Method and system of handling the selection of alternates for recognized words

• US 7,457,466 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lui, Charlton E., Altman, Dan W., Williamson, Peter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US11/553,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20070053591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 382/187, 715/541, 704/235
• US Class Current: 382/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/387 using human interaction, e.g. selection of the best displayed recognition candidate
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating the selection of alternates for hand written word. Rules select words user based on operating modes and cursor positions and sequential orderings. User interfaces can also be used to select words and to provide alternates for the selected words having alternates. Words that the recognizer believes correct to a high actual or relative probability may be skipped over in automatic processes, and the display of words that the recognizer is less confident are correct can be modified. The user can adjust such sensitivity settings for determining the probability of correctness.

Claims

1. A user interface that is displayed with one or more words that have been identified as having alternate words that can replace the one or more identified words, wherein the user interface comprises:

a graphical display area for displaying an alternate list of words having one or more words that have been identified as alternates corresponding to a particular selected word is a handwritten word recognized by a computing system displaying the user interface; and

one or more selectable control objects, that when selected, cause the user interface to automatically and dynamically display a new alternate list of words corresponding to a new word and that includes one or more words that have been identified as alternates corresponding to the new word, and wherein the new word comprises a next or previous word within a set of words that are determined to contain alternates and without requiring any user input that specifically selects the new word by placing a cursor on the new word.

2. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical display area is automatically repositioned next to each word for which the list of alternate words is displayed when said list of alternate words is displayed.

3. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical display area is positioned along a bottom of a display screen of a display device.

4. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein an editing mode and a cursor position determine which words of a plurality of words is the particular selected word and the next word.

5. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface visually distinguishes words that have been determined as having alternates from words that have been determined as not having alternates.

6. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein user input corresponding to a sensitivity level is used for determining whether words will be considered as having alternates.

7. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternate list of words is displayed in the graphical display area along with a handwritten sample of a word for which the alternate list of words is provided.

8. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the selection of the particular selected word is based on probability information to determine whether a word has alternates associated therewith.

9. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein selection of the particular selected word is based on proximity of a cursor to the particular selected word while a computing device is set in a particular editing mode.

10. A user interface as recited in claim 9, wherein selection of the particular selected word is based on the cursor being positioned adjacent to a word having alternates.

11. A user interface as recited in claim 9, wherein selection of the particular selected word is based on the cursor being positioned within boundaries of the particular selected word.

12. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is alternatively displayed next to each of a plurality of words that are each determined to have alternates associated therewith, and in a sequential order beginning with a first identified word within the plurality of words having alternates associated therewith.

13. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more words positioned between the particular selected word and the new word are determined as failing to have corresponding alternates associated therewith.

14. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is automatically displayed upon detecting a particular editing mode.

15. A user interface as recited in claim 14, wherein the user interface is automatically displayed in a particular location upon detecting a cursor position.

16. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is automatically displayed in response to receiving a user selection of a plurality of words.

17. A user interface as recited in claim 16, wherein the selection of the plurality of words though a pen down and drag function.

18. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more words are entered by handwriting into the computing device through a touch sensitive interface on the computing device.

19. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions for displaying a user interface that is displayed with one or more words that have been identified as having alternate words that can replace the one or more identified words, and wherein the user interface comprises:

a graphical display area for displaying an alternate list of words having one or more words that have been identified as alternates corresponding to a particular selected word that is a handwritten word recognized by a computing system displaying the user interface; and

one or more selectable control objects, that when selected, cause the user interface to automatically and dynamically display a new alternate list of words corresponding to a new word and that includes one or more words that have been identified as alternates corresponding to the new word, and wherein the new word comprises a next or previous word within a set of words that are determined to contain alternates and without requiring any user input that specifically selects the new word by placing a cursor on the new word.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer program product comprises a computing device and wherein the computer-readable storage media includes memory.