Automatic language selection for writing text messages on a handheld device based on a preferred language of the recipient

• US 7,825,901 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Potera, Pawel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/003,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-172, 455/437, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/466
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A mobile station (101) and a method of operating the mobile station (101) are provided. The mobile station (101) determines a preferred language of an electronic message recipient (605) when a user initiates an electronic messaging application and selects a first recipient from an address book (309). The mobile station (101) launches a dictionary for the preferred language if the dictionary is available in memory (205) and not already active from a previous session. If the dictionary for the preferred language is not available in memory (205), the mobile station (101) may download it from a remote server (121).

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile station comprising:

initiating a messaging application of the mobile station;

selecting a message recipient of the messaging application from an address book;

determining a preferred language of the message recipient based on an address book entry of the address book for the message recipient;

determining whether a dictionary for the preferred language is available in a memory of the mobile station;

downloading from a remote server at least one of a mobile station application and a new dictionary corresponding to the preferred language if the dictionary is not available;

launching the dictionary for the preferred language; and

using a dictionary feature for subsequently entered text.

2. A method of operating a mobile station comprising:

initiating a messaging application of the mobile station;

selecting a message recipient of the messaging application from an address book;

determining a preferred language of the message recipient based on an address book entry of the address book for the message recipient;

determining whether a dictionary for the preferred language is already activated from a previous session;

launching the dictionary for the preferred language if the dictionary is not already activated; and

using a dictionary feature for subsequently entered text.