Method and apparatus for identifying words entered on DTMF pushbuttons
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining the identity of an input word of a specific language entered on a DTMF keyboard as a string of numbers, said apparatus comprising:
- a full word dictionary means for storing common words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said common words;
a forward dictionary means for storing full words and parts of words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words, wherein said full words and said parts of words are selected and stored according to the length and frequency of occurrence in said specific language of said full words and said parts of words and wherein the letters of said full words and said parts of words are in their natural letter sequences;
a reverse dictionary means for storing reversed strings formed by reversing the natural letter sequences of said full words and said parts of words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings, wherein said reversed strings and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings are stored according to the length and frequency of occurrence in said language of said reversed strings;
means for comparing the string of numbers corresponding to said input word with the numeric strings in said full word dictionary means; and
means for comparing the string of numbers corresponding to said input word with the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words in said forward dictionary means and with the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings in said reverse dictionary means,wherein said string of numbers corresponding to said input word is first compared against said DTMF numeric strings in said full word dictionary means and compared against said DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words in said forward dictionary means and said DTMF strings corresponding to said reversed strings in said reverse dictionary means if said input word is not found in said full word dictionary means.
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Abstract
The identity of a word entered on DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) pushbuttons is determined by identifying letters according to their frequency in groups of 2s and 3s and up to n-letter groups. Initially, a sender will type a word on a DTMF pushbutton pad. Since each button represents three (3) possible letters, or four in the case of 7 (PQRS) and 9 (WXYZ), the system will look up the possible meanings for the word from an internal memory which includes a dictionary. If the word does not exist in the dictionary, then the system will search against a Forward and a Reverse Dictionary to guess at the identity of fragments from the beginning and ending of the word. Then it will guess the identity of each letter according to its relative frequency in groups of 3s known as Trigrams, or in groups of 2s known as Digrams. The Trigams are preferably arranged in five (5) files to identify the first, second, third and final letters of a word as well as any non-specified middle location. The system can be extended to any letter grouping of size n where n is two or more. Once identified, the word is stored as part of a message and then transmitted as ASCII digital information over a packet data network to a remote receiver where digital to voice synthesis converts the message into audio. Other delivery methods include alphanumeric pagers, FAX, E-Mail, telex, computer printed output, telegrams and cables.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining the identity of an input word of a specific language entered on a DTMF keyboard as a string of numbers, said apparatus comprising:
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a full word dictionary means for storing common words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said common words; a forward dictionary means for storing full words and parts of words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words, wherein said full words and said parts of words are selected and stored according to the length and frequency of occurrence in said specific language of said full words and said parts of words and wherein the letters of said full words and said parts of words are in their natural letter sequences; a reverse dictionary means for storing reversed strings formed by reversing the natural letter sequences of said full words and said parts of words and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings, wherein said reversed strings and the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings are stored according to the length and frequency of occurrence in said language of said reversed strings; means for comparing the string of numbers corresponding to said input word with the numeric strings in said full word dictionary means; and means for comparing the string of numbers corresponding to said input word with the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words in said forward dictionary means and with the DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said reversed strings in said reverse dictionary means, wherein said string of numbers corresponding to said input word is first compared against said DTMF numeric strings in said full word dictionary means and compared against said DTMF numeric strings corresponding to said full words and said parts of words in said forward dictionary means and said DTMF strings corresponding to said reversed strings in said reverse dictionary means if said input word is not found in said full word dictionary means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for determining the identity of an input word of a specific language, said method comprising the steps of:
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entering said input word on a DTMF push button pad where at least one push button represents more than one letter and said push button is identified by one and only one number; forming a string of numbers corresponding to said input word from said letters entered on said DTMF push button pad; comparing said string of numbers corresponding to said input word against DTMF numeric strings corresponding to words stored in a word guessing dictionary means to determine the identity of said input word; and
,if said input word is not found in said word guessing dictionary means then comparing said string of numbers corresponding to said input word against DTMF numeric strings corresponding to words and parts of words stored in a forward dictionary means wherein said words and parts of words are stored according to the length and frequency of use of said words and parts of words in said specific language and wherein the letters of said words and parts of words are in their natural sequence, and also comparing said string of numbers corresponding to said input word against DTMF numeric strings corresponding to reversed words stored in a reverse dictionary wherein said reversed words are formed by reversing the natural sequence of the letters of said words and said parts of words and wherein said reversed words are stored according to the length and frequency of occurrence of said reversed words in said specific language. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for determining the identity of an input word of a specific language, said method comprising the steps of:
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entering said input word on a DTMF push button pad where at least one push button is identified by a number that represents more than one letter; forming a string of numbers corresponding to said input word from said input word entered on said DTMF push button pad; comparing said string of numbers corresponding to said input word against numerical strings corresponding to common words stored in a full word dictionary means to determine if said input word exists in said full word dictionary means; comparing said string of numbers against numerical strings corresponding to full words and parts of words stored in a forward dictionary means wherein the letters of said full words and parts of words are stored in their natural letter sequence, and said full words and said parts of words are also stored according to the length of said full words and said parts of words and the frequency of said full words and said parts of words in said specific language; and
,reversing said string of numbers and comparing said reversed string of numbers against numerical strings corresponding to reversed words stored in a reverse dictionary means wherein said reversed words area formed by reversing the natural letter sequence of said words and said parts of words and said reversed words are stored according to the length of said reversed words and the frequency of said reversed words in said specific language; wherein if said input word is not located in said full word dictionary means, said string of numbers corresponding to said input word is compared against said numerical strings stored in said forward dictionary means and said string of numbers corresponding to said input word is reversed and compared against said numerical strings stored in said reverse dictionary means. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of communicating information from a sender having a telephone with DTMF buttons to a remote receiver comprising the steps of:
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spelling a word letter-by-letter by utilizing the DTMF buttons on the sender'"'"'telephone; entering a signal on one of said DTMF buttons to indicate the end of the word; comparing each word against an electronic memory which includes a dictionary of words by determining the number of letters in said word and comparing said word against words stored in said dictionary having the same number of letters, said words also being organized according to the relative frequency for any given combination of DTMF outputs; feeding back to the sender a guess which corresponds to the word having the highest relative frequency for a predetermined word length and for a predetermined DTMF tone combination; repeating said comparing step if a guess is rejected and feeding back to the sender another guess at the word corresponding to the same predetermined letter length and having the next most likely relative frequency; automatically shifting from the word guessing mode to a letter-by-letter guessing mode if the dictionary runs out of guesses for a word of a given predetermined letter length and a predetermined DTMF tone combination; storing each word after it is correctly identified; transmitting said word as digital data over a communication means; and
,receiving said word at said remote receiving, wherein words are entered by the sender and received by the receiver at a remote location.
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29. An access node apparatus for sending messages from a sender having a telephone with DTMF buttons connected to a conventional telephone network over a communications means to a receiver, said access node comprising:
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a telephone line interface connecting said access node to the telephone network of the sender; a word guessing dictionary means for storing words according to their relative frequencies; a prompter means connected to said telephone line interface and to said word guessing dictionary means for accessing said word guessing dictionary means; speaker means connected to said prompter means and to said telephone line interface for speaking words guessed from said word guessing dictionary means to the sender; mode shift means for automatically shifting the mode of said access node from a word guessing mode to a letter-by-letter guessing mode after the sender has exhausted all possible entries in the word guessing dictionary for a word of a given letter length and for a given DTMF tone combination sequence; and
,message storing means connected to said prompter means for storing words prior to transmission as digital data over said communication means.
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Specification