Method for entering text

• US 20050149328A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Kuansan, Huang, Xuedong D., Acero, Alejandro, Mahajan, Milind
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

In a method of entering text into a device a first character input is provided that is indicative of a first character of a text entry. Next, a vocalization of the text entry is captured. A probable word candidate is then identified for a first word of the vocalization based upon the first character input and an analysis of the vocalization. Finally, the probable word candidate is displayed for a user.

Claims

1. A method of entering text into a device comprising:

a) providing a first character input that is indicative of a first character of a text entry word;

b) capturing a vocalization of the text entry word;

c) identifying a probable word candidate for the vocalization based upon the first character input and an analysis of the vocalization; and

d) displaying the probable word candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing step b) begins in response to the providing step a).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing step b) begins prior to the providing step a).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing step b) ends after a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing step b) ends after an end to the vocalization is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step a) includes pressing a key corresponding to multiple characters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the providing step a) includes pressing and holding a key; and

the capturing step b) begins in response to the providing step a).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the capturing step b) ends after a predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the capturing step ends when the key is released.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

producing a list of probable word candidates based upon an analysis of the vocalization; and

identifying the probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates for the vocalization based on the first character input.

11. The method of claim 10 including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

narrowing a list of vocalized word candidates using the first character input to form a narrowed list of vocalized word candidates;

narrowing the narrowed list of vocalized word candidates to a list of probable word candidates for the vocalization based upon an analysis of the vocalization; and

identifying the probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

13. The method of claim 12 including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

analyzing the vocalization to produce a list of vocalized word candidates;

narrowing a list of input word candidates using the first character input to form a narrowed list of input word candidates for the vocalization;

comparing the list of vocalized word candidates to the narrowed list of input word candidates; and

identifying the probable word candidate as a word candidate that is located in both the list of vocalized word candidates and the narrowed list of input word candidates.

15. The method of claim 14 including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate that is located in both the list of vocalized word candidates and the narrowed list of input word candidates.

16. The method of claim 1 including providing a second character input that is indicative of a second character of the text entry word, wherein the probable word candidate identified in step c) is based on the first and second character inputs and the analysis of the vocalization.

17. The method of claim 1 including entering the probable word candidate in response to a selection by a user.

18. The method of claim 17 including:

providing a second character input that is indicative of a first character of a second text entry word;

capturing a vocalization of the second text entry word;

identifying a probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry word based upon the second character input and an analysis of the vocalization of the second text entry word; and

displaying the probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry word.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying a probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry word is further based on the entered probable word candidate.

20. A method of entering text into a device comprising:

a) providing a first character input that is indicative of a first character of a text entry;

b) capturing a vocalization of the text entry;

c) identifying a probable word candidate for a first word of the vocalization based upon the first character input and an analysis of the vocalization; and

d) displaying the probable word candidate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the text entry consists of a single word.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the text entry comprises multiple words.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the capturing step b) begins in response to the providing step a).

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the capturing step b) ends after a predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the providing step a) includes pressing a key corresponding to multiple characters.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the providing step a) includes pressing and holding a key; and

the capturing step b) begins in response to the providing step a).

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the capturing step b) ends after a predetermined period of time.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the capturing step b) ends when the key is released.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

producing a list of probable word candidates based upon an analysis of the vocalization; and

identifying the probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates for the first word of the vocalization based upon the first character input.

30. The method of claim 29, including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

narrowing a list of vocalized word candidates using the first character input to form a narrowed list of vocalized word candidates;

narrowing the narrowed list of vocalized word candidates to form a list of probable word candidates for the first word of the vocalization based upon an analysis of the vocalization; and

identifying the probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

32. The method of claim 31 including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate from the list of probable word candidates.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifying step c) includes:

analyzing the vocalization to produce a list of vocalized word candidates;

narrowing a list of input word candidates using the first character input to form a narrowed list of input word candidates for the first word of the vocalization;

comparing the list of vocalized word candidates to the narrowed list of input word candidates; and

identifying the probable word candidate as a word candidate that is located in both the list of vocalized word candidates and the narrowed list of input word candidates.

34. The method of claim 33 including:

rejecting the probable word candidate in response to an input by a user; and

displaying an alternative probable word candidate that is located in both the list of vocalized word candidates and the narrowed list of input word candidates.

35. The method of claim 20 including providing a second character input that is indicative of a second character of the text entry, wherein the probable word candidate identified in step c) is based on the first and second character inputs, and the analysis of the vocalization.

36. The method of claim 20 including entering the probable word candidate in response to a selection by a user.

37. The method of claim 36 including:

providing a second character input that is indicative of a first character of a second text entry;

capturing a vocalization of the second text entry;

identifying a probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry based upon the second character input and an analysis of the vocalization of the second text entry; and

displaying the probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of identifying a probable word candidate for the vocalization of the second text entry is further based on the entered probable word candidate.

39. The method of claim 36 including:

providing a second character input that is indicative of a first character of a second word of the vocalization;

identifying a probable word candidate for the second word of the vocalization based upon the second character input and an analysis of the vocalization; and

displaying the probable word candidate for the second word of the vocalization.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of identifying a probable word candidate for the second word of the vocalization is further based on the entered probable word candidate.