Display grid for video game input
A method of providing input to a program, such as a video game, that expects input from a mouse and keyboard is disclosed. A plurality of large virtual cells are created on a display, each cell corresponding either to a smaller graphical button displayed by the program or to one or more keystrokes that the program will accept as input. A controller capable of moving the cursor is used to move the cursor onto a virtual cell, and a controller button pressed. An instruction is sent to the program, in the format the program expects, to perform the command corresponding to the user's action. The large virtual cells allow a user to select a command rapidly using various controllers without having to locate the cursor on the small graphical buttons of the program, and are thus well suited to large displays located at some distance from a user.
1. A method of generating instructions to a program running on a processor, the program expecting an instruction in the form of a click of a mouse button when a cursor is located on one of a plurality of user interface cells displayed by the program on an output display, the method comprising:
dividing the output display into a plurality of pre-defined virtual cells in a same number and layout as the user interface cells, each virtual cell having a position in the layout of virtual cells corresponding to one of the user interface cells in a same position in the layout of the user interface cells where each virtual cell corresponding to a user interface cell is larger than such corresponding user interface cell;
receiving an indication a user selected action has occurred;
determining by the processor in which virtual cell the user selected action has occurred;
generating an instruction to the program indicating that the cursor is located in the corresponding user interface cell and that the mouse button has been clicked.
2. The method of claim 1 in which the method is performed by using a controller having a button, and wherein:
receiving an indication that a user selected action has occurred further comprises receiving an indication that the controller button has been pressed; and
determining in which virtual cell the user selected action has occurred further comprises determining in which virtual cell a cursor was located when the controller button was pressed.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the cells displayed by the program comprise a table having a plurality of columns and rows, and the plurality of virtual cells comprises a grid containing the same number of columns and rows as the table displayed by the program.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the program is a video game.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the controller is a video game controller.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the controller is a mouse.
7. The method of claim 2 further comprising, if the virtual cell in which the cursor is located corresponds to a cell displayed by the program, moving the cursor from the virtual cell to the corresponding cell displayed by the program.
8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions for causing a computing device to execute a method of generating instructions to a program running on a processor, the program expecting instructions in the form of a click of a mouse button when a cursor is located on a one of a plurality of user interface cells displayed by the program on an output display, by using a controller having a button for generating an action, the method comprising:
dividing the output display into a plurality of pre-defined virtual cells in a same number and layout as the user interface cells, each virtual cell having a position in the layout of virtual cells corresponding to one of the user interface cells in a same position in the layout of the user interface cells displayed by the program, where each virtual cell corresponding to a user interface cell is larger than such corresponding user interface cell;
receiving an indication from the controller that an action has occurred;
determining by the processor in which virtual cell the action has occurred;
generating an instruction to the program indicating that the cursor is located in the corresponding user interface cell and that the mouse button has been clicked.
9. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of virtual cells on the display comprises a grid.
10. A method of generating instructions to a program running on a processor, the program expecting instructions in the form of a click of a mouse button when a cursor is located on one of a plurality of user interface cells displayed by the program on an output display, the method comprising:
dividing the output display into a plurality of pre-defined virtual cells of a same number and layout as the user interface cells, each of the virtual cells having a position in the layout of virtual cells corresponding to a different one of the plurality of user interface cells in a same position in the layout of the user interface cells, where each virtual cell is larger than such corresponding user interface cell;
receiving an indication a user selected action has occurred;
determining by the processor in which virtual cell the user selected action has occurred; and
generating an instruction to the program indicating that the cursor is located in the user interface cell corresponding to the determined virtual cell and that the mouse button has been clicked.
11. The method of claim 10 in which the method is performed by using a controller having a button, and wherein:
receiving an indication that a user selected action has occurred further comprises receiving an indication that the controller button has been pressed; and
determining in which virtual cell the user selected action has occurred further comprises determining in which virtual cell a cursor was located when the controller button was pressed.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of virtual cells on the display comprises a grid.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the cells displayed by the program comprise a table having a plurality of columns and rows, and the plurality of virtual cells comprises a grid containing the same number of columns and rows as the table displayed by the program.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the program is a video game.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the controller is a video game controller.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein the controller is a mouse.
17. The method of claim 11 further comprising, if the virtual cell in which the cursor is located corresponds to a cell displayed by the program, moving the cursor from the virtual cell to the corresponding cell displayed by the program.