Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-05
2002-07-23
Cabeca, John (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S950000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06424357
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The field of the present invention is input devices for computing devices and a method of using the input device. More particularly, the present invention relates to the control of a computer device with voice inputs.
2. Background Art
Many modern computing devices have a graphical user interface where a user interacts with the computer using a graphical input device. For example, the well-known and ubiquitous personal computer is most often configured to operate the popular “Microsoft Windows™” graphical user interface. The graphical user interface and graphical applications operating thereupon typically require the user to select graphical display elements to control and command the personal computer. Therefore, the personal computer is most conveniently operated using a graphical input device.
In this manner, a user typically uses the graphical input device for directly controlling the graphical elements of the graphical user interface and to activate commands. In some instances, the graphical input device works in conjunction with a keyboard to more efficiently enter commands and control a graphical application. There are many different types of graphical input devices in use today. Some of the most popular are graphics tablets, touch screens, digitizers, light pens, and trackballs. However, by far the most popular graphical input device is the standard computer “mouse”.
The standard mouse comprises a housing to be manipulated by the palm of the hand. The bottom side of the mouse has a roller ball for contacting a flat horizontal surface. As the user propels the mouse along the flat horizontal surface, the roller ball provides relative left and right movements to mouse circuitry in the computing device. These relative left and right movements are communicated to the graphical driving system of the personal computer, where the relative mouse movements are converted to relate to the graphical coordinate system used on the Windows™ graphical user interface. In such a manner, left and right movements of the mouse across the flat horizontal surface are converted into left and right movements across the display for the computing device.
Most often, the movement of the mouse is represented on the display of the computing device by the position of a graphical cursor. The graphical cursor may take many shapes or forms such as an arrow or a cross hair. Thus, by moving the mouse, the cursor may be made to move to any location on the display and point to any location.
The typical mouse further has buttons for providing additional control and command functions. A mouse may be configured with any number of buttons, however most applications today are configured to operate best with a two button mouse. Typically, the mouse buttons are referred to as the “left mouse button” and the “right mouse button” relative to the front of the mouse.
Each mouse button has particular functionality as defined by the operating system. The Windows™ operating system usually provides that the mouse functionality be done with the left mouse button. For example, the left mouse button may be used to input commands to the Windows™ operating system. In such a manner, the mouse is used to move a graphical cursor to a command name on a Windows™ command line. The left mouse button is depressed once (a click). After the mouse button has been clicked, a drop down menu appears and a sub-menu of available commands appears. The user then actuates the mouse to move the pointer (cursor) to the desired command and then clicks the left mouse button. Once the command has been clicked with the left mouse button, the command is performed.
Additionally, several commands are activated by depressing the left mouse button twice in rapid succession (called a double click). In many programs, such as a Windows™ word processor, double clicking on an individual word causes that word to be selected for additional commands. For example, a user may double click on a word and then select the “delete” key. Thereby the whole selected word is deleted in a single keystroke.
The right mouse button also has been assigned typical functionality, especially in more recently developed applications. For example, in many Windows™ word processing systems, the right mouse button automatically accesses a menu structure having the commands the user is most likely to next use. As described above, a user may select a word by double clicking on it with the left mouse button. Then, while still pointing at the selected word, the user may single click on the word with the right mouse button. Thereby a menu appears giving format options, editing options, and display options. The use of the right mouse button eases the interaction with the graphical user interface.
The mouse is also used to provide more sophisticated control of the graphical user interface. For example, the mouse may be used to select large areas of text or other graphical items. In such a manner, for example, the user first positions the graphical cursor in an upper left-hand corner of the block desired to be selected, clicks and holds the left mouse button and then drags the mouse to cause the image to move a lower right-hand position. An imaginary rectangular box is created extending from the upper left-hand position to the lower right-hand position. Thereby, when the left mouse button is released, the text or other items within the imaginary box are selected for further operation.
The mouse provides additional features in particularly graphical intensive applications. For example, in a drafting package, the mouse may be used to draw or manipulate lines or other graphical structures. Further, although the Windows™ operating system generally defines the typical uses of the mouse, each application program may extend the functionality of the mouse.
With the proliferation of graphical user interfaces on computing devices, these graphical user interfaces are showing up in locations where it may be inconvenient or otherwise undesirable to use a mouse. For example, computers including personal computers are currently used in dusty or dirty environments, such as by employees in a vehicle service facility, or in a facility where manufacturing process control systems are performed.
Such personal computers often reside within the service or manufacturing facility, and are operated by service or manufacturing personnel, or laborers. Often, such environments are hostile to the use of a mouse. In particular, a mouse requires a clean working environment since a dirty working environment causes grime to accumulate on the roller ball, thereby causing the mouse to fail. In such a manner, a mouse used in a service or manufacturing facility is prone to failure, and therefore the use of a mouse is impractical.
Further, it is often difficult and inconvenient for the service and manufacturing personnel to discontinue performing their assigned tasks, and provide the required input to the computer system. Therefore, information that should be entered into computer may not be entered, or the servicing or manufacturing personnel may be interrupted from their normal assignment to provide input to the personal computer. Either way, the operation of the facility is made less efficient. In such a manner the use of a mouse is inefficient, at best.
Indeed, there are numerous environments where it is inconvenient or impractical to use a mouse. In these circumstances the user must provide undesirably cumbersome and awkward alternatives, or forego entirely the use of some system or application.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved graphical input device for use with a graphical user interface for enabling more conveniently and efficiently a user to input graphical information and commands. However, as already indicated, any substitute graphical input device must fully i
Frulla Roberto E.
Kirby Joseph
Cabeca John
Kleinke Bernard L.
Touch Controls, Inc.
Vu Kieu D.
LandOfFree
Voice input system and method of using same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Voice input system and method of using same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Voice input system and method of using same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2872003