Patent · US Expired

Graphical user interface cursor positioning device having a negative inertia transfer function

US5570111A · kind A · utility

98Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1994
Grant dateOct 29, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0383
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A user interface apparatus and method for a computing or processing system employing a graphical user interface is presented. In order to provide a good user feel, and specifically to avoid a feeling of inertia or sluggishness in cursor motion as the user starts or stops movement, the apparatus and method provide a negative inertia transfer function. That is, the cursor movement signal produced by applying the input parameter to a transfer function in accordance with the invention is related to a sum of (i) the input parameter, and (ii) a signal related to the rate of change of the input parameter. This is preferably implemented as an additive high-pass transfer function. Preferred embodiments can employ analog circuitry or a digitally programmed transfer function algorithm. The input parameter to which the transfer function is applied can be a magnitude signal, such as that from a polar coordinate system, or separate components, such as x- and y-components from a rectangular coordinate system, can be treated separately.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.