Input methods for device having multi-language environment

• US 9,465,536 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Goldsmith, Deborah Eileen, Takano, Takumi, Masui, Toshiyuki, Collins, Leland Douglas Jr., Kida, Yasuo, Kocienda, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, MARSHON L
• Application Number:
  US14/187,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

Text input is corrected on a touch-sensitive display by presenting a list of candidate words in the interface which can be selected by touch input. The candidate list can include candidate words having two or more character types (e.g., Roman, kana, kanji). In one aspect, the candidate list can be scrolled using a finger gesture. When a user'"'"'s finger traverses a candidate word and the touch is released, the candidate word is inserted into a document being edited. In another aspect, characters can be erased by touching a key (e.g., a backspace or delete key) and making a sliding, swiping, or other finger gesture. A number of characters proportional to a distance (e.g., a linear distance) of the finger gesture across the display are erased. If there are characters in a text input area, those characters are erased first, followed by characters in the document being edited.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a device with a touch-sensitive display;

generating a user interface on the touch-sensitive display for editing text input, the user interface including an editing region and an input region, and a virtual keyboard that is located outside of the editing region and the input region, the virtual keyboard having keys for entering characters in the editing region or input region;

detecting a user gesture inside a region of the virtual keyboard, the user gesture starting from a key on the virtual keyboard, wherein the user gesture is operable to cause erasure of one or more characters of text input displayed in the input region or the editing region; and

erasing a number of characters proportional to a distance traversed by the user gesture across the touch-sensitive display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters displayed in the input region are erased first, followed by characters in the editing region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of characters erased is proportional to the distance traversed by the user gesture bounded by a visual border of the virtual keyboard.

4. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a user interface on a touch-sensitive display for editing text input, the user interface including an editing region and an input region, and a virtual keyboard that is located outside of the editing region and the input region, the virtual keyboard having keys for entering characters in the editing region or input region;

detecting a user gesture inside a region of the virtual keyboard, the user gesture starting from a key on the virtual keyboard, wherein the user gesture is operable to cause erasure of one or more characters of text input displayed in the input region or the editing region; and

erasing a number of characters proportional to a distance traversed by the user gesture across the touch-sensitive display.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the characters displayed in the input region are erased first, followed by characters in the editing region.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the number of characters erased is proportional to the distance traversed by the user gesture bounded by a visual border of the virtual keyboard.

7. A device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

generating a user interface on the touch-sensitive display for editing text input, the user interface including an editing region and an input region, and a virtual keyboard that is located outside of the editing region and the input region, the virtual keyboard having keys for entering characters in the editing region or input region;

detecting a user gesture inside a region of the virtual keyboard, the user gesture starting from a key on the virtual keyboard, wherein the user gesture is operable to cause erasure of one or more characters of text input displayed in the input region or the editing region; and

erasing a number of characters proportional to a distance traversed by the user gesture across the touch-sensitive display.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the characters displayed in the input region are erased first, followed by characters in the editing region.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the number of characters erased is proportional to the distance traversed by the user gesture bounded by a visual border of the virtual keyboard.