Device and method for entering a character string

• US 7,007,233 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Iwayama, Naomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/457,267
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: 715/507, 715/531, 715/532, 715/535, 345/169, 345/171, 345/780, 341/23, 341/28, 710/67, 704/10
• US Class Current: 715/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/242 Division of the character sequences into groups prior to recognition; Selection of dictionaries

Abstract

The invention presents a device and a method for entering a character string in which a dictionary is changed dynamically in accordance with the input situation of the user, and in which character strings that are generally suitable for the input situation of the user can be entered. When a character string is entered, the situation in which the character string is entered is acquired. In accordance with the acquired situation, a dictionary used for the generation of candidate character strings or a portion of such a dictionary are affirmed as a situation-optimized dictionary. Optimized output candidate character strings are generated and outputted in accordance with the situation from character strings that have been input using this situation-optimized dictionary, and when output candidate character strings are affirmed and outputted, the affirmed character strings are stored in the situation-optimized dictionary in accordance with the acquired situation.

Claims

1. A device for entering a character string into a plurality of character string processing devices, comprising:

an input part allowing a user to enter the character string to be entered into the plurality of character string processing devices;

an input situation acquiring part for acquiring a situation peculiar to current input processing among a plurality of situations of at least one of the character string processing devices that has been started or an activated program on at least one of the character string processing devices from the at least one of the character string processing devices or the activated program into which the character string is given;

a situation control part for affirming one of a plurality of dictionaries used for generating a candidate character string or a part of such a dictionary in accordance with the situation acquired with the input situation acquiring part and designating the affirmed dictionary or the affirmed part of the dictionary as a situation-optimized dictionary;

a candidate character string generation part for generating and outputting an output candidate character string that is optimal for the acquired situation in response to a character string that is entered with the input part, using the situation-optimized dictionary;

a candidate character string affirmation processing part for affirming the outputted candidate character string; and

an affirmed character string storing part for storing a character string that has been affirmed with the affirmation processing part in the situation-optimized dictionary designated by the situation control part under a condition that the character string is associated with the situation acquired with the input situation acquiring part, and updating the contents of the situation-optimized dictionary dynamically.

2. The device for entering a character string according to claim 1, wherein the situation of the at least one of the character string processing device devices comprises at least one information selected from a group consisting of:

information relating to a kind of the character string processing device;

information relating to a text that the character string processing device can output;

information relating to a position in a text that the character string processing device; and

information relating to a user inputting the character string.

3. The device for entering a character string according to claim 1, wherein the affirmed character string storing part stores a storage date of an affirmed character string as a last-access date when storing the affirmed character string, the date when a character string that is already stored is accessed is used to change the last-access date, and the last-access date is used when the candidate character string generation part generates the output candidate character string.

4. The device for entering a character string according to claim 1, further comprising a situation-optimized dictionary production part for producing a situation-optimized dictionary by associating character strings that are used in a pre-existing electronic text with information relating to a user creating the electronic text, information relating to a time when the electronic text has been created, and information relating to a character string processing apparatus by which the electronic text has been created.

5. A method for entering a character string into a plurality of character string processing devices, comprising:

entering a character string to be entered into the plurality of character string processing devices;

acquiring a situation peculiar to current input processing among a plurality of situations of at least one of the character string processing devices that has been started or an activated program on at least one of the character string processing devices from the at least one of the character string processing devices or the activated program into which the character string is given;

affirming one of a plurality of dictionaries used for generating a candidate character string or a part of such a dictionary in accordance with the acquired situation and designating the affirmed dictionary or the affirmed part of the dictionary as a situation-optimized dictionary;

generating and outputting an output candidate character string that is optimal for a situation in response to an entered character string, using the designated situation-optimized dictionary;

affirming the outputted candidate character string; and

storing an affirmed character string in the situation-optimized dictionary under a condition that the character string is associated with the acquired situation, and updating the contents of the situation-optimized dictionary dynamically.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the situation of the at least one of the character string processing devices comprises at least one information selected from a group consisting of:

information relating to a kind of the character string processing device information relating to a text that the character string processing device can output;

information relating to a position in a text that the character string processing device; and

information relating to a user inputting the character string.

7. A computer-readable recording medium storing a method for entering a character string into a plurality of character string processing devices, the stored method comprising:

entering a character string to be entered into the plurality of character string processing devices;

acquiring a situation peculiar to current input processing among a plurality of situations of at least one of the character string processing devices that has been started or an activated program on at least one of the character string processing devices from the at least one of the character string processing devices or the activated program into which the character string is given;

affirming one of a plurality of dictionaries used for generating a candidate character string or a part of such a dictionary in accordance with the acquired situation and designating the affirmed dictionary or the affirmed part of the dictionary as a situation-optimized dictionary;

generating and outputting an output candidate character string that is optimal for a situation in response to an entered character string, using the designated situation-optimized dictionary;

affirming the outputted candidate character string; and

storing an affirmed character string in the situation-optimized dictionary under a condition that the character string is associated with the acquired situation, and updating the contents of the situation-optimized dictionary dynamically.

8. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the situation of the at least one of the character string processing devices comprises at least one information selected from a group consisting of:

information relating to a kind of the character string processing device information relating to a text that the character string processing device can output;

information relating to a position in a text that the character string processing device; and

information relating to a user inputting the character string.

9. A method for entering a character string into a plurality of character string processing devices, comprising:

entering a character string to be entered into the plurality of character string processing devices;

acquiring a situation peculiar to current input processing among a plurality of situations of at least one of the character string processing devices that has been started or an activated program on at least one of the character string processing devices from the at least one of the character string processing devices or the activated program into which the character string is given; and

affirming one of a plurality of dictionaries used for generating a candidate character string or a part of such a dictionary in accordance with the acquired situation and designating the affirmed dictionary or the affirmed part of the dictionary as a situation-optimized dictionary.