Separation of Components and Characters in Chinese Text Input

• US 20070040707A1
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lai, Jenny
• Application Number:
  US11/464,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

Components and characters are separated in a user interface for stroke based input of Chinese characters. A user enters a stroke sequence, and matching components and characters are separately displayed in separate selection lists. When the user selects a component, the character selection list is updated to only display characters that contain that component. This input methodology can be implemented on mobile phones, as well as other computing devices such as personal digital assistants. More characters are visible in the character selection list, which aids all users. Of further benefit to those who do use components, more components are displayed as components and characters do not need to share selection list space. Furthermore, separating components and characters reduces confusion between characters and components that look similar.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for stroke based input of Chinese characters, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying an entered stroke sequence;

displaying components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list; and

separately displaying characters that match the entered stroke sequence on a separate character selection list.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to selection of a component, updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

responsive to entry of an additional stroke after selection of a component;

updating the displayed stroke sequence to include the additional entered stroke;

updating the component selection list to display only components that match the updated stroke sequence; and

updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the updated stroke sequence.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

updating the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component begins a stroke sequence.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

updating the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component is a part of a stroke sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list further comprises:

displaying at least one set of multiple components that together match the entered stroke sequence.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

updating the character selection to display at least one set of multiple characters that together match the selected component.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

receiving an indication of a number of remaining strokes in a target character, in addition to the selected component; and

updating the character selection to display only characters that match the selected component and contain the number of remaining strokes.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication of an entry of a stroke category, displaying strokes included in the indicated stroke category.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the method is instantiated on a computing device from a group of computing devices consisting of;

a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant; and

a handheld computer.

11. A computer system for stroke based input of Chinese characters, the computer system comprising:

a portion configured to display an entered stroke sequence;

a portion configured to display components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list; and

a portion configured to separately display characters that match the entered stroke sequence on a separate character selection list.

12. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising:

a portion configured to, responsive to selection of a component, update the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component.

13. The computer system of claim 12 further comprising:

a portion configured to, responsive to entry of an additional stroke after selection of a component;

update the displayed stroke sequence to include the additional entered stroke;

update the component selection list to display only components that match the updated stroke sequence; and

update the character selection list to display only characters that match the updated stroke sequence.

14. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the portion configured to update the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component is further configured to:

update the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component begins a stroke sequence.

15. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the portion configured to update the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component is further configured to:

update the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component is a part of a stroke sequence.

16. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the portion configured to display components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list is further configured to:

display at least one set of multiple components that together match the entered stroke sequence.

17. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the portion configured to update the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component is further configured to:

update the character selection to display at least one set of multiple characters that together match the selected component.

18. The computer system of claim 12 wherein the portion configured to update the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component is further configured to:

receive an indication of a number of remaining strokes in a target character, in addition to the selected component; and

update the character selection to display only characters that match the selected component and contain the number of remaining strokes.

19. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising:

a portion configured to receive an indication of an entry of a stroke category; and

a portion configured to displaying strokes included in the indicated stroke category.

20. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the computing system is one from a group consisting of:

a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant; and

a handheld computer.

21. At least one computer readable medium containing a computer program product for stroke based input of Chinese characters, the computer program product comprising:

program code for displaying an entered stroke sequence;

program code for displaying components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list; and

program code for separately displaying characters that match the entered stroke sequence on a separate character selection list.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

program code for responsive to selection of a component, updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

program code for, responsive to entry of an additional stroke after selection of a component;

updating the displayed stroke sequence to include the additional entered stroke;

updating the component selection list to display only components that match the updated stroke sequence; and

updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the updated stroke sequence.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component begins a stroke sequence.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters for which the selected component is a part of a stroke sequence.

26. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the program code for displaying components that match the entered stroke sequence on a component selection list further comprises:

program code for displaying at least one set of multiple components that together match the entered stroke sequence.

27. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

program code for updating the character selection to display at least one set of multiple characters that together match the selected component.

28. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the program code for updating the character selection list to display only characters that match the selected component further comprises:

program code for receiving an indication of a number of remaining strokes in a target character, in addition to the selected component; and

program code for updating the character selection to display only characters that match the selected component and contain the number of remaining strokes.

29. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

program code for, responsive to receiving an indication of an entry of a stroke category, displaying strokes included in the indicated stroke category.