ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING WORD INPUT

• US 20100277424A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: CHANG, HAN-ZEN, CHANG, YI-CHENG, LIN, SHUI-SHENG
• Granted Patent: US 8,253,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for predicting word input include generating a virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of virtual keys and receiving input letters and searching an English word database according to the input letters. The electronic device and the method further include retrieving the one or more possible words that begin with the input letters, confirming one or more virtual keys corresponding to the retrieved one or more possible words, and displaying the confirmed one or more virtual keys different from other virtual keys.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage device operable to store an English word database;

a touch panel;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage device and being executable by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a generating module operable to generate a virtual keyboard on a display of the touch panel comprising a plurality of virtual keys;

an inputting module operable to display the virtual keyboard on the touch panel when the electronic device is in an editing mode, and receive input letters of an English word;

a searching module operable to search the English word database according to the input letters, and determine whether the English word database comprises one or more possible words that begin with the input letters so as to retrieve the one or more possible words that begin with the input letters;

a confirming module operable to confirm one or more next possible letters after the input letters as one or more predictive letters, and confirm one or more virtual keys corresponding to the one or more predictive letters; and

a displaying module operable to display the confirmed one or more virtual keys that are different from the other virtual keys on the virtual keyboard so as to highlight the confirmed one or more virtual keys.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise a judging module operable to determine whether the English word has been finished inputted.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the judging module determines whether the English word has been finished inputted by determining if a punctuation is input, a space bar is pressed, or the electronic device 1 exits the editing mode.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the searching module is further operable to return a message prompt on the display to prompt that the English word database does not comprise any word that begin with the input letters.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaying module displays the confirmed one or more virtual letters different from the other virtual letters by enhancing brightness, embossing, and/or displaying with different colors.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, a notebook computer, or a personal digital assistant.

7. A computer-implemented method for predicting word input used in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a storage device, the storage device storing an English word database, the method comprising:

generating a virtual keyboard on a display of a touch panel comprising a plurality of virtual keys;

displaying the virtual keyboard on the touch panel of the electronic device when the electronic device is in an editing mode;

receiving input letters of an English word;

searching the English word database according to the input letters, and determining whether the English word database comprises one or more possible words that begin with the input letters for retrieving the one or more possible words that begin with the input letters;

confirming one or more next possible letters after the input letters as one or more predictive letters, and confirming one or more virtual keys corresponding to the one or more predictive letters; and

displaying the confirmed one or more virtual keys different from the other virtual keys on the virtual keyboard thereby highlighting the confirmed one or more virtual keys.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

returning a message prompt on the display to prompt that the English word database does not comprise any word that begins with the input letters.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the English word has been finished inputted;

If the English word has been finished inputted, ending this procedure;

If the English word has not been finished inputted, then returning to the step of receiving input letters of an English word.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the judging module determines whether the English word has been finished inputted by determining if a punctuation is input, a space bar is pressed, or the electronic device 1 exits the editing mode.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the displaying module displays the confirmed one or more virtual letters different from the other virtual letters by enhancing brightness, embossing, and/or displaying with different colors.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, a notebook computer, or a personal digital assistant.

13. A storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to perform a method for predicting word input used in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a storage device, the storage device storing an English word database, the method comprising:

generating a virtual keyboard on a display of a touch panel comprising a plurality of virtual keys;

displaying the virtual keyboard on the touch panel of the electronic device when the electronic device is in an editing mode;

receiving input letters of an English word;

searching the English word database according to the input letters, and determining whether the English word database comprises one or more possible words that begin with the input letters for retrieving the one or more possible words that begin with the input letters;

confirming one or more next possible letters after the input letters as one or more predictive letters, and confirming one or more virtual keys corresponding to the one or more predictive letters; and

displaying the confirmed one or more virtual keys different from the other virtual keys on the virtual keyboard thereby highlighting the confirmed one or more virtual keys.

14. The storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

returning a message prompt on the display to prompt that the English word database does not comprise any word that begins with the input letters.

15. The storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the English word has been finished inputted;

If the English word has been finished inputted, ending this procedure;

If the English word has not been finished inputted, then returning to the step of receiving input letters of an English word.

16. The storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the judging module determines whether the English word has been finished inputted by determining if a punctuation is input, a space bar is pressed, or the electronic device 1 exits the editing mode.

17. The storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the displaying module displays the confirmed one or more virtual letters different from the other virtual letters by enhancing brightness, embossing, and/or displaying with different colors.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone, a notebook computer, or a personal digital assistant.