Method of learning a context of a segment of text, and associated handheld electronic device

• US 8,395,586 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fux, Vadim, Kolomiets, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): MANDEVILLE, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US11/427,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-171, 341 22- 28, 708142-146
• US Class Current: 345/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/246 using linguistic properties, e.g. specific for English or German language
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/262 using context analysis, e.g. lexical, syntactic or semantic context

Abstract

An improved method of learning a context of a segment of text input enables facilitated text input on an improved handheld electronic device. In response to a series of inputs, segments and other objects are analyzed to generate a proposed character interpretation of the series of inputs. Responsive to detecting a replacement of a segment of the character interpretation with another segment, a combination object comprising the another segment and a preceding object is stored. In response to another series of inputs, the combination object can be employed by a processing algorithm to ascertain a preference for the another segment in the context of the preceding object of the combination object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, inputs corresponding to a first set of characters selected from a first alphabet;

outputting, by the device, a second set of characters associated with the first set of characters, the second set of characters being selected from a second alphabet;

receiving, by the device, a selection of one or more of the characters of the second set of characters;

outputting, by the device, one or more replacement characters from the second alphabet;

receiving, by the device, an editing input replacing the one or more of the characters of the second set of characters with the one or more replacement characters from the second alphabet;

storing, by the device, a combination object comprising;

a representation of the one or more replacement characters, and a representation of at least one of the characters from the second set of characters, different from the one or more replacement characters;

determining a frequency with which the characters represented by the combination object are used together based on user inputs; and

providing the characters represented by the combination object together, in response to one or more subsequent inputs, based on the frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters different from the one or more replacement characters precede the one or more replacement characters in the second set of characters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving subsequent inputs identifying the characters represented by the combination object; and

categorizing the characters represented by the combination object as a learned segment of characters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the combination object is stored after receiving the editing input.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the inputs identify several characters from the first alphabet that correspond to a single character from the second alphabet.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first alphabet is the Latin alphabet, and the second alphabet includes Mandarin Chinese characters.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the several characters from the Latin alphabet comprise a pin corresponding to a single Mandarin Chinese character.

5. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving inputs corresponding to a first set of characters selected from a first alphabet;

outputting a second set of characters associated with the first set of characters, the second set of characters being selected from a second alphabet;

receiving, by the device, a selection of one or more of the characters of the second set of characters;

outputting, by the device, one or more replacement characters from the second alphabet;

receiving, by the device, an editing input replacing the one or more of the characters of the second set of characters with the one or more replacement characters from the second alphabet;

storing a combination object comprising;

a representation of the one or more replacement characters, and a representation of at least one of the characters from the second set of characters, different from the one or more replacement characters;

determining a frequency with which the characters represented by the combination object are used together based on user inputs; and

providing the characters represented by the combination object together, in response to one or more subsequent inputs, based on the frequency.

6. The handheld electronic device of claim 5, wherein the characters different from the one or more replacement characters precede the one or more replacement characters in the second set of characters.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 5 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving subsequent inputs identifying the characters represented by the combination object; and

categorizing the characters represented by the combination object as a learned segment of characters.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 5 wherein the combination object is stored after receiving the editing input.