Device and method of conveying meaning

• US 8,166,418 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ZI Corporation of Canada Incorporated (Cerence Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Roland E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US11/752,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/758, 715/825, 715/838, 715/839, 715/866, 715/977, 707 3- 5
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/977 Dynamic icon, e.g. animated or live action

Abstract

Methods of and devices for inserting a pictorial artifact into a text document are described. A relational database is used to link possible text-entries with pictorial artifacts. A pictorial artifact has a meaning that corresponds to its linked possible text-entry. When text is entered, the database is searched to determine whether a match exists between the entered text and one of the possible text-entries in the database. If a match is found, the linked pictorial artifact is provided to the user for selection and entry into the text document. The pictorial artifacts may be modified, and modified artifacts may be used in a search of the database to locate linked text-entries, in order to permit the user to select alternate text.

Claims

1. A method of inserting a pictorial artifact into a mobile device text document, comprising:

providing a database containing a plurality of objects that are linked to at least one pictorial artifact, wherein said database is operatively coupled with a mobile device comprising a processor, a display, a selection device, and a reduced keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, each key being associated with at least two characters;

receiving at least one text string from an input device of said mobile device, wherein said text string comprises a plurality of key inputs;

predicting, after each key input, one or more object candidates corresponding to said at least one text string;

searching the database to determine whether the object candidate matches an object that is linked with at least one pictorial artifact;

determining, after each key input, whether said object candidate matches a particular object that is linked to at least one pictorial artifact;

if the object candidate matches a particular object that is linked with a pictorial artifact, then automatically displaying the linked pictorial artifact on said display device;

receiving a user indication via said selection device;

interpreting said indication, by said processor, thereby determining whether pictorial artifact after said object candidate or reject the insertion and display of the provided pictorial artifact after the display of said object candidate;

inserting and displaying on said display the selected pictorial artifact into a text document upon confirmation that said indication is meant to confirm insertion and display of the provided pictorial artifact after the display of said object candidate;

providing modification options that may be used to modify the confirmed pictorial artifact;

selecting a modification option; and

modifying the confirmed pictorial artifact according to the selected modification option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmed pictorial artifact is inserted into the text document at an end of a sentence in which the object candidate resides.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification options correspond to the appearance of lines comprising the pictorial artifact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modification options changes a color of the pictorial artifact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modification options changes a fill-pattern of the pictorial artifact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modification options is a density parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modification options includes sound.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile device further comprises a movable controller wherein a first set of the modification options may be selected by moving the controller in a first manner, and a second set of the modification options may be selected by moving the controller in a second manner.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching the database for alternate objects corresponding to the modified pictorial artifact, and providing the alternate objects corresponding to the modified pictorial artifact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alternate objects includes word objects from a language different from that of the received text.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an alternate pictorial artifact corresponding to the modified pictorial artifact.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting the received text until the linked pictorial artifact is selected.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the provided pictorial artifact is accomplished by touching a portion of said display where the pictorial artifact is displayed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pictorial artifact is a sprite.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen display, wherein the keyboard comprises a virtual keyboard, and wherein the selection device comprises a virtual selection device.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a database containing a plurality of objects that are linked to at least one pictorial artifact;

a display device;

a reduced keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, each key being associated with at least two characters, wherein said reduced keyboard is capable of receiving text strings from a user;

a microprocessor configured to;

predict, after each key input, one or more object candidates corresponding to said at least one text string;

search the database to determine whether the object candidates is linked with at least one pictorial artifact;

determine, after each key input, whether said object candidate matches a particular object that is linked to at least one pictorial artifact; and

if the object candidate matches a particular object that is linked with a pictorial artifact, then automatically displaying the linked pictorial artifact on said display device;

a selection device which allows the user to provide a user indication to confirm or reject the insertion and display of said pictorial artifact,

wherein the processor is further configured for interpreting said indication, by said processor, thereby determining whether said indication is meant to confirm insertion and display of the provided pictorial artifact after the display of said object candidate or reject the insertion and display of the provided pictorial artifact after the display of said object candidate; and

a display device which is able to display the selected pictorial artifact in conjunction with the received text upon confirmation that said indication is meant to confirm insertion of the provided pictorial artifact after said object candidate;

wherein the display device is able to provide modification options that may be used to modify the selected pictorial artifact.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the display device displays the selected pictorial artifact at an end of a sentence in which the received text resides.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the modification options changes a color of the pictorial artifact.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the modification options changes a fill-pattern of the pictorial artifact.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the modification options changes a density parameter of the pictorial artifact.

21. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising a speaker, and wherein at least one of the modification options includes sound that may be made audible using the speaker.

22. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the selection device includes a controller, and a first set of the modification options may be selected by moving the controller in a first manner, and a second set of the modification options may be selected by moving the controller in a second manner.

23. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to search the database for an alternate object corresponding to a modified pictorial artifact, and causing the display to provide the alternate objects corresponding to the modified pictorial artifact.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the alternate objects includes objects from a language different from that of the received text string.

25. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the selection device and the display device use a single monitor.

26. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the display comprises a touch screen display, wherein the keyboard comprises a virtual keyboard, and wherein the selection device comprises a virtual selection device.