Systems and methods for predictive text entry for small-screen devices with touch-based two-stage text input

• US 9,274,685 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ady, Roger W, Dai, Hui, Ma, Jeong J
• Primary Examiner(s): Tank, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Jian
• Application Number:
  US13/833,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 715/780
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for predictive text entry for small touch-screen devices. A two-state input interface (116) of a device (102) can include a seek area (120), which displays a subset of letters representing the full range of available letters. The user can select a first letter in that subset. A prediction engine (160) can generate a next most-likely letter (162) based on the currently inputted letter, using look-up tables or other techniques based on letter sequence probabilities. The user can respond with a right or left-swipe gesture, causing the prediction engine (160) to seek the most-likely next letter upstream or downstream in the alphabet. The user can also respond by touching the seek area causing the prediction engine (160) to seek the next predicted letter closest to the touch point. The prediction engine (160) can also generate a predicted completed word, for convenient user selection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device, a user input to select a first letter from an alphabet, wherein the alphabet comprises an ordered arrangement of letters that includes a beginning letter and a last letter;

providing, by the electronic device and for display at a touch-sensitive display, the first letter;

accessing, by the electronic device, a prediction engine to determine, based on the first letter, a most-likely next letter that is predicted to occur after the first letter in a predicted word;

providing, by the electronic device and for display in a selection area of the touch-sensitive display, the most-likely next letter in a highlighted position of a first subset of letters of the alphabet, wherein the most-likely next letter is included in the first subset of letters of the alphabet;

after providing the most-likely next letter;

receiving, by the electronic device, an additional user input comprising an indication to refrain from selecting the most-likely next letter and instead to proceed either up the alphabet, towards the beginning letter of the alphabet, or down the alphabet, towards the last letter of the alphabet, with respect to the most-likely next letter;

determining, by the electronic device and based on the additional user input, one of a respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or a downstream subset of letters of the alphabet that is different from the first subset of letters of the alphabet;

accessing, by the electronic device, the prediction engine to determine, based on the first letter, a next most-likely next letter that is predicted to occur after the first letter in the predicted word, wherein the next most-likely next letter is different from the most-likely next letter, and wherein the next most-likely next letter is included in the one of the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet;

providing, by the electronic device and for display in the selection area of the touch-sensitive display, the next most-likely next letter in a highlighted position of the one of the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet; and

repeating the receiving of the additional user input and the providing of the next most-likely next letter until receiving a further user input to discontinue letter entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subset of letters of the alphabet comprises a predetermined range of the alphabet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a manual selection of an indication of a range of a further subset of the alphabet without using the prediction engine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the manual selection comprises receiving a user selection of a point in a seek area of the touch-sensitive display, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing, for display in the selection area, a second subset of letters of the alphabet associated with the selected point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the next most-likely next letter in the highlighted position of the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet comprises centering the next most-likely next letter in the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication to refrain from selecting the most-likely next letter and instead to proceed either up the alphabet or down the alphabet comprises a swipe gesture.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising eliminating a letter as the next most-likely next letter upon determining that the gesture has previously failed to select the letter.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising pinning the selection area at a beginning of the alphabet or at an end of the alphabet when the swipe gesture reaches the beginning letter or the last letter of the alphabet, respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a predicted completed word for selection in a text input area of the touch-sensitive display based on a current set of selected letters in the predicted word.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user input to select the first letter comprises inserting the first letter in a text input area of the touch-sensitive display.

11. A device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display; and

a processor, coupled to the touch-sensitive display, the processor being configured to;

receive a user input to select a first letter from an alphabet shown in the display, wherein the alphabet comprises an ordered arrangement of letters that includes a beginning letter and a last letter;

provide the first letter for display at the touch-sensitive display;

access a prediction engine to determine, based on the first letter, a most-likely next letter that is predicted to occur after the first letter in a predicted word;

provide, for display in a selection area of the touch-sensitive display, the most-likely next letter in a highlighted position of a first subset of letters of the alphabet, wherein the most-likely next letter is included in the first subset of letters of the alphabet;

after providing the most-likely next letter;

receive an additional user input comprising an indication to refrain from selecting the most-likely next letter and instead to proceed either up the alphabet, towards the beginning letter of the alphabet, or down the alphabet, towards the last letter of the alphabet, with respect to the most-likely next letter;

determine, based on the additional user input, one of a respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or a downstream subset of letters of the alphabet that is different from the first subset of letters of the alphabet;

access the prediction engine to determine, based on the first letter, a next most-likely next letter that is predicted to occur after the first letter in the predicted word, wherein the next most-likely next letter is different from the most-likely next letter, and wherein the next most-likely next letter is included in the one of the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet;

provide, for display in the selection area of the touch-sensitive display, the next most-likely next letter in a highlighted position of the one of the respective upstream subset of letters of the alphabet or the downstream subset of letters of the alphabet; and

repeat the receiving of the additional user input and the providing of the next most-likely next letter until receiving a further user input to discontinue letter entry.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the user input or additional user input comprises a touch-point input entered on the touch-sensitive display or a swipe gesture entered on the touch-sensitive display.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a wireless transceiver.