JPH07152490A - Method for controlling cursor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To speedily move a cursor to the required item area and to speedily select the items in a window by deciding the cursor moving direction by a line segment which connects two pointer positions where the cursor goes outside the item area. CONSTITUTION:The direction of the cursor movement is decided by the line segment which connects two points P0(X0, Y0) and P1(X1, Y1) being the pointer positions. The line segment is extended in the direction of the cursor movement and the other item area which comes first is decided as the objective area. When no objective area comes even when the line segment is extended in the direction of the cursor movement, the angle made by the line segment extended in the direction of the cursor movement and the plural item areas is under the prescribed value and the smallest then the item area is decided as the objective area. Thus, a pointer can be moved at high speed between an item area 13 and the required objective area and the selection of items can be speedily performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cursor control method, and more particularly to improvement of a cursor control method used in a CAD system or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 6, a conventional cursor control method uses a mouse (not shown) to select an item displayed on a window (1) provided on a screen such as a CRT. The item (2) is moved from the current item area (3) to the desired item area (4), and the selection button of the mouse is pressed to select the item.

However, since the cursor moves in accordance with the movement of the pointer of the mouse, even if the desired item is far away, it is necessary to move the mouse by that amount, and if the item area is small, move the cursor. I had to make an effort to put it on the item area. The cursor is a figure or a symbol generally displayed on the screen (1), the pointer is a position coordinate controlled by the mouse, and the window (2) is provided on the screen (1). Refers to a single or multiple areas.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional cursor control method, it takes a lot of effort to select a desired item and the work efficiency is lowered. The cursor control method of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
The purpose is to move the cursor to a desired item area at high speed and to quickly select an item in a window.

[0005]

The invention according to claim 1 is
The cursor movement direction is determined by the line segment that connects the two pointer positions before and after the cursor goes out of one item area.
When the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction and the other item area that meets first is determined as the target area, and when the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction but does not meet another target area, the cursor is The angle between the line segment extended in the moving direction and the other plurality of item areas is a certain value or less, and the smallest item area is determined as the target area, and the cursor moves out of the one item area. It is characterized in that the pointer is moved to a preset position of the target area when the target area is exited, and is moved outside the window when the target area cannot be determined.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the cursor movement direction is determined by a line segment connecting a preset position of one item area and the pointer position immediately before the movement, and the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction. Then, the other item area that meets first is determined as the target area, and if the line segment does not meet the other target area even if it is extended in the cursor movement direction, the line segment extended in the cursor movement direction The angle between the other item areas and a plurality of other item areas is a certain value or less, and the smallest item area is determined as the target area, and when the cursor goes out of one item area or within the item area. When the mouse button is pressed, the pointer is moved to a preset position in the target area, and when the target area cannot be determined, the pointer is moved outside the window. There.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 2, the moving direction of the cursor is displayed by an arrow or the like. The invention according to claim 4 is claim 2
In the invention described in (3), one item area and the target area are color-coded and clearly displayed on the screen.

[0008]

According to the above-mentioned means, it is possible to save the trouble of moving the cursor between the one item area and the desired target area with the mouse, so that the item can be selected quickly.

[0009]

【Example】

(1) First Embodiment Determining Cursor Moving Direction As shown in FIG. 1, the cursor (12) moves to the item area (1
2) P, which is the pointer position before and after going out of 3)
The moving direction of the cursor is determined by the line segment connecting ₀ (x ₀ , y ₀ ) and P ₁ (x ₁ , y ₁ ). Determination of Target Area As shown in FIG. 2, the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction and the other item area (14A) that meets first is determined as the target area. If the line segment does not meet another target area even if it is extended in the cursor movement direction, as shown in FIG. 3, the line segment extended in the cursor movement direction and other item areas (14A, 14B) are displayed. ) And the angle which is smaller than a certain fixed value and is the smallest, the target area is determined.
For example, the angle formed by the line segment and the target item (14A) (which means the minimum angle) is θ ₁ , and the line segment and the target item (1
4B) makes an angle (minimum angle) with θ ₂
Then, when θ ₁ <θ ₂ is satisfied and θ ₁ is a certain value or less (for example, θ ₁ <15 °), the item area (14
A) is determined as the target area. Movement of pointer When the cursor (12) goes out of the item area (13), the pointer is moved to a preset position of the target area (14A) determined by the above method (FIGS. 2 and 3). ). When the target area cannot be determined, the pointer is moved outside the window (11) (FIG. 4). (2) Second Embodiment Determination of Cursor Movement Direction As shown in FIG. 5, the preset position P ₀ (x ₀ , y ₀ ) of the item area (13) and the pointer position P ₁ ( The moving direction is determined by the line segment connecting (x ₁ , y ₁ ). This is different from the first embodiment in that the point P ₀ (x ₀ , y ₀ ) is provided in the item area (13) in advance. Also, P ₁ (x ₁ , y ₁ ) is memorized when the mouse button is pressed in the item area (13) or when the cursor goes out of the item area (13). Determination of Target Area The description is omitted because it is the same as in the first embodiment. Movement of pointer When the cursor (12) goes out of the item area (13) or when the mouse button is pressed in the item area (13), the target area (14A) determined by the above method
The pointer is moved to a preset position of (FIG. 2, FIG. 3). When the target area cannot be determined, the pointer is moved outside the window (11) (FIG. 4). Display of Cursor Moving Direction and Color-coding of Target Item In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, by displaying the cursor moving direction with an arrow or the like, the operator can easily grasp in which direction the pointer is moved. Further, by color-coding the current item area (13) and the target area (14A), the operator can easily understand the target area (14A).

[0010]

As described above, according to the cursor control method of the present invention, the pointer can be moved at high speed between the item area (13) and the desired target area (14A). Since the work of moving the cursor with the mouse as in the method can be omitted, it is possible to quickly select an item. Further, according to the cursor control method of the present invention, the cursor movement direction is indicated by an arrow or the like, and the current item area (13) and the target area (14A) are color-coded, so that the operator's work is facilitated. There is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a cursor movement direction according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a target area according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a target area according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a target area according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining a cursor movement direction according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a cursor control method according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Window 2 Cursor 3 Current Item Area 4 Desired Item Area 11 Window 12 Cursor 13 Item Area 14A Target Area 14B Target Area

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cursor control method for selecting an item displayed on a window provided on a screen,
The cursor movement direction is determined by the line segment that connects the two pointer positions before and after the cursor goes out of one item area.
When the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction and the other item area that meets first is determined as the target area, and when the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction but does not meet another target area, the cursor is The angle between the line segment extended in the moving direction and the other plurality of item areas is less than or equal to a certain fixed value, and the smallest item area is determined as the target area, and the cursor moves out of one item area. A cursor control method, comprising: moving the pointer to a preset position in the target area when the cursor exits, and moving the pointer outside the window when the target area cannot be determined. 2. A cursor control method for selecting an item displayed on a window provided on a screen,
The cursor movement direction is determined by the line segment that connects the preset position of one item area and the pointer position immediately before movement, and the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction to target the other item area that meets first. If the line segment is determined to be an area and the line segment does not meet another target area even if the line segment is extended in the cursor movement direction, the angle formed by the line segment extended in the cursor movement direction and other item areas Is a certain value or less, and determines the smallest item area as the target area, when the cursor goes out of one item area, or when the mouse button is pressed in the item area, A cursor control method comprising: moving a pointer to a preset position in a target area, and moving the pointer outside the window when the target area cannot be determined. 3. The cursor control method according to claim 2, wherein the cursor movement direction is displayed by an arrow or the like. 4. The cursor control method according to claim 2, wherein one item area and the target area are clearly indicated by color coding on the screen.