Handheld electronic device and associated method employing a multiple-axis input device and learning a context of a text input for use by a disambiguation routine

• US 8,677,038 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fux, Vadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US13/792,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• 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 40/232 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. In addition to identifying and outputting representations of language objects that are stored in the memory and that correspond with a text input, the device is able to employ contextual data in certain circumstances to prioritize output and to learn new contextual data.

Claims

1. A method of enabling input into a handheld electronic device that comprises a processor and a memory storing a plurality of language objects and contextual data, the method comprising:

detecting a first input as a first language object;

detecting an input comprising one or more key selections as a second input;

outputting, as proposed interpretations of the second input, at least a portion of a particular language object and at least a portion of an another language object;

detecting a selection of the portion of the particular language object;

locating an entry in a data file comprising a contextual value object that corresponds with the first language object, wherein the contextual value object is associated with a key object that corresponds with the another language object; and

removing the entry from the data file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual value object is associated with the key object based on the key object occurring at a statistically significant incidence with the another language object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an input from a touch screen display as the selection of the portion of the particular language object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual value object is a representation of the first language object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the representation is a hash of the first language object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the key object is stored as a hash value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual value object is a punctuation symbol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual value object comprises a representation of a numerically-indicated date format.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual value comprises a particular word.

10. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor and a memory storing a plurality of language objects and contextual data and a number of routines which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to be configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting a first input as a first language object;

detecting an input comprising one or more key selections as a second input;

outputting, as proposed interpretations of the second input, at least a portion of a particular language object and at least a portion of an another language object;

detecting a selection of the portion of the particular language object;

locating an entry in a data file comprising a contextual value object that corresponds with the first language object, wherein the contextual value object is associated with a key object that corresponds with the another language object; and

removing the entry from the data file.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the contextual value object is associated with the key object based on the key object occurring at a statistically significant incidence with the another language object.

12. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising detecting an input from a touch screen display as the selection of the portion of the particular language object.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the contextual value object is a representation of the first language object.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the representation is a hash of the first language object.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the key object is stored as a hash value.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the contextual value object is a punctuation symbol.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the contextual value object comprises a representation of a numerically-indicated date format.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the contextual value comprises a particular word.