ALL-IN-ONE CHINESE CHARACTER INPUT METHOD

• US 20100309137A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Clement
• Granted Patent: US 9,104,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention describe systems and methods for using a combined (or All-In-One) Chinese input method to enter Chinese characters in documents and forms on computers or on web sites. The combined Chinese input method includes a number of Chinese input methods that are frequently used by users. Chinese characters that match the strings of symbols typed by users are displayed under each of the Chinese input methods for users to select the correct characters under the desired Chinese input methods. The combined Chinese input method allows users to enter (or input) Chinese characters without specifying the Chinese input methods being used, which reduces the time used in switching input methods. Further, the combined Chinese input method can also be personalized to include Chinese input methods frequently used by or specified by users. The display of the Chinese characters matching the strings of symbols entered to form Chinese characters can also be personalized to enhance usability and to increase the speed of identifying matched Chinese characters.

Claims

1. An electronic device implementing a method for Chinese input, comprising:

receiving a request to use a combined Chinese input method from a user;

receiving a first string of symbols typed in sequentially by the user, wherein the first string of symbols is used to input a first Chinese character;

displaying Chinese characters that match the first string of symbols for a plurality of Chinese input methods included in the combined Chinese input method, wherein the displaying provides a graphical illustration of options for the first Chinese character, each option being from a different input method of the combined Chinese input method; and

receiving a signal indicating a selection of one of the displayed Chinese characters as the first Chinese character.

2. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, wherein Chinese characters that do not match the first string of symbols typed in sequentially by the user are filtered out.

3. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the first string of symbols is a part of a whole first string of symbols to form the Chinese character by one of the plurality of Chinese input methods.

4. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a second string of symbols typed in sequentially by the user, wherein the first string of symbols is used to input a second Chinese character;

displaying Chinese characters that match the second string of symbols for the plurality of Chinese input methods;

receiving another signal indicating another selection of one of the displayed Chinese characters as the second Chinese character.

5. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Chinese input methods are selected from a list including Pinyin, Zhuyin, Canton, Cangjie, Simplified, CKC, Boshiamy, Dayi, Array, Four corner, Q9, Tze-loi, and Renzhi code methods.

6. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the symbols are alphanumeric.

7. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the user and Chinese input history of the user after receiving a request to use a combined Chinese input method from the user.

8. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 6, wherein the Chinese characters that match the first string of alphanumeric symbols for the plurality of Chinese input methods are displayed in an order of a Chinese input method most frequently used by the user being displayed at a first position and a Chinese input method least frequently used by the user being displayed at a last position.

9. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 8, wherein the matched Chinese characters are displayed in an order of Chinese characters that are most frequently or recently input by the user being displayed on top of a list and Chinese characters that are least frequently or recently input by the user at bottom of a list under each of the plurality of Chinese input methods.

10. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the selection of the one of the displayed Chinese characters.

11. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the recording includes the selected first Chinese character and a Chinese input method associated with the selected first Chinese character.

12. The electronic device implemented method of claim 1, wherein the combined Chinese input method allows the user to input Chinese characters without specifying Chinese input method.

13. An electronic device implementing a method for personalized Chinese input, comprising:

receiving a request to use a combined Chinese input method from a user;

identifying the user and Chinese input history of the user after receiving a request to use a combined Chinese input method from the user;

identifying a plurality of Chinese input methods that had been used by the user and an order of the plurality of Chinese input methods from a most frequently used method to a least frequently used method based on the Chinese input history of the user, wherein the plurality of the Chinese input methods are part of the combined Chinese input method;

receiving a first string of symbols entered by the user, wherein the first string of symbols is used to input a first Chinese character;

identifying Chinese characters that match the first string of symbols entered by the user for each of the plurality of Chinese input methods;

sorting the identified Chinese characters in the order from most frequently or recently entered characters to least frequently or recently entered characters for each of the plurality of Chinese input methods;

displaying the Chinese characters that match the first string of symbols entered by the user for the plurality of Chinese input methods included, wherein the sorted and matched Chinese characters are displayed under each of the plurality of Chinese input methods, and wherein the plurality of Chinese input methods are displayed from the most frequently used method to the least frequently used method;

receiving a signal indicating a selection of one of the displayed Chinese characters as the first Chinese character; and

displaying the selected first Chinese character on a display screen.

14. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 13, further comprising

receiving a second string of symbols typed in sequentially by the user, wherein the second string of symbols is used to input a second Chinese character;

identifying Chinese characters that match the second string of symbols entered by the user for each of the plurality of Chinese input methods;

sorting the identified Chinese characters that match the second string of symbols in the order from most frequently entered characters to least frequently entered characters for each of the plurality of Chinese input methods;

displaying the Chinese characters that match the second string of symbols entered by the user for the plurality of Chinese input methods included, wherein the sorted and matched Chinese characters are displayed under each of the plurality of Chinese input methods, and wherein the plurality of Chinese input methods are displayed from the most frequently used method to the least frequently used method; and

receiving another signal indicating another selection of one of the displayed Chinese characters as the second Chinese character.

15. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 13, further comprising:

entering an English word after the first Chinese character, wherein before entering the English word the combined Chinese input method needs to be switched to an English input method.

16. The electronic device implementing the method of claim 13, wherein the personalized Chinese input can be performed when the user is entering a document or a form on a personal computing system or on a web site.

17. A system for entering Chinese characters without specifying Chinese input methods, comprising:

a combined Chinese input program, wherein the combined Chinese input program is configured to identify Chinese characters that match a string of symbols entered by a user for a plurality of Chinese input methods, wherein a user of the system does not need to specify a Chinese input method before entering the string of symbols; and

a Chinese input display generator, wherein the Chinese input display generator interacts with the combined Chinese input program to generate a display of the identified Chinese characters for the plurality of Chinese input methods.

18. The system for entering Chinese characters of claim 17, comprising:

a module for a user profile, wherein the module for a user profile allows the system to identify the user; and

a storage for a Chinese input history of users, wherein the storage for a Chinese input history of users stores Chinese characters and associated input methods used by users of the system, and wherein information in the module of user profile and the storage of Chinese input history of users allows personalization Chinese input of the user.

19. The system for entering Chinese characters of claim 18, wherein the system is part of a search system connected to the Internet.

20. The system for entering Chinese characters of claim 18, wherein the system resides on a computing system.