Autocorrecting text typed into a word processing document
First Claim
1. A method for automatically replacing an entry made by a user in a computer display with a replacement, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) enabling the user to indicate the entry that will be automatically replaced and storing said indication;
(b) enabling the user to identify the replacement that will automatically replace the entry and storing the identification of the replacement in relationship to said entry;
(c) scanning characters entered by the user to detect if;
(i) the user has entered characters comprising the entry; and
(ii) a delimiter character was entered after the characters comprising the entry; and
if so,(d) automatically replacing said entry with the replacement.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and word processing system for automatically replacing one or more characters of text entered by a user in a word processing document with the corresponding plain text, formatted text, or other object. The user can select among a plurality of predefined autocorrect options in an Autocorrect dialog box that is displayed when the autocorrect function is selected from the menu or toolbar of the word processing system. These options include changing straight quotes to smart quotes, correcting words that begin with two initial upper case letters so that only the first letter is upper case, capitalizing the first letter of any sentence that is not capitalized, capitalizing the names of the days of the week if not already capitalized, and replacing text entered by the user with either plain text, formatted text, a graphic picture, or other type of object. Using the autocorrect function, the user can automatically correct commonly misspelled words, and automatically expand relatively short groups of characters to longer words, paragraphs, or graphic objects. Each character or string of characters that is to be replaced is associated with a "definition" entered as plain text, formatted text, or as an object. The entry is added to an autocorrect list displayed to the user in the Autocorrect dialog box. Any entry in the autocorrect list can also be deleted or changed by the user. A second embodiment makes an intelligent decision concerning autocorrection of text, based upon the time interval between keyboard events.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for automatically replacing an entry made by a user in a computer display with a replacement, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) enabling the user to indicate the entry that will be automatically replaced and storing said indication; (b) enabling the user to identify the replacement that will automatically replace the entry and storing the identification of the replacement in relationship to said entry; (c) scanning characters entered by the user to detect if; (i) the user has entered characters comprising the entry; and (ii) a delimiter character was entered after the characters comprising the entry; and
if so,(d) automatically replacing said entry with the replacement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for automatically replacing at least one specified character with at least one predefined replacement character in the text of a word processing document, comprising the steps of:
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(a) locating an initial character in a current word in which a cursor is positioned and storing a character position for the initial character; and (b) determining if the current word is followed by a delimiter character, and if so; (i) comparing each character comprising the current word with said at least one predefined character to determine if a match exists; and (ii) if said match exists, automatically replacing said at least one predefined character with said at least one predefined replacement character. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for automatically correcting an error in text entered in a word processing document in real time, as said document is being created, comprising the steps of:
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determining if a word of the text just entered in the document includes a first and a second initial character that are upper case and have been entered at a rate that exceeds a predefined value, followed by at least a third character that is lower case; and
if so,automatically replacing the second initial character of the word that is upper case with a corresponding lower case character as the word processing document is being created. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A word processing system that selectively automatically replaces an entry made by a user in a word processing document with a replacement, comprising:
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(a) a computer that includes; (i) a central processing unit; (ii) a memory in which program instructions are stored for controlling the central processing unit, causing the computer to function as a word processing system; (iii) a display that is coupled to the central processing unit, for displaying text entered by the user into the word processing system; (iv) a user interface that is coupled to the central processing unit to enable text and commands to be entered into the word processing system to create a document; and (v) a non-volatile storage unit in which the document is stored; and (b) said program instructions causing the computer to; (i) enable the user to indicate the entry that will be automatically replaced and thereafter, storing said indication; (ii) enable the user to identify the replacement that will automatically replace the entry and thereafter, storing the identification of the replacement in relationship to said entry; and (iii) scan characters typed by the user to detect if; (1) the user has typed the characters comprising the entry, and (2) the user has typed a delimiter character after the entry; and
if so,(iv) to automatically replace said entry with the replacement. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for automatically replacing an entry made by a user in a computer display with a replacement, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining a time interval between a plurality of predefined keyboard events as a user types on a computer keyboard; and (b) automatically replacing at least one character of a current word with the replacement if said time interval between said predefined keyboard events occurring during typing of the current word is less than a predetermined value, said predetermined value having been selected as being indicative that the user has typed a typographical error, said replacement being entered to correct the typographical error. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification