Handheld electronic device with text disambiquation employing advanced word frequency learning feature

• US 7,403,188 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason T., Fux, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mandeville; Jason M
• Application Number:
  US11/098,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-171, 341 22- 28, 708142-146
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. An enhanced word frequency learning feature is provided. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided. Additionally, the device can facilitate the selection of variants by displaying a graphic of a special <NEXT> key of the keypad that enables a user to progressively select variants generally without changing the position of the user'"'"'s hands on the device. If a field into which text is being entered is determined to be a special input field, a disambiguated result can be sought first from a predetermined data source prior to seeking results from other data sources on the device.

Claims

1. A method of disambiguating an input into a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a processor apparatus including a memory having a plurality of objects stored therein, the plurality of objects including a plurality of language objects and a plurality of frequency objects, each of at least a portion of the plurality of language objects being associated with an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the input apparatus including a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the plurality of input members having a plurality of linguistic elements assigned thereto, the method comprising:

detecting an initial ambiguous input;

determining that a first language object of the plurality of language objects corresponds with the initial ambiguous input;

determining that a second language object of the plurality of language objects corresponds with the initial ambiguous input;

determining that an associated first frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects is associated with the first language object and has a first frequency value;

determining that an associated second frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects is associated with the second language object and has a second frequency value;

determining that the first frequency value is relatively greater than the second frequency value;

outputting an initial output including an initial default output and an initial variant output;

outputting the first language object as at least a portion of the initial default output;

outputting the second language object as at least a portion of the initial variant output;

detecting a delimiter input with respect to the at least a portion of the initial variant output;

detecting a subsequent ambiguous input, the subsequent ambiguous input being the same as the initial ambiguous input;

determining that said first language object corresponds with the subsequent ambiguous input;

determining that said second language object corresponds with the subsequent ambiguous input;

determining that said associated first frequency object is associated with said first language object and has said first frequency value;

determining that said associated second frequency object is associated with said second language object and has said second frequency value;

determining that said first frequency value is relatively greater than said second frequency value;

outputting a subsequent output including a subsequent default output and a subsequent variant output;

outputting said first language object as at least a portion of the subsequent default output;

outputting said second language object as at least a portion of the subsequent variant output;

detecting a delimiter input with respect to the at least a portion of the subsequent variant output;

determining that the subsequent ambiguous input was the first instance of the subsequent ambiguous input since the initial ambiguous input has been input into the handheld electronic device; and

assigning to the second language object a new frequency object having a frequency value greater than the frequency value of the first frequency object.

2. A handheld electronic device comprising:

an input apparatus;

an output apparatus;

and a processor apparatus including a memory having a plurality of objects stored therein, with the plurality of objects including a plurality of language objects and a plurality of frequency objects, and with each of at least a portion of the plurality of language objects being associated with an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects;

the input apparatus includes a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the plurality of input members having a plurality of linguistic elements assigned thereto;

the processor apparatus is adapted to detect an initial ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that a first language object of the plurality of language objects corresponds with the initial ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that a second language object of the plurality of language objects corresponds with the initial ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that an associated first frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects is associated with the first language object and has a first frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that an associated second frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects is associated with the second language object and has a second frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that the first frequency value is relatively greater than the second frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output an initial output including an initial default output and an initial variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output the first language object as at least a portion of the initial default output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output the second language object as at least a portion of the initial variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to detect a delimiter input with respect to the at least a portion of the initial variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to detect a subsequent ambiguous input, the subsequent ambiguous input being the same as the initial ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that said first language object corresponds with the subsequent ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that said second language object corresponds with the subsequent ambiguous input;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that said associated first frequency object is associated with said first language object and has said first frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that said associated second frequency object is associated with said second language object and has said second frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that said first frequency value is relatively greater than said second frequency value;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output a subsequent output including a subsequent default output and a subsequent variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output said first language object as at least a portion of the subsequent default output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to output said second language object as at least a portion of the subsequent variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to detect a delimiter input with respect to the at least a portion of the subsequent variant output;

the processor apparatus is adapted to determine that the subsequent ambiguous input was the first instance of the subsequent ambiguous input since the initial ambiguous input has been input into the hand held electronic device; and

the processor apparatus is adapted to assign to the second language object a new frequency object having a frequency value greater than the frequency value of the first frequency object.