Adaptive Acceleration of Mouse Cursor

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for providing a user interface (UI) having a selector controllable by a physical input device. The response of the selector is adaptively adjusted to facilitate executing desired operations within the UI. A response factor defines how far the selector moves for a given movement of the physical input device. The response factor is increased so the selector can be moved a large distance, but is dynamically decreased to provide fine-tuned control of the selector for selecting densely grouped screen elements. Screen elements can be endowed with gravity, making them easy to select, or with anti-gravity, making them more difficult to select. The disclosure methods also provide tactile feedback such as vibration or braking of the physical input device to assist a user in executing desired operations.

1 . A method of controlling a selector in a user interface (UI) using a physical input device, comprising:
 adaptively adjusting a response of the selector to movement of the physical input device responsive to one or more properties associated of objects within the UI.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response of the selector to movement of the physical input device is described by the equation:
   selector speed=input device speed times acceleration factor   and wherein adaptively adjusting comprises adjusting the acceleration factor.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the properties comprise gravity factors and wherein adaptively adjusting accentuates movement of the selector to an object having a gravity factor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the gravity factor extends to a region surrounding the object and wherein when the selector is within the region movement of the selector toward the object is accentuated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptively adjusting renders the object more susceptible to having the selector placed over the object. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein adaptively adjusting renders the object less susceptible to having the selector placed over the object. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties are user-defined. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties are determined by a computing context. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties are updated according to use history. 
     
     
         10 . A method of facilitating the use of a UI, comprising:
 providing a UI having a selector controllable by a physical input device;   predicting a desired position of the selector within the UI responsive to movement of the physical input device; and   adaptively adjusting a response of the selector to facilitate placing the selector in the predicted location.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein predicting a desired position is based on a velocity vector of movement of the physical input device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein predicting a desire position is based on an acceleration vector of movement of the physical input device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein predicting is based on properties associated with objects within the UI. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein adaptively adjusting comprises adjusting an acceleration factor of the selector. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the physical input device is a mouse. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the physical input device is a click wheel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing tactile feed back via the physical input device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tactile feed back is resistance to moving the physical input device. 
     
     
         19 . A device comprising:
 a UI comprising a selector controllable by a physical input device; and   a processor adapted to:   predict a desired position of the selector within the UI responsive to movement of the physical input device; and   adaptively adjusting a response of the selector to facilitate placing the selector in the predicted location.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium for presenting a UI comprising a selector controllable by a physical input device wherein a desired position of the selector within the UI can be predicted responsive to movement of the physical input device and wherein a response of the selector to movement of the physical input device can be adaptively adjusted to facilitate placing the selector in the predicted location. 
     
     
         21 - 42 . (canceled)