Intelligent default selection in an on-screen keyboard

• US 8,132,118 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Danker, Daniel, Wasserman, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US11/537,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 715/711, 715/773, 715/812, 715/816, 715/822, 715/780, 707/759, 707/765, 707/766, 707/767, 725/37, 725/39, 725/53
• US Class Current: 715/780
• 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 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for intelligent default selection of characters to be entered via an on-screen keyboard. Based on one to several criteria, a character most likely to be selected for entry via the on-screen keyboard during a search request is determined and a selector is positioned at that particular character. If that character is indeed the character the user wishes to enter, the user does not have to execute any navigation steps to enter the character, but can—with a single actuation—enter that character. In many instances, the user will only have to enter the selection without first having to navigate to the selection. As a result, the number of times buttons need to be actuated by the user to enter a character string can be significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, directs one or more processors to generate a graphical user interface, comprising:

an on-screen keyboard displaying a set of characters to allow the user to select one or more characters for entry as a search term into a character entry field, the on-screen keyboard further displaying one character of the set of characters as a selected default character for selection with a single actuation, wherein the default character is selected based on search results associated with one or more previously selected characters, the search results having first characters matching the one or more previously selected characters and the default character being a most frequently appearing character following the first characters in the search results;

the character entry field configured to display one or more characters entered as the search term by a user to search for one or more content items corresponding to ones of the search results;

at least one character entry field description region to provide a description of the search term;

one or more search result description fields to respectively display character strings associated with the search results matching the previously selected characters, wherein the character strings are ordered based on frequencies of appearance of a next character following the previously selected characters within the search results and based on alphabetic order within each subset of search results sharing a same next character; and

at least one search result description region to provide a description of the search result description fields.

2. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the on-screen keyboard further comprises, a selector configured to be situated in relation to an on-screen keyboard character so that the single actuation selects the on-screen keyboard character situated relative to the selector.

3. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the on-screen keyboard further comprises, a selector configured to change the character to any character included in the set of characters available for selection, wherein the single actuation selects the character displayed in the character selection field.

4. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising a new search button configured to initiate a search.

5. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the search result description fields are selectable by the user to access content items associated with the search results.

6. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more scroll actuators configured to scroll through the search result description fields.

7. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more scroll actuators are configured to scroll through additional search result description fields not displayed on the graphical user interface.

8. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising an exit button configured to close the graphical user interface.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising a title bar configured to display captions and information to the user.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the title bar displays one or more of a broadcast network name, page title or current time.

11. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, directs one or more processors to generate a graphical user interface, comprising:

a character display field displaying a one character of a set of characters to allow the user to select the one character or a different character for entry as a search term into a character entry field, the one character being a default character selected based on search results associated with one or more previously selected characters, the search results having first characters matching the one or more previously selected characters and the default character being a most frequently appearing character following the first characters in the search results;

the character entry field configured to display one or more characters entered as the search term by a user to search for one or more content items corresponding to ones of the search results;

at least one character entry field description region to provide a description of the search term;

one or more search result description fields to respectively display character strings associated with the search results matching the previously selected characters, wherein the character strings are ordered based on frequencies of appearance of a next character following the previously selected characters within the search results and based on alphabetic order within each subset of search results sharing a same next character; and

at least one search result description region to provide a description of the search result description fields.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the character display field further comprises one or more scroll actuators configured to scroll through a list of characters.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising a new search button configured to initiate a search.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the search result description fields are selectable by the user to access content items associated with the search results.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising an exit button configured to close the graphical user interface.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising a title bar configured to display captions and information to the user.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the title bar displays one or more of a broadcast network name, page title or current time.

18. A method, comprising:

selecting a default character based on search results associated with one or more previously selected characters, the search results having first characters matching the one or more previously selected characters and the default character being a most frequently appearing character following the first characters in the search results;

displaying an on-screen keyboard in that includes a set of characters in a graphical user interface, one character of the set of characters being visually indicated as the default character for selection with a single actuation;

receiving a selection of one character of the set of characters;

determining a plurality of search results matching a search term, the search term including characters that match the previously selected characters and the selected one of the set of characters;

ordering character strings associated with the plurality of search results based on frequencies of appearance of a next character following the previously selected characters within the plurality of search results and based on alphabetic order within each subset of search results sharing a same next character; and

displaying the ordered character strings in one or more search result description fields of the graphical user interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying a search result description region to provide a description of the search result description fields.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying a character entry field configured to display one or more characters entered as the search term by a user to search for one or more content items corresponding to ones of the search results.