METHOD, SYSTEM AND MEDIA FOR ENTERING DATA IN A PERSONAL COMPUTING DEVICE
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of entering data for display on a user interface, the method comprising:
- displaying a character entry system on the user interface;
receiving a set of one or more characters making up a partial text entry selected via the user interface with a pointing device;
predicting a set of possible characters that a user is likely to next select from based on the set of one or more characters making up the partial text entry;
for each predicted character in the set of possible characters, retrieving thematic information associated with the predicted character, the thematic information representing a characteristic of a prediction outcome associated with selecting the predicted character; and
displaying, for user selection, the set of possible characters in a distinctive manner in relation to the character entry system, wherein predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are associated with thematic information satisfying a predetermined criterion are displayed in a distinctive manner in relation to predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are not associated with thematic information satisfying the predetermined criterion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one aspect of the present invention a user can rapidly enter and search for data, such as text, using a data entry system by entering one or more characters on a digital keyboard with a pointing device. With the digital keyboard the user can create words, phrases and other character sequences. As the user enters a character sequence, a mechanism for character prediction visually informs the user of which set of characters on the digital keyboard are most likely to have the character that the user wishes to next enter as part of the text. In another aspect of the present invention, as the user forms a character sequence (partial text entry), the character sequence is used to search a dictionary for a set of completion candidates that begin with the character sequence. The data entry system retrieves completion candidates from the dictionary by determining which completion candidates in the dictionary are more likely to be the ones that the user is attempting to type. A rapid navigation system provides for enhanced navigation and retrieval of completion candidates from the dictionary.
139 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of entering data for display on a user interface, the method comprising:
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displaying a character entry system on the user interface; receiving a set of one or more characters making up a partial text entry selected via the user interface with a pointing device; predicting a set of possible characters that a user is likely to next select from based on the set of one or more characters making up the partial text entry; for each predicted character in the set of possible characters, retrieving thematic information associated with the predicted character, the thematic information representing a characteristic of a prediction outcome associated with selecting the predicted character; and displaying, for user selection, the set of possible characters in a distinctive manner in relation to the character entry system, wherein predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are associated with thematic information satisfying a predetermined criterion are displayed in a distinctive manner in relation to predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are not associated with thematic information satisfying the predetermined criterion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for computer-assisted data entry, comprising:
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means for displaying a character entry system on a user interface; means for receiving a set of one or more characters making up a partial text entry selected via the user interface with a pointing device; means for predicting a set of possible characters that a user is likely to next select from based on the set of one or more characters making up the partial text entry; means for retrieving thematic information for each predicted character in the set of possible characters, the thematic information for each predicted character representing a characteristic of a prediction outcome associated with that predicted character; and display means for displaying, for user selection, the set of possible characters in a distinctive manner in relation to the character entry system, wherein predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are associated with thematic information satisfying a predetermined criterion are displayed in a distinctive manner in relation to predicted characters in the set of possible characters that are not associated with thematic information satisfying the predetermined criterion. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer-implemented method of rapidly navigating amongst a plurality of completion candidates for user selection, the method comprising:
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displaying a navigational object comprising a plurality of selection targets on a user interface, each selection target being associated with at least one of the plurality of completion candidates for user selection; and if one of the selection targets is selected and has a plurality of completion candidates associated with it, redisplaying the navigational object with said associated plurality of completion candidates for user selection once the selected one of the selection targets is selected for a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A computer-implemented system for rapidly navigating amongst a plurality of completion candidates, comprising:
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a display region for displaying candidates for user selection; and a processor circuit operably configured to; display a navigational object comprising a plurality of selection targets in said display region, each selection target being associated with at least one of the plurality of completion candidates for user selection; and if one of the selection targets is selected and has a plurality of completion candidates associated with it, redisplay the navigational object with said associated plurality of completion candidates for user selection once the selected one of the selection targets is selected for a predetermined period of time.
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24. A computer-implemented system for data entry comprising:
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means for character entry; means for obtaining a set of completion candidates from a dictionary based on user character selection; means for displaying the set of completion candidates on a user interface; and means for rapidly navigating amongst displayed completion candidates for user selection, comprising means for selecting any of the displayed completion candidates for entry into an electronic document or for obtaining a more refined set of completion candidates based on a particular completion candidate from the displayed completion candidates. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of providing a predictive text entry system in a computing device having a display, the method comprising:
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displaying a character entry system on the display, said character entry system being operable to allow a user to enter at least a first set of characters; in response to user entry of at least one character via said character entry system, identifying a second set of characters from among said first set of characters as being characters that the user is most likely to enter next; for each character in said second set of characters, identifying at least one characteristic of at least one prediction that would be generated by the predictive text completion system if that character were to be entered next, and if said at least one characteristic satisfies a criterion, assigning that character to a third set of characters, but if said at least one characteristic does not satisfy said criterion, assigning that character to a fourth set of characters; and displaying characters of said character entry system belonging to said third set of characters in a first manner, and displaying characters of said character entry system belonging to said fourth set of characters in a second manner distinctive from said first manner, to enable the user to visually distinguish characters belonging to said third set of characters from characters belonging to said fourth set of characters, whereby the user can be notified of at least one particular character from among said second set of characters which, if entered next via said character entry system, would cause the predictive text completion system to generate a desirable prediction outcome in accordance with said criterion, said user being thereby notified of said desirable prediction outcome without having to enter said at least one particular character.
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Specification