INPUT METHOD EDITOR INTEGRATION

• US 20110173172A1
• Filed: 04/09/2008
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Guo, Quji, Zhao, Yuke, Hong, Feng
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor receives composition inputs in an input method editor environment, the composition inputs based on user inputs. Candidate selections are identified in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs. Each candidate selection comprises one or more ideograms. The input method editor environment receives a search command based on a user input, and selects one of the candidate selections in response to the search command. The selected candidate selection and the search command are provided to a search engine interface external to the input method editor environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving composition inputs in an input method editor environment, the composition inputs based on user inputs;

identifying candidate selections in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs, each candidate selection comprising one or more ideograms;

receiving in the input method editor environment a search command, the search command based on a user input;

selecting one of the candidate selections in response to the search command; and

providing the selected candidate selection and the search command to a search engine interface external to the input method editor environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the selected candidate selection and the search command to a search engine interface comprises:

in response to the search command, determining if the search engine interface is active;

if the search engine interface is determined to be active;

providing the selected candidate selection to the search engine interface as a search input; and

invoking a search in the search engine interface; and

if the search engine interface is determined to be inactive;

instantiating the search engine interface;

providing the selected candidate selection to the search engine interface as a search input; and

invoking a search in the search engine interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying candidate selections in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs comprises identifying Hanzi characters based on one or more Pinyin inputs; and

providing the selected candidate selection and the search command to a search engine interface comprises providing selected Hanzi characters as a search input to the search engine interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the candidate selections in response to the search command comprises manually selecting one of the candidate selections.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

ranking the candidate selections in the input method editor;

presenting the candidate selections in the input method editor environment according to the rank; and

wherein selecting one of the candidate selections in response to the search command comprises;

automatically selecting a first ranked candidate selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition inputs comprise keyboard inputs.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

storing in a input method editor data store integration commands, each integration command identifying an integration of the input method editor with a corresponding application environment that is external to the input method editor user interface;

identifying candidate selections in an input method editor user interface, the candidate selections based on one or more composition inputs;

receiving in the input method editor user interface an integration command, the integration command based on a user input and corresponding to one of the store integration commands;

selecting one of the candidate selections in response to the integration command; and

providing the selected candidate selection to the corresponding application environment external to the input method editor user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the selected candidate selection to the corresponding application environment external to the input method editor user interface comprises:

in response to the integration command, determining if the application is active;

if the application is determined to be active;

providing the selected candidate selection to the application; and

invoking an application function that utilizes the selected candidate selection as input; and

if the application is determined to be inactive;

instantiating the application;

providing the selected candidate selection to the application; and

invoking an application function that utilizes the selected candidate selection as input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

identifying candidate selections in an input method editor user interface, the candidate selections based on one or more composition inputs comprises identifying Hanzi characters based on one or more Pinyin inputs; and

providing the selected candidate selection and the integration command to the corresponding application interface comprises providing selected Hanzi characters as a search input to a search engine interface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the application comprises a search engine user interface; and

the application function comprises a search operation.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the application comprises an e-mail application; and

the application function comprises an e-mail composition function.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising:

identifying a context defined by candidate selections; and

identifying integration commands related to the identified context; and

enabling the identified integration commands.

13. The method of claim 7, comprising:

simultaneously presenting a plurality of integration command activation elements.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein each candidate selection comprises one or more ideograms

15. A system comprising:

means for storing in a input method editor data store integration commands, each integration command identifying an integration of the input method editor with a corresponding application environment that is external to the input method editor user interface;

means for identifying candidate selections in an input method editor user interface, the candidate selections based on one or more composition inputs;

means for receiving in the input method editor user interface an integration command, the integration command based on a user input;

means for selecting one of the candidate selections in response to the integration command; and

means for providing the selected candidate selection and the integration command to the corresponding application environment external to the input method editor user interface.

16. A system, comprising:

a data store storing one or more input method editor integration commands, each integration command identifying an integration of an input method editor with a corresponding application instance that is external to an input method editor user interface;

a plurality of application interfaces, each application interface associated with one of the corresponding application instances and configured to facilitate data communication from the input method editor to the application instance; and

an input method editor configured to;

identify candidate selections based on one or more composition inputs; and

in response to receiving an integration command associated with an application interface, access the application interface, select one of the candidate selections and provide the selected candidate selection to the corresponding application instance associated with the application interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each application interface is configured to instantiate its corresponding application instance in response to the input method editor receiving an integration command associated with the application interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the candidate selections are Hanzi characters, and the composition inputs are Pinyin inputs.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected candidate selection is a user selected candidate selection.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the input method editor is further configured to:

identify contexts defined by candidate selections;

identify integration commands related to the identified contexts; and

enable the identified integration commands.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the identified context is a city context, and the integration comment related to the identified context is a weather data comment.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the identified context is a stock context, and the integration comment related to the identified context is a financial data comment.