Patent ID: 7109975

Claim:
A method of providing user input to a computing system having a display device, said computing system adapted to generate a computer click event in response to a click event signal, said computing system further adapted to move a screen pointer on said display device in response to a screen pointer control signal, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a touch screen comprising a contact-sensitive sensor area having x-y coordinates; b) establishing an initial centre point by applying and maintaining contact on said sensor area; c) determining the x-y coordinates of said centre point; d) establishing a plurality of directional zones disposed about said centre point on said sensor area, each directional zone converging on said centre point; e) establishing a plurality of annular velocity zones extending circumferentially about said centre point on said sensor area, the intersection of said velocity zones and said directional zones thereby defining a plurality of sectors, each sector defining a predetermined direction component and a predetermined velocity component for a screen pointer control signal; f) generating a click event signal if said contact is removed from said sensor area within a predetermined period of time, said predetermined period of time commencing when said contact is initially applied to said sensor area at said centre point; g) generating a first screen pointer control signal if said contact on said sensor area is maintained for a period of time greater- than said predetermined period of time, said generation of said first screen pointer control signal comprising the steps of: i) moving said contact on said sensor area from said centre point to a first point on said sensor area, ii) determining the x-y coordinates of said first point, iii) deriving a first distance ‘r’ and a first angle ‘θ’ of a first straight-line vector extending from the x-y coordinates of said centre point to the x-y coordinates of said first point, iv) correlating said first distance ‘r’ to a first velocity zone and correlating said first angle ‘θ’ to a first directional zone to thereby derive the sector said first point is located in, v) deriving the direction and velocity components for the sector said first point is located in, vi) processing said derived direction and velocity components for inclusion in said first screen pointer control signal, and vii) generating said first screen pointer control signal comprising said processed direction and velocity components; and h) transmitting said click event signal or said first screen pointer control signal to said computing system.