Sound operated menu method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols from a first plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of the first plurality of sequences including one or more ideographs in an ideographic language, said method comprising the steps of:
- displaying on a display the first plurality of sequences, each of the first plurality of sequences having a first common characteristic in the ideographic language and each associated respectively with one of a first plurality of displayed sound indicators, each of the first sound indicators respectively indicating one of a first plurality of indicated sounds, each of the first indicated sounds differing from each other first indicated sound;
matching a first received sound to any one of the first indicated sounds; and
selecting the sequence associated with the matched first indicated sound.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus and method of the invention relate to data entry and menu selection. Applications include: (a) data entry for ideographic languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean; (b) fast food ordering; (c) correction of documents generated by optical character recognition; and (d) computer access and speech synthesis by persons temporarily or permanently lacking normal motor capabilities. In a preferred embodiment, each option of a menu is associated respectively with a selectable region displayed adjacent an edge of a display, forming a perimeter menu and leaving a region in the center of the perimeter menu for the output of an application program. Selectable regions may be on the display, outside the display, or both. A menu option may be selected by clicking on the associated selectable region, by dwelling on it for a selection threshold period or by a cursor path toward the selectable region, or by a combination thereof Remaining dwell time required to select a selectable region is preferably indicated by the brightness of the selectable region. Submenus of a perimeter menu may also be perimeter menus and the location of a submenu option may be foretold by the appearance of its parent menu option. Menu options may be ideographs sharing a sound, a structure or another characteristic. Ideographs, which may be homophones of one another, may be associated with colored indicating regions and selection of an ideograph may be made by speaking the name of the associated color.
333 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method of selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols from a first plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of the first plurality of sequences including one or more ideographs in an ideographic language, said method comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a display the first plurality of sequences, each of the first plurality of sequences having a first common characteristic in the ideographic language and each associated respectively with one of a first plurality of displayed sound indicators, each of the first sound indicators respectively indicating one of a first plurality of indicated sounds, each of the first indicated sounds differing from each other first indicated sound; matching a first received sound to any one of the first indicated sounds; and selecting the sequence associated with the matched first indicated sound. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. For use in a language rich in homophones, a method of selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols in the language from a plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols in the language, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying the plurality of sequences, each of the plurality of sequences associated respectively with a sound which is not a phonetic representation of the associated sequence, each of the plurality of sounds differing from each other sound in the plurality of sounds; (b) receiving a sound signal; (c) matching the received sound signal to any one of the plurality of sounds; and (d) selecting the sequence associated with the matched sound. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of editing a first sequence of two or more words in an ideographic language, said method comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a display; (a) the first sequence, the first sequence including a plurality of second sequences of one or more graphic symbols in the language, each of the second sequences associated respectively with a sound indicator, each of the sound indicators respectively indicating a sound, each of the indicated sounds differing from each of the other indicated sounds; and (b) the sound indicators; receiving a sound; matching the received sound to any one of the indicated sounds; and replacing the second sequence associated with the matched indicated sound with a third sequence of one or more graphic symbols in the language, the third sequence including an ideograph in the language.
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40. For use with a general purpose computer system including a display, an apparatus for selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols from a plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of the plurality of sequences including an ideograph in an ideographic language, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a computer readable medium; and (b) a program, stored on the medium and executable by the general purpose computer system, for; (1) displaying the plurality of sequences on the display, each of the sequences associated respectively with a displayed sound indicator, each of the sound indicators respectively indicating a sound, each of the plurality of indicated sounds differing from each of the other indicated sounds, and wherein a particular one of the sound indicators is not a phonetic representation of the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator; (2) matching a received sound to the sound indicated by the particular sound indicator; and (3) selecting the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 49)
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44. An apparatus for selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols from a plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of the plurality of sequences including one or more ideographs in an ideographic language, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a display on which may be displayed the plurality of sequences, each of the plurality of sequences having a common characteristic in the ideographic language and each associated respectively with a displayed sound indicator, each of the sound indicators respectively indicating a sound, each of the plurality of indicated sounds differing from each of the other indicated sounds, and wherein a particular one of the sound indicators is not a phonetic representation of the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator; and (b) a selection device for matching a received sound to the sound indicated by the particular sound indicator and for selecting the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An apparatus for selecting a sequence of one or more graphic symbols from a plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of tile plurality of sequences including one or more ideographs in an ideographic language, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for displaying tile plurality of sequences, each of tile plurality of sequences having a common characteristic in the ideographic language and each associated respectively with a displayed sound indicator, each of the sound indicators respectively indicating a sound, each of the plurality of indicated sounds differing from each of the other indicated sounds, and wherein a particular one of the sound indicators is not a phonetic representation of the sequence associated with tile particular sound indicator; and (b) means for; (1) matching a sound to the sound indicated by the particular sound indicator; and (2) selecting the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator.
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55. A device controller comprising:
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(a) a display on which may be displayed a plurality of sequences of one or more graphic symbols, one or more sequences of the plurality of sequences including one or more ideographs in an ideographic language, each of the plurality of sequences having a common characteristic in the ideographic language and each associated respectively with a displayed sound indicator, each of the sound indicators respectively indicating a sound, each of the plurality of indicated sounds differing from each of the other indicated sounds, and wherein a particular one of the sound indicators is not a phonetic representation of the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator; and (b) a signal generating device, coupled to a controlled device, for; (1) matching a sound to the sound indicated by the particular sound indicator, the sequence associated with the particular sound indicator representing a function of the controlled device; and (2) generating a device control signal corresponding to the function of the controlled device. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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Specification