Patent ID: 7437337

Claim:
A computer system configured to provide user-specific control of operator inputs into software components of the computer system, comprising: at least one graphical operator interface for operating at least one software component of the computer system; input areas or operating elements arranged on the operator interface and including input units for inputting commands or data, wherein the input units are represented by corresponding graphical objects on the graphical operator interface; at least one user profile stored in a memory of the computer system for defining a desired performance of at least one of the input areas respectively operating elements, wherein an accessibility of the input areas respectively operating elements by the input units is included in the user profile such that different users have access to different input areas respectively operating elements using the input units; and at least one virtual mountain range stored in the memory of the system, the virtual mountain range correlated to the graphical operator interface with a plurality of virtual features selected from the group consisting of a mountain summit and a valley to determine a degree of accessibility of the input areas respectively operating elements, wherein the degree of accessibilty modifies at least one operational characteristic of a respective input unit and is based on a location of the graphical object that represents the respective input relative to a respective virtual feature of the mountain range.