English input method and input device

• US 10,152,473 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Sogou Technology Development Co.,Ltd. (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Sogou Technology Development Co.,Ltd. (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Wang, Yi, Zhao, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Velez-Lopez, Mario M
• Application Number:
  US15/122,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an English input method and device. The English input method includes the following steps. An input English character string having an original length is received. A target length is calculated based on the original length of the English character string. A target English word having a length between the original length and the target length is looked up. A longest common length between the target English words and the English character string is calculated, where the common length refers to a length of identical letters. The target English words are returned when the longest common length is equal to N times the target length, where N is a positive number less than or equal to 1. Even when a user forgets the exact spelling of an English word or enters only a fraction of the spelling, the user may still obtain the required English word based on the inputted English character string, substantially improving operability.

Claims

1. An English input method, comprising:

receiving, by an electronic equipment, an input English character string having an original length, wherein the electronic equipment includes an input device and runs an input application program compatible with the input device for obtaining user inputs;

calculating, by the electronic equipment, a target length based on the original length of the English character string;

looking up, by the electronic equipment, a target English word having a length between the original length and the target length;

automatically calculating, by the electronic equipment, a longest common length between the target English word and the English character string by using a dynamic programming method, where the common length refers to a length of identical letters between the target English word and the input English character string, so that when the English character string inputted by the user skips one or more characters from the target English word, the longest common length allows the target English word to be identified; and

returning, by the electronic equipment, the target English word when the longest common length is equal to N times the target length so that the target English word is a correctly-spelled word to tolerate user mistakes in the input English character string, where N is a positive number less than or equal to 1.

2. The English input method of claim 1, wherein:

the identical letters for the common length appear in a same order in the target English word and the input English character string.

3. The English input method of claim 1, wherein calculating a target length according to the original length of the input English character string includes:

calculating a ratio of the original length of the English character string over a pre-configured similarity threshold, and obtaining the target length.

4. The English input method of claim 1, wherein looking up a target English word having a length between the original length and the target length includes:

assigning the original length of an input English character string to a pre-configured intermediate variable;

determining whether the intermediate variable is greater than the target length;

when the intermediate variable is not greater than the target length, retrieving English words having a length equal to the intermediate variable from a pre-configured English word database to obtain the target English words; and

incrementing the intermediate variable by one and proceeding to the step of determining whether the value stored in the intermediate variable is greater than the target length.

5. The English input method of claim 4, wherein:

the pre-configured English word database includes one or more segments;

English words in each segment have a same length; and

the English words in each segment are sorted according to a frequency of use.

6. The English input method of claim 5, wherein returning the target English words includes:

sorting the target English words; and

returning the sorted target English words.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatically calculating the longest common length between the target English word and the English character string by using the dynamic programming method comprises:

given that a two-dimensional array f [i, j] represents a length of a maximum common sub-sequence before the i-th character in the target English word and the j-th character in the English character string, and f [1][1]=same (1,1), wherein when the a-th character in the target English word and the b-th character in the English character string are identical, same(a,b)=1, and otherwise same(a,b)=0,

obtaining the longest common length using the following formula

f[i,j]=max{f[i−

1][j−

1]+same(i,j),f[i−

1,j],f[i,j−

1]}.

8. An English input device, comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

program modules stored in the memory to be executed by the processor, the program modules comprising;

an English character string receiving module configured to receive an input English character string having an original length, wherein the English input device runs a compatible input application program for obtaining user inputs;

a target length calculation module configured to calculate a target length according to the original length of the English character string;

a target English word lookup module configured to look up a target English word having a length between the original length and the target length;

a common length calculation module configured to automatically calculate a longest common length between the target English word and the English character string by using a dynamic programming method, where the common length refers to a length of identical letters between the target English word and the input English character string, so that when the English character string inputted by the user skips one or more characters from the target English word, the longest common length allows the target English word to be identified; and

an English word return module configured to return the target English words when the longest common length is equal to N times the original length so that the target English word is a correctly-spelled word to tolerate user mistakes in the input English character string, where N is a positive integer less than or equal to 1.

9. The English input device of claim 8, wherein:

the identical letters for the common length appear in a same order in the target English word and the input English character string.

10. The English input device of claim 8, wherein the target length calculation module includes a ratio calculation sub-module configured to calculate a ratio of the original length of the English character string over a pre-configured similarity threshold to obtain the target length.

11. The English input device of claim 8, wherein the target English word lookup module includes:

an assignment sub-module configured to assign the original length of the English character string to a preconfigured intermediate variable;

a determination sub-module configured to determine whether the intermediate variable is greater than the target length and to proceed to a retrieval sub-module when the value of the intermediate variable is not greater than the target length;

a retrieval sub-module configured to retrieve an English word having a length equal to the intermediate variable from a pre-configured English word database to obtain a target English word; and

an increment sub-module configured to increment the intermediate variable by one and to proceed to the determination sub-module.

12. The English input device of claim 11, wherein:

the pre-configured English word database includes one or more segments;

English words in each segment have a same length; and

the English words in each segment are sorted according to a frequency of use.

13. The English input device of claim 12, wherein the English word return module includes:

a sorting sub-module configured to sort a list of target English words; and

a return sub-module configured to return the sorted target English words.

14. A non-transitory computer accessible media configured to store computer program instructions implementing the English input method, the method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic equipment, an input English character string having an original length, wherein the electronic equipment includes an input device and runs an input application program compatible with the input device for obtaining user inputs;

calculating, by the electronic equipment, a target length based on the original length of the English character string;

looking up, by the electronic equipment, a target English word having a length between the original length and the target length;

automatically calculating, by the electronic equipment, a longest common length between the target English word and the English character string by using a dynamic programming method, where the common length refers to a length of identical letters between the target English word and the input English character string, so that when the English character string inputted by the user skips one or more characters from the target English word, the longest common length allows the target English word to be identified; and

returning, by the electronic equipment, the target English word when the longest common length is equal to N times the target length so that the target English word is a correctly-spelled word to tolerate user mistakes in the input English character string, where N is a positive number less than or equal to 1.

15. The non-transitory computer accessible media of claim 14, wherein:

the identical letters for the common length appear in a same order in the target English word and the input English character string.

16. The non-transitory computer accessible media of claim 14, wherein calculating a target length according to the original length of the input English character string includes:

calculating a ratio of the original length of the English character string over a pre-configured similarity threshold, and obtaining the target length.

17. The non-transitory computer accessible media of claim 14, wherein looking up a target English word having a length between the original length and the target length includes:

assigning the original length of an input English character string to a pre-configured intermediate variable;

determining whether the intermediate variable is greater than the target length;

when the intermediate variable is not greater than the target length, retrieving English words having a length equal to the intermediate variable from a pre-configured English word database to obtain the target English words; and

incrementing the intermediate variable by one and proceeding to the step of determining whether the value stored in the intermediate variable is greater than the target length.

18. The non-transitory computer accessible media of claim 17, wherein:

the pre-configured English word database includes one or more segments;

English words in each segment have a same length; and

the English words in each segment are sorted according to a frequency of use.