Mouse driver arrangement for providing advanced scrolling capabilities to a conventional mouse

摘要

A mouse driver arrangement (12) combining a first functional block, comprising a scrolling-rate function generator (22) for generating a time-dependent scrolling-rate control signal of pre-defined shape, whose output cycle is a function of the activation status of one or more mouse push-buttons (16, 18), plus a second functional block, comprising a cursor trail analyzer (24) for detecting a dominant direction in a cursor trail and setting a scrolling direction option accordingly. The scrolling-rate function generator (22) includes an integrator for producing ramp-like scrolling-rate control signal segments of adjustable slopes under control of the mouse push-buttons. The output of both first and second functional blocks are combined in a scrolling-vector status variable, whose magnitude is controlled by the scrolling-rate function generator (22) and represents the scrolling rate, and whose direction is set by the cursor trail analyzer (24) and represents the scrolling heading.