Hardware-selectable mouse movement
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLeon Edward Gregg, Julianne Frances Haugh, William Jaaskelainen, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved pointer device, such as a mouse, for a computer system having a video display that uses a moving graphical pointer. The pointer device has switches or dials that allow independent adjustment of mouse speed and acceleration. Separate adjustments can be made for X and Y axes of motion of the mouse. Since the adjustment functionality is built into the hardware of the mouse, the mouse user is able to easily configure mouse behavior without navigating various menus and panels in software drivers, providing functionality which may not otherwise be available on the user's system.
Claims9
A pointer device adapted for use with a computer system having a video display, the device generating signals to control movement of a graphical pointer on the display, the device comprising:
- a body;
- movement means, supported by said body, for converting user manipulation into a first set of electrical signals representing motion of the graphical pointer along a first axis, and a second set of electrical signals representing motion of the graphical pointer along a second axis;
- and
- switch means for selectively modifying said first and second sets of electrical signals, in response to manual control, to vary the speed of the graphical pointer along said first axis and the speed of the graphical pointer along said second axis, wherein the speed of the graphical pointer along said first axis and the speed of the graphical pointer along said second axis are varied independently of one another.
In a computer system having a video display, means for moving a graphical pointer on said video display, and a pointing device having means for converting user manipulation into a first set of electrical signals representing motion of the graphical pointer along a first axis on said video display, and a second set of electrical signals representing motion of the graphical pointer along a second axis on said video display, the improvement comprising:
- switch means for selectively modifying said first and second sets of electrical signals, in response to manual control, to vary the speed of the graphical pointer along said first axis and the speed of the graphical pointer along said second axis, wherein the speed of the graphical pointer along said first axis and the speed of the graphical pointer along said second axis are varied independently of one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.