Composing a message in an online textbox using a non-latin script

• US 8,122,353 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bouta, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/267,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20100122203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10, 704/277, 715262-264, 715/780
• US Class Current: 715/262
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion

Abstract

A method and an apparatus are provided for composing a message in an online textbox using a non-Latin script. In one example, the method includes receiving a selection of a target language for composing the message in the online textbox, loading a hash table and an integer n that are associated with the target language, adding to a queue a character inputted from a QWERTY keyboard, and applying appropriate parsing and mapping techniques to the queue using the hash table and the integer n to display an appropriate script of the target language.

Claims

1. A method for composing a message in an online textbox using a non-Latin script, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a target language for composing the message in the online textbox;

loading a hash table and an integer n that are associated with the target language, the hash table comprises a plurality of entries mapping at least one character of a first language to at least one character of the target language, the integer n comprises a maximum number of characters to add to a queue;

receiving an input comprising a character of the first language;

adding to the queue the received character of the first language by determining a number of characters in the queue, if the number of characters in the queue is more than n, then removing at least one character from the queue in a first-in and first-out manner and adding the received character to the end of the queue; and

parsing the queue by using the hash table to map the queue to an entry in the hash table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises:

determining that the queue does not have more than n characters; and

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises matching the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises:

failing to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table;

adding to the queue another character inputted; and

continuing to apply the parsing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the selection of the target language comprises toggling from one target language to another target language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises:

adding a flushing functionality to the parsing;

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table; and

flushing the queue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the parsing further comprises:

adding a slider functionality to the parsing;

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table; and

displaying a list of multiple corresponding scripts from the hash table.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the parsing further comprises:

receiving a selection of a script from the list of multiple corresponding scripts; and

displaying the appropriate script based on the selection of the script from the list of multiple corresponding scripts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading the hash table and the integer n comprises downloading from an external computing device to a user computer at least one of:

the hash table; and

the integer n.

10. An apparatus, comprising at least one processor and memory, for composing a message in an online textbox using a non-Latin script, the apparatus being configured for:

receiving a selection of a target language for composing the message in the online textbox;

loading a hash table and an integer n that are associated with the target language, the hash table comprises a plurality of entries mapping at least one character of a first language to at least one character of the target language, the integer n comprises a maximum number of characters to add to a queue;

receiving an input comprising a character of the first language;

adding to the queue the received character of the first language by determining a number of characters in the queue, if the number of characters in the queue is more than n, then removing at least one character from the queue in a first-in and first-out manner and adding the received character to the end of the queue; and

parsing the queue by using the hash table to map the queue to an entry in the hash table.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

determining that the queue does not have more than n characters; and

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wherein the apparatus is further configured for matching the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

failing to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table;

adding to the queue another character inputted; and

continuing to apply the parsing.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for toggling from one target language to another target language.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

adding a flushing functionality to the parsing;

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table; and

flushing the queue.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

adding a slider functionality to the parsing;

attempting to match the queue to a corresponding script in the hash table; and

displaying a list of multiple corresponding scripts from the hash table.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

receiving a selection of a script from the list of multiple corresponding scripts; and

displaying the appropriate script based on the selection of the script from the list of multiple corresponding scripts.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured for downloading from an external computing device to a user computer at least one of:

the hash table; and

the integer n.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying one or more instructions for composing a message in an online textbox using a non-Latin script, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a selection of a target language for composing the message in the online textbox;

loading a hash table and an integer n that are associated with the target language, the hash table comprises a plurality of entries mapping at least one character of a first language to at least one character of the target language, the integer n comprises a maximum number of characters to add to a queue;

receiving an input comprising a character of the first language;

adding to the queue the received character of the first language by determining a number of characters in the queue, if the number of characters in the queue is more than n, then removing at least one character from the queue in a first-in and first-out manner and adding the received character to the end of the queue; and

parsing the queue by using the hash table to map the queue to an entry in the hash table.