Abstract:
A composite cursor input method that moves a cursor through at least two different ratios includes at least the steps of: 1. getting a cursor position on a screen; 2. getting a displacement signal; 3. jointly calculating a displacement value; and 4. moving the cursor on the screen. The method can move the cursor rapidly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a composite cursor input method and particularly to a composite cursor input method that moves a cursor through at least two different ratios.  
         [0002]     2. Description of the Prior Art The computer technology is increasing focusing on humanized concept. Operation mainly adopts window menu selection. By moving the cursor through a mouse, selecting operation can be done rapidly. On the notebook computers that demands small size, a Touch-sensitive pad usually is provided to replace the mouse to control the cursor to make fast movement.  
         [0003]     While the notebook computer mostly uses the Touch-sensitive pad to replace the mouse to overcome the problems of bulky size and line connection occurred to the mouse, to facilitate operation and carrying: the Touch-sensitive pad is made with a limited size. Hence in the conventional design the coordinate resolution of the Touch-sensitive pad is amplified proportionally to the screen coordinates. Thus a small movement of a finger on the Touch-sensitive padcan generate a greater displacement for the cursor on the screen. Thereby the cursor can be moved to any position on the screen. However, if the coordinate resolution of the Touch-sensitive pad corresponding to the coordinates on the screen is too large, to move the cursor accurately to the required location is difficult. On the other hand, if the coordinate resolution of the Touch-sensitive pad corresponding to the coordinates on the screen is too small, moving the cursor accurately to the required location on the screen is easier, but the response of the cursor becomes insensitive. As a result, the finger has to move on the Touch-sensitive pad repeatedly to move the cursor, and use convenience drops.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     In view of the aforesaid problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a composite cursor input method that has at least two cursor control pads to provide a composite and non-proportional input to control movement of a cursor on a screen. The method includes at least the following procedures: (1) get a cursor position on the screen, (2) get a displacement signal, (3) jointly calculate a displacement value, and (4) move the cursor on the screen. By means of this approach the cursor can be moved rapidly.  
         [0005]     The displacement signal set forth above includes at least a first displacement signal of finger movement detected on a first cursor control pad and a second displacement signal of finger movement detected on a second cursor control pad, and may also include a third displacement signal of finger movement detected on a third cursor control pad.  
         [0006]     The ratio of the coordinate resolution of the first displacement signal of the first cursor control pad against the coordinates of the screen is much greater than the ratio of the coordinate resolution of the second displacement signal of the second cursor control pad against the coordinates of the screen.  
         [0007]     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the input device of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first and second cursor control pads of the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of the input method of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view for controlling cursor movement in operation-1 according to the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is an operation block diagram of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view for controlling cursor movement in operation-2 according to the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view for controlling cursor movement in operation-3 according to the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view for controlling cursor movement in operation-4 according to the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a fragmentary picture of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a schematic view of another embodiment of a fragmentary picture of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the composite cursor input device  1  according to the invention includes at least a first cursor control pad  12  and a second cursor control pad  13  that are installed on a surface  11  of a base  10  accessible by user&#39;s fingers to control movement of a cursor  141  on a screen  14 .  
         [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the first cursor control pad  12  and the second cursor control pad  13  have respectively a surface  120  and  130 . They are Touch-sensitive padS that may be resistor induction panels or condenser induction panels to detect touching of fingers to generate displacement signals. The first and second cursor control panes  12  and  13  further have respectively a pressure switch  121  and  131  to detect the depressing pressure of the fingers to function as an input confirmation key.  
         [0020]     The surfaces  120  and  130  of the first and second cursor control pad  12  and  13  have respectively a mark G touchable by the fingers to recognize the touch position. The mark G may be an indented or a bulged spot, or a trace distinguishable by touching of the fingers.  
         [0021]     The first and second cursor control pad  12  and  13  are controlled by at least one button  15  to complete all functions of a mouse, or to switch to desired operation modes.  
         [0022]     Refer to  FIG. 3 , the input method of the invention includes at least the following procedures (also referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) 
         1 . Obtain a cursor position on a screen (step  31 ): a host  2  gets a present position e 0  of the cursor  141  on the screen  14  that serves as the starting point;      2 . Obtain a displacement signal (step  32 ): the first and second cursor control pads  12  and  13  detect respectively a first displacement signal and a second displacement signal of the finger; namely the first displacement signal generated by the first cursor control pad  12  while the finger moves from point d 1  to point d 2 , and the second displacement signal generated by the second cursor control pad  13  while the finger moves from point c  1  to point c 2 ;      3 . Calculate jointly a displacement value (step  33 ): based on the first and second displacement signals to jointly calculate the displacement of the cursor;      4 . Move the cursor on the screen (step  34 ): based on the calculated cursor displacement, move the cursor  141  on the screen  14  to a new corresponding position. For instance, the cursor  141  corresponding to the first displacement signal is moved from point e 0  to e 1 , and the cursor  141  corresponding to the second displacement signal is moved from point e 1  to e 2 .        
 
         [0027]     The step of calculate jointly a displacement value (step  33 ) set forth above can be done based on absolute coordinate values to get the displacement of the cursor  141 . For instance, the finger moves on the first cursor control pad  12  from point d 1  to d 2 , the coordinate of point d 2  is (X 1 , Y 1 ); and the finger moves on the second cursor control pad  13  from point c 1  to c 2 , the coordinate is (X 2 , Y 2 ); then the displacement value of the cursor calculated based on the absolute coordinate values is:  
         [0028]     A·(X 1 , Y 1 )+B·(X 2 , Y 2 ), where A and B are constants, and A is greater than B. The values of A and B are adjustable. During operation, for moving the cursor  141  through the first cursor control pad  12 , the finger moves to a segment  12   a  where point d 2  is located on the first cursor control pad  12  (referring to  FIG. 6 , the broken line is a pseudo line) that is directly corresponding to moving the corresponding cursor  141  to point e 1  on a large segment  14   a  of the screen  14 . For moving the cursor  141  through the second cursor control pad  13 , the finger moves to a segment  13   c  where point c 2  is located on the second cursor control pad  13  that is directly corresponding to moving the corresponding cursor  141  to point e 2  on a, small segment  14   ac  on the large segment  14   a  of the screen  14 .  
         [0029]     The step of calculate jointly a displacement value (step  33 ) set forth above can also be done based on relative coordinate values to get the displacement of the cursor  141 . For instance, the finger moves on the first cursor control pad  12  from point d 1  to d 2 , the coordinate of point d 1  is (X 1 ′, Y 1 ′), and the coordinate of point d 2  is (X 1 , Y 1 ); and the finger moves on the second cursor control pad  13  from point c 1  to c 2 , the coordinate of point c 1  is (X 2 ′, Y 2 ′), the coordinate of point c 2  is (X 2 , Y 2 ); then the displacement value of the cursor calculated based on the relative coordinate values is:
 
A·(X1-X1°, Y1-Y1°)+B·(X2-X2°, Y2-Y2°)
 
         [0030]     where A and B are constants, and A is greater than B. The values of A and B are adjustable. For moving the cursor  141  through the first cursor control pad  12  (referring to  FIG. 4 ), the finger moves an interval f 1  from point d 1  to point d 2  on the first cursor control pad  12  corresponding to moving the cursor  141  on the screen  14  at a corresponding large interval F 1  from point e 0  to point e 1 , where A·f 1 =F 1 ; for moving the cursor  141  through the second cursor control pad  13 , the finger moves an interval f 2  from point c 1  to point c 2  on the second cursor control pad  13  corresponding moving the cursor  141  on the screen  14  at a small interval F 2  from point e 1  to point e 2 , where B·f 2 =F 2 .  
         [0031]     The step of calculate jointly a displacement value (step  33 ) set forth above can also be done based on mixed calculation using the relative coordinate values and absolute coordinate values to get the displacement of the cursor  141 . Namely the displacement of the second cursor control pad  13  adopts the relative coordinate values. For instance the finger moves from point d 1  to point d 2  on the first cursor control pad  12 , where the coordinate (X 1 , Y 1 ) of point d 2  is an absolute coordinate value; and the finger moves from point c 1  to point c 2  on the second cursor control pad  13 , the coordinate of point c 1  is (X 2 ′, Y 2 ′) and the coordinate of point c 2  is (X 2 , Y 2 ) are relative coordinate values; then the calculated displacement value of the cursor is:
 
A·(X1, Y1)+(X2-X2°, Y2-Y2°)
 
         [0032]     where A and B are constants, and A is greater than B. The values of A and B are adjustable. For moving the cursor through the first cursor control pad  12  (referring to  FIG. 7 ), the finger moves to a segment  12   a  on the first cursor control pad  12  where point d 2  is located directly corresponding to moving the cursor  141  to point e 1  on a large segment  14   a  of the screen  14 ; and the second cursor control pad  13  controls moving of the cursor  141  by moving the finger from point c 1  to point c 2  at an interval f 2  corresponding to moving the cursor  141  on the screen  14  from point e 1  to point e 2  at a small interval F 2 , wherein B·f 2  =F 2 .  
         [0033]     Refer to  FIGS. 8 and 9  for an embodiment that adopts joint calculation of a displacement value through the absolute coordinate value (step  33 ). When a picture  140  of a document cannot be fully displayed on the screen  14  (namely the size of the displaying data is larger than the screen, and only a portion of data can be displayed), such a condition frequently happens to browsing Web pages, or viewing the Web pages on a small screen such as PDAs or the like where the picture  140  of the entire document cannot be fully displayed, either the first or second cursor control pad  12  or  13  can be set to the same area as the picture  140 . And the calculation based on the absolute coordinate value can be adopted. Thereby on either the first or second cursor control pad  12  or  13  (the first cursor control pad is selected as an example), the first displacement signal of moving the finger from point d 3  (d 4 ) on the first cursor control pad  12  displays a partial picture on the screen  14  corresponding to a partial segment  140 ′ ( 140 ″) to facilitate fast Web page browsing; or a third cursor control pad  15  (referring to  FIGS. 8 and 10 ) can be added to accomplish the partial picture moving operation mentioned above. Namely a third displacement signal of the finger moving to point d 5  (d 6 ) on the third cursor control pad  15  will display a corresponding picture of the partial segment  140 ′ ( 140 ″).