Predictive user interface

• US 7,487,147 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Yutaka, White, Payton R., Bates, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio; Vincent F
• Application Number:
  US11/181,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/1, 715/789, 715/835, 715/834
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A user interface enables the input of text and other complicated inputs by identifying entities having an increased likelihood of being selected and decreasing the precision needed to select these entities. The user interface displays a set of entities in a radial pattern. The user manipulates a pointer with a joystick or other input device to select entities. The entities having a higher selection probabilities are allocated more space in the pattern than the other entities. The entities having a higher selection probabilities may also be emphasized with visual cues. Selection probabilities may be determined by comparing a sequence of entities previously selected, such as a partially input word, with a set of commonly selected sequences of entities, such as a set of words commonly used by users. The user interface can display a list of words corresponding with a sequence of selected entities, including characters from different writing systems.

Claims

1. A computer program product embedded in a computer memory and including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a user interface for a system comprising:

a pointer adapted to be positioned by a user via an input device; and

a set of entities arranged in a single radial pattern, each entity being associated with a selection probability the entity associated with a selection area being selected as an input in response to the pointer contacting the selection area,

wherein each entity associated with a selection area is a character used to write a language, and

wherein, in response to each input specifying at least one character, a new selection probability is determined for at least a first portion of the set of entities by comparing the input to a set of possible language results beginning with the at least one character specified by the input, the selection area of at least a second portion of the entities being adjusted to correspond to a respective new selection probability.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein each of the set of entities is arranged according to its associated selection probability.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the selection probabilities of the set of entities is further determined at least in part from a set of one or more previously-selected entities.

4. The user interface of claim 3, further including a dictionary module, wherein the set of possible language results includes a dictionary module.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein a visual cue is applied to each of at least a portion of the set of entities based on its associated selection probability, the visual cue adapted to visually distinguish the entity.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the visual cue includes a color.

7. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the visual cue is a radial offset applied to the position of the entity.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a list of words adapted to be displayed in response to a sequence of entities selected by a user.

9. The user interface of claim 8, wherein the sequence of entities forms a portion of a word being input by a user and each of the list of words matches the portion of the word.

10. The user interface of claim 8, wherein the sequence of entities forms at least a portion of a word using a first set of characters and each of the list of words corresponds to the sequence of entities using a second set of characters.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a joystick.

12. A method of processing user input provided via an input device, the method comprising:

providing for display a set of entities arranged in a single radial pattern and associated with a selection area;

receiving at least one input value from an input device;

mapping each input value to one of the set of entities, each entity corresponding to a character used to write a language;

determining a selection probability for each of at least a first portion of the set of entities by comparing each input value to a set of possible language results beginning with the character corresponding to each input value; and

adjusting the selection area for at least a second portion of the set of entities to correspond to a respective selection probability.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein mapping the input value to one of the set of entities uses a default mapping.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the set of entities includes arranging the set of entities in a radial pattern such that each of at least a portion of the set of entities is allocated space in the pattern proportional to its selection probability.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining a set of selection probabilities includes a dictionary module adapted to determine the set of selection probabilities for the set of entities based on at least the entity corresponding to the input value and a representative sample of sequences of entities selected by typical users.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the set of entities includes applying a visual cue to each of at least a portion of the set of entities based on its associated selection probability, the visual cue adapted to visually distinguish the entity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual cue includes a color.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual cue is a radial offset applied to the position of the entity.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a list of words in response to a sequence of entities selected by a user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sequence of entities forms a portion of a word being input by a user and each of the list of words matches the portion of the word.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the sequence of entities forms at least a portion of a word using a first set of characters and each of the list of words corresponds to the sequence of entities using a second set of characters.