Determining intent of text entry

• US 8,775,407 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US11/938,692
• Time in Patent Office: 2,430 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/613, 707/673, 707/694, 707/707, 707721-723, 707/728, 707/741, 707/749, 707/830, 707/913, 707711-715, 707755-758, 707764-766, 707/769, 707779-780, 709/203, 709218-220, 706 45- 50
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

Methods and systems for identifying information based on matching information to a query based on an index value are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for identifying information entered by a user includes computing an numeric index value, receiving input, calculating a query value, comparing the query value to the index value, and displaying items from the dataset.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying information entered by a user of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

indexing a dataset by computing a collection of numeric index values for alphanumeric entries in the dataset using a conversion procedure to represent the alphanumeric entries in the dataset with the numeric index values and indexing the alphanumeric entries with the numeric index values;

receiving input over a user input device of the handheld electronic device;

calculating, by the handheld electronic device, a query index value using the conversion procedure to represent the received input with the query index value;

comparing, by the handheld electronic device, the query index value to the numeric index values indexing the dataset and identifying matches therebetween; and

displaying, on a display screen of the handheld electronic device, information from the alphanumeric entries in the dataset indexed by an index value matching the query index value representing the received input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an action using a first dataset entry in response to a selection, by the user of the handheld electronic device, of the information from a first of the alphanumeric entries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query index value is compared against numeric index values representing contact names in the dataset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the numeric index values for entries in the dataset comprises creating different index values based on different fields in a first entry in the dataset such that the first entry is represented by more than one numeric index value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query index value is compared against numeric index values representing names and numeric index values representing numbers in the dataset.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing numeric index values for second alphanumeric data entries in a second dataset using the conversion procedure to represent the second alphanumeric data entries in the second dataset with the numeric index values.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataset is stored locally on the hand-held electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataset is stored remotely from the hand-held electronic device and is accessible by the hand-held electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataset comprises information that is stored locally in the hand-held electronic device and information that is stored remotely from the hand-held electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the query index value to the numeric index values comprises identifying a match between the query index value and numeric index value that represents a sequence of characters starting in the middle of a word in a first of the alphanumeric entries.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the information from the alphanumeric entries comprises displaying a visual marking indicating the sequence of characters from the alphanumeric entries that are represented by the numeric index value that matches the query index value.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the handheld electronic device, a query in a message;

calculating, by the handheld electronic device, a second query index value using the conversion procedure to represent the query received in the message with a second query index value; and

comparing, by the handheld electronic device, the second query index value to the numeric index values indexing the dataset and identifying matches therebetween.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of information from a first of the alphanumeric entries displayed on the display screen, wherein the first alphanumeric entry is a contact; and

launching an application in response to the user selection, the application directed to communicating with the contact.

14. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a hand-held electronic device comprising;

an input interface;

memory storing an index comprising index values indexing entries in a dataset, wherein the index values represent at least some of the alphanumeric content of the entries in the dataset in accordance with a conversion procedure;

a processor to receive data characterizing input received over the input interface and to compute, using the conversion procedure, a query index value that represents the data;

a request module to identify dataset entries represented by a first of the index values, the first index value matching the query index value;

a response generator to obtain information from identified dataset entries represented by the first index value; and

a display interface to cause display of the obtained information from the identified dataset entries.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the input interface a keypad.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the dataset consists of a single source or database.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the dataset comprises multiple sources or databases.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multiple databases or databases comprise a local source and a remotely accessed source.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the dataset comprises a remotely accessed source.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the index values and the query index value are numeric.

21. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a hand-held electronic device comprising

means for receiving input;

a processor programmed

to calculate a query index value representing the received input in accordance with a conversion procedure and

to compare the query index value to a collection of index values indexing entries in a dataset in an index and to identify matches therebetween, wherein the index values represent at least some of the alphanumeric content of the entries in the dataset in accordance with the conversion procedure; and

means for displaying information from dataset entries indexed by an index value matching or closest to the query index value representing the received input.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving input comprises a means for receiving an electronic message that includes a query.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the dataset comprises entries from multiple sources or databases.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the dataset comprises entries from local and remotely accessed sources or databases.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the index values and the query index value are numeric.