Method, system, and graphical user interface for text entry with partial word display

• US 7,793,228 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Levy, Michael Robert, Mansfield, Philip Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US11/549,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 715/773, 715/780, 715/816, 715/863, 715/864, 715/815
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for text entry includes receiving entered text from a user, selecting a set of candidate sequences for completing or continuing the sequence, and presenting the candidate sequences to the user, wherein the candidate sequences include partial words. The candidate sequences are identified based on usage frequency weights stored in a tree data structure. A graphical user interface for text entry includes displaying a current input sequence of characters and the identified partial words.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an input sequence of one or more alphabet characters;

identifying one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria with respect to the input sequence, each candidate sequence comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and one or more additional alphabet characters, wherein;

the candidate sequences include partial words; and

the identifying one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria comprises;

identifying a character sequence tree data structure, each node of the character sequence tree corresponding to a distinct character sequence, the input sequence corresponding to a first node in the character sequence tree; and

selecting one or more candidate character sequences corresponding to one or more descendent nodes of the first node that have values above a predefined threshold, wherein a respective value for a respective descendent node of the first node is the usage frequency weight of the respective descendent node divided by the usage frequency weight of the first node; and

presenting a candidate sequence from the one or more identified candidate sequences that is a partial word, wherein the partial word comprises a concatenation of the input sequence and two or more additional alphabet characters and the partial word by itself is not a complete word.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a concatenation of the input sequence and a whitespace.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a plurality of sequences, each of the plurality of sequences comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and a distinct alphabet character from a predefined set of alphabet characters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to user input, selecting a presented partial word.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined threshold is 0.05.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting includes presenting a respective partial word that has at least two alphabet characters concatenated to the input sequence.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a candidate sequence that is a phrase with two or more words.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage frequency criteria are automatically updated based on text input by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage frequency criteria take into account grammar rules.

10. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with memory and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

an input sequence of one or more alphabet characters;

one or more partial word suggestions that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria with respect to the input sequence, each partial word suggestion comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and two or more additional alphabet characters and the partial word by itself is not a complete word;

wherein;

the input sequence of one or more alphabet characters are received from a user;

a character sequence data tree structure is identified, each node of the character sequence tree corresponding to a distinct character sequence, the input sequence corresponding to a first node in the character sequence tree; and

one or more partial word suggestions corresponding to one or more descendent nodes of the first node that have values above a predefined threshold are selected, wherein a respective value for a respective descendent node of the first node is the usage frequency weight of the respective descendent node divided by the usage frequency weight of the first node.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and a whitespace.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of sequences, each of the plurality of sequences comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and a distinct alphabet character from a predefined set of alphabet characters.

13. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device, cause the portable electronic device to:

receive an input sequence of one or more alphabet characters;

identify one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria with respect to the input sequence, each candidate sequence comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and one or more additional alphabet characters, wherein;

the candidate sequences include partial words; and

identifying one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria comprises;

identifying a character sequence tree data structure, each node of the character sequence tree corresponding to a distinct character sequence, the input sequence corresponding to a first node in the character sequence tree; and

selecting one or more candidate character sequences corresponding to one or more descendent nodes of the first node that have values above a predefined threshold, wherein a respective value for a respective descendent node of the first node is the usage frequency weight of the respective descendent node divided by the usage frequency weight of the first node; and

present a candidate sequence from the one or more identified candidate sequences that is a partial word, wherein the partial word comprises a concatenation of the input sequence and two or more additional alphabet characters and the partial word by itself is not a complete word.

14. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the is one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

instructions to receive an input sequence of one or more alphabet characters;

instructions to identify one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria with respect to the input sequence, each candidate sequence comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and one or more additional alphabet characters, wherein;

the candidate sequences include partial words; and

the instructions to identify one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria comprises;

instructions to identify a character sequence tree data structure, each node of the character sequence tree corresponding to a distinct character sequence, the input sequence corresponding to a first node in the character sequence tree; and

instructions to select one or more candidate character sequences corresponding to one or more descendent nodes of the first node that have values above a predefined threshold, wherein a respective value for a respective descendent node of the first node is the usage frequency weight of the respective descendent node divided by the usage frequency weight of the first node; and

instructions for presenting a candidate sequence from the one or more identified candidate sequences that is a partial word, wherein the partial word comprises a concatenation of the input sequence and two or more additional alphabet characters and the partial word by itself is not a complete word.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

means for receiving an input sequence of one or more alphabet characters;

means for identifying one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria with respect to the input sequence, each candidate sequence comprising a concatenation of the input sequence and one or more additional alphabet characters, wherein;

the candidate sequences include partial words; and

the means for identifying one or more candidate sequences that satisfy predefined usage frequency criteria comprises;

means for identifying a character sequence tree data structure, each node of the character sequence tree corresponding to a distinct character sequence, the input sequence corresponding to a first node in the character sequence tree; and

means for selecting one or more candidate character sequences corresponding to one or more descendent nodes of the first node that have values above a predefined threshold, wherein a respective value for a respective descendent node of the first node is the usage frequency weight of the respective descendent node divided by the usage frequency weight of the first node; and

means for presenting a candidate sequence from the one or more identified candidate sequences that is a partial word, wherein the partial word comprises a concatenation of the input sequence and two or more additional alphabet characters and the partial word by itself is not a complete word.