Method of inputting name

• US 6,608,639 B2
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: McGovern, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/188,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/335, 345/156, 345/168, 345/700, 345/744, 345/780, 345/831, 707/3-5, 707/6, 707/7, 707/531
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method of inputting a place name that reduces the necessary memory capacity for input processing. A name list in which a plurality of names are registered in alphabetical order is prepared. A table is also prepared by storing sequences of n leading characters and data related to each sequence of n leading characters. The data represents information as to whether some of the registered names in the name list have the corresponding sequence of n leading characters. When a user inputs one of the sequences of n leading characters, a processor examines whether registered names in the name list have the same sequence of characters as the input sequence of n characters by referring to the table. If none of the registered names have the same sequence, the processor requests the user input a name again. If some of the registered name have the same leading characters as the input sequence of n characters, the processor searches for them from the name list, identifies, from the names searched out, characters each probable to be input as (n+1)th character and characters improbable to input, and displays the two groups of characters so that they are discriminable from each other.

Claims

1. A method of inputting one of a plurality of predetermined names comprising the acts of:

providing a name list in which the plurality of names are stored;

providing a skip table including parent, child and grandchild records, the skip table formed by storing sequences of n leading characters and data related to each sequence of n leading characters that indicates through characters and bit positions in a one-to-one relationship which names in the name list have the corresponding sequence of n leading characters, wherein a flag at each of the bit positions corresponds to whether an inputted character will yield a name in the name list, the parent records designate whether a character inputted as a first character corresponds to a name in the name list, the child records designate whether a character inputted as a second character subsequent to a character selected as a first character corresponds to a name in the name list, and the grandchild records designate whether a character inputted as a third character subsequent to a combination of first and second characters corresponds to a name in the name list;

receiving input data corresponding to a sequence of n leading characters;

evaluating whether a name in the name list has the same sequence of characters as the inputted sequence of n characters by referring to the skip table;

searching the name list for some of the names whose leading characters correspond to the input sequence of n leading characters; and

identifying characters each probable to be inputted as (n+1)th character;

and displaying the probable characters.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of identifying characters each improbable to be inputted as the (n+1)th character and displaying the improbable characters so that the probable characters are discriminable from the improbable characters.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the act of displaying, each time a character is thereafter inputted, the improbable characters so that the probable characters are discriminable from the improbable characters.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act sorting the names in the name list in alphabetical order.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if some of the registered names in the name list have the same leading characters as the input n characters, searching the name list by binary search to read out the names having the n leading characters.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the number of names searched out is reduced to one, displaying the one remaining name and inputting the name by a predetermined key operation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when a number of candidate names searched out is reduced to a number equal to or smaller than a predetermined number, displaying the candidate names so that a user can thereafter select and input one of the candidate names.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when a number of candidate names searched out is reduced to a number equal to or smaller than a predetermined number, automatically displaying the candidate names so that a user can thereafter select and input one of the candidate names.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the characters improbable to be inputted as (n+1)th character are displayed by being lighted at a reduced luminance than the characters probable to be inputted as (n+1)th.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if some of the names in the name list have the same leading characters as the input n characters, searching the name list by binary search to read out the names having the n leading characters.

11. A recording medium comprising;

a name list in which a plurality of names are registered, and a skip table in which each of parent, child and grandchild records is formed by setting characters and bit positions in a one-to-one relationship and by setting a flag at each of the bit positions corresponding to some of the characters each probable to be input in the process of inputting a name, one parent record being formed as a record designating the probability of each of the characters being input as a first character, child records corresponding to the number of the characters being formed, each child record designating the probability of each of the characters being input as a second character subsequent to one of the characters selected as a first character, grandchild records corresponding to the number of possible combinations of first and second characters being formed, each grandchild record designating a probability of each of the characters being input as a third character subsequent to one of the combinations of first and second characters, each of bits “

1”

or “

0”

of all the grandchild records designating the existence or non-existence in the name list of some registered names whose three leading characters correspond to the predetermined sequence of three characters corresponding to the grandchild record bit.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the names are registered in alphabetical order in said name list.

13. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein said skip table includes a storage address in the name list for some sequence of characters whose leading characters correspond to three input characters.

14. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein each of the records expresses alphabetical letters each probable to be input in a name input, and other alphabetical letters improbable to be input, each of the probable and improbable letters being represented by one bit.

15. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein a pointer to one of the child records is stored corresponding to each bit position of the parent record.

16. A method of inputting one of predetermined names through a keypad input image, comprising the acts of:

providing a name list on a recording medium in which a plurality of names are stored;

providing a skip table on the recording medium comprising parent, child and grandchild records, said parent, child and grandchild records representing information indicating sequences of at least 3 leading characters that have corresponding names in the name list;

reading the skip table from the recording medium;

storing data from the skip table in a memory;

displaying a keypad input image;

receiving an inputted sequence of n leading characters;

evaluating whether at least one of the names in the name list has the same sequence of n leading characters as the inputted sequence of n characters by referring to the skip table;

searching the name list for at least one name whose leading characters correspond to the inputted sequence of n leading characters;

identifying characters that would yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character; and

displaying the characters that would yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character so that they are discernable from characters that would not yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, if none of the names in the name list has the same sequence of n leading characters as the inputted sequence of n characters, a user is requested to reinput one or more characters.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein, if some of the names in the name list have the same leading characters as the inputted sequence of n characters, the name list is searched by binary search to read out the names having the n leading characters.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein, when a number of candidate names searched out is reduced to a number equal to or smaller than a predetermined number, the candidate names are automatically displayed and a user can thereafter select and input one of the candidate names.

20. A method of claim 16, wherein, when the number of names searched out is reduced to one, the one remaining name is displayed and is inputted by a predetermined key operation.