System and method for recognizing word patterns based on a virtual keyboard layout

• US 7,251,367 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhai, Shumin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAFFER, JONATHAN C
• Application Number:
  US10/325,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 382/229
• US Class Current: 382/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

A system augments stylus keyboarding with shorthand gesturing. The system defines a shorthand symbol for each word according to its movement pattern on an optimized stylus keyboard. The system recognizes word patterns by identifying an input as a stroke, and then matching the stroke to a stored list of word patterns. The system then generates and displays the matched word to the user.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing word patterns, comprising:

defining word patterns of a plurality of known words by a plurality of paths,

wherein each path connects elements in a word on a virtual keyboard layout;

accepting an input as a stroke based on a virtual keyboard layout;

matching the inputted stroke to a word having a word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke; and

generating the matched word having the word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the matched word.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing the input to differentiate between a tapping input and a stroke input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the matched word comprises generating at least one matched candidate word based on the stroke input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the at least one matched candidate word comprises comparing the at least one matched candidate word to a predetermined matching threshold.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the input comprises the tapping input that represents at least one element of the word.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the matched word comprises displaying a plurality of candidate matched words in a graphical format.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the graphical format includes a pie chart graphical display.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting a desired candidate matched word from the displayed candidate matched words by accepting a gesture input in a direction of the desired candidate matched word.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard layout matches a physical keyboard layout.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises alphabetical letters.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises punctuations that correspond to the elements of the word.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises symbols that correspond to the elements of the word.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the symbols comprise phonetic symbols.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises elements in a non-alphabetical language that correspond to the elements of the word.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of fragments of words.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of names.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of abbreviations.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the stroke by any one of a digital pen and a stylus, on a sensing surface.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising inputting the stroke by a hand gesture on a sensing surface.

11. A computer program product having executable instruction codes stored on a computer-readable medium, for recognizing word patterns, comprising:

a set of instruction codes for defining word patterns of a plurality of known words by a plurality of paths, wherein each path connects elements in a word on a virtual keyboard layout;

a set of instruction codes for accepting an input as a stroke based on a virtual keyboard layout;

a set of instruction codes for matching the inputted stroke to a word having a word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke; and

a set of instruction codes for generating the matched word having the word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a set of instruction codes for displaying the matched word.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising a set of instruction codes for differentiating between a tapping input and a stroke input.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the set of instruction codes for generating the matched word comprises generating at least one matched candidate word based on the stroke input.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the set of instruction codes for generating the at least one matched candidate word compares the at least one matched candidate word to a predetermined matching threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the input comprises the tapping input that represents at least one one element of the word.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the set of instruction codes for displaying the matched word comprises displaying a plurality of candidate matched words in a graphical format.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the the graphical format includes a pie chart graphical display.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising a set of instruction codes for selecting a desired candidate matched word from the displayed candidate matched words by accepting a gesture input in a direction of the desired candidate matched word.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual keyboard layout matches a physical keyboard layout.

41. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises alphabetical letters.

42. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises punctuations that correspond to the elements of the word.

43. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises symbols that correspond to the elements of the word.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the symbols comprise phonetic symbols.

45. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises elements in a non-alphabetical language that correspond to the elements of the word.

46. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of fragments of words.

47. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of names.

48. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of abbreviations.

49. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising inputting the stroke by any one of a digital pen and a stylus, on a sensing surface.

50. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising inputting the stroke by a hand gesture on a sensing surface.

21. A system for recognizing word patterns, comprising:

means for defining word patterns of a plurality of known words by a plurality of paths, wherein each path connects elements in a word on a virtual keyboard layout;

means for accepting an input as a stroke based on a virtual keyboard layout;

means for matching the inputted stroke to a word having a word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke; and

means for generating the matched word having the word pattern that approximates the inputted stroke.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for displaying the matched word.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for differentiating between a tapping input and a stroke input.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for generating the matched word comprises generating at least one matched candidate word based on the stroke input.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for generating the at least one matched candidate word comprises means for comparing the at least one matched candidate word to a predetermined matching threshold.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the input comprises the tapping input that represents at least one element of the word.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for displaying the matched word displays a plurality of candidate matched words in a graphical format.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the graphical format includes a pie chart graphical display.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising an input device for selecting a desired candidate matched word from the displayed candidate matched words by accepting a gesture input in a direction of the desired candidate matched word.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual keyboard layout matches a physical keyboard layout.

51. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises alphabetical letters.

52. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises punctuations that correspond to the elements of the word.

53. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises symbols that correspond to the elements of the word.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the symbols comprise phonetic symbols.

55. The system of claim 21, wherein the virtual keyboard layout comprises elements in a non-alphabetical language that correspond to the elements of the word.

56. The system of claim 21, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of fragments of words.

57. The system of claim 21, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of names.

58. The system of claim 21, wherein the known words comprise a finite number of abbreviations.

59. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for inputting the stroke by any one of a digital pen and a stylus, on a sensing surface.

60. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for inputting the stroke by a hand gesture on a sensing surface.