Predicting text input based on user demographic information and context information

• US 10,423,240 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ryu, Won-ho, Song, Hee-jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/444,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20170249017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• 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 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30

Abstract

An approach, performed by a device, for recommending at least one word to be input through a keyboard is provided. The approach displays the keyboard to be used to input at least one character or text on the device. The approach selects at least one language model. The approach recommends the at least one word related to at least one character or text inputted on the keyboard, based on the at least one inputted character or text and the at least one selected language model, in which the at least one selected language model comprises at least one of a language model based on demographic properties of a user of the device, a language model based on text input histories of the user of the device, and a language model based on a context in which the keyboard is executed.

Claims

1. A method of recommending at least one word to be input through a virtual keyboard, the method, being performed by a device and comprising:

displaying the virtual keyboard to be used to input at least one character or text on the device;

selecting at least one language model; and

recommending the at least one word related to at least one character or text inputted on the virtual keyboard, based on the at least one inputted character or text and the at least one selected language model by determining a priority of the at least one recommended word,

wherein the at least one selected language model comprises a language model based on text input histories of a user of the device, and

wherein the at least one selected language model further comprises a language model based on input demographic properties of the user of the device and a language model based on a context in which the virtual keyboard is executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input demographic properties of the user of the device comprise at least one of a gender, an age, a regional dialect, an occupation, a hometown, a religion, and one or more interests of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the context in which the virtual keyboard is executed comprises at least one of information about an application in which the virtual keyboard is executed, information about a time when the virtual keyboard is executed, and information about a place where the virtual keyboard is executed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommending comprises recommending, from among words included in the at least one selected language model, a word that includes the at least one inputted text and has been inputted before by the user a predetermined number of times.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a server to transmit a language model; and

receiving from the server the requested language model.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting user information to the server; and

receiving a language model updated based on the transmitted user information, from the server.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of claim 1.

7. An apparatus for recommending at least one word to be input through a virtual keyboard, the apparatus being used by a device and comprising:

at least one processor configured to display the virtual keyboard to input at least one character or text on the device,

select at least one language model and recommend the at least one word related to at least one character or text inputted on the virtual keyboard, based on the at least one inputted character or text and the at least one selected language model by determining a priority of the at least one recommended word,

wherein the at least one selected language model comprises a language model based on text input histories of a user of the device, and

wherein the at least one selected language model further comprises a language model based on input demographic properties of the user of the device and a language model based on a context in which the virtual keyboard is executed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the input demographic properties of the user of the device comprise at least one of a gender, an age, a regional dialect, an occupation, a hometown, a religion, and one or more interests of the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the context in which the virtual keyboard is executed comprises at least one of information about an application in which the virtual keyboard is executed, information about a time when the virtual keyboard is executed, and information about a place where the virtual keyboard is executed.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to recommend, from among words included in the at least one selected language model, a word that includes the at least one inputted text and has been inputted before by the user a predetermined number of times.