Apparatus, computer readable medium and method for effectively using visual indicators in navigating polysemous symbols across a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays

• US 9,208,594 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prentke Romich Company
• Original Assignee: Semantic Compaction Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Bruce R., Cross, Russell T., Kovacs, Thomas R., Halloran, Cindy C., Halloran, John D., Hershberger, David H., Read, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US13/827,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 345/173, 345/629, 345/689, 345/692, 715/835, 715/259, 715/763, 715/764, 715/771, 715/773, 715/808, 715/825, 715/840, 715/866, 704/10, 704/235, 704/260, 704/271, 704/276, 400/472, 708/145, 708/146, 434/112, 434/169, 434/185, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, D14/485, D14/489, D14/492
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer readable medium are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols including a visual indicator indicating a link to a different next level electronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory and in association with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying display of the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displaying the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality of the polysemous symbols being displayed with at least one word;

storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

displaying a second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being different from the initial electronic screen overlay and including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol and at least one of the plurality of the polysemous symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being displayed with at least one word different from the at least one word displayed with a similarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least one symbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respective words with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the same grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences, includes an indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indicator is displayed consistently on the initial and second overlay.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences, includes an indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicator is displayed consistently on the initial and second overlay.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electronic screen overlay includes at least one polysemous symbol that functions as the terminal symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to trigger output of one or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer system, causing the computer system to implement the method of claim 1.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

an integrated input and display device configured to display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured to provide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality of the polysemous symbols being displayed with at least one word;

a memory to store a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

a processor to receive an indication of selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the integrated input and display device being further configured to

display a second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to the processor receiving the indication of selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being different from the initial electronic screen overlay and including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol and at least one of the plurality of the polysemous symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being displayed with at least one word different from the at least one word displayed with a similarity situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least one symbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respective words with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the same grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences, includes an indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, on the integrated input and display device, the indicator is displayed consistently on the initial and second overlay.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences, includes an indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, on the integrated input and display device, the indicator is displayed consistently on the initial and second overlay.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second electronic screen overlay includes at least one polysemous symbol that functions as the terminal symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to trigger output of one or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

16. A method, comprising:

providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a subset of the plurality of the polysemous symbols being displayed with a first background color, the first background color indicating a grammatical function or part of speech;

storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

displaying a second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being different from the initial electronic screen overlay and including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay is displayed with a second background color, indicating a different grammatical function or part of speech than indicated by the first background color, that is different from the first background color of a similarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay including a different background color includes a background color common to polysemous symbols, displayed for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay, with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech as the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer system, causing the computer system to implement the method of claim 16.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

an integrated input and display device configured to display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured to provide polysemous symbols for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay, a subset of the plurality of the polysemous symbols being displayed with a first background color, the first background color indicating a grammatical function or part of speech;

a memory configured to store a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

a processor, configured to control the integrated input and display device to display a second electronic screen overlay, in response to the processor receiving an indication of initial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being different from the initial electronic screen overlay and including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay is displayed with a second background color, indicating a different grammatical function or part of speech than indicated by the first background color, that is different from the first background color of a similarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay including a different background color includes a background color common to polysemous symbols, displayed for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay, with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech as the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

25. A method, comprising:

providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols including an associated visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;

storing, in a memory and in association with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying display of the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

displaying the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screen overlay including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the second electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay either includes an associated visual indicator when a similarly situated polysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay did not include an associated visual indicator or does not include an associated electronic screen overlay included an associated visual indicator.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the next level electronic screen overlay is displayed in place of the initial electronic screen overlay.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving via a processor, an indication of selection of the one of the plurality of polysemous symbols; and

controlling, via the processor, the display to display the next level electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

outputting at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving via a processor, an indication of selection of the one of the plurality of polysemous symbols; and

controlling, via the processor, the display to display the next level electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

outputting at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

storing a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols, displayed in association with the visual indicator on the next level electronic screen overlay, in association with a pointer identifying display of third electronic screen overlay which is different from the next level electronic screen overlay; and

displaying a third electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to selection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of the displayed next level electronic screen overlay displayed in association with the visual indicator, the third electronic screen overlay including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the third electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols of the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the third electronic screen overlay is displayed in place of the next level electronic screen overlay.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving via a processor, an indication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay in association with the visual indicator; and

controlling, via the processor, the display to display the third electronic screen overlay associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

outputting at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving via a processor, an indication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay in association with the visual indicator; and

controlling, via the processor, the display to display the third electronic screen overlay associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

outputting at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein the visual indicator includes a symbol displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one graphic indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one graphic indicator includes at least one arrow.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one text-based indicator includes upper case letters.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one text-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one text-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one text-based indicator includes upper case letters.

44. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer system, causing the computer system to implement the method of claim 25.

45. An apparatus, comprising:

an integrated input and display device configured to provide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols including an associated visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and

a memory configured to store, in association with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying display of the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay, the integrated input and display device being configured to display the next level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay, in response to initial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screen overlay including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the next level electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay either includes an associated visual indicator when a similarly situated polysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay did not include an associated visual indicator or does not include an associated visual indicator when a similarly situated polysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay included an associated visual indicator.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the next level electronic screen overlay is displayed in place of the initial electronic screen overlay.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

a processor configured to

receive an indication of selection of the one of the plurality of polysemous symbols and

control the integrated input and display device to display the next level electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising:

an output device, configured to output at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

49. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

a processor configured to

receive an indication of selection of the one of the plurality of polysemous symbols and

control the integrated input and display device to display the next level electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

50. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising:

an output device, configured to output at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

51. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the memory is further configured to store the plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols, displayed in association with the visual indicator on the next level electronic screen overlay, in association with a pointer identifying display of third electronic screen overlay which is different from the next level electronic screen overlay;

and wherein the integrated input and display device is configured to display a third electronic screen overlay, in response to selection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screen overlay displayed in association with the visual indicator, the third electronic screen overlay including a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols of the third electronic screen overlay being associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols of the displayed next level electronic screen overlay.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the third electronic screen overlay is displayed in place of the next level electronic screen overlay.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, further comprising:

a processor configured to

receive an indication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay in association with the visual indicator; and

control the integrated input and display device to display to display the third electronic screen overlay associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising:

an output device, configured to output at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

55. The apparatus of claim 51, further comprising:

a processor configured to

receive an indication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay in association with the visual indicator; and

control the integrated input and display device to display to display the third electronic screen overlay associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the next level electronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

an output device, configured to output at least one of a word, phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

57. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the visual indicator includes a symbol displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

58. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one graphic indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the at least one graphic indicator includes at least one arrow.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one text-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the at least one text-based indicator includes upper case letters.

62. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the visual indicator includes at least one text-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the at least one text-based indicator includes upper case letters.