Vector-based magnified pointer
View Patent ↗A method of rendering magnified pointing indicia including the steps of monitoring application program interface messaging and intercepting a call for a unique system pointer identifier. A stored collection of predefined vector shapes is accessed and from that a predefined vector shape from the collection is selected which is correlated to the current system pointer identifier. A convergence point may be established for maximum pointing indicia magnification in addition to a user-selectable desktop magnification level. The vector shape is scaled in synchronization with the desktop magnification level up to the convergence point whereby the vector shape is no longer scaled up once the convergence point is reached. The scaled vector shape is rasterized and displayed to an end user operating a computer.
1. A method of magnifying pointing indicia comprising the steps of:
identifying a current system pointer identifier from an operating system's application program interface;
accessing a stored collection of predefined pointing indicia vector shapes;
selecting a predefined vector shape from the collection, the selected vector shape correlated to the current system pointer identifier;
scaling the vector shape to a magnification level;
rasterizing the scaled vector shape; and
rendering a magnified pointing indicium by displaying the rasterized shape, wherein the pointing indicium is magnified independently of background content.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of importing a vector-based image file and correlating the vector-based image file to one or more unique system pointer identifiers.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of periodically polling the operating system for its current pointing indicia settings and selecting the predefined vector shape that is correlated with the polled pointing indicia settings.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring the operating system's application program interface messaging, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring communications to the display device driver, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of caching rasterized shapes for reuse.
7. A method of magnifying pointing indicia comprising the steps of:
identifying a current system pointer identifier from an operating system's application program interface;
accessing a stored collection of predefined pointer indicia vector shapes;
selecting a predefined vector shape from the collection, the selected vector shape correlated to the current system pointer identifier;
establishing a convergence point for maximum pointing indicia magnification, the convergence point being the magnification level above which magnification of a pointing indicium and background content become decoupled;
establishing a desktop magnification level;
scaling the vector shape in synchronization with the desktop magnification level up to the convergence point whereby the vector shape is no longer scaled up once the convergence point is reached, wherein only the background content is magnified above the convergence point while the vector shape remains the same size so as not to obstruct the background content;
resynchronizing scaling the vector shape and the background content when the magnification level falls below the convergence point;
rasterizing the scaled vector shape; and
rendering a magnified pointing indicium by displaying the rasterized shape.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of periodically polling the operating system for its current pointing indicia settings and selecting the predefined vector shape that is correlated with the polled pointing indicia settings.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring the operating system's application program interface messaging, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring communications to the display device driver, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the convergence point is at about 16-fold magnification.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the maximum pointing indicia magnification constitutes about twenty percent of the total desktop area as calculated from the minor screen dimension.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein the convergence point and maximum pointing indicia magnification are application-specific.
14. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of importing a vector-based image file and correlating the vector-based image file to one or more system pointer identifiers.
15. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of caching rasterized shapes for reuse.
16. A method of magnifying pointing indicia comprising the steps of:
identifying a current system pointer identifier from an operating system's application program interface;
accessing a stored collection of predefined pointer indicia vector shapes;
selecting a predefined vector shape from the collection, the selected vector shape correlated to the current system pointer identifier;
establishing a desktop magnification level;
establishing a user-selectable pointing indicia magnification level, wherein the pointing indicia magnification level is independent of the desktop magnification level;
scaling the vector shape according to the pointing indicia magnification level;
rasterizing the scaled vector shape; and
rendering a magnified pointing indicium by displaying the rasterized shape.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of periodically polling the operating system for its current pointing indicia settings and selecting the predefined vector shape that is correlated with the polled pointing indicia settings.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring the operating system's application program interface messaging, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring communications to the display device driver, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of establishing a user-selectable pointing indicia magnification level is performed responsive to a mouse-wheel event.
21. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of establishing a user-selectable pointing indicia magnification level is performed responsive to a keystroke event.
22. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of importing a vector-based image file and correlating the vector-based image file to one or more system pointer identifiers.
23. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of caching rasterized shapes for reuse.
24. A method of magnifying pointing indicia comprising the steps of:
identifying a current system pointer identifier from an operating system's application program interface;
accessing a stored collection of predefined pointer indicia vector shapes;
selecting a predefined vector shape from the collection, the selected vector shape correlated to the current system pointer identifier;
automatically establishing a pointing indicia magnification level for a preselected software application based on a type of the software application;
scaling the vector shape according to the pointing indicia magnification level responsive to activity associated with the preselected software application, wherein the vector shape is scaled independently from background content;
rasterizing the scaled vector shape; and
rendering a magnified pointing indicium by displaying the rasterized shape.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of periodically polling the operating system for its current pointing indicia settings and selecting the predefined vector shape that is correlated with the polled pointing indicia settings.
26. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring the operating system's application program interface messaging, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
27. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring communications to the display device driver, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
28. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of establishing a user-selectable pointing indicia magnification level is performed responsive to a mouse-wheel event.
29. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of establishing a user-selectable pointing indicia magnification level is performed responsive to a keystroke event.
30. The method of claim 24 further comprising the steps of importing a vector-based image file and correlating the vector-based image file to one or more unique system pointer identifiers.
31. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of caching rasterized shapes for reuse.
32. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of running a software program on a computer, the computer operating under an operating system, the method including issuing instructions from the software program comprising:
identifying a current system pointer identifier from the operating system's application program interface;
accessing a stored collection of predefined pointing indicia vector shapes;
selecting a predefined vector shape from the collection, the selected vector shape correlated to the current system pointer identifier;
scaling the vector shape to a magnification level;
rasterizing the scaled vector shape; and
rendering a magnified pointing indicium by displaying the rasterized shape, wherein the pointing indicium is magnified independently from other content displayed on a screen.
33. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 32 wherein the step of identifying the system pointer identifier comprises the steps of periodically polling the operating system for its current pointing indicia settings and selecting the predefined vector shape that is correlated with the polled pointing indicia settings.
34. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 32 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring the operating system's application program interface messaging, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.
35. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 32 wherein the step of identifying the current system pointer identifier comprises the steps of monitoring communications to the display device driver, intercepting a call for the current system pointer identifier, and correlating the selected vector shape to the intercepted system pointer identifier.