Handheld electronic device and method for disambiguation of text input and providing spelling substitution

• US 8,537,118 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fux, Vadim, Rubanovich, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US12/843,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-178, 345/184, 715810-816, 715/236, 715/257, 715/745, 715261-263, 715/215, 341 20- 23, 704 1- 10, 704/251, 708/446
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate text input. The device is structured to identify and output representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a text input. The device is additionally structured to identify and output representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a known spelling substitution particular to a language active on the handheld electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of enabling an input into a handheld electronic device of a type including an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory, the method comprising:

detecting an ambiguous input;

generating an original prefix object corresponding to the ambiguous input;

identifying a known spelling substitution for a portion of the original prefix object;

generating a prefix object having the known spelling substitution;

identifying a language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution; and

outputting the original prefix object based, at least in part, on the identification of the language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is in a predetermined language, the method further comprising identifying as the spelling substitution a spelling substitution specific to the predetermined language.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising failing to find a language object corresponding with the original prefix object and, responsive thereto, initiating the identifying the spelling substitution.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining an associated frequency object associated with a language object corresponding with the original prefix object and having a frequency value; and

associating the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the original prefix object.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting a selection of the predetermined language.

6. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein a plurality of objects;

an input apparatus structured to provide input to the processor apparatus; and

an output apparatus structured to receive output signals from the processor and to provide output,

wherein responsive to an ambiguous input, the processor apparatus being structured to generate an original prefix object corresponding to the ambiguous input,

the processor apparatus being structured to identify a known spelling substitution for a portion of the original prefix object;

the processor apparatus being structured to generate a prefix object having the known spelling substitution;

the processor apparatus being structured to identify a language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution; and

the output apparatus being structured to output the original prefix object based, at least in part, on the identification of the language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution.

7. The handheld electronic device of claim 6, wherein the input is in a predetermined language, and wherein the processor apparatus is structured to identify as the spelling substitution a spelling substitution specific to the predetermined language.

8. The handheld electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor apparatus is structured to fail to find a language object corresponding with the original prefix object and, responsive thereto, to initiate identifying the spelling substitution.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor apparatus is structured to:

obtain an associated frequency object associated with a language object corresponding with the original prefix object and having a frequency value; and

associate the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the original prefix object.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor apparatus is structured to detect a selection of the predetermined language.

11. A method of enabling an input into a handheld electronic device of a type including an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory, the method compromising:

detecting an ambiguous input;

generating a number of prefix objects corresponding to the ambiguous input;

selecting a prefix object from the number of prefix objects;

identifying a known spelling substitution for a portion of the selected prefix object;

generating a prefix object having the known spelling substitution;

identifying a language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution; and

outputting the selected prefix object based, at least in part, on the identification of the language object corresponding with the prefix object having the known spelling substitution.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is in a predetermined language, and further comprising identifying as the spelling substitution a spelling substitution specific to the predetermined language.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining an associated frequency object associated with the identified language object and having a frequency value; and

associating the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the selected prefix object.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a selection of the predetermined language.