Methods and systems for a locally and temporally adaptive text prediction

• US 8,756,052 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Walker, David Ryan, Pasquero, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US13/460,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 704/270, 704/260, 704/235, 715/863, 715/816, 715/700, 715/261, 715/259, 709/224, 709/206, 375/357
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, having a locally and temporally adaptive prediction database.

Claims

1. A method of predicting an input object in a first electronic device coupled to a prediction database comprising a plurality of prediction objects, the method comprising:

receiving, by a second electronic device, a second text object;

determining whether the first electronic device is associated with the second electronic device based on a distance separating the first and the second electronic devices being shorter than a predefined distance;

if the first electronic device is associated with the second electronic device, updating the prediction database based on the second text object;

receiving, by the first electronic device, a first text object;

selecting, by the first electronic device, an output text object from the plurality of prediction objects; and

outputting, by the first electronic device, the output text object selected from the plurality of the prediction objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the first electronic device, the output text object selected from the plurality of the prediction objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of prediction objects is associated with a weight, and selecting the output text object based at least in part on the weights.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein updating the prediction database comprises finding within the plurality of prediction objects a prediction object associated with the second text object and increasing the weight associated with the prediction object.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising periodically decreasing weights associated with each of the plurality of prediction objects.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first electronic device is associated with the second electronic device is performed by a server coupled to the first electronic device and the second electronic device, the server configured to receive the second text object from the second electronic device and transmit the second text object to the first electronic device.

7. A system comprising:

a first electronic device associated with a prediction database comprising a plurality of prediction objects, the first electronic device comprising a processor configured to;

receive a first text object,

receive a second text object from a server, wherein the second text object is received by the server from a second electronic device coupled to the server and retransmitted by the server to the first electronic device if a distance separating the first and the second electronic devices is shorter than a predefined distance,

update the prediction database based on the second object, and output an output text object selected from the plurality of prediction objects.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of prediction objects is associated with a weight, and the processor is configured to select the output text object based at least in part on the weights.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to find within the plurality of prediction objects a prediction object associated with the second text object and increase the weight associated with the found prediction object.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to periodically decrease weights associated with each of the plurality of prediction objects.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to display the output text object selected from the plurality of prediction objects.

12. A server communicatively coupled to a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the server comprising a processor configured to:

receive a second text object from the second electronic device;

determine whether a distance separating the first and the second electronic devices is shorter than a predefined distance;

based on the determination, transmit the second text object to the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is associated with a prediction database comprising a plurality of prediction objects, wherein the prediction database is updated based on the second text object.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the first electronic device is configured to:

receive a first text object;

select an output text object from the plurality of prediction objects; and

output the output text object selected from the plurality of prediction objects.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of prediction objects is associated with a weight, and the first electronic device is configured to select the output text object based at least in part on the weights.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the first electronic device is further configured to find within the plurality of prediction objects a prediction object associated with the second text object and increase the weight associated with the found prediction object.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the first electronic device is further configured to periodically decrease weights associated with each of the plurality of prediction objects.