Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Jeffrey S Hanson

Timothy T Brewer

Kenneth R Robertson

Gregory R Lee

Mark K Svancarek

John Graham Pierce

Jon B Kimmich

Cheryl Jenkins

Miles Richardson

Clark R Cyr

Toshiyuki Minami

Brenda L Diaz

An adapter or converter for coupling an external device to a universal serial bus (USB) port. An adapter is disclosed for use in connecting a joystick to the USB port of a computer. The adapter includes a receptacle for coupling with a game port plug on the joystick. The receptacle is connected to a USB plug, which can be mated with the USB port on a hub or a computer. Within the joystick, a programmed microcontroller unit (MCU) responds to an indication of whether the joystick is connected to the adapter and if so, operates the joystick in a USB communication mode, providing the required digital data packets formatted in accordance with the USB specification. Otherwise, the joystick operates in a game port mode to communicate with a conventional game port. A broader aspect of the present invention is directed to a converter that enables an external device normally connected to a computer through a non-USB port to communicate with the computer via a USB port. The converter includes a data acquisition interface, a microcontroller, a USB engine, and a USB transceiver. Signals from the peripheral device are converted to the appropriate format for input through the USB port, and any signals transmitted to the peripheral device from the USB port are converted to the format it requires by the data acquisition interface.

Method and apparatus for adaptively coupling an external peripheral

A method and computer system present a user with a target icon on a computer screen and instruct the user to place a cursor thereon and twice actuate a mouse switch. The method measures the positions of the cursor on the screen during, and the time between, the two actuations by the user, and uses these measurements to customize, for the given user, the dual actuation speed and cursor movement area used to determine a double-click input command.

Method and apparatus customizing a dual actuation setting of a computer

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Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Jeffrey S Hanson