System and method for providing context to an input method by tagging existing applications

• US 20050091032A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Ranjit Kumar, Suzue, Yutaka, Clow, Joshua A., Guha, Angshuman, Bhoovaraghavan, Mukundan, Chambers, Robert Lewis, Haluptzok, Patrick, Reddy, Vamshidhar G., Padte, Anuradha N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

An improved system and method for providing context information of executable code to an input method is provided. Advanced text input methods may be made aware of the type of text expected to be received as input so that input methods may achieve a higher accuracy in recognition of text input. Generic interfaces provide a framework for supporting application authoring platforms to allow application developers to easily specify context information to the system and have it reliably forwarded to the correct input methods. Additionally, a context tagging tool may associate specific text input fields of an existing application with an input scope without modifying the application itself. The context tagging tool may create a manifest that contains tags associating the specific text input fields with an input scope. Any advanced input methods use by the application may be updated with instructions for accessing the context information stored in the manifest.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing context information to an input method, comprising:

executable software code having a text input field;

a manifest for storing context information for the text input field;

a context tagging tool operably coupled to the executable software code, the context tagging tool having a control interface invocable by a user interface for setting an input scope for the text field and having a manifest interface for writing the mapping of the input scope set for the text field into the manifest;

a context component operably coupled to the manifest, the context component having an application programming interface for retrieving the scope of input set for the text field from the manifest; and

a recognizer for an input method, the recognizer operably coupled to the context component for invoking the application programming interface of the context component for receiving the scope of input retrieved for the text field from the manifest.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface for setting an input scope for the text field comprises a parameter for passing a list of words.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface for setting an input scope for the text field comprises a parameter for passing a list of phrases.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface for setting an input scope for the text field comprises a parameter for passing a common input scope.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the common input scope comprises a defined format with an associated fixed list of characters.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface for setting an input scope for the text field comprises a parameter for passing a regular expression.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control interface for setting an input scope for the text field comprises a parameter for passing a set of input scopes.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programming interface of the context component for receiving the scope of input retrieved for the text field from the manifest comprises a method invoked for obtaining a set of input scopes.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programming interface of the context component for receiving the scope of input retrieved for the text field from the manifest comprises a method invoked for obtaining a list of phrases.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programming interface of the context component for receiving the scope of input retrieved for the text field from the manifest comprises a method invoked for obtaining a list of words.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programming interface of the context component for receiving the scope of input retrieved for the text field from the manifest comprises a method invoked for obtaining a regular expression.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the recognizer comprises a recognizer for speech.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the recognizer comprises a recognizer for handwriting.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the recognizer comprises a recognizer for an input method editor.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a phrase list editor for editing a phrase list.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a custom input scope editor for editing a custom input scope.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a tag control editor for editing the input scope associated with a control.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the manifest comprises an XML file.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the context information stored in the manifest comprises a tag associating the text input field with an input scope.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising the system of claim 1.

21. A method for providing context information to an input method, comprising the steps of:

selecting a text input field of executable software code;

selecting a scope of input for the text field of the executable software code;

adding a tag associating the selected field with the selected input scope to a manifest; and

persistently storing the manifest.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising selecting executable software code having the text input field.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein selecting executable software code having the text input field comprises runtime identification of a text input control.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the scope of input comprises selecting a list of input scopes.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the scope of input comprises selecting a list of words or phrases.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the scope of input comprises selecting a regular expression defining the input scope.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the scope of input comprises selecting a grammar such as SRGS defining the input scope.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein selecting the scope of input comprises invoking an application programming interface for setting the scope of input for the text field of executable software code.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein invoking an application programming interface for setting a scope of input for a text field of executable software code comprises passing a common input scope.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein passing a common input scope comprises passing an identifier for a defined format with an associated fixed list of characters.

31. The method of claim 21 further comprising getting the tag associating the selected field with the selected input scope from the manifest.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein getting the tag comprises invoking an application programming interface for obtaining the scope of input set for the selected field.

33. The method of claim 21 further comprising applying the input scope for recognizing input for the text field.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein applying the input scope for recognizing input for the text field comprises restricting the language model used for recognizing input to the type of text input expected by the executable software code.

35. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 21.

36. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

executable software code having a text input field;

a recognizer for an input method, the recognizer operably coupled to the executable software code for providing input to the text input field;

a context component operably coupled to the recognizer, the context component having an interface for obtaining a scope of input set by a context tagging tool for the text input field of the executable software.

37. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a context tagging tool for associating a text input field of executable software code with an input scope;

a context component having an interface for obtaining the input scope associated with the text input field of the executable software; and

a recognizer for an input method, the recognizer operably coupled to the context component for invoking the interface for obtaining the input scope associated with the text input field of the executable software.

38. A computer system for providing context information to an input method, comprising:

means for selecting a scope of input for a text field of executable software code;

means for adding a tag associating the selected field with the selected input scope to a manifest; and

means for persistently storing the manifest.

39. The computer system of claim 38 further comprising means for getting the tag associating the selected field with the selected input scope from the manifest.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising means for obtaining the selected input scope for the selected field.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising means for applying the input scope for recognizing input for the selected field.