The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 22, 2004
Abraham S. Farag, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Bartley K. Andre, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Benjamin B. Lyon, Kensington, CA (US);
Richard D. Cappels, Sr., San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffrey B. Doar, Fremont, CA (US);
Abraham S. Farag, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Bartley K. Andre, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Benjamin B. Lyon, Kensington, CA (US);
Richard D. Cappels, Sr., San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffrey B. Doar, Fremont, CA (US);
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
According to one aspect of the invention, a movable cursor control device is provided for controlling a cursor on a display screen of a digital processing system. One exemplary cursor control device comprises a housing, an electromagnetic emitting device coupled to the housing, and an electromagnetic detector coupled to the housing. The electromagnetic detector detects reflections of signals emitted from the electromagnetic emitting device and determines when the housing has been lifted from a surface. In another aspect of the invention, an exemplary method is provided for controlling a cursor on a display screen of a digital processing system. The exemplary method includes holding the cursor relative to an object on the display screen using a cursor control device activated by a user, detecting that the user no longer activates the cursor control device, and detecting that the user has lifted the cursor control device from a surface when the cursor control device is no longer activated by the user. Further, the method allows for continuing to hold the cursor relative to the object after detecting that the user no longer activates the cursor control device.