Method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations

• US 9,189,079 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kocienda, Kenneth, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, STEPHEN S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US13/310,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/230, 715/231, 715/255, 715/261, 715/263, 715/268, 715/271
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

One aspect of the invention involves a method that includes: in a first area of the touch screen, displaying a current character string being input by a user with the keyboard; in a second area of the touch screen, displaying the current character string or a portion thereof and a suggested replacement for the current character string; replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement if the user activates a delimiter key on the keyboard; replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement if the user performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement displayed in the second area; and keeping the current character string in the first area if the user performs a second gesture on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, one or more programs including;

instructions for displaying, in a first area of the touch screen display, a current character string being input by a user with the keyboard;

instructions for displaying, in a second area of the touch screen display separate from the first area, the current character string and a suggested replacement character string for the current character string;

instructions for replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter;

instructions for replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string if the user performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the second area; and

instructions for keeping the current character string in the first area if the user performs a second gesture in the second area on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

2. The device of claim 1, including instructions for adding a space after the current character string if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter is a space bar key.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the delimiter is any of a plurality of predefined delimiters symbols.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is a soft keyboard that is part of the touch screen display.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the keyboard is a physical keyboard that is not a part of the touch screen display.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the character strings are words, numbers, or a combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for, in the second area of the touch screen display, displaying an alternative suggested replacement character string for the current character string; and

instructions for replacing the current character string in the first area with the alternative suggested replacement character string if the user performs a predefined gesture on the alternative suggested replacement character string in the second area.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for adding the current character string to a dictionary in the device if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string displayed in the second area.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first gesture includes one or more taps on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the second area.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the second gesture includes one or more taps on the current character string displayed in the second area.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for, after replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string, displaying the current character string in place of the suggested replacement character string in the first area if the user performs a third gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the first area.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the third gesture comprises a tap gesture or a hover gesture.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string and the current character string are on opposite sides of the second area.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string is on the left side of the second area and the current character string is on the right side of the second area.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the second area is between the first area and the keyboard.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch screen display cause the portable electronic device to:

in a first area of the touch screen display, display a current character string being input by a user with the keyboard;

in a second area of the touch screen display separate from the first area, display the current character string or a portion thereof and a suggested replacement character string for the current character string;

replace the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter;

replace the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string if the user performs a first gesture on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the second area; and

keep the current character string in the first area if the user performs a second gesture in the second area on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions, which when executed by the portable electronic device cause the portable electronic device to:

add a space after the current character string if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter is a space bar key.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the delimiter is any of a plurality of predefined delimiters symbols.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the keyboard is a soft keyboard that is part of the touch screen display.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the keyboard is a physical keyboard that is not a part of the touch screen display.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the character strings are words, numbers, or a combination thereof.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the portable electronic device cause the portable electronic device to:

in the second area of the touch screen display, display an alternative suggested replacement character string for the current character string; and

replace the current character string in the first area with the alternative suggested replacement character string if the user performs a predefined gesture on the alternative suggested replacement character string in the second area.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the portable electronic device cause the portable electronic device to:

add the current character string to a dictionary in the device if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string displayed in the second area.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first gesture includes one or more taps on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the second area.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second gesture includes one or more taps on the current character string displayed in the second area.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the portable electronic device cause the portable electronic device to:

after replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string, display the current character string in place of the suggested replacement character string in the first area if the user performs a third gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the first area.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the third gesture comprises a tap gesture or a hover gesture.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string and the current character string are on opposite sides of the second area.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string is on the left side of the second area and the current character string is on the right side of the second area.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second area is between the first area and the keyboard.

33. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a keyboard and a touch screen display, comprising:

a first area of the touch screen display that displays a current character string being input by a user with the keyboard; and

a second area of the touch screen display separate from the first area that displays the current character string or a portion thereof and a suggested replacement character string for the current character string;

wherein;

the current character string in the first area is replaced with the suggested replacement character string if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter;

the current character string in the first area is replaced with the suggested replacement character string if the user performs a gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the second area; and

the current character string in the first area is kept if the user performs a gesture in the second area on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

34. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein a space is added after the current character string if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.

35. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter is a space bar key.

36. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the delimiter is any of a plurality of predefined delimiters symbols.

37. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the keyboard is a soft keyboard that is part of the touch screen display.

38. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the keyboard is a physical keyboard that is not a part of the touch screen display.

39. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the character strings are words, numbers, or a combination thereof.

40. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein:

an alternative suggested replacement character string for the current character string is displayed in the second area of the touch screen display; and

the current character string in the first area is replaced with the alternative suggested replacement character string if the user performs a predefined gesture on the alternative suggested replacement character string in the second area.

41. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the current character string is added to a dictionary in the device if the user performs the second gesture on the current character string displayed in the second area.

42. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the first gesture includes one or more taps on the suggested replacement character string displayed in the second area.

43. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the second gesture includes one or more taps on the current character string displayed in the second area.

44. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the current character string is displayed, after replacing the current character string in the first area with the suggested replacement character string, in place of the suggested replacement character string in the first area if the user performs a third gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the first area.

45. The graphical user interface of claim 44, wherein the third gesture comprises a tap gesture or a hover gesture.

46. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string and the current character string are on opposite sides of the second area.

47. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein, in the second area of the touch screen display, the suggested replacement character string is on the left side of the second area and the current character string is on the right side of the second area.

48. The graphical user interface of claim 33, wherein the second area is between the first area and the keyboard.