Patent · US Expired

Multiuser/multi pointing device graphical user interface system

US5694150A · kind A · utility

195Cited by
22References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 21, 1995
Grant dateDec 2, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 21, 2015

Classification

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

Abstract

A graphical user interface system is provided having an event-driven control program with a unified user input pointing event stream without distinction of source and a graphical user interface having a virtual display space containing objects. The control program processing events related to a plurality of user inputs representing different locations within the virtual display space, and operates optionally in two modes. A first mode permits the plurality of user inputs to interact, allowing an object in the virtual display space at a first location specified by an initial user input to be associated with a second location specified by a concurrent and subsequently terminating user input. In this case, the control program has a counter which increments on activity of any user input and decrements on cessation of activity of any user input, for determining an initial user input condition, temporal concurrence of a plurality of user inputs, and a terminal user input condition. A second mode processes a series of events related to a first user input without apparent functional interference with a concurrent series of events related to a second user input.

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