Gesture keyboard input of non-dictionary character strings

• US 9,454,240 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kataoka, Satoshi, Kuroyanagi, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US13/865,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• 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 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A computing device is described that outputs, for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys. The computing device receives, an indication of a gesture detected at a presence-sensitive input device. The computing device determines, based at least in part on the indication of the gesture and at least one characteristic of the gesture, one or more keys from the plurality of keys. The computing device determines a character string based on the one or more keys from the plurality of keys. In response to determining that the character string is not included in a lexicon and a spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys exceeds a probability threshold, the computing device outputs, for display, the character string.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device and for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a gesture detected at a presence-sensitive input device;

determining, by the computing device, based at least in part on the indication of the gesture, a spatial model probability associated with one or more keys from the plurality of keys;

adjusting, by the computing device, based on at least one characteristic of the gesture, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture includes a speed of a portion of the gesture;

determining, by the computing device, based on the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, a character string; and

responsive to determining that the character string is not included in a lexicon and that the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys exceeds a probability threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the character string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys comprises:

responsive to determining the speed satisfies a speed threshold, decreasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys further comprises:

responsive to determining the speed does not satisfy the speed threshold, increasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture includes a density associated with the portion of the gesture, and wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys comprises:

responsive to determining the density satisfies a density threshold, increasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys further comprises:

responsive to determining the density does not satisfy the density threshold, decreasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial model probability is a first spatial model probability, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture comprises a curvature associated with the portion of the gesture, and wherein adjusting the first spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys comprises:

responsive to determining the curvature satisfies a curvature threshold, increasing, by the computing device, a second spatial model probability, wherein the second spatial model probability is associated with at least one key of the plurality of keys, and wherein the first spatial model probability is based at least in part on the second spatial model probability.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the first spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys further comprises:

responsive to determining the curvature does not satisfy the curvature threshold, decreasing, by the computing device, the first spatial model probability.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture comprises a direction of a first portion of the portion of the gesture and a direction of a second portion of the portion of the gesture, and wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys comprises:

responsive to determining the direction of the first portion approximately corresponds to the direction of the second portion, decreasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys further comprises:

responsive to determining the direction of the first portion does not approximately correspond to the direction of the second portion, increasing, by the computing device, the spatial model probability.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the portion of the gesture, a sequence of touch events, each touch event in the sequence of touch events comprising a time that indicates when the portion of the gesture is received and a coordinate of a location corresponding to a location at the presence-sensitive input device at which the portion of the gesture is received;

determining, by the computing device and based on the sequence of touch events, a density associated with the sequence of touch events over a time duration; and

responsive to determining the density satisfies a density threshold, modifying, by the computing device, the sequence of touch events.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the computing device and for display, a suggestion bar region including a plurality of suggested words associated with the gesture, wherein outputting the character string comprises outputting the character string as one suggested word of the plurality of suggested words.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the character string, a plurality of candidate words in the lexicon;

determining, by the computing device, and based at least in part on the plurality of candidate words, a spelling probability that the character string corresponds to an incorrect spelling of at least one of the plurality of candidate words; and

responsive to determining that the spelling probability does not satisfy a spelling probability threshold, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the character string.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence-sensitive input device comprises a presence-sensitive screen, wherein receiving the indication of the gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device comprises receiving an indication of one or more tap gestures detected at the presence-sensitive screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence-sensitive input device comprises a presence-sensitive screen, wherein receiving the indication of the gesture detected at the presence-sensitive input device comprises receiving an indication of one or more non-tap gestures detected at the presence-sensitive screen.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence-sensitive input device comprises a presence-sensitive screen, wherein the character string is output for display at the presence-sensitive screen.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a category of text input associated with the character string,

wherein outputting the character string is in response to determining the category of text input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the category of text input is one of a group comprising a portion of a name, a portion of an address, and a portion of an electronic mail address.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

output, for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;

receive, an indication of a gesture detected at a presence-sensitive input device;

determine, based at least in part on the indication of the gesture, a spatial model probability associated with one or more keys from the plurality of keys;

adjust, based on at least one characteristic of the gesture, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture includes a speed of a portion of the gesture;

determine, based on the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, a character string; and

responsive to determining that the character string is not included in a lexicon and that the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys exceeds a probability threshold, output, for display, the character string.

19. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

output, for display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;

receive, an indication of a gesture detected at a presence-sensitive input device;

determine, based at least in part on the indication of the gesture, a spatial model probability associated with one or more keys from the plurality of keys;

adjust, based on at least one characteristic of the gesture, the spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, wherein the at least one characteristic of the gesture includes a speed of a portion of the gesture;

determine, based on the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys, a character string; and

responsive to determining that the character string is not included in a lexicon and that the adjusted spatial model probability associated with the one or more keys from the plurality of keys exceeds a probability threshold, output, for display, the character string.