Handheld electronic device and associated method providing advanced text editing function in a text disambiguation environment

• US 8,773,358 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rubanovich, Dan, Fux, Vadim, Griffin, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): XAVIER, ANTONIO J
• Application Number:
  US11/848,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

An improved handheld electronic device and associated method provide an advanced editing feature and an improved learning feature that are provided in a disambiguation environment. The advanced editing feature advantageously enables a new word that has been incorrectly disambiguated by a disambiguation routine to be readily corrected by the user without requiring the incorrectly disambiguated word to be deleted and retyped. Rather, the advanced editing feature enables the incorrectly disambiguated characters to be replaced with opposite characters on the same keys, and such changes can be accomplished merely through the use of inputs to a track ball. The newly edited word can then be learned by a learning database. The improved learning function advantageously favors words that are learned using the advanced editing feature over words that have been learned in other fashions.

Claims

1. A method of enabling input on a handheld electronic device that comprises an output apparatus, an input apparatus comprising a plurality of input members, and a processor apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting selection of one or more input members of the input apparatus;

determining one or more disambiguated objects corresponding to the one or more input members by searching data stored on the handheld electronic device;

providing one or more of the disambiguated objects;

detecting selection of a displayed object from the one or more provided disambiguated objects;

detecting a predetermined input when an edit focus of the processor apparatus is on a character of the displayed object, the character being assigned to an input member having a plurality of characters assigned thereto;

responsive to the predetermined input, modifying the displayed object by replacing the character with a different character assigned to the input member, the modified displayed object being different than each of the one or more disambiguated objects; and

detecting a second selection of an input member having a number of characters assigned thereto and responsive thereto;

inserting a non-delimiter character of the number of characters at a position of the edit focus in the modified displayed object; and

exiting an edit mode on the handheld device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the predetermined input, moving the edit focus to another character disposed adjacent the different character.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting as the predetermined input a navigational input in one direction and another navigational input in another direction different than the one direction; and

responsive to the another navigational input, initiating the moving of the edit focus.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting as the navigational input a rotation of a multiple-axis input member a predetermined rotational distance about a first axis and detecting as the another navigational input a rotation of a multiple-axis input member the predetermined rotational distance about a second axis different than the first axis.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying the different character at a location disposed in a first direction from the character, and detecting as the navigational input a navigational input in the first direction.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting as the another navigational input a navigational input in a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting as the another navigational input a navigational input in the direction of the another character.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an alternate character when an edit focus of the processor apparatus is on a first character of the displayed object, the given character and the alternate character being assigned to an input member;

detecting a navigational input in a direction toward a second character of the displayed object;

moving the edit focus from the first character onto each successively adjacent character of the displayed object until the edit focus is on the second character; and

when the edit focus is on any given character, displaying a separate character assigned to the same input member as the given character.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting as the predetermined input a rotation of a multiple-axis input member plus a translation of the multiple-axis input member.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to exiting the edit mode, determining whether the modified displayed object conflicts with a conflicting word in a database;

responsive to determining that the modified displayed object conflicts with a conflicting word, determining whether the conflicting word lacks a sticky flag; and

responsive to determining that the conflicting word lacks a sticky flag, deleting the conflicting word from the database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the modified displayed object is already stored in the database; and

responsive to determining that the modified displayed object is not already stored in the database, adding the modified displayed object to the database with a sticky flag.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

if the modified displayed object does not conflict with a conflicting word in the database, determining whether the modified displayed object is already stored in the database; and

responsive to determining that the modified displayed object is not already stored in the database, adding the modified displayed object to the database with a sticky flag.