Pointer for a large display
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsRoger Leuder, George G. Robertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various technologies are provided to facilitate the use of a pointer (e.g., a cursor) with a large display (including displays that comprise multiple monitors). For example, solutions are presented for quickly moving the pointer across multiple monitors and for using multiple pointing devices. An interface is further provided with the ability to render an arbitrary image that trails the pointer to make the pointer easier to find on the large display. This image can visible be visible at all times, visible when requested by the user, or visible in response to a minimum amount of movement during a defined time period.
Claims12
A method for operating a pointer on a display having multiple monitors including a first monitor and a second monitor, comprising:
- receiving a first event message for a pointer on a display, the first event message indicating a first pixel location of the pointer in the display and a first time;
- determining that said pointer is moving on said display in a direction toward said second monitor based on receiving a second event message for the pointer, the second event message indicating a second pixel location of the pointer in the display and a second time, said pointer is displayed on said first monitor;
- automatically moving said pointer to said second monitor before said pointer has reached the edge of said first monitor in response to said pointer moving on said first monitor between the first pixel location and the second pixel location within a predetermined time, wherein the distance between said first pixel location and said second pixel location is at least twenty pixels and said predetermined time is within milliseconds;
- and
- causing an image to be provided on said display that visually indicates said pointer, said image is a different image than said pointer and is larger than said pointer.
An apparatus that can operate a pointer on a display, comprising:
- an interface to a pointer controlling device;
- an interface to said display;
- and
- one or more processors in communication with said interface to said display and said interface to said pointer controlling device, said one or more processors receive an indication of a position of said pointer on said display and selectively cause an image to be provided on said display visually indicating said position of said pointer in response to receiving said indication, said image is a different image than said pointer and is larger than said pointer;
- said selectively causing an image to be provided on said display includes determining whether said pointer has moved on said display a threshold distance, waiting for said pointer to stop moving on said display after determining that said pointer has moved on said display a threshold distance, determining whether said pointer moved on said display a minimum distance within a defined time frame, and causing said image to be displayed for a predefined time duration if said pointer moved on said display said minimum distance within said defined time frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.