Predictive text dictionary population

• US 8,112,708 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason, Tyneski, Frank M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSUI, WILSON W
• Application Number:
  US11/080,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,519 Days
• Field of Search: 715/532, 715/534, 715/256, 715/257, 715259-261, 715/700, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries

Abstract

A method and system for populating a predictive text dictionary is provided. A connection between a handheld electronic device and a network is detected. The handheld electronic device is operable to allow a user to enter text. The handheld electronic device has a predictive text dictionary that is operable to receive and employ sets of words. User preferences for the handheld electronic device are retrieved. The predictive text dictionary of the handheld electronic device is populated with a set of words at least partially based on the user preferences.

Claims

1. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

detecting a connection between said handheld electronic device and a server, said handheld electronic device having a predictive text dictionary and being operable to allow a user to enter text and to receive and place words in said predictive text dictionary;

the server in response to the detecting retrieving user preferences corresponding to a list of word categories for said handheld electronic device;

the server selecting a set of words from a word database at least partially based on said user preferences; and

the server providing said set of words to said handheld electronic device for placement in said predictive text dictionary, said set of words being at least partially based on said user preferences.

2. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a modification has been made to said user preferences,

and wherein said set of words selected from said word database corresponds to said modification.

3. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 1, wherein subsets of the words in said word database are associated with each of said categories.

4. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether a modification has been made to said subsets of the words in said word database associated with said user preferences,

and wherein said set of words selected from the words in said word database corresponds to said modification.

5. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 1, further comprising:

discarding at least one of the words in said predictive text dictionary of said handheld electronic device.

6. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining said at least one of the words in said predictive text dictionary based on usage by said user.

7. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining said at least one of said words in said predictive text dictionary based on an expiry date associated with the words.

8. A system for populating a predictive text dictionary on a handheld electronic device, the handheld device having an updateable predictive text dictionary, the system comprising:

electronic memory storing a word database of words associated with a list of word categories;

a server executing a user manager for retrieving user preferences of a user of said handheld electronic device corresponding to said categories;

electronic memory storing a user database for storing said user preferences;

a query module on the server for retrieving a subset of said words from said word database at least partially based on said user preferences; and

a communications module for communicating said at least one of said words to said handheld electronic device for inclusion in said predictive text dictionary.

9. A system for populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 8, wherein said user preferences are selected by said user.

10. A system for populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 8, wherein said subset of said words from said word database is selected by said query module has not been previously communicated to said handheld electronic device.

11. A system for populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 10, wherein said user database is also operable to store historical user preferences.

12. A system for populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 8, wherein said word database is also operable to store effective dates for each of said words.

13. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary, comprising:

a server detecting a location of a handheld electronic device operable to allow a user to enter text, said handheld electronic device having a predictive text dictionary and being operable to repeatedly receive and place words in said predictive text dictionary;

the server providing said handheld electronic device with a set of words specific to said location of said handheld electronic device for placement in said predictive text dictionary.

14. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device is a wireless handheld electronic device and said detecting is comprised of:

determining a wireless gateway with which said handheld electronic device is associated.

15. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device is capable of cellular communications and said detecting is comprised of determining a cellular tower with which said handheld electronic device is in communication.

16. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device is capable of cellular communications and said detecting is comprised of:

determining said location of said handheld electronic device based on cellular triangulation.

17. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, wherein said handheld electronic device has a GPS receiver and said detecting is comprised of:

determining a latitude and a longitude for said handheld electronic device.

18. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, further comprising:

comparing said location of said handheld electronic device to a previous location of said handheld electronic device to determine said set of words.

19. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 18, wherein said comparing further comprises:

retrieving a previous location of said handheld electronic device from a user data base.

20. A method of populating a predictive text dictionary according to claim 13, further comprising:

directing said handheld electronic device to discard at least one word in said predictive text dictionary associated with a previous location.