Methods and devices for providing intelligent predictive input for handwritten text

• US 9,201,592 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mercea, Cornel, Akhavan Fomani, Armin, Huynh, Son Trung
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US13/963,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150043824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/268 Lexical context
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/32 Digital ink

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for use in an electronic device includes receiving a first handwritten input comprising at least one handwritten character, and obtaining a plurality of candidate words that correspond to at the least one handwritten character. A first electronic instruction is generated to display information identifying one or more of the candidate words on a display of the electronic device. A second handwritten input indicative of a selection of one or the displayed candidate words is received, and a second electronic instruction is generated to display the selected candidate word on the display of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for an electronic device, comprising:

receiving, in a text input region of a user interface displayed by the electronic device, a first handwritten input comprising at least one handwritten character;

obtaining a plurality of candidate words, the candidate words being associated with the at least one handwritten character;

generating a first instruction to display information identifying one or more of the candidate words in a text display region of the user interface displayed by the electronic device, the text display region being separated from the text input region;

receiving, in the text input region, a second handwritten input comprising a handwritten geometric shape indicative of a selection of one of the displayed candidate words; and

in response to receiving the second handwritten input comprising a handwritten geometric shape in the text input region, generating a second instruction to display the selected candidate word in the text display region of the user interface displayed by the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the first handwritten input, a text string corresponding to the at least one handwritten character;

determining whether the text string includes a threshold number of characters; and

obtaining the candidate words when the text includes the threshold number of characters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the candidate words includes the identified text string.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning rankings to the obtained candidate words based on at least one of usage data, contextual information, or demographic information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating a third instruction to display, on the display of the electronic device, information identifying the rankings assigned to the one or more candidate words.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying the candidate word associated with a maximum of the assigned rankings; and

generating a third electronic instruction to display, on the display of the electronic device, information that visually highlights the identified candidate word.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the second handwritten input comprises at least one of a strikethrough input or a leaping input; and

identifying the candidate word associated with a maximum of the rankings as the selected candidate word, when the second handwritten input includes at least one of the strikethrough input or the leaping input.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a third electronic instruction to display, within a first portion of the display, information identifying the one or more handwritten characters.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the second handwritten input comprises a handwritten line connecting the one or more handwritten characters with the information identifying a corresponding one of the candidate words; and

the method further comprises identifying the corresponding candidate word as the selected candidate word.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a third electronic instruction to display the information identifying a subset of the candidate words within a first portion of the display and along at least one of a longitudinal axis of the display or a transverse axis of the display.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after displaying the selected candidate word in the text display region, receiving, in the text input region, a third handwritten input comprising one or more additional handwritten characters following the second handwritten input comprising the handwritten geometric shape; and

generating a third electronic instruction to append the additional handwritten characters to the selected candidate word in the text display region.

21. The method of claim 7, wherein the strikethrough input or the leaping input is in line with the first handwritten input comprising the at least one handwritten character in the text input region.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a memory storing one or more instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving, in a text input region of a user interface displayed on the display of the electronic device, a first handwritten input comprising at least one handwritten character;

obtaining a plurality of candidate words, the candidate words being associated with the at least one handwritten character;

generating a first instruction to display information identifying one or more of the candidate words in a text display region of the user interface displayed on the display of the electronic device, the text display region being separated from the text input region;

receiving, in the text input region, a second handwritten input comprising a handwritten geometric shape indicative of a selection of one of the displayed candidate words; and

in response to receiving the second handwritten input comprising a handwritten geometric shape in the text input region, generating a second instruction to display the selected candidate word in the text display region of the user interface displayed on the display the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform:

identifying, based on the first handwritten input, a text string corresponding to the at least one handwritten character;

determining whether the text string includes a threshold number of characters; and

obtaining the candidate words when the text includes the threshold number of characters.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform assigning rankings to the obtained candidate words based on at least one of usage data, contextual information, or demographic information.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform generating a third instruction to display, on the display of the electronic device, information identifying the rankings assigned to the one or more candidate words.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform:

identifying the candidate word associated with a maximum of the assigned rankings; and

generating a third electronic instruction to display, on the display of the electronic device, information that visually highlights the identified candidate word.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform:

determining whether the second handwritten input comprises at least one of a strikethrough input or a leaping input; and

identifying the candidate word associated with a maximum of the rankings as the selected candidate word, when the second handwritten input includes at least one of the strikethrough input or the leaping input.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform displaying, within a first portion of the display, information identifying the one or more handwritten characters;

the second handwritten input comprises a handwritten line connecting the one or more handwritten characters with the information identifying a corresponding one of the candidate words; and

the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform identifying the corresponding candidate word as the selected candidate word.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform displaying, within the display, the information identifying a subset of the candidate words within a first portion of the display and along at least one of a longitudinal axis of the display or a transverse axis of the display.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more instructions to further perform:

after displaying the selected candidate word in the text display region, receiving, in the text input region, a third handwritten input comprising one or more additional handwritten characters following the second handwritten input comprising the handwritten geometric shape; and

generating a third electronic instruction to append the additional handwritten characters to the selected candidate word in the text display region.