Method for text entry in an electronic device

• US 7,392,326 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vale, Peter O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Application Number:
  US09/895,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 709201-203, 709217-219, 345/810, 345/811, 345/816, 345/169, 715/507, 715/508, 715/812, 715/816, 715/780, 715/864
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Abstract

A method for text entry in an electronic device is disclosed. As a user enters text, such as a URL, into a handheld device the entered text is matched to previously visited URLs and these matched URLs are displayed in a list. The entered text may also be matched to any stored list of URLs or text. Typically, the matching searches for any instances of the entered text no matter the location of the entered text in the matched string. If one of the listed URLs is the URL desired by the user, then the user may select that URL and navigate a web browser to the URL without entering any more text. One of the items in the list may be the entered text with an automatically added prefix and suffix. These features significantly reduce the difficulty of entering URLs, especially on a device with limited input capabilities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for entering an address into a web browser of a mobile device, comprising:

receiving one character of text;

determining whether the one character of text comprises a single word wherein determining whether the one character of text comprises the single word comprises determining, prior to receiving another character of text, that the one character of text comprises a character other than a period;

displaying, when it is determined that the one character of text does not comprise the single word, a string list in the web browser with a string list item wherein the string list item comprises a text string containing at least one instance of the character without regard to the location of the character within the text string;

configuring at least one automatic prefix and at least one automatic suffix associated with a geographic location of the mobile device wherein configuring the at least one automatic prefix and the at least one automatic suffix associated with the geographic location of the mobile device comprises storing the at least one automatic prefix and the at least one automatic suffix in a registry;

displaying, when it is determined that the one character of text comprises the single word, a list in the web browser with a list item wherein the list item comprises the one character of text with the automatic prefix added before the one character of text and the automatic suffix added after the one character of text;

receiving, when it is determined that the one character of text comprises the single word, the another character of text; and

determining, in response to determining that the one character of text comprises the single word, whether the combination of the one character of text and the another character of text comprises the single word wherein determining whether the combination of the one character of text and the another character of text comprises the single word comprises determining, prior to receiving yet another character of text, that the another character of text comprises the character other than a period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatic prefix is “

www.”

.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the automatic suffix is “

.com”

.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is a wireless telephone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the one character of text matches any previous addresses entered into the web browser; and

if so, then displaying the possible matches as list items in the list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether the one character of text matches any previous addresses entered into the web browser comprises searching the addresses of any previously viewed URLs in the browser'"'"'s history, cache, or recently entered addresses for potential matches.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining whether the user is ready to navigate to the URL defined by the one character of text; and

if so, then navigating the web browser to display a page defined by the one character of text.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one character of text is displayed in an address field.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining whether one of the list items in the list has been selected by the user; and

if so, then navigating the web browser to display a page located at an address defined by the selected list item.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising if one of the list items in the list has not been selected by the user, then receiving another character of text.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the one character of text is received in response to a user selecting keys on a keypad of a wireless telephone.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatic prefix and the automatic suffix may be modified to a desired prefix and a desired suffix.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the automatic prefix and automatic suffix are modified by receiving input from a user requesting that the automatic prefix be set to a first string and that the automatic suffix be set to a second string.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the automatic prefix and the automatic suffix are stored in a registry.

15. A computer-implemented method for text entry in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving one character of text;

configuring at least one automatic prefix and at least one automatic suffix associated with a geographic location of the mobile device wherein configuring the at least one automatic prefix and the at least one automatic suffix associated with the geographic location of the mobile device comprises storing the at least one automatic prefix and the at least one automatic suffix in a registry;

determining whether the one character of text comprises a single word wherein determining whether the one character of text comprises the single word comprises determining, prior to receiving another character of text, that the one character of text comprises a character other than a period;

when it is determined that the one character of text comprises the single word, adding the automatic prefix and the automatic suffix to the one character of text to form a combined address and displaying the combined address as an entry in a selection list;

when it is determined that the one character of text does not comprise a single word, not adding the automatic prefix and the automatic suffix to the one character of text to form a combined address and not displaying the combined address as an entry in the selection list and displaying a string list in the web browser with a string list item wherein the string list item comprises a text string containing at least one instance of the character without regard to the location of the character within the text string;

searching, when it is determined that the one character of text comprises the single word, a history folder in the electronic device to find at least one address with the one character of text, the history folder comprising universal resource locators previously viewed by a user from a web browser program module;

displaying, when it is determined that the one character of text comprises the single word, the at least one address in the selection list;

receiving, when it is determined that the one character of text does not comprise the single word, the another character of text; and

determining, when it is determined that the one character of text does not comprise the single word, whether a combination of the one character of text and the another character of text comprises the single word wherein determining whether the combination of the one character of text and the another character of text comprises the single word comprises determining, prior to receiving yet another character of text, that the another character of text comprises the character other than a period.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selection list is a selection list in the web browser program module and the combined address and the plurality of addresses comprise URLs for Internet addresses.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving an input selecting the one character of text and navigating the web browser program module to view a web page located at an address defined by the one character of text.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving an input selecting the combined address and navigating the web browser program module to view a web page located at the combined address.