Ms-Technologies Gmbh

Apple Inc.

Interactive Media Corporation

Kenneth E Victor

Carl A Goy

Benjamin W Sharpe

Peter E Alley

Roger Badertscher

Scott C Collins

Danny L Dishon

A method of creating an editor that is executed on a first computer system is disclosed in which the editor is arranged to facilitate the editing of data from a first application program executed on a second computer system without requiting that the first application program run on the first computer system. The method includes the steps of creating a display info array that identifies the data fields that may be displayed in a data browser window portion of the editor and creating an edit info array that identifies the data fields may be edited in a detail window portion of the editor. In a preferred embodiment, validation scripts that define the types of data that may be accepted in each of the data fields that is set forth in the edit info array are identified, with the validations scripts forming a portion of the edit info array. This arrangement facilitates editing data using a foreign computer system. Initially, a meta database is created on the first computer system and the meta database is synchronized with a database on the second computer system. An overview browser window of records in the meta database is then displayed on a screen of the first computer system when the meta database is selected. When a user selects a particular record for editing, a detail editing widow of a selected meta database record is displayed on the screen of the first computer system. Thereafter edits inputted into the first computer system are received and the records in the meta database are changed accordingly. Finally, the meta database is resynchronized with the database on the second computer system to transfer the edits to the first computer system.

Method of forming an editor

A graphical system defines a first portal and a second portal; defines a control relationship between the first portal and the second portal; and specifies a function associated with the control relationship such that, when the first portal is activated, the function specified is performed on the second portal.

Graphical system and method in which a function is performed on a second

An improved detector system for an optical mouse including an optical mouse housing for supporting a four-by-four array of detector elements, a light source, and a light directing mirror. The light source may be visual, ultraviolet or infrared. The optical detector elements of the array are labeled A through P starting with row 1, column 1 and going left to right. Each element is about one-quarter of a grid period square and capable of producing an electrical output signal corresponding to the amount of light it receives. The elements are grouped into pairs of elements which are located so as to image areas on the grid pattern a distance of an odd multiple of grid periods apart in a direction which is orthogonal to the direction of motion which they detect. Pairs A+C, E+G, I+K, and M+O detect vertical motion and pairs A+I, B+J, C+K, and D+L detect horizontal motion. Paired output signals measuring motion along the same axis are 90 degrees out of phase if adjacent to one another, and 180 degrees out-of-phase if an odd multiple of grid periods apart. Detector movement and position is determined by comparting output signals measuring motion in the same direction which are 180 degrees out-of-phase with one another. At points where the compared output signals cross, a grid line or space is detected. Each crossing point indicates a state change. By combining and comparing output signals from each of the eight pairs of elements, four square wave quadrature signals indicating motion in either the x or y-axis direction can be produced. The quadrature signal for a particular direction of movement that leads in time the other quadrature signal representing motion along the axis is indicative of the direction of movement of the optical mouse.

Detector system for optical mouse

A cursor position control system in which an optical mouse having a light source and three-by-three detector array moves over a surface having a grid pattern or intersecting orthogonal grid lines of a first color and spaces defined between the grid lines of a second contrasting color. The grid lines are characterized by a line width. Detector cells are grouped into pairs of cells for detecting motion in a particular direction. Cells in a pair are separated so as to image areas an odd multiple of line widths apart in a direction orthogonal to that particular direction. Pairs of cells image areas separated in the particular direction from areas imaged by related pairs of cells by an odd multiple of half line widths. Pairs of electrical signals from pairs of cells are combined then differentiated with respect to time to produce related quadrature signals indicative of the amount and direction of movement of the mouse relative to the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Kenneth E Victor