Techniques for input of a multi-character compound consonant or vowel and transliteration to another language using a touch computing device

• US 8,762,129 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Hao, Fu, Song, Sun, Wei, Feng, Hanping
• Primary Examiner(s): Armstrong, Angela A
• Application Number:
  US13/350,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding

Abstract

A technique is presented for fast input of multi-character compound consonants and vowels on a touch computing device. The technique provides for fast input of multi-character compound consonants and vowels by enabling a user to touch an initial character on a first layout of characters, then slide his/her finger in different directions and/or different distances according to a second layout of characters. The second layout of characters can be based on the first touched character and therefore can have a limited set of characters, e.g., fewer characters in comparison to the first layout of characters. A syllable formed after input of both a consonant and a vowel, represented as one character set, e.g., in the Roman alphabet, can then be transliterated into another language, e.g., Chinese.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, via a touch display of a touch computing device, a first layout of English characters;

receiving, via the touch display of the touch computing device, spot input from a user of the touch computing device, the spot input indicating selection of a vowel from the first layout of English characters;

providing, via the touch display of the touch computing device, a second layout of English characters based on the spot input, the second layout of English characters being centered about the selected vowel and including a plurality of characters based on and including the selected vowel, the second layout of English characters being different than the first layout of English characters, the second layout of English characters being configured such that the user can input a remainder of all possible multi-character compound vowels beginning with the selected vowel using a single slide input;

receiving, via the touch display of the touch computing device, slide input from the user from the selected vowel to a selected character of the second layout of English characters;

determining, at the touch computing device, a string of English characters based on the selected vowel, the selected character, and the second layout of English characters, the string of English characters including one or more other English characters of the second layout of English characters along a path of the slide input, the string of English characters representing a vowel of a Chinese character;

generating, at the touch computing device, a Chinese character based on the string of characters; and

displaying, via the touch display of the touch computing device, the Chinese character.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, via a touch display of a touch computing device, a first layout of characters in a first language;

receiving, via the touch display of the touch computing device, spot input from a user, the spot input indicating a selection of a first character from the first layout of characters;

providing, via the touch display of the touch computing device, a second layout of characters in the first language, the second layout of characters being based on the selected first character, the second layout of characters being different than the first layout of characters, the second layout of characters being configured such that the user can input a remainder of all possible multi-character compound consonants or vowels beginning with the first character using a single slide input;

receiving, via the touch display of the touch computing device, slide input from the user from the selected first character to a selected second character from the second layout of characters;

determining, at the touch computing device, a string of characters based on the selected first and second characters and the second layout of characters, the string of characters including one or more other characters of the second layout of characters along a path of the slide input; and

displaying, via the touch display of the touch computing device, the string of characters.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising transliterating the string of characters to a second language that is different than the first language and providing, via the touch display of the touch computing device, one or more transliterated characters to the user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first language is English, the first and second character layouts include English alphabet-based characters, and the second language is Chinese.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the selected first character is a vowel.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the second layout of characters is centered about the selected first character and a plurality of characters based on and including the selected first character.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the second layout of characters includes potential characters used to form a multi-character compound vowel for a Chinese syllable, the multi-character compound vowel beginning with the selected first character.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second layout of characters is based on usage statistics of characters in the Chinese language, wherein the usage statistics include usage rates of various characters in the Chinese language.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the second layout of characters is optimized such that slide input paths for more frequently used Chinese characters are shorter or easier for the user to input.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first layout of characters is one of a form of a standard QWERTY keyboard configuration and a 12-key telephone layout configuration.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein providing the second layout of characters further includes providing the second layout of characters in a pop-up window overlaying the first layout of characters.

12. A system, comprising:

a user interface module configured to

provide, via a touch display of a touch computing device, a first layout of characters in a first language, and

provide, via the touch display of the touch computing device, a second layout of characters in the first language, the second layout of characters being based on a selected first character, the second layout of characters being different than the first layout of characters, the second layout of characters being configured such that the user can input a remainder of all possible multi-character compound consonants or vowels beginning with the selected first character using a single slide input,

receive, via the touch display of the touch computing device, spot input from a user, the spot input indicating the selected first character, the selected first character being from the first layout of characters,

receive, via the touch display of the touch computing device, slide input from the user from the selected first character to a selected second character from the second layout of characters,

determine, at the touch computing device, a string of characters based on the selected first and second characters and the second layout of characters, the string of characters including one or more other characters of the second layout of characters along a path of the slide input, and

display, via the touch display of the touch computing device, the string of characters.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a transliteration module configured to transliterate the string of characters to a second language that is different than the first language and provide, via the touch display of the touch computing device, one or more transliterated characters to the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first language is English, the first and second character layouts include English alphabet-based characters, and the second language is Chinese.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected first character is a vowel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second layout of characters is centered about the selected first character and a plurality of characters based on and including the selected first character.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second layout of characters includes potential characters used to form a multi-character compound vowel for a Chinese syllable, the multi-character compound vowel beginning with the selected first character.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second layout of characters is based on usage statistics of characters in the Chinese language, wherein the usage statistics include usage rates of various characters in the Chinese language, and wherein the second layout of characters is optimized such that slide input paths for more frequently used Chinese characters are shorter or easier for the user to input.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first layout of characters is one of a form of a standard QWERTY keyboard configuration and a 12-key telephone layout configuration.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface module is further configured to provide the second layout of characters in a pop-up window overlaying the first layout of characters.