Unified Pointer Message for Diverse Input Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pointer devices and applications face challenges in handling coordinate inputs from diverse input sources, as legacy applications often struggle to process data from multiple types of pointer devices, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies in interpreting and processing these inputs.

Innovation Solution

A unified pointer message system is introduced, which processes and translates coordinate data from various pointer devices into a consistent format, allowing applications to handle inputs from multiple devices uniformly, and converts unhandled device-specific events into more interpretable legacy messages, such as mouse or touch messages, to ensure seamless integration and processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If legacy applications use traditional pointer device handling methods, then they can process inputs from individual device types, but they cannot uniformly handle coordinate inputs from diverse input sources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with diverse pointer devicesVSAvoidcomplexity of processing multiple device types

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a unified pointer message structure that can represent coordinate inputs from multiple types of pointer devices (mouse, touch screen, gesture recognition device, electronic pen) using a single standardized format. This universal message structure allows legacy applications to handle diverse input sources without requiring separate processing logic for each device type, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that translates device-specific coordinate inputs into a unified pointer message format before presenting them to legacy applications. This intermediary layer acts as a mediator between diverse input devices and traditional applications, enabling compatibility without requiring changes to the applications themselves, thus resolving the contradiction between handling diverse devices and maintaining simple processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If applications process device-specific data directly, then they can handle specialized input features, but they cannot ensure seamless integration with legacy applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of processing coordinate inputsVSAvoidreliability of input processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the pointer message into distinct components: a unified core structure containing essential coordinate information that all applications can process, and optional device-specific data fields that preserve specialized input features. This segmentation allows legacy applications to reliably process the core coordinate data while advanced applications can access additional device-specific features, thereby improving ease of operation without compromising reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The unified pointer message structure applies local quality by providing a standardized core format for universal compatibility while allowing device-specific extensions for specialized functionality. The core message structure ensures reliable processing across all applications, while optional device-specific fields provide enhanced capabilities where needed, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If a unified pointer message format is implemented, then consistent handling of coordinate inputs is achieved, but processing of unhandled device-specific events becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniform processing capabilityVSAvoidcomplexity of translating unhandled events

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a translation mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the unified pointer message format and legacy event structures. When the system encounters an unhandled device-specific event, the translation mechanism converts it into a corresponding legacy event format (such as mouse or touch messages), allowing seamless integration without requiring complex application-specific handling logic. This intermediary translation approach maintains uniform processing capability while managing the complexity of device-specific events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9274622B2Device specific data in a unified pointer message

Publication Date: 2016.03.01 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a unified pointer message 300 may describe in a single type of pointer message a coordinate input from a user via multiple types of pointer devices. An input device interface 150 may receive a coordinate input 350 from an input device. A processor 120 may execute an application programming interface layer 430 that creates a unified pointer message 300 for the coordinate input 350. The processor 120 may send the unified pointer message 300 to an application. The processor 120 may process a device specific data set 244 unhandled by the application.