TEXT INPUT METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20140237356A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: KeyPoint Technologies India Pvt., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Keypoint Technologies (Uk) Limited
• Inventors: DURGA, NAVEEN, KURIAN, PRIMA DONA, YELUBOLU, SANDEEP, GOSWAMI, SUMIT, MOTAPARTI, SUNIL
• Granted Patent: US 10,254,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for inputting text into an electronic device (10). The method includes selecting a first set of candidate words stored in a database. At least one of the first set of candidate words is then displayed on a screen (20) for selection by a user. The user generates a continuous input pattern (420; 540) and the method identifies one or more candidate words disposed along or proximal to the continuous input pattern (420; 540). The one or more identified candidate words are then input into a text entry field (430). The method includes refreshing the displayed candidate words when the continuous input pattern (420; 540) traces a predefined refresh gesture or enters/exits a predefined region (545). The present invention also relates to a computing device programmed to perform the method described herein.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for inputting text into an electronic device, the method comprising:

selecting a first set of candidate words from a database;

displaying at least one of said first set of candidate words for selection by a user; and

detecting a continuous input pattern generated by a user and identifying one or more candidate words disposed along or proximal to said continuous input pattern and inputting each identified candidate word into a text entry field;

wherein the displayed candidate words are refreshed when said continuous input pattern corresponds to a predefined refresh gesture or said continuous input pattern enters/exits a predefined region.

2. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein refreshing the displayed candidate words comprises:

displaying additional words from said first set of candidate words and/or selecting a second set of candidate words from the database and displaying at least some of said second set of candidate words.

3. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said candidate words are displayed in one or more word clusters.

4. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 3 comprising grouping the first set of candidate words into one or more groups of related candidate words and displaying related candidate words in respective word clusters.

5. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 3 comprising selectively panning and/or zooming between and/or within said one or more of said clusters to facilitate selection of a candidate word.

6. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said panning and/or zooming is dependent on one or more of the following:

an applied pressure on a touchscreen;

a dwell time;

a selection interval;

detection of a predefined gesture;

detection of a movement by a motion sensor.

7. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the refresh gesture comprises a loop or a circular formed in the input pattern.

8. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said loop is traced in a first direction to transition from right-to-left to left-to-right input;

and said loop is traced in a second direction to transition from left-to-right to right-to-left input;

wherein said first and second directions are opposite to each other.

9. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method comprises determining a major input direction of the input pattern;

and the refresh gesture comprises an angular change in said major input direction greater than or equal to an angular threshold.

10. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predefined refresh gesture comprises detecting a multi-touch event and/or two or more consecutive contact points.

11. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the refreshed candidate words are displayed in the same direction as the input pattern if a second touch event falls in the region of the touchscreen where the input pattern has not yet been traced;

and the refreshed words are displayed in the opposite direction to the input pattern if the second touch event falls in the region of the touchscreen where the input pattern has been traced.

12. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predefined region comprises an edge of an input area;

an edge of a predefined window;

or a refresh node.

13. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more identified candidate words are input sequentially or collectively into the text entry field.

14. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 comprising displaying one or more of the following clusters:

a symbol cluster;

a numerical cluster;

an alphanumeric cluster;

an emoticon cluster;

a character cluster; and

a word cluster.

15. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said one or more clusters are predicted and displayed proximal to the input pattern.

16. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more identified candidate words are displayed in a lattice structure comprising one or more selection nodes corresponding to each candidate word.

17. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the displayed candidate words are refreshed when the input pattern enters one of said selection nodes to select the candidate word associated with that selection node.

18. A computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the displayed candidate words are refreshed when the input pattern is traced from a current root node to a child node and the distance traveled by the input pattern between the current node and the child node is greater than a pre-defined distance threshold.

19. A computing device programmed to perform the method as claimed in claim 1.

20. A computing device comprising:

an input interface;

a display;

a processor configured, when operating a set of computer-readable instructions, to perform a word prediction process, the word prediction process comprising;

selecting a first set of candidate words from a database;

displaying at least one of said first set of candidate words for selection by a user; and

detecting a continuous input pattern generated by a user and identifying one or more candidate words disposed along or proximal to said continuous input pattern and inputting each identified candidate word into a text entry field;

wherein the displayed candidate words are refreshed when said continuous input pattern corresponds to a predefined refresh gesture or said continuous input pattern enters/exits a predefined region.

21. A computer-implemented method for inputting text into an electronic device, the method comprising:

identifying a sequence of candidate words in a database;

displaying said at least one sequence of candidate words on a display;

detecting an input pattern traced by a user and selecting one or more of said candidate words for input into said electronic device based on said input pattern;

wherein consecutive candidate words in said sequence are horizontally and vertically offset from each other on said display, wherein the horizontal and/or vertical offset between said consecutive candidate words is based on a statistical indicator of the likelihood of the consecutive candidate words being selected.