Method and apparatus for correcting words

• US 5,367,453 A
• Filed: 08/02/1993
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Temkin, David, Meier, John R., Capps, Stephen P., Beernink, Ernest H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/101,507
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419.17, 364/419.13, 364/419.14, 364/419.15, 364/146, 364/192, 382/9, 382/13, 382/37, 382/38, 382/40, 395/155, 395/156, 395/159, 395/147, 395/146
• US Class Current: 715/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/387 using human interaction, e.g. selection of the best displayed recognition candidate

Abstract

A method for correcting recognized words in a computer system including the steps or: (a) entering an ink object into a computer system with a pointing device; (b) recognizing the ink object as a word object; (c) displaying the word object on a display of the computer system; (d) detecting a correction request made by a user pertaining to the displayed word object; and (e) displaying a list of alternative words for the word object on the display. Preferably, the list of alternative words includes a shifted-case version of the word object, a number of alternative words provided by a word recognizer, and the original ink object that was entered into the computer system. A user can select one of these alternative words to replace the misrecognized word object. Alternatively, a user may enter a word into the computer system by means of a keyboard image to replace the original word object with the newly entered word. When using the keyboard correction mode, the user has the opportunity to add the word to a dictionary list used by a word recognizer of the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for correcting recognized words in a computer system comprising the steps of:

entering an ink object into a computer system with a stylus and an input tablet overlaying a display of said computer system;

recognizing the ink object as a word object, wherein said word object is a selected one of a number of alternative recognized word objects for said ink object;

displaying said word object on said display;

detecting an alternative word list gesture made by said user on said tablet over said displayed word object with said stylus;

displaying a list of said alternative word objects for said displayed word object on said display in response to detecting said alternative word list gesture; and

detecting a selection of one of said alternative word objects by said user by engaging said stylus with said tablet over said alternative word object and replacing said displayed word object with said selection.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said list of alternative words includes a shifted-case version of said word object, where at least a first character of said shifted-case version is of an opposite case as at least a first character of said word object.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said number of alternative words are provided by a word recognizer which performed said recognizing step.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the step of displaying an image of said ink object on said display proximate to said list of alternative words after said alternative word gesture has been detected.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein said step of detecting a selection of one of said alternative words includes detecting a selection of one of said shifted-case version, said number of alternative words provided by said word recognizer, and said ink object, and replacing said word object with said selection.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying an icon representing a keyboard on said display proximate to said list of alternative words after said alternative word gesture has been detected.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a selection of said icon;

displaying an image of a keyboard on said display; and

detecting gestures made by said stylus on said image of said keyboard to enter a replacement word object into said computer system.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

looking for said replacement word object in a dictionary list; and

selectively entering said replacement word object into said dictionary list if said replacement word was not found in said dictionary list.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of selectively entering said replacement word comprises the steps of:

querying a user whether said replacement word should be entered into said dictionary list; and

entering said replacement word into said dictionary list at the request of the user.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said step of selectively entering said replacement word comprises the step of entering said replacement word in a rejection list if said user requests that said replacement word is not to be entered into said dictionary list.

11. A computer system with word correction capabilities comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

an input tablet overlaying a display of said computer system coupled to said CPU and operative to enter an ink object into said computer system when contacted by a stylus;

recognizer means implemented by said CPU and operative to recognize said ink object as a word object, wherein said word object is one of a number of alternative recognized word objects for said ink object;

display means coupled to said CPU and positioned such that said input tablet is overlaying said display means, said display means being operative to display said word object;

means for detecting an alternative word list gesture made by a user on said tablet pertaining to said displayed word object with said stylus, said means for detecting an alternative word list gesture being implemented on said CPU and said tablet; and

means for displaying a list of said alternative word objects for said displayed word object on said display means, said means for displaying an alternative list being implemented on said CPU and said display means;

means for detecting a selection of one of said alternative word objects by a user when said stylus has been engaged with said tablet over said alternative word object and replacing said displayed word object with said selection, said means for detecting a selection being implemented on said CPU and said tablet.

12. A computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein said list of alternative words includes a shifted-case version of said word object, where at least a first character of said shifted-case version is of an opposite case as at least a first character of said word object.

13. A computer system as recited in claim 12 wherein said number of alternative words are provided by said recognizer means.

14. A computer system as recited in claim 13 further comprising means for displaying an image of said ink object on said display means proximate to said list of alternative words after said alternative word gesture has been detected, said means for displaying an image being implemented on said CPU and said display means.

15. A computer system as recited in claim 14 wherein said means for detecting a selection of one of said alternative words includes detecting a selection of one of said shifted-case version, said number of alternative words provided by said word recognizer, and said ink object, and replacing said word object with said selection, said means for detecting a selection being implemented on said CPU and said tablet.

16. A computer system as recited in claim 11 further comprising means for displaying an icon representing a keyboard on said display means proximate to said list of alternative words after said alternative word gesture has been detected, said means for displaying an icon being implemented on said CPU and said display means.

17. A computer system as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

means for detecting a selection of said icon implemented on said CPU and said tablet;

means for displaying an image of a keyboard on said display means, said means for displaying being implemented on said CPU and said display means; and

means for detecting gestures made by said stylus on said keyboard to enter a replacement word object into said computer system, said means for detecting gestures being implemented on said CPU and said tablet.

18. A computer system as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

means for looking for said replacement word object in a dictionary list; and

means for selectively entering said replacement word object into said dictionary list if said replacement word was not found in said dictionary list, where said means for looking for said replacement word object and said means for selectively entering said replacement word object are implemented on said CPU.

19. A computer system as recited in claim 18 wherein said means for selectively entering comprises:

means for querying a user whether said replacement word should be entered into said dictionary list, said means for querying being implemented on said CPU and said display means; and

means for entering said replacement word into said dictionary list at the request of the user, said means for entering being implemented on said CPU.

20. A computer system as recited in claim 19 wherein said means for selectively entering includes:

means for entering said replacement word in a rejection list if said user requests that said replacement word is not to be entered into said dictionary list, said means for entering being implemented on said CPU.