Inputting radical on touch screen device

• US 9,274,609 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Che, Chiwei, Chen, Xixi, Changuion, Byron, Chen, Jacky, Xie, Mingyan
• Primary Examiner(s): LONG, ANDREA NATAE
• Application Number:
  US13/555,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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

Abstract

Example apparatus and methods concern improved input of radicals. Example apparatus and methods facilitate more efficiently inputting Chinese radicals using a touch screen. One example method includes displaying a labeled soft key on a touch screen device. The label may represent all or a portion of a radical. The example method includes accepting a touch input associated with the soft key and then taking an action based on the label and the touch input. The action may include inputting a radical or updating the display on the touch screen. Updating the display may facilitate iterative and intuitive progress through radical construction leading to radical selection and input.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer control the computer to perform a method for inputting a radical on a touch screen device, the method comprising:

displaying, on a touch screen device, a first soft key labeled with a first label, the first label representing a portion of a radical;

accepting a touch input associated with the soft key, where the touch input is one of, a double tap, a press and hold, a flick, an expand gesture, and a contract gesture; and

selecting an action for the touch screen device to perform based, at least in part, on the first label, a state associated with a set of radical stroke input rules, and the touch input, the action being one of;

inputting the radical into a radical data store;

displaying a second different soft key labeled with a second different label on the touch screen device, the second different label representing a portion of a second different radical, and updating a set of complete radicals displayed on the touch screen device by a radical picker,

where the set of radical stroke input rules control the number of strokes used to form a radical, the order of strokes used to form a radical, and the position of a stroke used to form a radical, and

where the state is defined by a current number of strokes associated with inputting a current radical, a current order of strokes associated with inputting the current radical, and a current position of strokes associated with inputting the current radical.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, where the first label is a single stroke associated with the radical.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, where the single stroke is one of, a Chinese one stroke, a Chinese line stroke, a Chinese dot stroke, a Chinese slash stroke, a Chinese second stroke and a Chinese hook stroke.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, where the first label is a subset of a set of strokes associated with the radical.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, where the radical is one of, a Chinese radical, a Japanese radical and a Korean radical.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the method including controlling the touch screen device to display the second soft key with a second label having more strokes than the first label upon detecting an expand gesture.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the method comprising controlling the touch screen device to display the second soft key with a second label having fewer strokes than the first label upon detecting a contract gesture.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the method comprising:

controlling the touch screen device to label the first soft key with the first label; and

controlling the touch screen device to selectively re-label the first soft key with a second, different label.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the method comprising controlling one or more of, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer. an appliance, a personal digital assistant, a game device, and a television to display the first soft key.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a touch screen;

a set of logics configured to control input of Chinese radicals; and

an interface to connect the processor, the memory, the touch screen, and the set of logics;

the set of logics comprising;

a first logic that controls the apparatus to display on the touch screen one or more selected strokes associated with one or more selected Chinese radicals;

a second logic that controls the apparatus to display on the touch screen one or more selected Chinese radicals; and

a third logic that controls the first logic and the second logic based, at least in part, on an input detected on the touch screen,

where the third logic controls the first logic to select strokes to display based at least in part, on a previously displayed stroke, and

where the third logic controls the second logic to select Chinese radicals to display based, at least in part, on a previously displayed stroke and a state associated with a set of radical stroke input rules, where the set of radical stroke input rules describe the number of strokes used to form a radical, the order of strokes used to form a radical. and the position of a stroke used to form a radical.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the third logic being configured to input a Chinese radical into a radical data store in the memory based on the input detected on the touch screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the input detected on the touch screen being one of, a flick gesture, a press and hold, a double tap. a drag and drop, an expand gesture, and a contract gesture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, comprising a communication circuit that receives, from an external source, one or more of, a stroke to display, a radical to display, a radical to input, and a decision concerning a radical to input.