Method and system for facilitating construction of a canned message in a microbrowser environment

• US 6,964,020 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lundy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/790,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 345/713, 345/712, 345/816, 345/817, 345/831, 345/780, 345/812, 345/814, 345/776, 345/853, 345/855, 345/864, 715/53, 715/534, 715/530, 715/531, 340/7.53, 455/466, 709/714, 709/206
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A method and system for performing text-entry by facilitating construction of a canned message on a wireless handheld device, the canned message being comprised of at least two canned message segments (i.e., words and/or phrases). A user selects a first canned message segment from a first set of canned message segments displayed on the handheld device. Upon selection of the first caned message segment, the handheld device may display a second set of canned message segments. The second set of canned message segments may have at least one canned message segment that grammatically continues the first canned message segment selected. The user may select a second canned message segment from the second set of canned message segments. A composite of the first canned message and the second canned message may define the canned message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first set of canned message segments on a display screen;

receiving user-indication identifying a first canned message segment selected from the first set of canned message segments;

providing an option of editing the first canned message to the user;

constructing a second set of canned message segments based on the first canned message segment, the second set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment;

displaying the second set of canned message segments on the display screen;

receiving user-indication identifying a second canned message segment selected from the second set of canned message segments;

providing an option of editing the second canned message to the user;

concatenating at least the first and second canned message segments so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the first and second canned message segments; and

sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying each set of canned message segments comprises displaying a choice card, the choice card having each canned message segment of each set being encoded as a respective choice-item of the choice card.

3. A network-based method comprising:

a first entity sending a first set of canned message segments to a second entity;

the second entity receiving user-indication identifying a first canned message segment selected from the first set of canned message segments and providing an option of editing the first set of canned message segments to the user;

the first entity constructing a second set of canned message segments based on the first canned message segment, the second set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment;

the first entity sending the second set of canned message segments to the second entity; and

the second entity (i) receiving user-indication identifying a second canned message segment selected from the second set of canned message segments and providing an option of editing the second set of canned message segments to the user;

(ii) concatenating at least the first and second canned message segments so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the first and second canned message segments, and (iii) sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

4. A network-based method comprising:

a first entity receiving user-entry of a text-string; and

a second entity (i) constructing a set of canned message segments based on the text-string, the set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the text-sting, and providing an option of editing the set of canned message segments to the user, (ii) sending the set of canned message segments to the first entity, (iii) concatenating at least the text-string and a canned message segment selected from the set of canned messages so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the text-sting and the canned message segment, and (iv) sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

5. The network-based method of claim 4, wherein the first entity receiving the user-entry further comprises the first entity receiving the text-string as entered in a text-entry field of the text-entry card.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

memory;

a display screen;

computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform functions including;

(i) displaying a first set of canned message segments on a display screen;

(ii) constructing a second set of canned message segments based on a first canned message segment, the second set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment; and

(iii) displaying the second set of canned message segments on the display screen; and

at least one actuator for;

(i) selecting the first canned message segment from the first set of canned message segments; and

(ii) selecting the second canned message segment from the second set of canned message segments; and

computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for performing functions including;

(i) providing an option of editing the first and second canned message segments to the user;

(ii) concatenating at least the first and second canned message segments so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the first and second canned message segments; and

(iii) sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a choice card is displayed on the display screen, the choice card having each canned message segment of each set being encoded as a respective choice-item of the choice card.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the choice card is encoded in a markup language.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the markup language is selected from the group consisting of WML, HDML, and cHTML.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a deck of cards is stored in the memory, the deck of cards defining the first set of canned messages and the second set of canned messages.

11. The system of claim 6 further comprising computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for constructing the second set of canned message segments according to at least one grammar set.

12. The system of claim 6 further comprising computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for constructing the second set of canned message segments according to at least one grammar rule.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor executes microbrowser software, the microbrowser software comprising computer instructions for displaying each set of canned message segments on the display screen.

14. A system comprising:

a processor,

memory;

a display screen;

a character-input device for performing user-entry of a text-string; and

computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for;

constructing a set of canned message segments based on the text-string, the set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the text-string;

displaying the set of canned message segments on the display screen;

providing an option of editing the set of canned message segments to the user;

concatenating at least the text-string and a canned message segment selected from the set of canned message segments so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the text-string and the canned message segment; and

sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising computer instructions stored in memory and executable by the processor for performing triple-tap functionality on the character-input device.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising computer instructions stored in memory and executable by the processor for displaying a text-entry card, wherein the text-string is entered in a text-entry field of the text-entry card.

17. A server comprising:

a processor,

memory;

computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for;

constructing a second set of canned message segments based on a first canned message segment, the second set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment;

outputting the second set of canned message segments;

receiving an indication of a second canned message segment selected from the second set of canned message segments;

providing an option of editing the first and second sets of canned message segments to the user;

concatenating at least the second canned message segment with the first canned message segment so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the first canned message segment and the second canned message segment; and

sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein each canned message segment of the second set of canned message segments is encoded as a respective choice-item of a choice card.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the choice card is encoded in a markup language.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the markup language is selected from the group consisting of WML, HDML, and cHTML.

21. The server of claim 17 further comprising computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for constructing the second set of canned message segments according to at least one grammar rule.

22. The server of claim 17 further comprising computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor for constructing the second set of canned message segments according to at least one grammar set.

23. The server of claim 17 further comprising the processor receiving at least one canned message segment from the memory, the at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment.

24. A network-based system comprising:

a first entity displaying a first set of canned message segments on a display screen;

the first entity receiving user-indication identifying a first canned message segment selected from the first set of canned message segments;

providing an option of editing the first set of canned message segments to the user;

a second entity constructing a second set of canned message segments based on the first canned message segment, the second set having at least one canned message segment grammatically continuing the first canned message segment;

providing an option of editing the second set of canned message segments to the user;

the second entity sending the second set of canned message segments to the first entity;

the first entity displaying the second set of canned message segments on the display screen;

the first entity receiving user-indication identifying a second canned message segment from the second set of canned message segments; and

the first entity concatenating at least the first and second canned message segments so as to create a composite canned message, wherein the composite canned message includes the first and second canned message segments, and sending the composite canned message to a message recipient.