Method and system for automatic type and replace of characters in a sequence of characters

• US 6,631,501 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Appalabattula, Chakrapani, Jurion, Benoit Jules, Chai, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESAI, RACHNA SINGH
• Application Number:
  US09/345,194
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 707/535, 707/536, 704/8, 704/9, 345/636, 345/171, 345/689
• US Class Current: 715/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232

Abstract

A method and system for checking the validity of a sequence of input characters according to the syntactical rules of a selected language is provided. If an input character may not be appended to the previously input sequence according to the rules of the selected language, the newly input character may be prohibited from being appended to the sequence and displayed on the user'"'"'s computer. Previously input and validated characters automatically may be replaced with a newly input character for formation and display of a valid sequence of characters containing the newly input character. A newly input character may be inserted between two characters of a previously validated sequence of characters. Previously input character sequences may be edited by determining the validity context of previously input sequences of characters.

Claims

1. A method of combining a new character with an existing sequence of characters, wherein the existing sequence of characters forms at least a portion of a complex character, and where adding the new character sequentially to the existing sequence of characters violates one or more rules associated with forming a complex character of a selected language, comprising the steps of:

receiving the new character for appending sequentially to the sequence of characters;

determining whether the new character may be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the new character may not be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language, determining whether the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters to form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language; and

if the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, inserting the new character between the two characters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if the new character may not be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, determining whether an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character so that the combination of the new character and other characters in the sequence of characters form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character, replacing the existing character with the new character; and

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may not be replaced by the new character, discarding the new character.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of determining whether the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters to form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language includes the steps of:

in a state transition table, assigning a first state to the existing sequence of characters according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

determining whether the new character is associated with a character insertion transition action that dictates where within the existing sequence of characters the new character may be inserted.

4. (Amended) The method of claim 2,

wherein the step of determining whether an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character so that the combination of the new character and other characters in the sequence of characters form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language includes the steps of:

in a state transition table, assigning a first state to the existing sequence of characters according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

determining whether the new character is associated with a character replacement transition action that dictates which character within the existing sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected language is Thai.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected language is Hindi.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected language is Vietnamese.

8. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for combining a new character with an existing sequence of characters, wherein the existing sequence of characters forms at least a portion of a complex character, and where adding the new character sequentially to the existing sequence of characters violates one or more rules associated with forming a complex character of a selected language, the computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

receiving the new character for appending sequentially to the sequence of characters;

determining whether the new character may be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the new character may not be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language, determining whether the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters to form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, inserting the new character between the two characters;

if the new character may not be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, determining whether an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character so that the combination of the new character and other characters in the sequence of characters form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character, replacing the existing character with the new character; and

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character, discarding the new character.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8,

wherein the step of determining whether the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters to form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language includes the steps of:

in a state transition table, assigning a first state to the existing sequence of characters according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

determining whether the new character is associated with a character insertion transition action that dictates where within the existing sequence of characters the new character may be inserted.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9,

wherein the step of determining whether an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character so that the combination of the new character and other characters in the sequence of characters form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language includes the steps of:

in a state transition table, assigning a first state to the existing sequence of characters according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language.

11. A method of checking a sequence of input characters according to rules of forming a complex character of a selected language and for combining a new character with an existing sequence of characters, wherein the existing sequence of characters forms at least a portion of a complex character, and where adding the new character sequentially to the existing sequence of characters violates one or more rules associated with forming a complex character of a selected language, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first character;

receiving a second character;

determining whether the second character may be added sequentially to the first character according to rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the second character may be added sequentially to the first character according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language, adding the second character sequentially to the first character;

if the second character may not be added sequentially to the first character according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language, prohibiting adding the second character to the first character;

determining whether the first character may be replaced by the second character to allow a third character to be added to the second character according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the first character may be replaced by the second character, replacing the first character with the second character;

if the first character may not be replaced by the second character, prohibiting replacing the first character with the second character;

determining whether the second character may be inserted before the first character to allow a third character to be added sequentially to the first character according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language;

if a second character may be inserted before the first character to allow a third character to be added sequentially to the first character according to the rules associated with forming a complex character of the selected language, inserting the second character before the first character; and

if the second character may not be inserted before the first character to allow a third character to be added sequentially to the first character, discarding the second character.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first character is a simple character from the selected language.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first character is at least a portion of a complex character comprised of two or more simple characters from the selected language.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second character is a simple character from the selected language.

15. A system of combining a new character with an existing sequence of characters, wherein the existing sequence of characters forms at least a portion of a complex character, and where adding the new character sequentially to the existing sequence of characters violates one or more rules associated with forming a complex character of a selected language, comprising:

a computer program module operative

to receive the new character for appending sequentially to the sequence of characters;

to determine whether the new character may be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the new character may not be appended sequentially to the sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language, to determine whether the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters to form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if the new character may be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, to insert the new character between the two characters;

if the new character may not be inserted between two characters of the sequence of characters, to determine whether an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character so that the combination of the new character and other characters in the sequence of characters form a valid sequence according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language;

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may be replaced by the new character, to replace the existing character with the new character; and

if an existing character in the sequence of characters may not be replaced by the new character, to discard the new character.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system checks the validity of an inputted sequence of characters according to the rules of forming a complex character of the selected language when a cursor is placed to the right of the inputted sequence of characters.