Typing assistance for editing

• US 10,126,936 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Badger, Eric Norman, Linerud, Drew Elliott, Almog, Itai, Paek, Timothy S., Sundararajan, Parthasarathy, Walters, Kenneth R., Peterson, Andrew Douglas, Davis, Shawna Julie, Sengupta, Tirthankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tillery, Rashawn N
• Application Number:
  US14/887,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for providing feedback and guidance to touch screen device users to improve the text entry user experience and performance. According to one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a text entry, receiving input on a touch screen in the form of a first single touch input located over a word of previously entered text, and presenting the user with one or more suggestion candidates indicated possible replacement words related to the selected word. The user can then select one of the suggestion candidates using a second single touch input to replace the selected word with a word associated with the selected suggestion candidate.

Claims

1. A method of context-based auto-correction, the method comprising:

receiving selection input for a first word in a text entry;

invoking a candidate generation module to produce suggestion candidates for the first word based on context information for the first word;

displaying the suggestion candidates and receiving input selecting one of the suggestion candidates;

based on the received input selecting one of the suggestion candidates, automatically;

replacing the first word in the text entry, producing an updated text entry;

invoking a correction module to check the updated text entry for correctness based at least in part on context of the replaced word in the updated text entry; and

correcting one or more additional words of the updated text entry other than the first word.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection input is received as a single touch input from a touch screen display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input selecting one of the suggestion candidates is received as a single touch input from a touch screen display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first word comprises two or more words in a phrase.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the automatically correcting, clearing all of the displayed suggestion candidates.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen display;

memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the device to perform a method, the instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving selection input for a first word in a text entry with the touchscreen display,

instructions for producing suggestion candidates for the first word based on context information for the first word,

instructions for displaying the suggestion candidates and receiving input selecting one of the suggestion candidates with the touchscreen display,

instructions for, based on the received input selecting one of the suggestion candidates and replacing the first word in the text entry, automatically;

producing an updated text entry,

checking the updated text entry for correctness based at least in part on context of the replaced word in the updated text entry, and

correcting one or more additional words of the updated text entry other than the first word.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for a candidate generation module that produces the replaced word.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the candidate generation module is configured to use different rules or dictionaries based on a context type of a text entry field in which the text entry is being edited.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the context comprises surrounding words in the updated text entry.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the context comprises type of the text entry being edited.

11. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the instructions for automatically correcting the additional words cause the processor to use different rules or dictionaries for the automatically correcting based on context of the updated text entry.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

at least one input device;

a display; and

a memory or storage device storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the mobile device to perform a method of context-based auto-correction, the method comprising;

performing context-based checking of a word using surrounding words in a text entry,

highlighting a word or phrase of the text entry as incorrect on the display,

with the input device, receiving user input selecting the highlighted word or phrase on the display,

displaying one or more suggestion candidates for the highlighted word or phrase in a candidates area of the display,

with the input device, receiving input selecting one of the suggestion candidates, and automatically;

replacing the highlighted word with the selected suggestion candidate and displaying an updated text entry with the display,

checking the updated text entry for correctness based at least in part on context of the replaced word in the updated text entry, and

correcting one or more additional words of the updated text entry other than the first word.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein checking the updated text entry for correctness further comprises performing context-based checking of the updated text entry.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the displayed suggestion candidates is provided by a candidate generation module.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the candidate generation module is configured to use different rules or dictionaries based on type of the text entry being edited.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the context-based checking comprises evaluating type of the text entry.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the context-based checking comprises using different rules or dictionaries based on context of the word in the text entry.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the suggestion candidates are displayed in an order based at least in part on the context of surrounding words in the text entry.

19. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the suggestion candidates are displayed in an order based at least in part on position of the word relative to the beginning or end of a phrase containing the word.

20. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein a touchscreen display comprises the input device and the display.