Abstract: A user-machine interface is disclosed that uses a line to connect and/or to intersect various objects displayed on a screen. A start of the line may identify a source, an end of the line may identify a sink, and line shapes and/or objects intersected by the line may identify commands.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for choosing a position on a display having a cursor. In one aspect, an exemplary method, which can be computer-implemented, includes the steps of automatically moving the cursor in a predetermined during-selection mode in response to a first user-initiated action, and, responsive to a second user-initiated action when the cursor is at a first location, ceasing the moving of the cursor in the predetermined during-selection mode, and causing a choosing action to be performed at the first location, such that the first location is chosen as the position.

Abstract: A method of changing the states of multiple Boolean state items displayed in a computer system user interface window draws a box around a plurality of Boolean state items displayed in the window. Each of the items displayed in the window initial state, which is either of the two Boolean states. In response to drawing the box, the method changes the initial state of at least some of the items within the box to a final state, which is the opposite Boolean state. The change of state may be according to a default behavior. The user may change the default behavior.

Abstract: A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides a walk tool GUI that has a quite motion zone in which a cursor can be moved without causing view motion and arrow cursors that control direction and speed when positioned relative to the zone.

Abstract: User interface navigation is described. In an embodiment, an indicator displayed on a user interface rotates in place to indicate selectable directions of travel. When an input is received to stop the indicator from rotating, the indicator moves in a direction of travel. When another input is received, the indicator stops moving in the direction of travel, and again rotates in place to indicate other selectable directions of travel. An input can also be received to initiate selecting a user-selectable control on the user interface when the indicator is positioned over the user-selectable control, over a portion of the user-selectable control, or proximate the user-selectable control.

Abstract: For operating an operation target object displayed on a screen using a pointing device, a first input coordinate value indicating a position on the screen designated by the pointing device and a second input coordinate value detected discretely from, and before, the first input coordinate value are detected. A changing direction is calculated based on the first input coordinate value and the second input coordinate value, and a rotation direction is determined based on the changing direction. The operation target object is rotated in the rotation direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method of providing feedback of a location of a cursor in a tilt-based list search. An apparatus for providing feedback of a location of a cursor in a tilt-based list search according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cursor location control module calculating and changing the location of the cursor according to a tilt angle, a probability calculating module calculating probabilities of the cursor being located at items of each list according to the calculated location of the cursor, and a display module changing an attribute of the list according to the calculated probabilities and displaying the list.

Abstract: A method of using capacitance-sensitive touchpad, wherein the touchpad includes a plurality of zones on a surface thereof, wherein detection of a finger within one of the plurality of zones determines a direction and a speed of scrolling within a window in a graphical user interface, and wherein detection of a finger within one of the plurality of zones determines a direction and a speed of movement of a cursor performing edge motion in the graphical user interface, thus making edge motion and scrolling dependent only upon a detected location of a finger within the plurality of zones, and not dependent upon detecting movement of the finger.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to assisting users to position a pointer on a target. Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium that guide a pointer toward a target. After the pointer is located on a target, pointer movement continues to be adjusted so that the user may easily keep the pointer located on the target.

Abstract: Sectors including selection elements are scaled (405) according to the location of a selector pointer so that a selector comprising several selector elements can also be implemented on a small screen and that the selection element is sufficiently large before selection.

Abstract: Aligning the contents of document objects on an electronic document page. Organizing a page of document objects so textual content is aligned to natural eye scanning patterns promotes readership and usability. When a user creates a new island of text, the new text can be snapped into alignment with an existing island of text. Invisible guidelines that emanate from textual features in a document object can provide a relative alignment reference that floats with the position of the object on the page. In response to placing a content insertion point (“IP”) on an electronic page with an existing document object, the IP can be automatically aligned to the content of the existing document object. A page with several arbitrarily positioned document objects can be automatically rearranged so that the contents of the document objects are each aligned to one another.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for vertical navigation of displayed content. A physical wheel on a device is provided for navigating through content displayed on a display associated with the device. The physical wheel is moved in a direction and a distance about its rotational axis to indicate a scrolling direction and corresponding scrolling amount. The physical wheel is indexed in accordance with a display unit size associated with the content displayed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, method, and computer-readable medium that adjusts pointer movement when an input device causes the pointer to intersect one or more alignment areas. Pointer movement is adjusted in the alignment areas to allow users to easily align GUI objects. The adjusted pointer movement is not proportional to input received from an input device. Instead alignment areas have “friction” in that the pointer is less responsive to input compared to other areas of the computer display.

Abstract: a method for navigating a pointer on a graphical user interface (GUI) includes the steps of: scrolling an input device to locate the pointer corresponding to the input device on a point of interest within the GUI, depressing an actuating button associated with the input device on the point of interest, obtaining a detailed view of the point of interest while centering the point of interest on the GUI and maintaining a position of the pointer on the point of interest.

Abstract: Touch panel systems and methods are disclosed that can distinguish temporally overlapping touch inputs from single touch inputs so that valid touch position coordinates can be determined. Touch panel systems and methods of the present invention can distinguish overlapping touches by comparing signal magnitudes to specified thresholds, by comparing the rates of change of signal magnitudes or measured positions to determined parameters, by locating the proximity a calculated location to icons or other such active areas, and the like. Because touch panel systems and methods of the present invention can discriminate single touches from double touches, they can be used in multiple user applications such as multiplayer games as well as in applications that may be subject to rapidly successive or overlapping touch inputs.

Abstract: A two part method for improving the usage of a pointing device by a physically impaired user is disclosed. A first method is provided for learning how a user moves the pointing device by acquiring motion data for a user and generating motion vectors corresponding to when the user moves from source point icons to destination point icons. A second method of combining the learned user motion data with an application program where the user navigates the pointing device to select program icons on a graphical user interface (GUI) screen is provided. The method determines when the actual motion vector is similar to a previously acquired motion vector with a similar source point. The method predicts a destination point icon and highlights and locks the prediction icon until the user either actuates the iconor generates motion vectors that indicate that another destination point icon is the more likely destination.

Abstract: A system for minimizing unintended cursor movement in computer display systems, using GUI operating systems or software, that can result from such things as muscle spasms, or rough travel is disclosed. A cursor control device, such as a mouse, is monitored for signals of movement. Once a signal of movement has been received, the signal is then evaluated. This evaluation involves determining whether the signal for movement is ancillary to an intended movement or it is an intended movement. If the signal for movement is determined to be ancillary, it is then corrected. If the signal for movement is an intended movement, the signal is then passed on to the operating system for processing. The correcting can be done in the analog domain by utilizing a filter of some form, such as a bandpass filter, or it can be done in the digital domain by masking out undesired portions of the signals of movement and retaining only the portions of the signal that facilitate movement along an intended path.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for facilitating navigation techniques in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The present invention couples input driving techniques to the state of one or more workspace variables (e.g., object state, virtual body state, environment state) to change the user's viewing context within a single input control motion. Modification of the user's viewing context allows navigation to various positions and orientations with out the need to be provided with that viewing context prior to navigation. The modification of the user's viewing context also allows for single input motion employing the same input drive controls.

Abstract: Disclosed is a computer system including a computer body operated according to a predetermined operating system, and a display device having a display section for receiving a video signal from the computer body to display images on the screen thereof in response to the received video signal. The computer body includes a language information-providing section adapted to provide the display device with information about the kind of language used in the operating system. The display device includes an OSD generating section adapted to generate an OSD for setting a display environment of the display device, a memory adapted to store a plurality of languages that can be used in the OSD therein and to store the language information received from the computer body, and an OSD control section adapted to control the OSD generating section to display the OSD on the display section by means of the same language as that used in the operating system in accordance with language information.

Abstract: A cursor is moved through regions of text 300 having differing directions to a location visually adjacent to a previous cursor location. The cursor is moved in the direction of requested cursor movement even when moving from text having a first direction to text having a second direction. A comparison of direction for current and proposed cursor locations is made 810 in both a method and apparatus for so moving the cursor. The direction of a character to be inserted is also examined 816 in determining the next location of the cursor.

Abstract: Systems and methods of pointing in hand-held devices are described. In accordance with this scheme, a user may control the position where a pointer is displayed on a display screen simply by changing the orientation of the hand-held device relative to a currently preferred device orientation, which is tracked automatically. In addition, unintentional device orientation changes, such as periodic device orientation changes that might be caused by carrying the hand-held device while walking or driving, are filtered out dynamically. In this way, the pointer may be positioned accurately and reliably at any one of a plurality of pointer screen locations based upon changes in device orientation under a wide variety of different usage conditions.

Abstract: A method and system for implicitly resolving pointing ambiguities in human-computer interaction by implicitly analyzing user movements of a pointer toward a user targeted object located in an ambiguous multiple object domain and predicting the user targeted object, using different categories of heuristic (statically and/or dynamically learned) measures, such as (i) implicit user pointing gesture measures, (ii) application context, and (iii) number of computer suggestions of each predicted user targeted object. Featured are user pointing gesture measures of (1) speed-accuracy tradeoff, referred to as total movement time (TMT), and, amount of fine tuning (AFT) or tail-length (TL), and, (2) exact pointer position. A particular application context heuristic measure used is referred to as containment hierarchy.

Abstract: A system and method for accelerating scrolling of a display is disclosed. When a wheel of a wheeled pointing device is actuated by a user at a first rotational rate, the display in a window scrolls up or down one line at a time. When the wheel is rotated at a second rotational rate, the display in the window scrolls up or down multiple lines at a time. In additional embodiments, the scrolling technique shifts from one line at a time/multiple lines at a time to a page or pages at a time when the wheel is rotated for at a rotational rate for a minimum period of time.