Patent · US Expired

Clickaround tool-based graphical interface with two cursors

US5666499A · kind A · utility

85Cited by
8References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 1995
Grant dateSep 9, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 4, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2203/0382
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A graphical user interface with clickaround tools for enhanced user interaction with an application program utilizing "two-handed" techniques. The "tool-handed" technique provides two displayed cursors controlled by two distinct pointing input devices. Actuation of a secondary input device, corresponding a secondary cursor, provides a tool palette or menu near a displayed primary cursor. This technique allows a user to select and activate tools to perform substantive operations on displayed objects of the application program. The interface allows the user to invoke tools in a fluent and seamless fashion, thus maintaining the user's focus on the substantive operations and not the procedural motions of tool access.

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