Autodesk, Inc.

Robert J Pieke

George William Fitzmaurice

Gordon P Kurtenbach

William Buxton

The disclosed pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed. The execution is directed at any object designated by a pen-mouse tracking symbol, such as an arrow, that is part of the pen mouse graphic. The pen-mouse emulates functions or operations of a mouse including single button clicks, double button clicks, finger wheels, track balls, etc.

Pen-mouse system

The present invention is a system that provides a pen based computer user with a graphical user interface tool, a pen-mouse, that looks like and functions like a mouse but that is controlled by a limited input device such as a pen or stylus of the pen based computer. The pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is allowed to be moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary typically coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed. The execution focus is directed at any object designated by a pen-mouse tracking symbol, such as an arrow, that is part of the pen mouse graphic. The pen-mouse can emulate functions or operations of a mouse including single button clicks, double button clicks, finger wheels, track balls, etc.

The present invention is a system that provides a user with a pan-zoom tool that is controlled by a limited input device, such as a pen or stylus, of a pen based computer. The pan-zoom tool is a semitransparent, bull's eye type tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen-cursor or tracking symbol that corresponds to the location of the pen is allowed to move about within a pan-zoom tool graphic. The tool is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the tool at an exterior edge of the menu. While moving within the pen-mouse the pen can select pan and zoom functions located in concentric rings of the tool graphic as the active function of the tool. Once one of the pan or zoom functions is activated motion of the pen on the surface of the display is interpreted as corresponding pan or zoom control commands, the tool is becomes transparent and the tracking symbol is replaced by a corresponding pan or zoom icon. The concentric ring menu can have additional button type controls, for functions in addition to pan and zoom, located on a boundary between the rings forming access lanes for movement of the tracking menu during function selection. The function or control of the center ring can be the most recently selected function.

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Toronto, Canada

Robert J Pieke