Patent Publication Number: US-2023140548-A1

Title: Cursor control method and cursor control device which can improve cursor movement range and accuracy

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/272,693, filed on Oct. 28, 2021. The content of the application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cursor control method and a cursor control device, and particularly relates to a cursor control method and a cursor control device which can improve a cursor movement range and a cursor movement accuracy. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In modern life, a joystick is a fairly common device. The joystick can be applied to move a cursor to a target point. However, the movement range of the cursor per time may be limited due to the structure of the joystick. 
     Further, if the user wants to move a cursor to a target on a displayed image with a high resolution, the cursor is hardly to be moved to a precise position of the target point by the joystick, since the movement of the cursor is very sensitive to the control of the joystick. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a cursor control method and a cursor control device which can improve a cursor movement range. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cursor control method and a cursor control device which can improve a cursor movement accuracy. 
     One embodiment of the present invention discloses a cursor control method, applied to a navigation input device for moving a cursor on a first displayed image and a second displayed image, comprising: (a) receiving a first displacement value from the navigation input device when the cursor is within a first region of the first displayed image and receiving a second displacement value from the navigation input device when the cursor is within a second region of the first displayed image; (b) moving the cursor with a first moving value on the first displayed image when the cursor is within the first region, and the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio; and (d) moving the cursor with a second moving value on a second displayed image when the cursor is within the second region, and the second moving value is obtained from the second displacement value and a second ratio; wherein the first ratio is different from the second ratio; wherein the second displayed image is a zoom out and partial image of the first displayed image. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a cursor control method, applied to a navigation input device for moving a cursor on a first displayed image, comprising: (a) receiving a first displacement value from the navigation input device when the cursor is within a mapping region of the first displayed image; (b) moving the cursor with a first moving value on the first displayed image when the cursor is within the mapping region, and the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio; and (d) moving the cursor on the first displayed image when the cursor is within the extension region, corresponding to a moving direction of the cursor in the mapping region but not corresponding to the moving value. 
     A cursor control device which can perform the above-mentioned cursor control methods is also disclosed. 
     In view of above-mentioned embodiments, the cursor movement range can be increased due to usage of the extension range. Also, a cursor movement accuracy can be increased due to the usage of the enlarged image (second displayed image). 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram illustrating a cursor control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic illustrating a gaming controller according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic diagram illustrating a joy stick according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  5   ,  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  7   , and  FIG.  8    are schematic diagrams illustrating a cursor control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Several embodiments are provided in following descriptions to explain the concept of the present invention. The term “first”, “second”, “third” in following descriptions are only for the purpose of distinguishing different elements, and do not mean the sequence of the elements. For example, a first device and a second device only mean these devices can have the same structure but are different devices. 
       FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram illustrating a cursor control method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cursor control method is applied to a navigation input device for moving a cursor C on a first displayed image Imd_ 1 . In following embodiments, the navigation input device is a joystick, but not limited. Also, in following embodiments, the term “cursor” is not limited to an object having a cursor shape, other displayed objects which can be moved by the navigation input device, such as a game character, should also fall in the scope of the present invention. 
     The first displayed image Imd_ 1  comprises a mapping region R_a and an extension region R_b. The cursor control method provided by the present invention receives a first displacement value from the navigation input device when the cursor C is within the mapping region R_a of the first displayed image. Also, the cursor C moves with a first moving value on the first displayed image Imd_ 1  when the cursor C is within the mapping region R_a, and the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio. Further, the cursor C moves on the first displayed image Imd_ 1  when the cursor C is within the extension region R_b, corresponding to a moving direction of the cursor C in the mapping region R_a but not correspond to the first moving value. Briefly, the cursor C moves corresponding to a first displacement value from the navigation input device while in the mapping region R_a, and moves corresponding to a moving direction of the cursor C in the mapping region R_a but not corresponding to the first displacement value while in the extension region R_b. In the embodiment of  FIG.  1   , the extension region R_b is surrounding the mapping region R_a, but not limited. Details of the mapping region R_a and the extension region R_b will be described for more detail later. 
     In one embodiment, the navigation input device is a joystick with a pillar, wherein the first displacement value corresponds to a tilt angle of the pillar.  FIG.  2    is a schematic illustrating a gaming controller according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the gaming controller  200  comprises a processing circuit  201 , a joy stick  203 , and buttons B_ 1 , B_ 2 , B_ 3 , B_ 4 . The gaming controller  200  in  FIG.  2    is only for example, the gaming controller provided by the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  2   . Also, the navigation input device provided by the present invention can be provided to any other cursor control device rather than limited to a gaming controller. 
     The processing circuit  201  is configured to receive input signals from the joy stick  203  and the buttons B_ 1 , B_ 2 , B_ 3 , B_ 4 , to generate control commands. The joy stick  203  can be controlled by the user to move the above-mentioned cursor C. Therefore, the input signal generated by the joy stick  203  is the above-mentioned first displacement value. After receiving the first displacement value, the processing circuit  201  generates control commands to move the cursor C with the first moving value. For example, the gaming controller  200  can communicate with a game console or a computer, and the processing circuit  201  generates control commands to the processor of the game console or the computer to move the cursor C with the first moving value. 
       FIG.  3    is a schematic diagram illustrating the joy stick  203  of the gaming controller  200  according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG.  3   , the joy stick  203  comprises a pillar  301  and an image sensor  303 . Also, a specific pattern SP is provided at a bottom of the pillar  301 , and an image sensor  303  is below the pillar  301 . Therefore, the image sensor  303  can sense an image of the specific pattern SP. The specific pattern SP moves if the pillar  301  is tilted, which means a user uses the joy stick  203  to move the cursor C. Therefore, corresponding to the embodiment of  FIG.  3   , the cursor control method provided by the present invention further comprises: capturing a sensing image via the image sensor  303 , and the sensing image comprises a pattern image of the specific pattern SP. The processing circuit  201  determines the first displacement value according to at least one position of the specific pattern image in the sensing image. the first displacement value corresponds to a tilt angle of the pillar  301 . 
     In one embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG.  3   , the specific pattern SP comprises a first pattern region PR_ 1  and a second pattern region PR_ 2 . The first pattern region PR_ 1  and the second pattern region PR_ 2  have different colors and sizes. Further, the first pattern region PR_ 1  is at a location which is not the center point the second pattern region PR_ 2 . However, the specific pattern SP is not limited to the example illustrated in  FIG.  3   . Any pattern which can provide the same function should also fall in the scope of the present invention. The above-mentioned first ratio is a ratio between the displacement of the specific pattern SP in the sensing image and the displacement of the cursor C on the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . Therefore, the first ratio can be 1, larger than 1, or smaller than 1. 
     Please refer to  FIG.  1    again, in one embodiment, the whole sensing image SS corresponding to the mapping region R_a and the extension region R_b. That is, the mapping region R_a corresponds to a portion of the sensing image SS, and the extension region R_b corresponds to another portion of the sensing image SS. In one embodiment, the extension region R_b corresponds to a border region or an edge region of the sensing image SS. Therefore, if the pillar  301  in  FIG.  3    tilts for a small angle, the at least one position of the specific pattern SP can be detected, thus the cursor C can move in the mapping region R_a following the above-mentioned rules (the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio). Oppositely, if the pillar  301  in  FIG.  3    tilts for a large angle, the cursor C only can move to a border of the mapping region R_a according to the first moving value. In such embodiment, after the cursor C moves to the border of the mapping region R_a, the cursor C keeps moving in the extension region R_b following the above-mentioned rules (corresponding to a moving direction of the cursor C in the mapping region R_a). For example, if the pillar  301  tilts for a large angle, the cursor C moves from left to the right corresponding to the tilt angle of the pillar  301  and moves to the border of the mapping region R_a, the cursor C keeps moving right in the extension region R_b. In other words, the movement of the cursor C in the extension region R_b does not correspond to the tile angle of the pillar  301 . 
     In view of the embodiments illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the move range of the cursor C can be extended. Besides, the present invention further provides embodiments which can increase a cursor movement accuracy.  FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  5   ,  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  7   , and  FIG.  8    are schematic diagrams illustrating a cursor control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  4    illustrates effective ranges of the cursor. Different ones of the tilt angles θ correspond to different effective ranges. For example, the effective range ER  1  correspond to a θ of 10 degrees, the effective range ER  2  correspond to a θ of 15 degrees, and the effective range ER  3  correspond to a θ of 20 degrees. The cursor moves to a border of the effective range corresponding to a tilt angle of the pillar  301 . These effective ranges are related with following embodiments and will be described later. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG.  5   , a first displayed image Imd_ 1  and a second displayed image Imd_ 2  are provided, and the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is a zoom out (i.e., enlarged) and partial image of the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . In one embodiment, the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is not triggered by the tilt angle of the pillar  301  in  FIG.  3   , and is triggered by other methods. In one embodiment, the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is triggered when the cursor C is close to a target point T in the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . In another embodiment, the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is triggered when the cursor C moves back and forth in a specific range (i.e., repeatedly move in one direction and then in the opposite direction) in the first displayed image Imd_ 1 , since such operation may mean that the user wants to move the cursor C to a specific point but could not successfully complete this operation. In still another embodiment, if the movement speed of the cursor C in the first displayed image Imd_ 1  is lower than a threshold speed, or the accumulated displacements of the cursor C in the first displayed image Imd_ 1  is lower than a threshold displacement, the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is triggered, since such operations may mean the cursor C is closed to a specific point and the user tries to move the cursor C to the specific point. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG.  5   , the processing circuit  201  receives a first displacement value from the joystick  203  when the cursor is within a first region R_ 1  of the first displayed image Imd_ 1  and receives a second displacement value from the joystick  203  when the cursor is within a second region R_ 2  of the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . In one embodiment, the cursor C moves with a first moving value on the first displayed image Imd_ 1  when the cursor C is within the first region R_ 1 , and the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio in this embodiment. The first ratio can be 1 or any other value other than 1. In other words, the first moving value completely corresponds to the first displacement value output by the joystick  200 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG.  5   , the second region R_ 2  is a predetermined range of a target point T, and the first range R_ 1  means other portions of the first displayed image Imd_ 1 , which are not the predetermined range of the target point T. If the cursor C moves into the second region R 2 , it means the cursor C is close to the target point T. Additionally, in one embodiment, the target point T is displayed at a center point of the second displayed image Imd_ 2 , but the target point T can be displayed at any location of the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . 
     Also, the cursor C is moved with a first moving value on the first displayed image Imd_ 1  when the cursor C is within the first region R_ 1 , and the first moving value is obtained from the first displacement value and a first ratio. Besides, the cursor C is moved with a second moving value on the second displayed image Imd_ 2  when the cursor is within the second region R_ 2 , and the second moving value is obtained from the second displacement value and a second ratio. The first ratio is different from the second ratio. The first ratio means a ratio between the first moving value and the first displacement value, and the second ratio means a ratio between the second moving value and the second displacement value. In one embodiment, the second ratio is smaller than the first ratio. 
     The concept illustrated in the embodiments of  FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  5   ,  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  7   , and  FIG.  8    can be applied to the mapping region R_a in  FIG.  1   , but can also be applied to the extension region R_b in  FIG.  1    as well. Further, the concept illustrated in the embodiments of  FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  5   ,  FIG.  6   ,  FIG.  7   , and  FIG.  8    can be implemented by the gaming controller  200  in  FIG.  2    and the pillar  203  in  FIG.  3   . Therefore, in one embodiment, the first displacement value and the second displacement value correspond to tilt angles of the pillar  301 . 
     In other words, initially, the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is not displayed and the user moves the cursor C on the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . If the cursor C moves in the first region R_ 1 , the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is still not displayed. However, if the cursor C moves into the predetermined range of the target point T, for example, a distance between the cursor C and the target point T is smaller than the threshold distance d 1 , the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is displayed thus the user can move the cursor C on the second displayed image Imd_ 2  to approach the target point T. As above-mentioned, in one embodiment, the second ratio is smaller than the first ratio, which means the cursor C for a smaller distance in the second displayed image Imd_ 2  than in the first displayed image Imd_ 1  when the pillar  301  has the same tilt angle. For example, the cursor C moves for the distance d 1  when the pillar  301  tilts for 0.1 degree in the first displayed image Imd_ 1 , but moves for the distance d 1  when the pillar  301  tilts for 2 degrees in the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . By this way, the user can precisely control the cursor C to move to the target point T even if the joystick  203  has a high sensitivity. The high sensitivity means the cursor C moves for a long distance when the pillar  301  tilts for a small angle. 
     The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  5    can help the user to precisely move the cursor C to the target point T. However, the effective range illustrated in  FIG.  4    may be decreased while performing the embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  5   . For example, as illustrated in  FIG.  6   , if the threshold distance for activating the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is d 2 , and the joystick  203  needs to tilt X degrees to move to the cursor C across the distance d 2  in the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . If the zoom out ratio (i.e., enlarge ratio) is Y, the tilt angle which the joystick  203  needs to tilt to move to the cursor C across the distance d 2  increases to X*Y in the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . However, such situation may cause some inconvenience for the user, since the maximum tilt angle of the pillar  301  is limited. 
     To improve the embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  6   , in one embodiment, a reposition procedure is performed to change the position of the cursor C in the second displace image Imd_ 2 . Specifically, a first position P_ 1  (the original position) of the cursor C in the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is changed to a second position P_ 2  (the changed position) in the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . In one embodiment, the positions of the cursor C in the first displayed image Imd_ 1  are also correspondingly changed. However, in another embodiment, the positions of the cursor C in the first displayed image Imd_ 1  are not correspondingly changed. 
     The first position P_ 1  and the second position P_ 2  can be any position in the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . In one embodiment a distance between the target point T and the second position P_ 2  is smaller than a distance between the target point T and the first position P_ 1 . Also, in the embodiment of  FIG.  7   , the first position P_ 1 , the second position P_ 2  and the target point T are located sequentially in a line. Further, in the embodiment of  FIG.  7   , the first position P_ 1  and the second position P_ 2  are at the border of the second displayed image Imd_ 2 . In one embodiment, the reposition procedure is executed if a distance of the target point T and a boundary of the effective range illustrated in  FIG.  4    is smaller than a threshold distance, which means the target point T is near to the boundary of the effective range, or the target point T is outside the effective range. 
     As above-mentioned, the target point C can locate at any other location of the second displayed image besides the center point. As illustrated in  FIG.  8   , the target point T is at the upper right corner of the second displayed image Imd_ 2 , since the target point T is close to a boundary B of the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . In such case, the cursor C is changed from the first position P_ 1  to the second position P_ 2 . Therefore, in the embodiment of  FIG.  8   , the distance d 4  between the second position P_ 2  (the changed position) and the target point T is smaller than the distance d 3  between the first position P_ 1  (the original position) and the target point T. In one embodiment, the cursor C is displayed when a location of the cursor C is the second position P_ 2  but not displayed when a location of the cursor C is at the first position P_ 1 . 
     Accordingly, in the embodiment of  FIG.  8   , the reposition procedure is executed if a target point T is detected near a boundary B (or named a corner) of the first displayed image Imd_ 1  and the cursor C is far from the boundary B which the target point T is close to. By this way, the cursor C is moved to the boundary B which the target point T is close to. In other words, a location of the cursor C in the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is changed if a distance between a target point T and a boundary B of the first displayed image Imd_ 1  is smaller than a first threshold distance and a distance between the border B and the cursor C is larger than the first threshold distance, wherein the cursor C is moved to a position close to or at the border B. Please note, although the border B belongs to the second displayed image Imd_ 2  in the embodiment of  FIG.  8   , the border B also belongs to the first displayed image Imd_ 1  since the second displayed image Imd_ 2  is partial of the first displayed image Imd_ 1 . 
     In view of above-mentioned embodiments, the cursor movement range can be increased due to usage of the extension range. Also, a cursor movement accuracy can be increased due to the usage of the enlarged image (second displayed image). 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.