Device incorporating improved text input mechanism

• US 9,606,634 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2006
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VL Collective IP, LLC (VideoLabs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Assadollahi, Ramin O.
• Primary Examiner(s): STORK, KYLE R
• Application Number:
  US11/560,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,785 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/243, 715/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 device including a display screen for displaying m-words of data, a text entry device for entering data, a processor receiving data from the text entry device and causing it to be displayed on the display screen. Upon activation the processor initializes a precursor to a predefined value. The device further includes a non-volatile memory storing a dictionary containing a plurality of entries, each entry including an index, a candidate word, and a score. The processor selects a list of n-number of candidate words from the dictionary whose index matches the precursor, and causes m-number of candidate words from the list of candidate words to be displayed on the display screen. The processor causes the display to prompt the user to select one of the displayed candidate words or enter a desired word using the text entry device. Furthermore, a tech-mode for extending a word dictionary for word-based text input is provided.

Claims

1. A method for deciphering an ambiguous text entry comprising:

providing character combinations and respective letter transition probabilities of such character combinations;

receiving a sequence of key codes, each key code being assigned to a plurality of characters from an alphabet;

determining, with a processor, a suggested sequence of characters from the alphabet corresponding to the sequence of key codes, wherein each character of the suggested character sequence matches one of the plurality of characters assigned to the respective key code and the suggested character sequence is determined based on the letter transition probabilities;

causing display of the suggested character sequence;

receiving an indication from a user to correct a particular character in the suggested character sequence;

causing display of alternative characters for the particular character in an order of respective probabilities of following a previous character;

receiving an indication from the user of a user-corrected character from the alternative characters;

causing display of the indicated user-corrected character replaced in the sequence of key codes;

determining a new suggested sequence of characters based on the sequence of key codes and the user-corrected character; and

causing display of the new suggested sequence of characters.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the suggested sequence of characters comprises determining a sequence of characters having an overall highest probability of accumulated letter transition probabilities.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new suggested sequence of characters includes the user-corrected character in a specified position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternative characters are displayed in an order according to probabilities for the alternative characters.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein alternative characters having a higher probability are arranged in display closer to the suggested letter and alternative characters having a lower probability are arranged farther from the suggested letter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an intended word is added to a word dictionary containing a plurality of entries used for dictionary based text input.

7. An apparatus, comprising

at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

provide character combinations and respective letter transition probabilities of such character combinations;

receive a sequence of key codes, each key code being assigned to a plurality of characters from an alphabet;

determine a suggested sequence of characters from the alphabet corresponding to the sequence of key codes, wherein each character of the suggested character sequence matches one of the plurality of characters assigned to the respective key code and the suggested character sequence is determined based on the letter transition probabilities;

cause display of the suggested character sequence;

receive an indication from a user to correct a particular character in the suggested character sequence;

cause display of alternative characters for the particular character in an order of respective probabilities of following a previous character;

receive an indication from the user of a user-corrected character from the alternative characters;

cause display of the indicated user-corrected character replaced in the sequence of key codes;

determine a new suggested sequence of characters based on the sequence of key codes and the user-corrected character; and

cause display of the new suggested sequence of characters.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

determine a most probable sequence of characters which meets conditions of the sequence of key codes and the user-corrected character.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

select, at each position in the character string, the most probable character corresponding to the respective key code and using the letter transition probabilities for determining the suggested sequence of characters.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein determining the suggested sequence of characters comprises performing a Viterbi-algorithm.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

enter a teach mode for adding a new word to the dictionary upon receiving the indication of the user-corrected character.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the user-corrected character comprises one of a character assigned to the key code of the user-corrected character.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the user-corrected character is selected by a pointing device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

add a newly identified intended word based on the user-corrected character to a dictionary.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to:

provide character combinations and respective letter transition probabilities of such character combinations;

receive a sequence of key codes, each key code being assigned to a plurality of characters from an alphabet;

determine a suggested sequence of characters from the alphabet corresponding to the sequence of key codes, wherein each character of the suggested character sequence matches one of the plurality of characters assigned to the respective key code and the suggested character sequence is determined based on the letter transition probabilities;

cause display of the suggested character sequence;

receive an indication from a user to correct a particular character in the suggested character sequence;

cause display of alternative characters for the particular character in an order of respective probabilities of following a previous character;

receive an indication from the user of a user-corrected character from the alternative characters;

cause display of the indicated user-corrected character replaced in the sequence of key codes;

determine a new suggested sequence of characters based on the sequence of key codes and the user-corrected character; and

cause display of the new suggested sequence of characters.