Computing apparatus having multiple pointing devices

Claim 2

A computing apparatus, comprising: processor logic; a display signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic; a data input signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data; logic within said processor logic that detects pointing devices coupled to said computing apparatus; pointing device function select logic that permits a user to select the function to be assigned to at least two detected pointing devices, the assigned function for each detected pointing device being from the group of functions including: primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, pull down menu control, pop up menu control and disabled state; and conflict logic coupled to said select logic that assesses whether an attempt is made to assign the same function to two pointing devices.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said function select logic permits a user to individually select a function to be assigned to each of two detected pointing devices.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said conflict logic does not permit the same function, except disabled state, to be assigned to two detected pointing devices at the same time.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising GUI logic coupled to said select logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) from which a user designates the function from said group of functions to be assigned to each of said at least two detected pointing devices.

Claim 6

A computing apparatus, comprising: processor logic; a display signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic; a data input signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data; logic within said processing logic that detects a pointing device coupled to said computing apparatus; GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) that permits user selection of a specific function to be assigned to each of two or more detected pointing devices; assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a selected function to a detected pointing device; and conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to assign the same function to two different pointing devices.

Claim 7

A computing apparatus, comprising: processor logic; a display signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic; a data input signal propagating mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data; logic within said processing logic that detects a pointing device coupled to said computing apparatus; GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) that permits user selection of a specific function to be assigned to each of two or more detected pointing devices; assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a selected function to a detected pointing device; and conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to assign the same function to two different pointing devices.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said GUI logic permits a user to select, for each of at least two detected pointing devices, a function from the group of functions comprising: primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, pull down menu control, pop up menu control and disabled state.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said conflict logic prevents the same function, except disabled state, from being assigned to two pointing devices at the same time.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said assigning logic is capable of assiging one of the following pairs of functions to two detected pointing devices in response to user selection of same: primary pointer control (PPC) and scroll bar control; PPC and stylus input; PPC and disabled; PPC and pull down or pop up menu control; text cursor control and scroll bar control; and text cursor control and pull down or pop up menu control.

Claim 11

A computing apparatus, comprising: processor logic; a display mechanism coupled to said processor logic that displays a signal output from said processor logic; a data input mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data; a first pointing device coupled to said processor logic; a second pointing device coupled to said processor logic; GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) via said display mechanism and that permits user selection of two different functions to be assigned contemporaneously to said first and said second pointing devices, said GUI logic permitting user selection of a function from the group of functions including: primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, pull down menu control, pop up menu control and disabled state; assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a first selected function to said first pointing device and a second selected function to said second pointing device; and conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to contemporaneously assign the same function from said group of functions to said first pointing device and said second pointing device.

Claim 12

A computing apparatus, comprising: processor logic; a display mechanism coupled to said processor logic that displays a signal output from said processor logic; a data input mechanism coupled to said processor logic that permits a user to input data; a first pointing device coupled to said processor logic; a second pointing device coupled to said processor logic; GUI logic that creates a graphics user interface (GUI) via said display mechanism and that permits user selection of two different functions to be assigned contemporaneously to said first and said second pointing devices, said GUI logic permitting user selection of a function from the group of functions including: primary screen pointer control, scroll bar control, panning control, text cursor control, stylus input, pull down menu control, pop up menu control and disabled state; assigning logic responsive to user selections from said GUI that assigns a first selected function to said first pointing device and a second selected function to said second pointing device; and conflict logic that assesses whether an attempt has been made to contemporaneously assign the same function from said group of functions to said first pointing device and said second pointing device.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said first pointing device and said second pointing device are different and are each from the group of pointing devices including: mini-joystick, mouse, touchpad, trackball, joystick, stylus input and touch screen.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said first pointing device is a touchpad and said two different functions are primary screen pointer control and stylus input.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said computing apparatus is a portable computing apparatus.

Claim 18

The method of claim 13 , wherein said detecting step includes the step of detecting at least one of the group of pointing devices including a mini-joystick, mouse, touchpad, trackball, joystick, stylus input and touch screen.