Two-dimensional emulation of three-dimensional trackball
US5019809A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 14, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 28, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 14, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/04845
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique using a 2-dimensional input controller such as a mouse, a 2-D trackball, a joystick, a touch screen, a touch tablet or a digitizer for rotating an object displayed by a computer controlled video display system in 3-dimensional representation. A user visible reference circle is provided, and a pointer associated with the 2-D input controller is moved by the user relative to the reference circle in a control movement mode. Movement of the pointer within the reference circle produces rotation of the displayed object about arbitrary axes in 3-dimensional space, while movement of the pointer on or outside the reference circle produces rotation about a 3-dimensional axis that is oriented toward the viewer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.