Device, method, and graphical user interface for a predictive keyboard

• US 10,204,096 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran A., Karunamuni, Chanaka G., Jon, Tiffany S., Beaver, Jason C., Shaffer, Joshua H., Willmore, Christopher P., Jong, Nicholas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dyer, Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US14/502,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 715210, 715764, 715771, 715773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A method includes displaying a suggestion region above an on-screen keyboard. The suggestion region includes multiple suggested character strings. The method further includes: detecting a gesture that begins within a predefined key of the on-screen keyboard; and responsive to detecting the gesture: in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within the predefined key, inserting a first character string into a text field; and in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key, inserting a second character string into the text field, wherein the second character string is different from the first character string.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

displaying a suggestion region above an on-screen keyboard, the suggestion region including multiple suggested character strings and a text field, including a first suggested character string and a second suggested character string, the first suggested character string including a first plurality of characters and the second suggested character string including a second plurality of characters;

subsequent to displaying the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string and the second suggested character string, detecting a gesture that begins within a predefined key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the predefined key is associated with a single predefined character; and

responsive to detecting the gesture;

determining whether the gesture ends outside of the predefined key;

determining whether the gesture corresponds to a particular section of the suggestion region, the particular section being a first section or a second section;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a first section of the suggestion region, inserting the first suggested character string into the text field;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a second section of the suggestion region, inserting the second suggested character string into the text field; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within the predefined key, inserting the single predefined character that is associated with the predefined key into the text field without inserting the respective suggested character string that includes the plurality of characters into the text field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined key is a space bar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction of a character string being entered in the text field.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the automatic correction is visually distinguished from other suggested character strings that are not automatic corrections.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic completion of a character string entered in the text field.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a character string that was entered in the text field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the character string that was entered in the text field is displayed within quotation marks in the suggestion region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple suggested character strings are arranged on the same horizontal axis within the suggestion region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple suggested character strings include a character string that was entered in the text field, a highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field, and a second-highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the character string entered in the text field is displayed in a left section of the suggestion region, the highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a middle section of the suggestion region, and the second-highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a right section of the suggestion region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the highest likelihood prediction is an automatic correction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction and the method further comprises displaying a graphical user interface element adjacent to the automatic correction that, when activated, rejects the automatic correction.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

inserting the first suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a first section of the suggestion region; and

inserting the second suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a second section of the suggestion region.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the first section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the first suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region; and

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the second section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

visually distinguishing the first suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string; and

visually distinguishing the second suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the second suggested character string.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting a movement of the contact towards and into the predefined key; and

responsive to detecting the movement, ceasing to visually distinguish the first or second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a movement of a contact towards and into the predefined key, the contact starting at a location that corresponds to the suggestion region; and

responsive to the movement, ceasing to display the suggestion region.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to inserting into the text field either the single predefined character or the first or second suggested character string, inserting into the text field a space character.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying a suggestion region above an on-screen keyboard, the suggestion region including multiple suggested character strings and a text field, including a first suggested character string and a second suggested character string, the first suggested character string including a first plurality of characters and the second suggested character string including a second plurality of characters;

subsequent to displaying the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string and the second suggested character string, detecting a gesture that begins within a predefined key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the predefined key is associated with a single predefined character; and

responsive to detecting the gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a first section of the suggestion region, inserting the first suggested character string into the text field;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a second section of the suggestion region, inserting the second suggested character string into the text field; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within the predefined key, inserting the single predefined character that is associated with the predefined key into the text field without inserting the respective suggested character string that includes the plurality of characters into the text field.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the predefined key is a space bar.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction of a character string being entered in the text field.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the automatic correction is visually distinguished from other suggested character strings that are not automatic corrections.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic completion of a character string entered in the text field.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a character string that was entered in the text field.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein the character string that was entered in the text field is displayed within quotation marks in the suggestion region.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the multiple suggested character strings are arranged on the same horizontal axis within the suggestion region.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the multiple suggested character strings include a character string that was entered in the text field, a highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field, and a second-highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the character string entered in the text field is displayed in a left section of the suggestion region, the highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a middle section of the suggestion region, and the second-highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a right section of the suggestion region.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the highest likelihood prediction is an automatic correction.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction and wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for displaying a graphical user interface element adjacent to the automatic correction that, when activated, rejects the automatic correction.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein:

inserting the first suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a first section of the suggestion region; and

inserting the second suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a second section of the suggestion region.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the first section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the first suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region; and

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the second section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 34, wherein:

visually distinguishing the first suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string; and

visually distinguishing the second suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the second suggested character string.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 34, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a movement of the contact towards and into the predefined key; and

responsive to detecting the movement, ceasing to visually distinguish the first or second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a movement of a contact towards and into the predefined key, the contact starting at a location that corresponds to the suggestion region; and

responsive to the movement, ceasing to display the suggestion region.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

responsive to inserting into the text field either the single predefined character or the first or second suggested character string, inserting into the text field a space character.

39. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a suggestion region above an on-screen keyboard, the suggestion region including multiple suggested character strings and a text field, including a first suggested character string and a second suggested character string, the first suggested character string including a first plurality of characters and the second suggested character string including a second plurality of characters;

subsequent to displaying the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string and the second suggested character string, detecting a gesture that begins within a predefined key of the on-screen keyboard, wherein the predefined key is associated with a single predefined character; and

responsive to detecting the gesture;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a first section of the suggestion region, inserting the first suggested character string into the text field;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends outside of the predefined key and corresponds to a second section of the suggestion region, inserting the second suggested character string into the text field; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within the predefined key, inserting the single predefined character that is associated with the predefined key into the text field without inserting the respective suggested character string that includes the plurality of characters into the text field.

40. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the predefined key is a space bar.

41. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

42. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction of a character string being entered in the text field.

43. The electronic device of claim 42, wherein the automatic correction is visually distinguished from other suggested character strings that are not automatic corrections.

44. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic completion of a character string entered in the text field.

45. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is a character string that was entered in the text field.

46. The electronic device of claim 45, wherein the character string that was entered in the text field is displayed within quotation marks in the suggestion region.

47. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the multiple suggested character strings are arranged on the same horizontal axis within the suggestion region.

48. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the multiple suggested character strings include a character string that was entered in the text field, a highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field, and a second-highest likelihood prediction of a character string being entered in the text field.

49. The electronic device of claim 48, wherein the character string entered in the text field is displayed in a left section of the suggestion region, the highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a middle section of the suggestion region, and the second-highest likelihood prediction is displayed in a right section of the suggestion region.

50. The electronic device of claim 49, wherein the highest likelihood prediction is an automatic correction.

51. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein one of the multiple suggested character strings is an automatic correction and wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for displaying a graphical user interface element adjacent to the automatic correction that, when activated, rejects the automatic correction.

52. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein:

inserting the first suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a first section of the suggestion region; and

inserting the second suggested character string into the text field occurs in accordance with a determination that the gesture ends within a second section of the suggestion region.

53. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the first section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the first suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region; and

responsive to the gesture including movement of a contact outside of the predefined key and corresponding to the second section of the suggestion region, visually distinguishing the second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

54. The electronic device of claim 53, wherein:

visually distinguishing the first suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the first suggested character string; and

visually distinguishing the second suggested character string comprises increasing a height of a section of the suggestion region that includes the second suggested character string.

55. The electronic device of claim 53, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a movement of the contact towards and into the predefined key; and

responsive to detecting the movement, ceasing to visually distinguish the first or second suggested character string from other suggested character strings in the suggestion region.

56. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a movement of a contact towards and into the predefined key, the contact starting at a location that corresponds to the suggestion region; and

responsive to the movement, ceasing to display the suggestion region.

57. The electronic device of claim 39, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

responsive to inserting into the text field either the single predefined character or the first or second suggested character string, inserting into the text field a space character.