Method and apparatus for setting a graphical object's position and orientation with viscous dragging
US5471571A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 17, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 17, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/04845
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for using a cursor movement device such as a mouse device to position and orient a graphical object or cursor on a computer screen. The movement and orientation of the graphical object on the screen depends directly upon the path of motion of the cursor. The actual movement of the graphical object is similar to the dragging of an object through a viscous medium. In this manner, a two dimensional object can be moved and rotated on a planar display device with only two directional inputs. Also, the cursor, itself, can be treated as a graphical object. This allows the user to rotate the cursor to a desired orientation. Furthermore, the orientation of the cursor can be used to select one of a plurality of functions performed by the cursor movement device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.