Patent ID: 7383517

Claim:
A user interface that displays graphics on a computer display including a pointer that may be relocated on the computer display by a user employing an input device, the user interface operative to: receive notice of pointer movement events and pointer selection events; communicate with an operating system to obtain event data associated with pointer movement and selection events; allow application programs to create GUI objects comprised of a guide area and a target, wherein adjusted coordinate positions for the pointer are identified when the pointer is inside a guide area so that movement of the point is redirected toward the target, and wherein pointer movement inside the guide area is non-linear in one component direction in relation to movement of the input device; wherein allowing application programs to create GUI objects comprised of a guide area and a target includes: determining whether guide areas on the user interface are scheduled to overlap; if a determination is made that guide areas are scheduled to overlap, preventing the guide areas from overlapping; and cause the operating system to display the pointer at the adjusted coordinate position.