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In a computer system, a touch sensitive input device having touch sensitive auxiliary controls system can be used to anticipate a user's action. When a user's hand approaches a touch sensitive input device, feedback can be displayed on a display screen. A user can receive feedback without activating the input device. The feedback may take the form of status information related to the feature controlled by the input device and can vary depending upon the application open. Likewise, when the hand of a user is moved away from the touch sensitive input device, the feedback brought on by sensing the user's hand may disappear.
1. In a computer system having a control knob and a display screen, a method for displaying information responsive to sensing a physical presence proximate to or in contact with the control knob comprising a plurality of portions, the method comprising:
detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with the control knob for a predefined period in which the control knob is stationary, wherein detecting the physical presence comprises:
detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with at least one portion of the plurality of portions,
generating a first set of electrical signals in response to detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with the at least one portion, and
generating a second set of electrical signals in response to an activation of the at least one portion;
displaying a display widget on the display screen responsive to detecting the physical presence and the activation, wherein a position of the display widget on the display screen tracks movement of the physical presence across the plurality of portions, the display widget providing:
status information associated with the at least one portion of the control knob, and
location information indicating where a user made contact with the at least one portion or where the user came closest to the at least one portion;
generating a first message indicating that the at least one portion has been contacted;
changing the status information in the display widget responsive to an input control other than the control knob while detecting the physical presence proximate to or contacting the control knob;
generating a second message indicating that the at least one portion has been released;
determining when a cursor or pointer is located within the display widget;
when the cursor or pointer is located within the display widget, causing the display widget to remain visible when the user ceases to contact or remain proximate the at least one portion;
when the cursor or pointer is not located within the display widget, causing the display widget to disappear from the display screen after detecting a release event, wherein the release event comprises detecting both a break of contact and a loss of proximity with the control knob.
2. The method according to
3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of
4. In a computer system having an auxiliary controller and a display screen, a method for displaying information responsive to sensing a physical presence proximate to or in contact with the auxiliary controller comprising a plurality of portions, the method comprising:
detecting a physical presence proximate to or contacting the auxiliary controller for a predefined period in which the auxiliary controller maintains a current state, wherein detecting the physical presence comprises:
detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with at least one portion of the plurality of portions,
generating a first set of electrical signals in response to detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with the at least one portion, and
generating a second set of electrical signals in response to an activation of the at least one portion; and
displaying a display widget on the display screen responsive to detecting the physical presence and the activation, the display widget providing status information associated with the at least one portion of the auxiliary controller, the status information relating to a game.
5. The method according to
6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of
7. The method according to
8. The method according to
9. In a computer system having an input device and a display screen, a method for displaying information responsive to sensing a physical presence proximate to or in contact with the input device, the method comprising:
detecting the physical presence proximate to or contacting the input device for a first predefined period in which the input device maintains a current control state and information is displayed on the display screen, wherein detecting the physical presence comprises:
detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with at least one portion of the plurality of portions,
generating a first set of electrical signals in response to detecting the physical presence proximate to or in contact with the at least one portion, and
generating a second set of electrical signals in response to an activation of the at least one portion; and
causing the information displayed on the display screen to disappear responsive to detecting the physical presence and termination of the second set of electrical signals, wherein causing the information displayed on the display screen to disappear comprises causing the information displayed on the display screen to fade out from view.
10. The method according to
11. The method according to
12. The method according to
detecting absence of the physical presence proximate to or contacting the input device for a second predefined period after causing the information to disappear from the display screen; and
causing the information to reappear on the display screen, responsive to detecting the absence of the physical presence for the second predefined period.
13. The method according to
14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of
This application is a divisional application of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001, which application is a continuation-in part of commonly assigned, U.S. patent application entitled "Proximity Sensor in a Computer Input Device" to Hinckley et al., filed Sep. 14, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 09/152,434, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,456,275, issued Sep. 24, 2002, which is herein incorporated by reference. Also, prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001 is a continuation-in part of commonly assigned, U.S. patent application entitled "A Technique For Implementing a Two-Handed Desktop Use Interface For a Computer" to Hinckley, filed Sep. 14, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 09/152,432, now abandoned, which is herein incorporated by reference. Further, prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001 is a continuation-in part of commonly assigned, U.S. patent application entitled "Method of Interacting With a Computer Using a Proximity Sensor in a Computer Input Device" to Hinckley et al., filed Sep. 14, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 09/152,443, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,477, issued May 28, 2002, which is herein incorporated by reference.
In addition, prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001 is a continuation-in part of commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application entitled "A Technique For Implementing an On-Demand Display Widget Through Controlled Fading Initiated By User Contact With a Touch Sensitive Input Device" to Hinckley, filed Nov. 25, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 09/200,325, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,753, issued Dec. 25, 2001, which is herein incorporated by reference and which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application entitled "Toolglass Improvements—On-Demand Tool Sheet; Gesturing Through Tool Sheets", filed Sep. 14, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 60/100,261. The prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001 is also a continuation-in part of commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application entitled "A Technique For Implementing an On-Demand Tool Glass For Use in a Desktop User Interface" to Hinckley, filed Nov. 25, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 09/200,321, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,957, issued May 15, 2001, which is herein incorporated by reference and which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application entitled "Toolglass Improvements—On-Demand Tool Sheet; Gesturing Through Tool Sheets", filed Sep. 14, 1998 and assigned Ser. No. 60/100,261.
The prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,496, filed Mar. 13, 2001 is related to commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application entitled "Method of Interacting With a Computer Using a Proximity Sensor in a Computer Input Device" to Hinckley et al., filed Apr. 5, 2000, and assigned Ser. No. 09/543,723, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,830, issued May 6, 2003, which is herein incorporated by reference and which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/152,443, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,477, issued May 28, 2002, identified above.
A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to input devices for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of touch sensitive input devices in computer systems.
B. Related Art
Input devices for computerized systems such as keyboards, touchpads, trackballs, game controllers and mice, often include one or more auxiliary controls such as joysticks, touchpads, trackballs, headsets, microphones, buttons, knobs, rocker switches, triggers, sliders, wheels, biometric sensors, etc. Auxiliary controls may be used alone or in conjunction with input devices and other auxiliary controls.
Most input devices create input signals using transducers, or switches. Switches are typically found in the buttons of mice, joysticks, and game controllers, as well as in the keys of keyboards. Transducers are found in mice and trackballs and create electrical signals based on the movement of balls in those devices or by optically detecting movement of the device across a surface. Transducers are also found in headsets where they convert speech signals into electrical signals. Touchpads create input signals using sensors that provide an electrical signal when the user contacts the touchpad that signal including the location within the touchpad where contact is made.
Although it is desirable to increase the amount of information that an input device and its auxiliary controls can provide to the computer, the number of transducers and switches that can be added to an input device is limited by the user's ability to remember all of the functions that a particular transducer or switch performs and by the practicalities of the available or at least feasibly available real estate for the switches and transducers on the input device (e.g., keyboard or mouse). The ability of a user to determine the functionality of each auxiliary control is also generally limited to a static label on or near the auxiliary control, activating each auxiliary control, clicking a button to select a menu option to request help file or reading a user manual. Furthermore, the functionality of an auxiliary control may vary from one game or application to another game or application. Thus, a static label on an auxiliary control is of little value when the function and status of the input device and its auxiliary controls change from application to application. In this regard, even if a user learns the assignment of the buttons and other controls in one game or application, another game or application may assign the same buttons or controls different features. Similarly, the status of the feature controlled by the auxiliary control generally can only be determined by activating the control.
Thus, there is a need to provide a user with the ability to better determine the functionality and status of auxiliary controls regardless of their context, (e.g., active application or game).
To address this need, indicators such as LEDs or small LCDs may be integrated directly with the input device and its auxiliary controls to provide feedback or state information. However, association of LEDs or LCDs with each auxiliary control increases both the amount of power consumed and the cost of the input device. Furthermore, LEDs and LCDs have very limited output forms and are separated from the main display (e.g., a computer monitor) causing the user to constantly have to look away from the screen and at the auxiliary control to determine the functionality or status of the control. Such constant shifts of attention can mentally tire the user as he or she is forced to repetitively reacquire the current context. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a more efficient, convenient and/or cost effective way to determine the functionality and/or status of auxiliary controls of input devices in a computer system.
The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings of existing input devices by providing touch sensitive input devices which have touch sensitive auxiliary controls that sense a physical presence and provide visual feedback on an on-screen display or on the control itself, acoustic feedback (e.g., voice or music) or tactile feedback (e.g., vibration).
In an aspect of the present invention, keys, buttons, knobs, rocker switches or other auxiliary controls of an input device such as a keyboard, touchpad, trackball, game controller, monitor, joystick, steering wheel, headset or mouse can be augmented with sensors that detect contact or extreme proximity of a user's hand. According to another aspect, a sensed signal of the auxiliary control can provide the user with an on-screen display of status, state information, tool tips, help text or other feedback relevant to the control the user has touched without the user having activated (e.g., depress, turn, roll or otherwise activate) the control. Alternatively, acoustic or tactile feedback may be provided to the user instead of or in addition to the feedback provided by the on-screen display. Hence, a user can simply touch different buttons or other controls to explore their function assignment or status, or obtain other feedback. Such feedback can allow the user to better understand the consequences of their action, should he or she subsequently chooses to activate the control. Also, a user may quickly and casually be able to view status information.
Aspects of the invention include providing context sensitive feedback for an auxiliary control in an on-screen display, such as a display widget (e.g., graphical user interface (GUI)), responsive to detection of a user's hand. Hence, touch sensitive controls can be used to predict the context of a user's action. The context of the situation can be established by preparatory actions by the user such as grabbing, touching or approaching a control. Knowing the context of the action, the computer can begin to execute and predict the will of the user.
According to another aspect of the invention, contexts of an auxiliary control may include, but are not limited to, different types of applications such as games, utility, and productivity applications. Also, contexts may change within various portions of an application or game.
In another aspect of the invention, when a GUI is displayed responsive to detection of a physical presence proximate to or contacting an auxiliary control, a user may interact with the GUI using another auxiliary control or an input device including, but not limited to, a mouse, touchpad or keypad. For example, if a volume control GUI is displayed, a user may adjust the volume with a mouse.
In another aspect of the invention, input devices including their auxiliary controls may have a touch sensor which directly detects when a physical presence (e.g., user) touches the device or its controls, so as to provide display and dismissal of feedback on an "on-demand" basis, e.g., whenever the user establishes or breaks physical hand contact with the device.
For example, a transition in a touch indication provided by the device reflective of the user then making contact with the device or control, such as by touching the device with a finger may cause a tool tip to be displayed. A transition indicative of a user breaking physical contact with the device, such as by lifting his finger off the device, can cause the tool tip to be dismissed from the display. In one aspect of the invention, to prevent user distraction, these detected transitions initiate corresponding predefined animation sequences that occur over preset time intervals in which the feedback either begins to fade into view (typically from an invisible, i.e., totally transparent state, to eventually a predefined semi-transparent state or non-transparent state) as soon as user contact begins, and then begins to fade out from view (i.e., eventually back to its invisible state) as soon as user contact with the device is broken, e.g., as soon as the user lifts his or her hand away from the device.
In another aspect of the invention, toolbars, scrollbars and the like may only be displayed on a display screen in response to detection of a physical presence. Illustratively, touching, and not activating, an auxiliary control may cause on-screen display of a toolbar and breaking contact with the control may cause dismissing of the toolbar. In one aspect of the invention, a user may interface with the toolbar using an auxiliary control or input device as desired with one hand while continuing to touch the auxiliary control which caused the on-screen display of the toolbar. According to this aspect, display clutter can be reduced and available application screen area increased at appropriate times during program execution consistent with and governed by user action but without imposing any significant cognitive burden on the user to do so. This, in turn, is likely to significantly improve the "user experience".
These and other novel advantages, details, embodiments, features and objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from following the detailed description of the invention, the attached claims and accompanying drawings, listed herein, which are useful in explaining the invention.
In accordance with illustrative embodiments of the present invention, an auxiliary control of an input device may be configured to detect when a physical presence (e.g., user's hand, stylus) touches the control so as to provide display and dismissal of a display widget on an "on demand" basis. The display widget may be a graphical user interface (GUI) and include information such as functionality (e.g., tool tips) and/or status information on an "on-demand" basis. An exemplary list of display widgets includes toolbars, tool glass sheet, scroll bars, window frames and window decorations, title bars, floating tool palettes, modal and non-modal dialog boxes, list or combo boxes, setting controls, buttons, text entry areas, etc.
A transition in a touch indication provided by the input device reflective of the user then making physical contact with an auxiliary control, such as by touching the control with a finger may cause a display widget to be displayed. A transition indicative of a user breaking contact with the auxiliary control, such as by lifting his finger off the control, causes the display widget to be dismissed. To prevent user distraction, these detected transitions can initiate corresponding predefined animation sequences that occur over preset time intervals in which the display widget either begins to fade into view (typically from an invisible, i.e., totally transparent, state to eventually a predefined semi-transparent state) as soon as user contact begins, and then begins to fade out from view (i.e., eventually back to its invisible state) as soon as user contact with the auxiliary control is broken, for example, as soon as the user lifts his or her finger from the control. Furthermore, depending on a specific touch-sensitive auxiliary control used, it is sometimes preferable to begin the fading after a brief time delay or "cooling period" occurs. For example, the user may reach the edge of the touchpad and "reclutch" his or her hand (e.g., briefly lift up his or her finger and then re-center it on the pad) to continue pointer motion. It might be annoying for the display widget to begin fading immediately when this happens. A brief time delay (e.g., approximately 0.5 to 1.0 seconds), coupled with continued contact sensing of the finger, prior to the start of the fading allows brief reclutchings of this sort without any changes to the screen display. Similarly, if a user has not touched the auxiliary control for a sufficiently long period of time, a similar time delay, coupled with sensing for a release of user contact, prior to the start of a fade-in might be used to prevent a short inadvertent contact from causing the display widget from fading in and then out, and otherwise annoying the user.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, touch induced display and dismissal can also readily be used to display and dismiss a display widget (e.g., toolbar) on an "on-demand" basis by sensing contact between a user's preferred hand and another touch sensitive auxiliary control or input device, such as, e.g., a touch sensitive mouse. Displaying a display widget in response to detection of touch, specifically when a user grabs an auxiliary control or input device, can exploit a user's desire, to utilize the display widget, implicit in the user's action in reaching for and grabbing the auxiliary control or input device. The display widget would be dismissed when the user releases the auxiliary control or input device, for example, when touch contact is broken. Displaying and dismissing a display widget in this fashion advantageously places little, if any, additional cognitive burden on the user.
With reference to
Although the exemplary environment described herein employs the hard disk, the removable magnetic disk 29 and the removable optical disk 31, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media which can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read only memory (ROM), and the like, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment.
A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk 29, optical disk 31, ROM 24 or RAM 25, including an operating system 35, one or more application programs 36, other program modules 37, program data 38, and device drivers 60. The device drivers 60 processes commands and information entered by a user through input devices 43, which can include a keyboard, mouse, game controller, trackball, touchpad. The input devices also can have auxiliary controls such as a joystick, game pad, touchpad, trackball, key, headset, monitor, microphone, button, knob, rocker switch, trigger, slider, wheel, lever, touch strip, biometric sensor, etc. The input devices 43 may be wired or wirelessly coupled to the personal computer 20.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the input devices includes a touch sensor 40 and an input device such as a mouse may have both a touch sensor 40 and a movement transducer 42. Touch sensor 40 is capable of generating a signal that indicates when a physical presence, such as a user's hand, is touching one of the input devices 43 itself or an auxiliary control thereof. Movement transducer 42 is capable of generating a signal that indicates when a user causes part of the input device to move. The signals generated by touch sensor 40 and movement transducer 42 can be passed along a conductor connected to the processing unit 21 through a serial port interface 46 that is coupled to the system bus 23, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a sound card, a parallel port, a game port or a universal serial bus (USB).
A monitor 47 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 23 via an interface, such as a video adapter 48. In addition to the monitor 47, personal computers may typically include other peripheral output devices, such as a speaker 45 and printers (not shown).
The personal computer 20 may operate in a networked environment using logic connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 49. The remote computer 49 may be another personal computer, a hand-held device, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the personal computer 20, although only a memory storage device 50 has been illustrated in
When used in a LAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 is connected to the local area network 51 through a network interface or adapter 53. When used in a WAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 typically includes a modem 54 or other means for establishing communications over the wide area network 52, such as the Internet. The modem 54, which may be internal or external, is connected to the system bus 23 via the serial port interface 46. In a network environment, program modules depicted relative to the personal computer 20, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage devices. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used. For example, a wireless communication link may be established between one or more portions of the network.
In some contact sensor embodiments, a touch sensor includes a conductive film that has a capacitance that changes when it is touched. This sensor also includes a capacitive measuring circuit that generates an electrical signal based on the change in capacitance of the conductive film. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other contact sensor technologies are available such as photodiodes, piezoelectric materials, and capacitive pressure sensors. Any of these sensors may be used within the context of the present invention. In one proximity sensor embodiment, the touch sensor uses reflected light from an LED to detect when the user is proximate the sensor. A chip used to drive the LED and sense the reflected light according to this illustrative embodiment may be produced by Hamamatsu Corporation of Bridgewater, N.J. Other proximity sensor embodiments use changes in electric or magnetic fields near the input device to determine when the user is proximate to the device.
In embodiments of the present invention, the touch sensors may provide the same information regardless of where on the touch sensor the user touches the input device or the portion of the sensor to which the user is proximate. Thus, these touch sensors decouple touch data from position data.
In other embodiments, for example with touchpads, touch screens, and touch tablets, a given touch sensor may provide location information that would indicate where the user made contact within that touch sensor or where the user came closest to the touch sensor within the touch sensor. In these devices, one cannot specify positional data without touching the device, nor can one touch the device without specifying a position. Hence, touch sensing and position sensing are tightly coupled in these devices.
Referring to
Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the number of input lines tied to microcontroller 120 depends on the number of sensors on the input device and the configuration of the input device. For example, for a keyboard, the microcontroller uses input lines to determine if any of the auxiliary controls have been activated. The micro controller accomplishes this using a multiplexer (not shown) to sequentially test the state of each auxiliary control on the keyboard. The techniques used to detect these auxiliary control states closures are well known in the keyboard art.
In a mouse or trackball, input lines 122 include lines for detecting the closure of switches and lines for detecting the rotation of encoder wheels. The switches are located beneath buttons on the mouse or trackball. The encoder wheels track the movement of the mouse ball or trackball. Typically, one encoder wheel tracks movement in the X direction and another encoder wheel tracks movement in the Y direction. In most embodiments, each encoder wheel has its own associated input line into microcontroller 120. In some mice, an additional encoder wheel tracks the rotation of a wheel located on top of the mouse.
In some mice, the X and Y movement of the mouse is tracked by a separate optics microcontroller that is connected to microcontroller 120 through lines 122. The optics microcontroller uses optical data to determine movement of the mouse. The optical microcontroller converts this optical data into movement values that are transmitted to microcontroller 120 along input lines 122.
In a game controller such as a game pad, input lines 122 include lines for detecting the closure of multiple switches on the game pad as well as lines for detecting the rotation of wheels on the game pad. In joysticks, input lines 122 can include lines connected to resistance wipers on the joystick as well as switches on the joystick. In headsets, lines 122 include multiple lines that carry multi-bit digital values indicative of the magnitude of the analog electrical signal generated by the microphone. An analog-to-digital converter typically produces these digital values. To reduce the weight of the headset, the analog-to-digital converter and microcontroller 120 can be found on a soundboard located within the computer. To further reduce the weight of the headset, multiplexer and A-to-D converter 116 of
Microcontroller 120 produces an output 124, which is provided to serial port interface 46 of
Output line 158 carries signals from microphone 152 and from touch sensor 156. In some embodiments, headset 150 is connected to a computer system that includes a speech recognition system. In these embodiments, the speech recognition system is inactive unless touch sensor 156 indicates that a user is touching headset 150. The activation of the speech recognition system can include loading the speech recognition system into random access memory when the user first touches headset 150. It can also include prompting a speech recognition system that resides in random access memory so that it can process input speech signals. In either case, by only activating the speech recognition system when headset 150 indicates that the user is touching the headset, the present invention reduces the likelihood that extraneous speech will be processed by the speech recognition system.
Thus, a mouse according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is able to detect when certain areas of the mouse are being touched and when portions of the mouse or the entire mouse are being moved. Specifically, the conductive films on the palm-rest 172, left button 174, and side areas 184 and 186 indicate when the user is touching these areas. Note that even if the user does not move the mouse or press a button, the sensors associated with the conductive films of
In alternative embodiments of the present invention, trackball 190 and encoder wheels 194 and 196 are replaced by a solid-state position-tracking device that collects images of the surface that the mouse travels over to determine changes in the position of the mouse. According to these exemplary embodiments, the mouse typically includes a light source used to illuminate the surface, an optics system used to collect images of the surface, and a processor used to compare the various images to determine if the mouse has moved, and if so, in what direction. Since the solid-state position-tracking device converts movement into an electrical signal, it can be considered to be a sophisticated transducer or motion sensor.
Note that all of the exemplary embodiments of
Although various exemplary embodiments have been described with particularity with respect to touch sensor location in
In illustrative embodiments of the invention, game controllers such as those of
Additional touch sensors can be located on keyboard casing 301 at portions 306 and 307 below space bar 308, at portion 309 below arrow keys 310, and at a portion 311 below keypad 304. Arrow keys 310 are typically used by the user to move a cursor across the display. Note that although keyboard 300 is shown with touch sensors on the keys and touch sensors on portions 306, 307, 309, and 311, other exemplary embodiments of the invention may only have touch sensors on the keys or only on one of the portions 306, 307, 309, and 311. In other exemplary embodiments, different combinations of these touch sensors can be found on the keyboard 300. In addition, some or all of the touch sensors on portions 306, 307, 309, and 311 may be proximity sensors. Touch sensors 306, 307, 309 and 311 may represent many types of auxiliary controls including, but not limited to, a joystick, game pad, touchpad, trackball, button, knob, rocker switch, trigger, slider, wheel, lever, etc. The proximity sensors can detect the user's hand when it is near the sensor without requiring the hand to actually contact the sensor. Generally, one signal is provided when the user touches, but does not activate (e.g., depress, turn, roll), the auxiliary control, and a second signal is provided when the user activates the auxiliary control. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, a keyboard including its auxiliary controls can detect a physical presence (e.g., a finger) contacting a touch sensitive surface thereof, the physical presence representing an explicit user request to display a display widget on a display screen and/or to generate other feedback (e.g., acoustic, tactile). The feedback can provide information to the user such as status information, control functionality, and help text. The information may vary from application to application. In some embodiments of the invention, the position of the display widget on the display screen may track the movement of the physical presence across the touch sensitive surface.
As has been described, keys, buttons, knobs, rocker switches, or other auxiliary controls of an input device can be augmented with sensors that detect contact or extreme proximity of a physical presence including, but not limited to, a user's hand (e.g., finger, palm) or a stylus. Illustrative input devices have been shown and described previously including mice (
Serial interface 46 converts the serial binary signal from input device 43 into parallel multi-bit values that are passed to device driver 60. In many embodiments of the present invention, device driver 60 can be implemented as a software routine that is executed by CPU 21 of
Based on the designated protocol, device driver 60 converts the multi-bit values into device messages that are passed to operating system 35. These device messages indicate what events have taken place on the input device. For example if a touch sensor on a mouse has been touched, the message indicates that the particular sensor is being touched. When the touch sensor is released, a separate message is generated by device driver 60 to indicate that the touch sensor has been released.
The messages generated by device driver 60 are provided to operating system 35, which controls the routing of these messages. According to illustrative embodiments, the device messages are usually sent to a focus application 812. The focus application is typically the application that has the top-most window on the display.
In some illustrative embodiments, operating system 35 maintains a list of message hook procedures that have been registered with the operating system. In these illustrative embodiments, operating system 35 sequentially passes the device message to each message hook procedure on the list before sending the message to focus application 812. Such message hook procedures are shown generally as message hook procedures 810 of
The message hook procedures and the focus application use the device messages, especially those indicating that a touch sensor has been touched, to initiate a variety of functions that are discussed below.
For example,
In window 328, a caret 330 is positioned within a sentence of an open document. Caret 330 may be positioned by moving mouse 170 or ball 228 of trackball 220. In
The position of caret 330 within the sentence of window 328 causes a tool tip 332 to appear. Tool tip 332 indicates who entered the word that caret 330 is positioned over.
Window 328 also includes a tool bar 334 that includes drawing tools that can be used to draw pictures in the document of window 328.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention such as shown in
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the disappearance of caret 330, tool tip 332, and tool bar 334 when the user is not touching the input device can be controlled independently. Thus, the user may customize window 328 such that tool tip 332 and tool bar 334 disappear when the user releases the input device, but caret 330 remains visible. In addition, the rate at which items disappear and reappear can be controlled. Thus, it is possible to fade images off the display and to fade them back onto the display as the user releases and then touches the input device. In some illustrative embodiments of the invention, the fade-out period is 0.7 to 1.0 seconds to minimize distraction, and the fade-in period is 0.0 seconds for the caret, which appears instantly, and 0.3 seconds for toolbars. In certain embodiments, the fade-out time may be a variable configurable by a user with a preset default period.
In other exemplary embodiments, the user may move left and right across menu bar 358 by using the keys representing the numbers "4" and "6" on numeric keypad 304. As the user moves across menu bar 358 a different pull-down menu can be displayed for each respective menu heading. Specifically, by touching the key representing the number "4", the user causes a keyboard message to be sent to the application, which changes the display so that the menu heading to the left of the current menu heading in header menu 358 is displayed. Thus, if the pull-down menu for the menu heading "Tools" is currently displayed in window 352, touching the key representing the number "4" causes a pull-down menu associated with the menu heading "Insert" to be displayed. Similarly, the user can cause a pull-down menu to appear for a menu heading to the right of the current menu heading by touching the key representing the number "6" on numeric keypad 304. Thus, if the current pull-down menu is associated with the menu heading "Tools", and the user touches the key representing the number "6", the pull-down menu associated with the menu heading "Format" in header menu 358 will be displayed. This is shown in
By touching the keys representing the numbers "2" and "8" on numeric keypad 304, the user can also move up and down within a pull-down menu such as pull-down menu 360. As the user moves through a pull-down menu, different items within the pull-down menu become highlighted. An example of a highlighted entry is entry 362 of
In the prior art, pull-down menu 360 will continue to be displayed, even if the caret is positioned outside of the pull-down menu itself. The only way to make the pull-down menu disappear is to click on an area outside of the menu itself. However, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the application that produces the pull-down menu, removes the pull-down menu as soon as it receives a mouse message that indicates that the user released the pointing device. This improves user efficiency by reducing the movements the user must make to close the pull-down windows associated with header menu 358.
Using keyboard 300, a focus application displays radial menu 370 when it receives a keyboard message indicating that a user touched one of the keys in keypad 304. To highlight a specific entry, the user touches a key in keypad 304 that is spatially related to the entry. For example, to highlight entry 373 of radial menu 370, the user touches the key representing the number "8", which is located directly above a center key representing the number "5" because the spatial positioning of the "8" key relative to the "5" key is the same as the spatial relationship between entry 373 and cancel button 372. To select an entry, the user depresses the key that causes the entry to be highlighted. To dismiss the radial menu, the user depress the "5" key.
To manipulate the radial menu using the touch sensors of button 670 on the mouse of
According to illustrative embodiments of the invention, the use of touch sensitive controls and devices may be transparent to the user. The context of the situation may be indicated by the user's preparatory actions with the control, such as grabbing, touching, or approaching the control device. Referring to
In another illustrative embodiment of the invention, when the user approaches or touches the control knob 314, without activating the control, a display widget such as a tool tip can instantly be displayed on the display screen and identify the current functionality of the control knob 314. For example, a tool tip may indicate, but is not limited to, one of the following functions 1) tuning for a variety of different applications including audio and video applications; 2) volume control for media applications; 3) volume control for system generated sounds; and 4) control for numerous features which can have multiple settings (e.g., brightness, cropping, color, etc.). In other illustrative embodiments, as a user approaches a control, such as control knob 314, visual feedback may be provided on the actual control knob by an LED or LCD alone or in addition to the display widget on the display screen. In still further illustrative embodiments, acoustic or tactile (e.g., vibration) feedback may be provided alone, or in addition to visual feedback on the display screen, input device and/or control, or to each other. Consequently, the input device or control may be able to directly provide feedback (e.g., acoustic feedback) with or without involving or sharing the information with the host computer. In still further exemplary embodiments, one or more portions (e.g., top and side) of the control, such as control knob 314, may be able to independently detect contact or user proximity and generate unique messages for the host computer based on which portion of the control is being touched.
In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention based on the keyboard input device of
An illustrative implementation of various auxiliary controls for an exemplary keyboard input device and their context sensitive response to touch are listed below in Table 1. It should be understood that the various controls and responses may be applied to other input devices such as game controllers, trackballs, mice, touchpads, etc.
Below, Table 2 describes illustrative techniques for context-sensitive response to touch on an exemplary mouse input device according to the present invention.
In addition to many of the types of visual feedback that may be provided on a screen in response to user contact with a touch-sensitive control, another possibility is to display a standard tool tip, such as those illustrated in
Typically, the on-screen display can be placed near the current cursor or pointer (e.g., caret) position regardless of the input device that the user touches. For example, a keyboard tool tip could appear next to the cursor. Popping up the on-screen display to the right of and above the current cursor position can be beneficial, since the on-screen display does not conflict with traditional tool tips which appear when the user dwells with the pointer over an icon (tool tip appears to the right of and below the pointer or cursor) in the Windows� operating system by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. The tool tip can follow the cursor or pointer as the user moves the cursor or pointer with a pointing device (e.g., mouse), or it can remain stationary at the point where it initially appears. Maintaining the tool tip where it appears rather than moving the tool tip with the cursor is easier to implement and more efficient, and would likely be well accepted by users. According to other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the display widget may be displayed at the center of the screen, at the center of the currently active ("focus") application or widget (e.g. a text entry box), at the bottom of the screen, or above the system tray icons.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each hot key may be assigned a text macro, where activating the hot key causes a block of text to be inserted, for example where the cursor is located on the screen. When used in this context, touching a hot key displays at least the beginning or another portion, if not all, of the text macro assigned to the hot key as shown in
As mentioned previously, according to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, acoustic or tactile feedback may be employed. Acoustic or tactile feedback can be used in combination with or separately from visual feedback on the display. In some cases, visual feedback may not be appropriate, or acoustic feedback may be desired because of the currently running application, the input device that is currently being used, or user preference.
According to certain embodiments of the invention, acoustic feedback, for example, appropriate cue tones or other sounds could be generated, as the user touches a control. A desired audio cue tone may be mapped to a specific function or control. Volume, pitch, and timbre could be adjusted to produce appropriate cues that mimic desired sounds, such as voice-generated announcement of a control function. Cue sounds may be generated by taking parametric sound event requests and sequencing them using MIDI wavetable synthesizer 662 through audio generator 640 (illustratively the Creative Labs AWE64 Gold card sound board) (see
Acoustic feedback to identify functionality and other information may be particularly useful for gaming applications and products such as the MS Game Voice™ by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. For example, gaming products may include a headset microphone combination attached to a puck. A puck allows a user to selectively talk to multiple combinations of people and teams with whom he or she is playing. Each person may be automatically assigned a code (1,2,3 . . . ) and a team (A,B,C . . . ). A problem may arise when the player has to remember which code corresponds to which player and team. When the user wants a reminder to whom a button is assigned, the user may touch a control (e.g., number key) and receive acoustic feedback of the name of the person assigned that code via their headset.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention identified in Table 1, multiple touch areas on an input device can be used to page backwards and forwards through web pages provided by an Internet browser. Examples of input devices having multiple touch sensitive areas useful in paging backward and forward include, among others, the mice of
Note that a mouse according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can be configured so that paging functions are initiated simply by touching one touch sensor instead of touching a sequence of two touch sensors. Thus, in
The paging functions performed using these touch areas are shown in
It should be understood that the various responses to making contact with or being in extreme proximity to a touch sensitive control may be used in combination. For example, when a user first makes contact with a button, the button's function may be displayed. In one implementation, if the user maintains contact with the button for more than a prescribed amount of time (e.g., five seconds), more detailed status information may be displayed or a GUI may be available to the user. Alternatively, successive touches of the same button within a predetermined period of time may cause different types of information to be displayed such as the button functionality followed by a GUI. Tactile or acoustic feedback may also be provided following an initial touch with a display of the same or more detailed information following a second touch in a predetermined time period or after touching has been detected for a prescribed time period.
In responsive to detection of a user in contact with or proximate to an input device or auxiliary control of the device, the on-screen display of a display widget may occur instantaneously. Frequently, it may be desirable to delay the appearance of the display widget on the screen slightly so that if a user activates, rather than merely touches, the control or device to activate a function, for example, the display widget will not rapidly appear and disappear from the screen. Delaying the appearance of the display widget a predefined amount of time can prevent unnecessarily displaying of a display widget with tool tip information for example, to a user who is familiar with the active application and the operation of an input device and its auxiliary controls and who rapidly activates the device or its control (e.g., depresses a button) to activate a function. Several illustrative techniques according to the invention are described below that address controlling the display.
In one embodiment of the invention, a brief time period on the order of 0.3 seconds may be employed. In this instance, if a user makes contact with, but does not activate, a key or other control within the brief time period, then the on-screen display appears. If the user activates the control before the expiration of the brief time period, the on-screen display would not be displayed in response to the user contacting the control.
According to some embodiments of the invention, activation of the control (e.g., turning a knob) causes the state of the function controlled (e.g., volume) to change and may display a GUI (e.g., volume setting) as the user changes the state (e.g., volume setting). In contrast, when touching, but not activating, the control for the entire brief period, a GUI representing the existing state (e.g., current volume) of the function may be displayed without causing the state to be changed.
Similarly, according to embodiments of the present invention, a brief time period may also be used to control disappearing or fading out of the on-screen display when a user ceases contact with a control. In this instance, the on-screen display remains visible during the brief time period, at the expiration of which the on-screen display disappears or fades out. If the user again touches the control before the brief time period expires, the on-screen display remains visible. It should be understood that the same type of time periods may be applied in embodiments of the present invention in which detecting contact of a control by a user causes a display widget to be dismissed (i.e., disappear or fade-out) and ceasing contact of the control causes the display widget to reappear or fade-in.
According to illustrative embodiments of the invention, when a display widget including a tool tip or other information appears, schemes for such display can be based on a number of criteria including the control, timeout and other information such as mouse movement.
According to the timing diagram shown in
In the timing diagram depicted in
Another aspect of display schemes for the touch sensitive input control display involves the response of a tool tip or other display widget to user activation of the button or other input control. After the user activates the control, the user may no longer desire the feedback (of the resulting action or otherwise). For example, at the time that a user clicks a button (button down event), the button tool tip can instantly disappear (or fade out). Also, the button tool tip may reappear or stay hidden after a button up event occurs if the user maintains contact with the button. The computer system can also display visual feedback to associate the button click with the information displayed in the tool tip before the tool tip disappears. According to an illustrative embodiment as depicted by the timing diagram shown in
Other embodiments of the invention involve handling simultaneous contact with multiple controls on an input device. If a user touches one control while maintaining contact with a second control, the on-screen display or other feedback for the second control should be generated. Alternatively, certain functions can be defined by a combination of controls, for example, key combinations. In this instance, the tool tip of the combination (e.g., key combination) is displayed when both keys are simultaneously touched but not activated, which will override the tool tip, if any, associated with the first key contacted. If the user releases one of the controls, the on-screen display may be dismissed in its entirety, or the feedback for the other touched control can be reinstated.
In another embodiment of the present invention, once the on-screen display in the form of a GUI has appeared or faded in, the GUI may remain visible if the cursor or pointer (e.g., by movement of a mouse) has been located therein, even if the user ceases contact of the control (e.g., button of a touch sensitive mouse) that caused the display of the GUI. In this instance, the GUI may eventually disappear in response to movement of the cursor (e.g., movement of a mouse) outside of the GUI, activation of another control or after a predefined period (e.g., 5 seconds) of inactivity in which no input is received by computer such as movement of a mouse.
According to illustrative embodiments of the invention, an on-screen display may be faded-in and out using an animated transition. It should be understood that techniques for controlling appearance and disappearance of an on-screen display may be used alone or in combination. An embodiment of the invention providing animated transition is described below with respect to
The touch outputs provided by input devices 43 can be applied, as represented by leads 903 and 907, respectively, to input interfaces 46. These interfaces can produce separate signals reflective of whether contact is then being sensed or not by the contact sensor of each touch sensitive component (e.g., auxiliary control) of each input device. These signals may be routed, as represented by lead 905, to input device drivers 60 that form a component within operating system 35. The device drivers interpret the signals produced by the input devices and, in response, generate appropriate events. With respect to touch, these events can specify the particular input device and the state of the corresponding touch sensor, e.g., whether hand contact is detected. These events can be passed by operating system 35 to application 36 and, ultimately within the application, to GUI process 910. Within this process, the events are processed by fade-in/fade-out animation process 915. The animation process, in response to the occurrence of a state transition of each input device, i.e., whether that device has just started sensing hand contact or has just ceased sensing such contact, and whether a display widget (e.g., Tool Glass or toolbar(s)) is then being displayed or not, will generate a predefined animation sequence to either controllably fade-in or fade-out the display widget.
Bitmap generator 920 stores predefined patterns 922, 924 and 926, typically texture maps, for the various display widgets, including the Tool Glass sheet, predefined toolbar(s) and/or other display widgets, respectively. These patterns are typically stored as separate files within the application. As application program 36 is invoked, the application, during initialization or after any change to the widget, downloads these patterns to Graphics API 940 via line 930 which, in turn, may route these patterns to a graphics accelerator (not shown) for local storage therein as texture maps. Alternatively, this downloading may be managed by a service provided by operating system 35.
During subsequent display, the accelerator will read these maps from its local store, polygonally fill these maps as appropriate, and render resulting filled patterns on display 47. Once these maps have been downloaded, then, for either a controlled fade-in/fade-out operation, animation process 915 changes an alpha-transparency value at which the graphics accelerator will render a corresponding filled pattern for a display widget. For a toolbar, the alpha-transparency value is varied across a full range of transparency values (i.e., between approximately 0 α and 1.0 α, on a linear scale of 0-1 α where 0 α is fully transparent and 1.0 α is fully opaque). For a Tool Glass sheet, the alpha-transparency value is varied across a range of typically 0 α to approximately 0.7 α, such that, even with the Tool Glass sheet rendered at its maximum opacity, underlying document objects are still visible (which some obscuration) through the sheet.
In essence, for a fade-in or fade-out operation, animation process 915 will issue a series of instructions over a predefined interval of time, specifically one such instruction for each different display frame, to successively change the alpha-transparency value with which a particular display widget is to then be displayed. These instructions will be issued, as also represented by line 930, to operating system 35, which, in turn, will pass these instructions to Graphics API 940 and ultimately to a graphics accelerator.
Fade-in should occur over a relatively short interval of time, such as on the order of approximately 0.3 to 0.5 seconds. However, so as not to distract a user, fade-out should occur over a relatively long interval, such as on the order of approximately 0.7-1.0 seconds. During these intervals, particularly on fade-in, the alpha-transparency values are generally varied in a non-linear fashion. Empirically, to utilize a conventional slow-in/slow-out technique commonly used in screen animation has been chosen. With this technique, the opacity initially changes rather slowly from being substantially, if not, totally transparent (i.e., essentially invisible) to an intermediate value, then increases rather quickly to another intermediate value with further increases then slowing once again until a maximum opacity (either, e.g., 1 α or 0.7 α for a toolbar or Tool Glass sheet, respectively) is eventually reached. This results in an approximately "S" shaped curve for opacity as a function of time. The same transparency variations are used for fading-out a display widget (though in a reverse direction). Clearly, other time-based opacity functions, such as a linear function, can be used to vary the opacity during the fade-in and fade-out intervals. Ultimately, the particular function(s) chosen (with possibly a different function being used for fade-in versus fade-out and, in fact, different such functions can be used for different display widgets, if desired) will likely be empirically determined through appropriate user testing.
Furthermore, a human eye exhibits increased sensitivity to certain colors, such as, e.g., red tones, over others, such as blue tones, for a common luminance. Hence, fading-in a display widget that contains any of the former colors, even at relatively low luminance, could be potentially distracting and more so particularly as these colors become brighter. To avoid such distraction, the display widget could be represented by several different texture maps of different or varying coloration and luminance—particularly for color(s) to which the human eye is most sensitive—until a final map with desired coloration and luminance is displayed. In that regard, a monochrome texture map for this widget could be initially displayed, with texture maps for the same widget but having desired coloration with increasing luminance (or even different coloration for that matter) then being rendered at appropriate times during fade-in, until at the end of the fade-in period, a texture map having a final coloration and luminance is rendered. Fade-out could be accomplished in a similar, though reverse fashion. For example, a display widget could fade-out using a succession of colored texture maps, of decreasing luminance, to a monochrome map which itself then fades out to total transparency, or, at the inception of fade-out, change to a monochrome map of the widget and from there fade-out to total transparency.
If a graphics accelerator is not used, then, as symbolized by line 955, Graphics API 940 can provide graphics output directly to video adapter 48 (specifically a standard video card, not shown, therein), which, in turn, will generate appropriate video signals and apply those signals to display 692. In this instance, the computer system would need to be sufficiently fast to implement the appropriate graphics capabilities, that would have been provided by the graphics accelerator, in software. Furthermore, where fade-in and fade-out graphics capabilities are not supported, the display and dismissal of display widgets could occur through other visual techniques. These techniques include, e.g., simply translating the widget by sliding or shuffling it onto the screen from an off-screen position; instantly and completely displaying or dismissing the widget; rotating the widget (if, e.g., a toolbar is on a 3-D surface that rotates into place) and/or zooming in or out interface widgets or portions of a document. However, with these techniques, the display widgets such as the toolbars and the Tool Glass sheet are constrained to being displayed fully opaque. Any of these techniques could also be used along with fading with a graphics accelerator that supports alpha-transparency.
Although alpha-transparency capability is supported by a wide variety of currently existing graphics accelerators, this capability can be readily simulated in software, in a well-known manner, by conventional 2-D (two-dimensional) or 3-D (three-dimensional) graphics APIs, such as D3D (which is a 3-D graphics API currently produced by Microsoft Corporation as a standard component of a WINDOWS� operating system), OpenGL (which is currently available in the art) or GDI (which historically is only a 2-D low-level graphics processing layer currently produced by Microsoft Corporation and also incorporated as a standard component of a WINDOWS� operating system).
Instances can arise where a display screen is to simultaneously show both a toolbar(s) and a Tool Glass sheet (or other combinations of display widgets). In these instances, unwanted interactions can arise that would cause both widgets to fade-in or out. To prevent these interactions and attendant user frustration, an appropriate decision process, well within the skill in the art, would be incorporated into animation process 915 to then permit only one, rather than both, of these display widgets to fade-in or out. For example, if both widgets were being displayed but a user is then manipulating the Touch Mouse, then only the Tool Glass would be permitted to fade-out while the toolbars remained fully displayed. The specific decision process would be governed by the particular widgets that could be simultaneously displayed, a need to continue displaying one or more these widgets based on a current contextual setting of the application including an operation then being performed, and relative display prioritization among these widgets.
It should be understood that the present invention may employ other sensing technologies, apart from touch sensing, to invoke on-demand action, such as, e.g.: galvanic skin response, non-contact proximity sensors, pressure sensors, events from touch/proximity sensors on a keyboard, data from a GPS (global positioning system) receiver (position of the user or location of a mobile computer), video data from a camera, and audio data from a microphone.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art. The present application contemplates any and all modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the underlying invention disclosed and claimed herein.
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Ohio prof who pioneered study of pop culture diesWritten by John Seewer (AP) | | firstname.lastname@example.com
Ray Browne, an Ohio university professor who was credited with coining the phrase "popular culture" and pioneering the study of things such as bumper stickers and cartoons, has died. He was 87.
Browne died at his home Oct. 22, according to his family and officials at Bowling Green State university.
He developed the first academic department devoted to studying what he called the `"people's culture" at Bowling Green in 1973.
Browne wrote and edited more than 70 books on popular culture – including "The Guide to United States Popular Culture," published in 2001.
"Culture is everything from the food we've always eaten to the clothes we've always worn," he said in a 2003 interview with The Associated Press.
While many in the field credit Browne with coming up the name "popular culture," no one could say for sure whether he originated it. He said he made a mistake in 1967 when he first used the phrase.
"If I had called it everyday culture or Democratic culture, it would not have been so sharply criticized," he said.
Browne worked for decades to convince academics that much could be learned from studying seemingly insignificant elements of our lives.
"He was really going against the grain," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. "He seemed to be interested in anything. You could drop a gum wrapper in front of him and he would see a text to be studied."
Professors at universities nationwide thought Browne, an English professor, was trying to demean or trivialize what they were teaching when he founded the popular culture department.
That wasn't the case, he said. His interest was rooted in finding out how society affects culture and how culture affects society.
Dozens of schools now offer classes rooted in popular culture.
His interests ranged from Western cowboy movies to wallpaper.
"The covering of walls has been one of the most important items in housing since the beginning," he said. "But nobody ever wrote a book on it."
Browne taught at the University of Maryland and Purdue University before moving to Bowling Green with the idea of starting a popular culture department.
He often was quoted in the media and always had a ready thought on virtually any subject. He stopped teaching in 1990 but continued to research and write – often working on several books at once.
Browne is survived by his wife, Pat, two sons and a daughter.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, August 27, 2014
As I sit quietly, I begin to smell burning.
McGuire's full collection is finally out. Buy it. Read it. Dose it in petrol and set it on fire.
'As I sit quietly, I begin to smell burning' is a wild mixture of poetry and short stories. In the spirit of verging on discovering catastrophe. 'As I sit quietly, I begin to smell burning' display's McGuire's tendency toward the confessional, the social-realistic and absurd. McGuire has a voice that is frank and direct. McGuire write about childhood, private life, as well as Scottish life, as well as confronting issues of perversion, identity, masculinity and addiction.
8 pounds - packed with fire.
Thanks to Red Squirrel Press for the opportunity! Purchase at RSP website or from InPress
Posted by McGuire at 5:55 a.m. No comments:
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
As I sit quietly I begin to smell poetry...
All Quiet on the McGuire front.
Things are about to get a bit noisier. At least for the summer. The new collection is out. It includes stories and poetry. It is a much darker edifice than 'Everybody lie down and no one gets hurt.' The subjects differ wildly - Scotland, Scottishness, Masculinity, Sexuality, Madness, Fruit and Vege, Pornography and a lot more. Originally I thought this collection was all about SECRECY but after much editing and wrestling with subject matter I can say this collection is much more concerned with Scotland,-Identity-Sexuality-Madness. Secrecy has its place, indeed, it is the unwitting master behind most of this book, but Secrecy is not so prevalent and I ditched the original title 'The Secret Service' for something a bit longer (in the same spirit as 'Everybody lie down and no one gets hurt.') Which will be revealed in a matter of weeks.
Summer should be wild. Talking Heids has an LGBT night every week in August at Sofi's Bar. There will be a host of shows, poetry readings from many of the poets of Scotland, U.K. and abroad during the Festival, the Fringe and the Free Fringe.
There will be BBC Slam which is sure to be intense and new powerhouses of poetic performance dominate the scenery - Loud Poets and Sam Small, to name only a few!
So keep yours bra on, your boxer's clean, because we are about to pick up speed and rant at the wind!
Don't forget you can still order copies of 'Everybody lie down and no one gets hurt.'
Tis for you alone this gift for all.
Posted by McGuire at 5:01 a.m. No comments:
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Shoe Gazing
Shoe Gaze
My shoes tell me who I am.
All Day I Dream About Self.
Too blue, blaring eyesore.
A too large tongue stuck out.
Tied tightly with a final knot.
Walks over everyone. Stood on.
Tramples everything. Trampled on.
Treads softly on temporary ground.
The last vestige of the ghost of purpose.
Legs peddling endlessly until almost worn
down to the sole, until only the shoes remain,
like stumps of axed Wonder boom or Cedars of God.
like stumps of axed Wonder boom or Cedars of God.
Posted by McGuire at 9:44 a.m. 3 comments:
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
LGBT History Month & Gay Marriage Legal in Scotland!
What a day! Gay Marriage is now legal in Scotland. AMAZING, for those gay couples who wish to marry. Now they can come to the table of Marriage and share in its riches.
Incidentally, I was also commissioned to write poem for LGBT History Month! Here is the link! Thanks to the wonderful people at LGBT Scotland! They are amazing people, not least for commissioning me, ha, but also for being encouraging and engaging in the creation of the poem.
What a day! Marriage is a strange concept. I usually associate it with Religion but in reality it is a practical matter, or even a matter of love (God forbid, ha), a matter of mutual care and share between to human beings being human. in this temporary earth, being together as best we can, in a loving pact, is hard to deny!
'Be gay be gay because today's today!' - e.e. cummings.
'Affection will solve the troubles of freedom yet' - walt whitman.
'Cohabitation has been corrupted, by marriage.' - Nietzsche.
'Love is an unspeakable thing, don't tell anyone about it, just get married.' - McGuire.
Will you marry me? X
Posted by McGuire at 12:54 p.m. No comments:
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Everybody lie down and no one gets hurt. + Talking Heids.
Everybody Lie Down and No One Gets Hurt
Artwork by Kirsty Whiten
The launch has passed. It was a small success. Thank to Sofi's Bar for being a warm, homely little place for poetic intimacies, and ranting. Thanks to Red Squirrel Press, Sheila Wakefield, in particular, who brought the pamphlet to completion, while I wondered about how much profit I would make. (Delusions of poetry selling) :P
Now the book is out there in the world (well, about 30 copies, to be fair) and I am now able to sell the book. You can buy it from this blog! Simply click on the button - remember to select the right option i.e. number 2: Everybody lie down and no one gets hurt. I will then post it out.
The pamphlet should be available to buy from Red squirrel Press and on Amazon in the near future.
There will be readings to follow. A launch in Glasgow too. Hopefully, Govanhill Baths.
Now the little book is out there, it seems so fragile, a little book of sleep that, quite frankly, could easily be interrupted in its light, poetic, doze. If a gentle little word or two is needed, this pamphlet might be for you.
The Art work is by Edinburgh based Artist Kirsty Whiten (Technically Fife) who I really liked for her mix of brilliant, life affirming colour, with dark imagery and surrealist depictions. Beautifully warped in their vividness.
Cost 5 pounds (including postage)!
Talking Heids
McGuire has started a Poetry night at Sofi's Bar, last Tuesday of every month, generally. Featuring two established poets, music, humour and an informal Open Mike, some light music in the background and a generous and warm venue, that is, Sofi's.
If you want to know more about the night, who is reading, what events are coming in the future, join us on Talking Heids, face broker page: Talking Heids.
There is a reading on the 17th of December, with Kirsten Norrie, who will read some poems and play music, and a yet unconfirmed male poet will join her for our last Talking Heids of the New Year.
Talking Heids will also be part of LGBT History Month in February. More on in the New Year!
*Don't forget to buy the pamphlet. :P
Posted by McGuire at 2:32 a.m. No comments:
Friday, November 08, 2013
Of sleep and waking up.
Sleep is coming.
The pamphlet is due for launch on the 3rd of December 2013. Venue yet to be confirmed. It will be in Edinburgh, that's for sure, with a possible launch in Glasgow following later or in the New Year.
The pamphlet is being published by Red Squirrel Press, thanks to the industrious and hard-working, Sheila Wakefield.
The book is loosely wrapped in a duvet of ideas surrounding sleep, sleeplessness and the great wide awake!
It has been a labour of love, insomnia, mindfulness and addiction.
More details to follow, so get your pyjamas on, or get out of bed, turn the lights out, or stretch up your arms into the cold reach of the real world.
Sleep is coming and it's shattered.
Many people have fallen awake.
Bed has come in the night to help you grow.
Pillow like a placenta has come to nurture your soft neck.
Watch out for podcast next week at Scottish Poetry Library.
Love in the vaguest sense
of its invisibility,
Posted by McGuire at 12:41 a.m. 1 comment:
Sunday, September 15, 2013
September reshuffle
My pamphlet is not coming out this year with Tenor Bull, won't be happening until next year due to ongoing delays, technical problems, outside of my control and everyone else's.
Instead my book with Red Squirrel Press will be out at the end of October! Thanks to the powerful Lady and personality, that is, Sheila Wakefield. More on that to come. Know only this, there will be readings. There will be laughter. There will be mouths open, aghast. Your secrets are not safe with you. Bring them with you. Air them. A fresh air.
I won't even tell you the title yet. Only know, my one faithful reader (Jim), it is coming soon, soon, sooner than Jesus to our rescue. We will soon have to wake up to another book.
United Nations of Sleep
I seek asylum at the Embassy of Bed.
Nightly it is granted, without passport,
Nightly it is granted, without passport,
an evenings access into eternity.
- McGuire
Posted by McGuire at 4:42 a.m. 2 comments:
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One person was hospitalized early Saturday (Dec. 21) after a rollover accident in Prairie Grove, an emergency dispatcher said.
The driver Nathaniel Walters, 35, whose four-door Honda sedan was submerged in a creek at 15131 Prairie Grove Lake Road at 6:30 a.m. The Washington County Sheriff's Office was notified around 8 a.m.
According to an incident report, Walters' car slid on Prairie Grove Lake Road, ripping through a fence and into the creek. Walters' head was the only part of his body out of the water and he was able to escape after 15 minutes.
He ran to Shannon Ready's house who took him to Washington Regional, according to the report.
"It appears to me that the gentlemen was coming around the curve, slid off in the ditch, rolled over on its top and submerged in the water," said Willie Leming, of Leming and Son Wrecker Service.
"When I arrived, the Prairie Grove Fire Department had pulled it back onto the edge of the road and made it easier for me to get it out," Leming said.
Crystal Bolinger lives next to the creek. She checked out the damage to the fence destroyed by the accident.
"We heard all the sirens going by this morning," Bolinger said. "We were wondering what was going on and my soon to be in laws just told me that a lot of wrecks happen on this road."
Bolinger said she wishes the driver a quick recovery.
"We're praying for him, whoever he is, we just hope he's OK," Bolinger.
Leming said, "It's a miracle the young man got out as well as he did."
Walters had minor injuries to his hand since he tried to bust the window to get out of the vehicle.


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Ventura County farmers markets: Buddha's hand known for its zest
A sure sign of winter in Ventura County is Lucy Vanoni's citron — the Buddha's hand variety, which starts showing up at her booth at the Ventura Pacific View mall farmers market.
The unusual-looking fruit can be used for its zest, which is made into candied citron for baking. Vanoni, who farms in Saticoy, also had the first of this year's crop of tangerines. "They're very sweet this year," Vanoni said, adding that pomegranates are done for the season, but she is carrying sweet limes that add a nice zing to foods.
At the booth of Rancho Santa Cecilia of Caprinteria, Manuel Marquez was selling manzano chiles, which are a hot cousin of the habanero chile, and great in salsas.
Another market regular is Beylik Farms, which sells hydroponically grown tomatoes year-round. Drake's Family Farms, the new goat cheese vendor, also is at the Pacific View mall market, as is Shepherd's Farm eggs and Spring Hill Cheese.
Morgan Luavana was selling fresh fish and shrimp caught from the Arjin II from Port Hueneme. The seafood varies. "It depends of what we catch," she said. She also had organic, farm-raised salmon available.
Find the markets
Sundays: 8:30 a.m.-noon, College of the Canyons (parking lot 8 off Valencia Boulevard), Santa Clarita (529-6266). 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 300 E. Matilija St., Ojai (698-5555). 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Agoura Hills City Mall, Kanan Road (818-591-8286). 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harbor and Channel Islands boulevards (includes a fish market), Oxnard (643-6458). 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Village Glen Plaza, between Agoura and Townsgate roads, Westlake Village (818-591-8286).
Wednesdays: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pacific View mall parking lot facing Main Street, Ventura (529-6266).
Thursdays: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Plaza Park at Fifth and C streets, Oxnard (643-6458). Thousand Oaks market at the Oaks mall is closed until Jan. 5 (529-6266). 3-7 p.m., Loyal Order of Moose Lodge, 10269 Telephone Road, Ventura (263-2907).
Fridays: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks (818-637-8924). 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Regal Cinemas/Civic Center Plaza, 2750 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, (643-6458). 3-8 p.m., The Village at Moorpark Shopping Center, southwest corner of East Los Angeles Avenue and Miller Parkway, Moorpark (818-597-9506).
Saturdays: 8 a.m.-noon, 2220 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo (386-3584). 8-11 a.m., fish market behind Andria's Seafood Restaurant, 1449 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura (644-0169). 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2665 W. Hillcrest Drive, Newbury Park (323-272-9171). 8:30 a.m.-noon, Palm and Santa Clara streets, Ventura (529-6266).
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Bridge group sues to stop brewery deal
By Valentino Lucio, Patrick Danner : December 6, 2012 : Updated: December 7, 2012 11:32am
Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-NewsCitizens gather at the Hays Street Bridge, and later in front of the Bexar County Courthouse, to announce the filing of a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The lawsuit claims a breach of a contract between the city and the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group over land sold to Alamo Beer Company. The brewery plans to use the land, located on the northeast side of the bridge, for a restaurant and brewery. The group maintains that through a contract with the city, the land was destined for educational facilities and a park. Speaking to the media at the bridge was the group's founder, Gary Houston, on the right wearing a beret.
Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-NewsSiblings from left, Otilia Guerrero, 70, Beatrice Valadez, 72, and Guadalupe Espinoza, 69, gather in front of the Bexar County Courthouse to announce the filing of a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The lawsuit claims a breach of a contract between the city and the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group over land sold to Alamo Beer Company. The brewery plans to use the land, located on the northeast side of the bridge, for a restaurant and brewery. The group maintains that through a contract with the city, the land was destined for educational facilities and a park.
Photo By Mike Fisher
In August, the San Antonio City Council approved the sale of city-owned land to the Alamo Beer Co. for the construction of its brewery near the Hays Street Bridge.
Photo By EUGENE SIMOR/COURTESY PHOTO
Eugene Simor, owner of Alamo Beer, is hoping to move his craft brewery to the East Side near Hays Street Bridge. The project would incorporate a rooftop restaurant and there would be access to the bridge from the brewery for small events. Courtesy of Eugene Simor
Photo By Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News
View of the city skyline from the Hays Street Bridge. Alamo Beer Company is proposing to build a brewery at 803 North Cherry Street. The city should learn a lesson from litigation involving land adjacent to the bridge.
Photo By Lake Flato Architects
Connection: The three-story brewery will connect to the non-historic on-ramp to Hays Street Bridge. It's proposed that about 3,000 square feet of space on the bridge will be used for seating that could accommodate about 200 people.
Photo By Courtesy of Eugene Simor
The project would incorporate a rooftop restaurant and there would be access to the nonhistoric part of the bridge from the brewery for small events.
Photo By JOHN DAVENPORT/-
The Hays Street Bridge spans over Union Pacific railroad tracks on the near East Side of San Antonio. John Davenport / San Antonio Express-News
A group behind the restoration of the Hays Street Bridge has sued the City of San Antonio to try to stop the transfer of land next to the landmark to the Alamo Beer Co. for construction of an $8 million microbrewery.
The Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group alleges in its suit, filed Thursday, that the city breached a contract that calls for the 1.7 acres at 803 Cherry St. to be used for a park.
The City Council in August approved a measure to sell the land to Alamo Beer for $295,000 and to grant the company an $800,000 incentive package for construction of a 25,000-square-foot brewery.
About 50 members of the restoration group gathered at the bridge Thursday to protest the deal, chanting "Whose bridge? Our bridge" and "Whose land? Our land." A large black banner hung from atop the bridge read, "Keep public land out of private hands."
The group later gathered on the steps of the Bexar County Courthouse, where they held a news conference to announce the lawsuit against the city.
"We believe that the sale of the land next to the bridge contravenes law," community activist Nettie Hinton, a member of the group, told the audience. "The city should be ashamed of its unethical behavior."
City Attorney Michael Bernard said the city intends "to vigorously defend the lawsuit and the project, and bring increased, attractive development to the East Side of San Antonio."
In an emailed statement, Alamo Beer President Eugene Simor expressed disappointment over efforts to derail the deal.
"It is unfortunate for this community and those that advocate for Eastside development that a few individuals will go to extreme and counterproductive lengths to slow a major redevelopment project that is widely supported and embraced by nearby residents and businesses," Simor said.
In October, brewery opponents submitted a petition with about 2,800 signatures in an attempt to put the land sale to a public vote. The petition cited a section of Texas Local Government Code that says the conveyance of public parkland is subject to an election if there are at least 1,500 signatures from registered voters.
The city dismissed the petition, contending the land wasn't deeded as parkland or ever added to the books of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
Beer distributor BudCo Ltd. donated the land to the city in 2007, the same year Houston-based Silver Eagle acquired the company. A former BudCo official told the Express-News in October the land was donated to the city with the intent to become a park. However, no such demand could be attached to the donation.
The restoration group argues in its suit that the city lacks the authority to transfer the land to Alamo Beer. The city, the suit says, should be "enjoined from refusing to submit this (matter) to (an) election."
The group maintains it entered into a contract with the city in 2002 that required the group to raise funds to restore the bridge. The group raised some $800,000 for the project, according to Amy Kastely, an attorney for the group.
"In exchange, the city promised to use all of the money and in-kind donations that were solicited and acquired by the restoration group towards the Hays Street Bridge restoration project, which included the land and included the park," Kastely said.
Bernard, the city attorney, disputed that assertion.
"It's not a park. It was never a park," he said. "It was never dedicated as a park. We never represented it would be a park in any agreement."
The group Kastely represents has the support of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.
The restoration project received matching federal money. The funds would have to be returned if the restoration benefits private development, a Texas Department of Transportation official wrote in a September letter to the Federal Highway Administration, the Express-News previously reported.
As part of his plans for the microbrewery, Simor wants to use a portion of the bridge for chairs and tables for customers.
Despite the lawsuit, Simor wrote in his email that he's proceeding with plans for the project. The brewery is slated to include a tasting room, a beer garden under the bridge and a skywalk that will connect to the nonhistoric part of the bridge. The developer won't pay rent on those spaces for 10 years, according to the incentive package from the city.
The deal for the city-owned land has not been finalized, but Simor expects to have the project complete before the end of next year.
Simor's Alamo Golden Ale is brewed at the Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco. He wants to build a 60-barrel brewery because the company's operations have outgrown the Blanco facility, he said.


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Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Community-wide blood drive set for Sept. 21
MSG Bobby J. Matthews of the Cross High School JROTC will facilitate the second annual community-wide blood drive on Sept. 21. It will be conducted at the St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church located at 272 Highway45 in St. Stephen from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Contact Matthews at 899-8900, ext. 2203. All telephone messages will be returned.
Mental Health
In efforts to break the stigma of mental illness the Lowcountry Mental Health Group will be having a prayer walk/educational/and awareness event on Saturday, Oct. 26.
This important event is now in the planning stage. If you or your organization or anyone you know are interested in providing information at this public event, contact Debbie Hutchinson by email at email@example.com
Contest Extended
The Berkeley County Library has extended the contest asking for help to name the new mobile library.
The winner receives a new iPad mini courtesy of the Friends of the Library. All entries are due by Aug. 31.
For more information visit any Berkeley County Library or on-line at www.yourlibraryvoice.com
Friends of Berkeley Blueways
Paddlers are needed to volunteer to help cleanup Chimney Island on Lake Marion and also clean up the shore to the left and right of the Duck Pond Trail on Lake Moultrie. The cleanup will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21 as part of the SC Beach/River Sweep. Bags and gloves will be provided.
If you would like to help contact Archie at firstname.lastname@example.com
Bring Sam Home
A family has lost their two-year-old Maltese who went missing from their
home near the Berkeley Country Club in Moncks Corner, on Friday night Aug. 2. Sam is a white male who weighs 4.6 pounds. A reward is being offered. If anyone has information to help find Sam and return him home, call 532-2208 or 819-9144 or email email@example.com.
Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday to Karen Biddlecom, Wendy Blackburn, Bill Cody, Cricket McGriff, Justin Morris, Molly Newton, Wendi Nolen, Dale Orvin and Sylvia Pipkin.
Prayers and Get Well
Take time out of your busy day to pray for and to offer best wishes to Leslie Alise, Elma Atkins, David Ayers and family, Metro Borop, Ruth Brassell, Virginia Butcher, Angelia Butler, Frank Conrad, Tywana Coker, Patsy Daniels, Janet Davidson, Sandy Faber, Wayne Gamble, Claudia Guerry, Darrell Harris, Dorothy Harris, Louise Harris, Beth Hodge, Sharee Holcomb, Gail Humbert, Lonnie Kessler, Laverne Krivohlavek, Russ Mabe, Donna Manning, Earline Brown-May, Mark McGue, Louise McMakin, Kary "Hollywood" Mitchum and family, Betty Rich Morris, Louise Rich, Dick Robson, Peggy Schipmann, Brandon Schaner, Robin Schriver, Thelma Schurlknight, Travis Steal, Norma Swasand, Ginny Tucker, Sammy Wadford, Billy Weatherford, Mae Welch, Norma Winn and for any un-spoken prayers needed.
Pray for our troops (land, air and sea) in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and all around the world, for them to be protected as they protect us. Keep in prayer our Gov. Haley and her family, all Veterans, SC Masons, SC Order of the Eastern Star, Rainbow families, and our school system in Berkeley County.
Have a blessed week! If you have news to share, contact Betty Delk at email@example.com before Noon on Wednesdays, the week before all scheduled events. Mail items to 195 Crest Lane, St. Stephen,SC 29479 or call 567-4370.
The Berkeley Independent is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Berkeley Independent.
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Elvis on an iphone – part 2
A few more…….
A few more…….
We took the first year USW photojournalism students to the Elvis festival in Porthcawl on the weekend. We did the same last year, it's a really good introduction for them to get used to communicating with people and most folk are 'up' for being photographed.
There are a few occasions when light seems more, much more than simply the everyday occurrence that we take for granted.
We happened to hit it just right. A visit to Falmouth to catch up with Nia Haf coincided with the peak period of the bluebells at Enys gardens in Penryn.
From Aisndale to Southport completed the Sefton Coast path on day four and saw a full complement join us for another day of learning, talking, discussing and listening.
Never believe the weather forecast! It was going to be a terrible day, thunder, heavy rain and the risk of floods. We had a plan B, never sure quite what is was though and I put the canon into its underwater housing!
The second leg of the 'Walking Through the Sands of Time' saw us all move from Hightown to Freshfield. Just images of the group this time, the format of the walks remains the same. I'm slowly beginning to see themes developing and what the walks are meaning to me. I'll post about them later.
The changing landscape of bird populations within Britain makes for interesting reading and Marshside, close to Southport, has seen some very interesting trends over the twenty or so years its been in the care of the RSPB.
So Countryfile came and went, and there's not much more to be said really. Half a days filming for a minute and not putting the context behind the work we are planning to do. But there we go, nothing ventured etc. etc.
Filming with Shauna Lowry for Countryfile.
Tomorrow 7.00pm. (more later)
Just back from the North West after doing a small piece for BBC Countryfile (more on that later) and managed a few day out with the camera and collecting more material for the WALK project in the summer. This first post concentrates on a few hours I spent with the tree sparrows at Martin Mere and the decline of the sparrows of this country.
Just three images on this post and a sad reflection of where photography education may be going.
Yesterday I spent some time with a group of anglers on the front at Penarth. High tide was a couple of hours away and slowly more and more folk appeared with all the kit to fish it.
I've been to Gigrin and Bwlch Nant yr Arian to photograph the red kites, but never to Llanddeusant. It's a lot quieter than the other two, the sun's behind you and the hides are very good for viewing but more importantly they're excellent for photography.
A couple of speculative days down on the north coast of Gower, at Llanridian Marsh, brought some interesting birds and intriguing light. I decided to pick one spot and stay with it all day, not moving at all.
I was up in Liverpool on the weekend doing the first reconnaissance for a series of walks along the Sefton Coast path. It's an area I know well from birdwatching back in the 70's and not much has changed really.
Back on the farm, I've been working with some of the old favourites.
Another recent wader encountered whilst out with the geese was the ruff. Five birds spent a good half hour picking up the swan feed towards dusk and it was interesting to note the very different stages of plumage from wintering adults to juvenile birds. It's the leg colour that varies more than anything and is pretty well emphasised in these images.
So here's the set from the last post but in black and white, with a hint of selenium. Think I know which one I'm going with. The colour set can be seen here.
Back to Islay and the geese. The aim was to place them in a wider context and I was fortunate that the weather was with me (seems like it's not been very good since then). The mornings were superb and straight out of the van I was able to work with a perfect backdrop and the geese coming over the waters of Loch Indal. Trying to work them together is not such an easy task, focusing is all against you and the focusing spot had to be continually adjusted.


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