System and method for implementing a natural language user interface

• US 20020002453A1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael, Lazaridis, Mihal
• Granted Patent: US 6,691,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A system and method for implementing a natural language user interface includes a plurality of software applications, a means for entering text, and a natural language search engine. The natural language search engine is configured to receive an abbreviated textual command from the text entering means, match the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command, and launch one of the software applications by executing the desired application command.

Claims

1. An interface system, comprising:

a plurality of software applications;

a means for entering text; and

a natural language search engine configured to receive an abbreviated textual command from the text entering means, match the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command, and launch one of the software applications by executing the desired application command.

2. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the text entering means includes a graphical dialog box.

3. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the natural language search engine can receive abbreviated textual commands while any of the software applications are executing.

4. The interface system of claim 1, further comprising:

a home screen that is a graphical interface between a user and the natural language search engine.

5. The interface system of claim 4, wherein the home screen includes an icon ribbon having a plurality of icons, and wherein a user may launch one of the software applications by either selecting one of the icons or entering an abbreviated textual command.

6. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the natural language search engine is configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a two-part abbreviated textual command from the text entering means having a first component and a second component;

matching the first component with a desired application command;

matching the second component with a desired application tag;

launching one of the software applications by executing the desired application command; and

retrieving data associated with the application command using the desired application tag.

7. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the natural language search engine is operative to match the abbreviated textual command with the desired application command using a probability factor that is generated by the natural language search engine based on a user'"'"'s historical preferences.

8. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the natural language search engine is operative to match the abbreviated textual command with the desired application command by presenting a user with a list of likely command choices.

9. The interface system of claim 1, further comprising:

a natural language database configured to store a data set of abbreviated textual commands and their associated application commands, and that is used by the natural language search engine to match the abbreviated textual command with the desired application command.

10. The interface system of claim 9, wherein the data set is defined by a user.

11. The interface system of claim 9, wherein the data set includes application tags associated with abbreviated textual commands.

12. The interface system of claim 9, wherein the data set includes probability factors that represent the probability that an application command is desired by a user when a corresponding abbreviated textual command is entered.

13. The interface system of claim 9, wherein the data set comprises:

a user input record that includes a set of abbreviated textual commands which have been received by the natural language search engine;

a user command record that includes a set of application commands and tags, wherein at least one application command and tag correspond to each entry in the set of abbreviated textual commands; and

a probability factor record that includes a set of probability factors that are generated by the natural language search engine based on a user'"'"'s historical preferences, and represent the probability that an application command and tag is desired by the user when a corresponding abbreviated textual command is entered.

14. The interface system of claim 1, wherein the software applications are executed on a hand-held device.

15. An interface system for a hand-held device, comprising:

a plurality of software applications; and

means for receiving an abbreviated textual command, for matching the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command, and for launching one of the software applications by executing the desired application command.

16. An interface system for a hand-held device, comprising:

a plurality of software applications;

a plurality of keys; and

a natural language search engine configured to identify a key stroke combination from the plurality of keys while any of the software applications are executing, match the key stroke combination with a desired application command, and launch another one of the software applications by executing the desired application command.

17. An interface system for a hand-held device, comprising:

a plurality of software applications;

a home screen;

means for entering text that can be accessed by a user either from the home screen or while any of the software applications are executing;

a natural language database that stores a data set of abbreviated textual commands and associated application commands; and

a natural language search engine configured to receive an abbreviated textual command from the text entering means, to match the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command using the natural language database, and to launch one of the software applications by executing the desired application command.

18. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the text entering means includes a dialog box.

19. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the home screen includes an icon ribbon having a plurality of icons, wherein the user may launch one of the software applications by selecting one of the icons.

20. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the natural language database also includes a set of probability factors associated with each application command;

and

the natural language search engine uses the set of probability factors to match the abbreviated textual command with the desired application command.

21. The interface system of claim 20, wherein the set of probability factors are generated by the natural language search engine based on the user'"'"'s historical preferences.

22. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the hand-held device is a PDA

23. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the hand-held device is a cellular telephone.

24. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the hand-held device is a two-way pager.

25. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the software applications include an email compose application.

26. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the software applications include an address book application.

27. The interface system of claim 17, wherein the software applications include a calendar application.

28. A method for launching a software application, comprising the steps of:

entering an abbreviated textual command into a hand-held device;

receiving the abbreviated textual command in a natural language search engine;

matching the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command; and

executing the desired application command.

29. The method of claim 28, comprising the additional step of:

searching a natural language database that contains a data set of abbreviated textual commands and associated application commands.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of entering an abbreviated textual command into a hand-held device is performed using a graphical dialog box.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the data set is defined by a user.

32. A method of launching a software application, comprising the steps of:

entering an abbreviated textual command into a hand-held device;

receiving the abbreviated textual command in a natural language search engine;

searching a natural language database that contains a historical log of previously entered abbreviated textual commands and their associated application commands;

analyzing the historical log to determine if the abbreviated textual command has previously been associated with a probable application command more than a set percentage of the time, and if so, setting the probable application command as a desired application command; and

executing the desired application command.

33. The method of claim 32, comprising the additional step of:

manually entering the desired application command if the analysis of the historical log establishes that the abbreviated textual command has not previously been associated with a probable application command more than a set percentage of the time.

34. A method for executing software commands in a hand-held device, comprising the steps of:

entering an abbreviated textual command;

searching a natural language database that stores a data set of abbreviated textual commands and associated application commands to determine if the abbreviated textual command has an exact match in the data set;

if the abbreviated textual command has an exact match in the data set, then setting the exact match as a user command;

if the abbreviated textual command does not have an exact match in the data set, then analyzing a user'"'"'s historical preferences to determine if the abbreviated textual command has a probable match in the data set;

if the abbreviated textual command has a probable match in the data set, then setting the probable match as the user command;

if the abbreviated textual command does not have a probable match in the data set, then presenting a list of possible commands to the user, receiving a command choice from the user, and setting the command choice as the user command; and

executing the user command.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of analyzing a user'"'"'s historical preferences is performed using a set of probability factors that are generated based on the user'"'"'s historical preferences, where the abbreviated textual command has a probable match in the data set when the probability factor associated with the probable match is greater than a predetermined value.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the predetermined value is defined by the user.

37. The method of claim 34, comprising the additional step of:

adjusting the set of probability factors each time an abbreviated textual command is entered into the hand-held device.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the list of possible commands presented if the abbreviated textual command does not have a probable match in the data set comprises a set of recently executed application commands.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the list of possible commands presented if the abbreviated textual command does not have a probable match in the data set comprises a set of generic application commands that the natural language search engine is capable of executing.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein

the abbreviated textual command has a first component and a second component where the first component represents a desired application command, and the second component represents a desired application tag;

and

the natural language database stores a data set of abbreviated textual commands and their associated application commands and tags.

41. A method for launching a software application in a hand-held device, comprising the steps of:

displaying a home screen that includes an icon ribbon having a plurality of icons;

providing a user with the option of selecting one of the icons or entering an abbreviated textual command;

if the user selects one of the icons, then executing an application command associated with the icon; and

if the user enters an abbreviated textual command, the receiving the abbreviated textual command in a natural language search engine, matching the abbreviated textual command with a desired application command, and executing the desired application command.

42. The method of claim 41, comprising the additional step of:

providing the user with the option of accessing the natural language search engine while the software application is executing.