Touchpad with scroll and pan regions
AssigneeStratos Product Development Group, Inc.
InventorsAllan H. Stephan, Brent N. LaPorte, Stephen B. Powers, Mark McNeely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touchpad (50) having multiple regions that may be linked to various commands or functions within a graphical user interface (GUI). Preferably, a cursor control region (54), a scroll control region (56), and a pan control region (58) are defined on the touchpad. Movement of a contact point in the cursor control region causes movement of a cursor in the GUI. Movement of a contact point in the scroll control region or the pan control region causes scrolling or panning, respectively, of the workspace in the GUI. The multiple regions may be mapped onto a single touchpad member (80) or each region identified with a separate touchpad member.
Claims28
A touchpad for controlling functions of a graphical user interface in a display area on a computer monitor display screen associated with a computer, the graphical user interface including a cursor within the display area, the touchpad comprising:
- (a) a cursor control region that is not within any display area of the display screen, the cursor control region generating and providing a control signal to the computer based on a user input that falls within the cursor control region, the control signal controlling a position of cursor in the graphical user interface;
- (b) a pan control region that is not within any display area of the display screen and adjacent the cursor control region, the pan control region generating and providing a pan control signal to the computer based on a user input that falls within the pan control region, the pan control signal causing at least a portion of the graphical user interface display to pan;
- and
- (c) a scroll control region that is not within any display area of the display screen and is adjacent the cursor control region, the scroll control region generating and providing a scroll control signal to the computer based on a user input that falls within the scroll control region, the scroll control signal causing at least a portion of the graphical user interface display to scroll.
A touchpad user input device coupled to a computer for controlling functions of a graphical user interface operating on a display area on a computer monitor display screen associated with the computer, the touch-sensitive user input device comprising:
- (a) a first control region that is not within any display area of the display screen, the first control region generating a first control signal in response to a force and a movement of the force applied by a user within the first control region, the first control signal linked to the control of a cursor in the graphical user interface to allow the user to control the cursor;
- and
- (b) a second control region that is not within any display area of the display screen and is disposed adjacent the first control region, the second control region generating a second control signal in response to a force and a movement of the force applied by a user within the second control region, the second control signal linked to a second function in the graphical user interface to allow the user to control the second function.
A method of linking a touchpad to different functions within a graphic user interface operating on a display area of a computer monitor display screen associated with a computer, the method comprising:
- (a) mapping a surface of the touchpad to define a cursor control area that is not within any display area of the display screen and a function area that is not within any display area of the display screen;
- (b) receiving a signal indicative of an initial user contact location and a movement on the surface of the touchpad;
- (c) comparing the initial user contact location with the defined cursor control area and moving a cursor within the graphic user interface in a manner that corresponds to the movement on the surface of the touchpad member if the initial user contact falls within the defined cursor control region;
- and
- (d) comparing the initial user contact location with the defined function area and performing a corresponding function within the graphic user interface that corresponds to the movement on the surface of the touchpad member if the initial user contact falls within the function area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.