WINDOW MANGER INPUT FOCUS CONTROL FOR HIGH DIMENSIONAL TOUCHPAD (HTPD), ADVANCED MICE, AND OTHER MULTIDIMENSIONAL USER INTERFACES
A method for routing signals from a user interface device providing traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals to an application is described. Traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals are received from a user interface device. Routing of traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals from such a user interface device to particular applications can be made responsive to input focus control provided by a windowing system, window manager, operating system, or combination. In one approach, input focus control is provided a single focus control element. In another approach, separate focus control elements are used for traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals.
1 . A method for routing signals from a user interface device to an application, the user interface device providing traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals, the method comprising:
receiving traditional user interface device signals and additional user interface signals from a user interface device;
routing the traditional user interface device signals to a selected application according to a first input focus selection;
routing the additional user interface device signals to the selected application according to a second input focus selection;
wherein the first and second input focus selection made by at least one focus control element.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one focus control element comprises a window manager.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one focus control element comprises a window system.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one focus control element comprises an operating system.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein both the first and second input focus selection is made by the same focus control element.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second input focus selection made by a first focus control element and second input focus selection made by a second focus control element.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device is a computer mouse comprising a first and second scroll wheel.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device is a computer mouse comprising a touchpad.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device is a computer mouse comprising a High Definition Touch Pad (HDTP).
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a touch user interface responsive to gestures and the at least one additional user-adjustable input comprises at least one gesture.
11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a touch user interface responsive to the yaw angle of a finger in contact with the touch user interface and the at least one additional user-adjustable input is responsive to a measurement of the yaw angle.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a touch user interface responsive to the roll angle of a finger in contact with the touch user interface and the at least one additional user-adjustable input is responsive to a measurement of the roll angle.
13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a touch user interface responsive to the pitch angle of a finger in contact with the touch user interface and the at least one additional user-adjustable input is responsive to a measurement of the pitch angle.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user input device comprises a touch user interface responsive to at least two angles of a finger in contact with the touch user interface and the at least one additional user-adjustable input is responsive to a measurement of each of the two angles.