USER-TAILORABLE ROMANIZED CHINESE TEXT INPUT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20040167769A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Becker, Joseph D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion

Abstract

Methods and systems for romanizing Chinese ideograms allow a user to create a personalized spelling dictionary that converts a user'"'"'s desired roman-alphabet spelling to an equivalent Chinese character. A phonetic combination from a standard Chinese dialect is selected. The user defines a roman alphabet equivalent of the selected phonetic combination that fits the way the user pronounces the phonetic combination in the user'"'"'s own dialect or idiolect.

Claims

1. A method of romanizing Chinese ideograms against an implemented dialect, comprising:

selecting a phonetic combination; and

defining a first roman alphabet equivalent of the selected phonetic combination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the implemented dialect prior to selecting the selected phonetic combination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising excluding phonetic combinations for syllables not present in the implemented dialect prior to selecting the selected phonetic combination.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a personal spelling dictionary, the personal spelling dictionary containing one or more roman alphabet equivalents of one or more respective phonetic combinations in the implemented dialect.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a first Chinese ideogram, the first Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented dialect.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising associating the first roman alphabet equivalent with the first Chinese ideogram.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying a second Chinese ideogram, the second Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented dialect; and

associating the first roman alphabet equivalent with the second Chinese ideogram.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying a second Chinese ideogram, the second Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented dialect; and

associating a second roman alphabet equivalent with the second Chinese ideogram, wherein the second roman alphabet equivalent is different from the first roman alphabet equivalent.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first roman alphabet equivalent in a personal spelling dictionary.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising downloading the personal spelling dictionary.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the personal spelling dictionary.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first question usable to discern the user'"'"'s dialect;

receiving a response from the user;

determining whether the response is adequate to determine the user'"'"'s dialect;

determining the user'"'"'s dialect if the response is adequate; and

displaying a second question usable to discern the user'"'"'s dialect if the response is not adequate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the response is adequate for determining the user'"'"'s dialect comprises analyzing the response and other information, the other information including at least one prior response.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the other information includes information related to dialects.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the second question prior to displaying the second question.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the second question comprises excluding at least one question from a set of predetermined questions that is not usable to discern the user'"'"'s dialect based on the response from the user to at least one prior question.

17. A computer storage medium having executable software code, the executable software code including:

instructions for selecting a phonetic combination from an implemented Chinese dialect; and

instructions for displaying a user interface usable by a user to define a first roman alphabet equivalent of the selected phonetic combination.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for selecting the implemented Chinese dialect.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for excluding phonetic combinations corresponding to syllables not present in the implemented Chinese dialect.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for receiving a personal spelling dictionary, the personal spelling dictionary containing one or more roman alphabet equivalents of one or more respective phonetic combinations in the implemented Chinese dialect.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for displaying the user interface include instructions for displaying a first Chinese ideogram, the first Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented Chinese dialect.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for associating the first roman alphabet equivalent with the first Chinese ideogram.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the executable software code further includes:

instructions for identifying a second Chinese ideogram, the second Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented Chinese dialect; and

instructions for associating the first roman alphabet equivalent with the second Chinese ideogram.

24. The computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the executable software code further includes:

instructions for identifying a second Chinese ideogram, the second Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination in the implemented Chinese dialect; and

instructions for associating a second roman alphabet equivalent with the second Chinese ideogram, the second roman alphabet equivalent different from the first roman alphabet equivalent.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for storing the first roman alphabet equivalent in a personal spelling dictionary.

26. The computer storage medium of claim 25, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for downloading the personal spelling dictionary.

27. The computer storage medium of claim 25, wherein the executable software code further includes instructions for transmitting the personal spelling dictionary.

28. A method of romanizing Chinese ideograms, comprising:

selecting a Chinese ideogram; and

defining a roman alphabet equivalent of the selected Chinese ideogram.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying the selected Chinese ideogram.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein selecting the selected Chinese ideogram comprises selecting the selected Chinese ideogram based on one of a shape of the selected Chinese ideogram, a number of strokes in the Chinese ideograms, and a phonetic combination of the selected Chinese ideogram.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing the roman alphabet equivalent in a personal spelling dictionary.

32. A system for romanizing Chinese ideograms against an implemented dialect, comprising:

a phonetic combination selecting circuit, routine or application that identifies a selected phonetic combination from the implemented dialect; and

a romanization information analyzing circuit, routine or application that defines a roman alphabet equivalent to the selected phonetic combination.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a display that displays a Chinese ideogram, the Chinese ideogram associated with the selected phonetic combination.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the romanization information analyzing circuit, routine or application associates the roman alphabet equivalent with the Chinese ideogram.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising a controller, the controller uploading or downloading a personal spelling dictionary, the personal spelling dictionary containing one or more roman alphabet equivalents of one or more respective phonetic combinations in the implemented dialect.