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A cursor tool is assigned to a cursor and a first cursor control event is performed. If a predetermined time interval expires before a second cursor control event is performed, the cursor tool is activated. The first cursor control event may be a mouse down event and the second cursor control event may be a mouse up event. In another embodiment, a plurality of cursor tools are assigned to a cursor and a sequence of cursor control events are recognized. The sequence may begin with a mouse down event. If one or more mouse move events follow, a determination as to whether these are intended events is made. So long as no tools have previously been selected, if the mouse move events are determined to be intended events, a first of the assigned cursor tools is selected. Alternatively, if the mouse move events are not intended events but the events occurred after a preestablished time limit, a second of the assigned cursor tools is selected. If a mouse up event is then performed, and no cursor tool has yet been selected, a third of the assigned cursor tools is selected and the appropriate cursor tool action is performed. Otherwise, if a cursor tool was selected before the mouse up event, the action associated with the previously selected cursor tool is performed after the mouse up event.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alan James Walls

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 12:31
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0484; G06F3/04842

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 79 words
A method of operating a computer system, comprising: assigning a plurality of cursor tools to a cursor; recognizing a mouse down event; recognizing one or more mouse move events; determining whether said mouse move events were intended events and, if so, activating a first of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise determining whether a preestablished time limit has expired and, if so, activating a second of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise not activating any of said cursor tools.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 79 words
A method of operating a computer system, comprising: assigning a plurality of cursor tools to a cursor; recognizing a mouse down event; recognizing one or more mouse move events; determining whether said mouse move events were intended events and, if so, activating a first of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise determining whether a preestablished time limit has expired and, if so, activating a second of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise not activating any of said cursor tools.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: recognizing a mouse up event; determining whether a cursor tool has been previously activated and, if not, activating a third of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise performing a cursor tool action corresponding to a previously activated cursor tool.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said mouse move events are recognized as intended events if said mouse move events comprise a mouse movement of more than a preestablished distance.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said preestablished time limit is user selectable.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said preestablished distance is user selectable.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 93 words
A computer readable media storing computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of: assigning a plurality of cursor tools to a cursor; recognizing a mouse down event; recognizing one or more mouse move events; determining whether said mouse move events were intended events and, if so, activating a first of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise determining whether a preestablished time limit has expired and, if so, activating a second of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise not activating any of said cursor tools.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 93 words
A computer readable media storing computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of: assigning a plurality of cursor tools to a cursor; recognizing a mouse down event; recognizing one or more mouse move events; determining whether said mouse move events were intended events and, if so, activating a first of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise determining whether a preestablished time limit has expired and, if so, activating a second of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise not activating any of said cursor tools.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 66 words
The computer readable media of claim 6 further storing computer readable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the further steps of: recongizing a mouse up event; determining whether a cursor tool has been previously activated and, if not, activating a third of said plurality of cursor tools, otherwise performing a cursor tool action corresponding to a previously activated cursor tool.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 31 words
The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein mouse move events are recognized as intended events if said mouse move events comprise a mouse movement of more than a preestablished distance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
The computer readable media of claim 8 wherein said preestablished time limit is user selectable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
The computer readable media of claim 9 wherein said preestablished distance is user selectable.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5585821A Cited
US5596347A Cited
US5559943A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-10-18 2003-04-19 2003-10-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-10-18 2007-04-19 2007-10-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-10-18 2011-04-19 2011-10-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag