SUPPORT FOR A MOUSE OR SIMILAR POINTING DEVICE ON DEPENDENT WORKSTATIONS IN A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM

摘要

A dependent, nonprogrammable, character-based workstation terminal (DWS) supports a mouse. A terminal controller entirely within the DWS processes and displays mouse motions, but sends mouse button actuations, with the current mouse position, to a single workstation controller (WSC) handling many DWS'. The WSC processes the actuations according to a set of rules, and sends data streams to a main processor (MP) serving multiple WSCs. The MP executes user application programs, partially in response to data streams representing mouse events. The MP executes user application programs, partially in response to data streams representing mouse events. The MP may also send mouse rule sets to the WSCs in data streams.