Reduced keyboard with prediction solutions when input is a partial sliding trajectory

• US 8,918,734 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Suraqui, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US13/189,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,248 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/764, 715/765, 715/863, 715/864, 715/773, 715/810, 345/169, 345/173, 345/179, 341/22, 341/23, 341/34, 381/229, 382/229
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A reduced virtual keyboard system for text input on electronic devices is disclosed. Text input is performed by creating a tracing trajectory. Dynamic prediction solutions are created during the tracing process, thus avoiding the need for a user to complete the entire word trajectory. The system also allows a mixture of tapping actions and sliding motions for the same word. The system may comprise a Long Words Dictionary database having first letters corresponding to predetermined keys of the keyboard. Alternatively, the system uses a Dictionary and a database management tool to find long words.

Claims

1. A system for disambiguating a text input of a sub-word of a long word on an electronic device comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable instructions of;

a virtual keyboard having a plurality of virtual keys;

the virtual keyboard receiving input from a pointing device that is placed on a key of the keyboard corresponding to the first character of the sub-word and moved to subsequent keys corresponding to subsequent characters of the sub-word, wherein the received input represents a trajectory pattern;

a dictionary database associated with the keyboard and the pointing device, the dictionary database comprising words and associated frequencies of usage;

a long word dictionary (LWD) derived from the dictionary database, the LWD having a smaller size than the dictionary database and configured according to an arrangement of the keys in the keyboard; and

a partial trajectory recognition module associated with the keyboard and the pointing device, and configured to evaluate the trajectory pattern to produce sub-word solutions;

wherein the sub-word solutions are used in conjunction with the LWD to generate at least one prediction solution corresponding to at least one long word, and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pointing device is at least one chosen from the list including:

a finger;

a mouse;

a remote control; and

a pen.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the trajectory pattern is created using the pointing device by at least one chosen from the list including:

tapping;

tracing; and

a combination of tapping and tracing.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the LWD has a plurality of classes, each of the classes containing long words having a first letter corresponding to predetermined keys of the keyboard.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the number of words included in the LWD is limitable by at least one LWD parameter.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement of the keys in the keyboard is adapted to a respective language used and chosen from a list including:

QWERTY;

Dvorak;

AZWRTY, Svorak, and Colemak.

7. The system according to claim 4, further comprising receiving input that reflects erasing the at least one word prediction solution during tracing.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one prediction solution is displayed following a pointing device movement and a long-press.

9. The system according to claim 4, further comprising determining possible intermediate letter candidates of the long word according to a partial trajectory.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one LWD parameter is chosen from the list including:

maximum number of letters; and

minimum frequency.

11. A method of disambiguating a text input of a sub-word of a long word on an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

receiving text input from a virtual keyboard having a plurality of virtual keys, the text input reflecting the placement of a pointing device on a key of the virtual keyboard corresponding to the first character of the sub-word and the movement of the pointing device to subsequent keys corresponding to subsequent characters of the sub-word, wherein the received input represents a trajectory pattern;

accessing a dictionary database associated with the keyboard and the pointing device, whereby the dictionary database comprises words and associated frequencies of usage;

accessing a long word dictionary (LWD) that is derived from the dictionary database, the LWD having a smaller size than the dictionary database and configured according to an arrangement of the keys in the keyboard; and

evaluating the trajectory pattern to produce sub-word solutions,

wherein the sub-word solutions are compared to the LWD to generate at least one word prediction solution corresponding to at least one long word.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pointing device is at least one chosen from the list including:

a finger;

a mouse;

a remote control; and

a pen.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the trajectory pattern is created using the pointing device by at least one chosen from the list including:

tapping;

tracing; and

a combination of tapping and tracing.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one prediction solution is displayed following a pointing device movement.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one word prediction solution is displayed following a pointing device being lifted.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the LWD has a plurality of classes, each of the classes containing long words having a first letter corresponding to predetermined keys of the keyboard.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving input that reflects erasing the at least one word prediction solution during tracing.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the number of words included in the LWD is limited by at least one LWD parameter.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the arrangement of the keys in the keyboard is adapted to the respective language used and chosen from a list including:

QWERTY;

Dvorak;

AZWRTY, Svorak, and Colemak.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising determining possible intermediate letter candidates of the long word according to the trajectory pattern.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one LWD parameter is chosen from the list including:

maximum number of letters; and

minimum frequency.

22. A method of disambiguating a text input of a sub-word of a long word on an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

receiving text input from a virtual keyboard having a plurality of virtual keys, the text input reflecting the placement of an input pointing device on a key of the virtual keyboard corresponding to the first character of the sub-word and the movement of the pointing device to subsequent keys corresponding to subsequent characters of the sub-word, the text input producing a trajectory pattern;

accessing a dictionary database associated with the keyboard and the pointing device, the dictionary database comprising words and associated frequencies of usage;

utilizing a database management tool to operate upon the dictionary database in order to generate long word solutions;

evaluating the trajectory pattern to produce sub-word solutions; and

utilizing the sub-word solutions in conjunction with the long word solutions to generate at least one word prediction solution corresponding to at least one long word.

23. A system for disambiguating a text input of a sub-word of a long word on an electronic device, comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable instructions of;

a virtual keyboard having a plurality of virtual keys, the virtual keyboard configured to receive input from a pointing device that is placed on a key of the keyboard corresponding to the first character of a sub-word and then moved to subsequent keys corresponding to subsequent characters of the sub-word, wherein the received input represents a trajectory pattern;

a dictionary database associated with the virtual keyboard and the pointing device, the dictionary database comprising words and associated frequencies of usage;

a database management tool configured to operate on the dictionary database in order to generate long word solutions;

a partial trajectory recognition module associated with the virtual keyboard and the pointing device, the partial trajectory recognition module configured to evaluate the trajectory pattern to generate sub-word solutions;

wherein the sub-word solutions are used in conjunction with the long word solutions to generate at least one word prediction solution corresponding to at least one long word; and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.