Method for entering text

• US 20020180689A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Venolia, Gina Danielle
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A method of providing selected text into a computer includes selecting a character in a range of characters and selecting a word as a function of the selected character. The word is presented to the user and an action is received from the user pertaining to the selected character.

Claims

1. A method of providing selected text into a computer, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a character in a range of characters;

(b) selecting a word as a function of the selected character;

(c) presenting the word to the user; and

(d) receiving an action from the user pertaining to the selected character.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication that a desired character is in a range preceding or succeeding the selected character, and wherein steps (a)-(d) are repeated where the range of characters is bounded by the selected character.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication to retain the selected character as one of a set of retained characters, and wherein steps (a)-(d) are repeated where selecting a word includes selecting a word as a function of the set of retained characters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication to accept the set of characters, wherein steps (a)-(d) are repeated with the set of retained characters comprising an empty set and the range of characters comprising a full range of characters.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication to remove a character from the set of retained characters, and wherein steps (a)-(d) are repeated.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selecting a character includes selecting the character as a function of a probability of the character in the range of characters.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selecting a word includes selecting the word as a function of a probability of the word.

8. The method of claim 3 and further comprising successively repeating steps (a) and (d) where selecting a character includes selecting a character as a function of a refined range of characters for each succession.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein successively repeating steps (a) and (d) occurs when a new word cannot be selected in step (b).

10. The method of claim 8 wherein selecting a character includes selecting a character as a function of the set of retained characters.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein selecting the character includes selecting the character as a function of an N-gram model.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving an action includes receiving an indication to retain a plurality of characters of the word in the set of retained characters.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving an action includes receiving an indication to present only the retained set of characters.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an action includes receiving an indication to set the range of characters to a selected set of characters.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication that a desired character to be added to the set of retained characters precedes or succeeds the presented word, and wherein steps (a)-(c) are repeated where the range of words is bounded by the presented word.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving an indication to retain a character of the word following characters of the word corresponding to the set of retained characters, and wherein steps (a)-(c) are repeated where selecting a word includes selecting a word as a function of the new set of retained characters.

19. The computing device of claim 18 wherein the input device comprises isolated buttons indicative of different responses.

20. The computing device of claim 19 wherein at least some of the buttons are indicative of a subset of the alphabet.

21. The computing device of claim 20 wherein the computing device comprises a telephone.

22. The computing device of claim 19 wherein the computing device comprises a pager.

15. A method of providing selected text into a computer, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a word as a function of a set of retained characters;

(b) presenting the word to the user; and

(c) receiving an action from the user pertaining to a character in the word following the set of retained characters.

18. A computing device comprising:

an input device;

an output device;

memory storing a lexicon;

a processor accessing the memory; and

a module executable on processor, the module selecting a character in a range of characters, selecting a word from the lexicon as a function of the selected character, presenting the word to the user through the output device, and receiving an action from the user through the input device pertaining to the selected character.