System and method for inputting text into electronic devices

• US 10,191,654 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Touchtype Limited (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Clements, Adam, Tunnicliffe, Richard, Medlock, Benjamin William
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiau, Shen
• Application Number:
  US14/714,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A system comprising: one or more processors; and program instructions for providing a user interface. Execution of the program instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to display a user interface comprising: an entry mechanism for entering an input comprising at least one character, symbol, numeral or punctuation mark; a typing pane configured to display the input entered via the entry mechanism; wherein, in response to selection of a prediction based on the input entered via the entry mechanism, the typing pane is configured to replace the input entered via the entry mechanism by the prediction; and an undo button, wherein in response to user selection of the undo button, the typing pane is configured to replace the selected prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

instantiate an entry mechanism for entering an input comprising at least one character, symbol, numeral or punctuation mark;

instantiate a typing pane configured to display the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein, in response to automatic selection of a prediction based on the input entered via the entry mechanism, the typing pane is configured to replace the input entered via the entry mechanism by the prediction; and

instantiate an undo indication, wherein in response to user selection of the undo indication, the typing pane is configured to replace the selected prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein the undo indication is instantiated in response to the automatic selection of the prediction and in response to one or more subsequent selections of a delete/backspace indication after the automatic selection of the prediction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the undo indication corresponds to an undo button which is enabled to perform an undo action.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein undo action is disabled when an additional input has been entered by the entry mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to user selection of the undo button, the user interface is configured to prevent further prediction selection until a predetermined condition is fulfilled.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition comprises performing at least one of the group of actions comprising:

movement of the cursor in the typing pane, insertion of a space/period, insertion of a punctuation mark, selection of an ‘

enter’

or ‘

return’

button, and selection of a ‘

correct’

button.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processor to display a user interface comprising a display area configured to display one or more predictions, and wherein, in response to user selection of a prediction from the display area, the typing pane is configured to replace the input by the prediction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein in response to user selection of the prediction or the one or more subsequent selections of a backspace/delete indication , the display area is configured to display the undo indication, wherein the undo indication displays the input which was replaced by the prediction in the typing pane, wherein in response to a user selection of the undo indication, the display area is configured to display the one or more predictions displayed prior to the selection of a prediction.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the undo indication displays the input which was replaced by the prediction in the typing pane.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

instantiate an entry mechanism for entering an input comprising at least one character, symbol, numeral or punctuation mark;

instantiate a typing pane configured to display the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein, in response to automatic selection of a prediction based on the input entered via the entry mechanism, the typing pane is configured to replace the input entered via the entry mechanism by the prediction; and

instantiate an undo indication, wherein in response to user selection of the undo indication, the typing pane is configured to replace the selected prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein the undo indication is instantiated in response to the automatic selection of the prediction and in response to one or more subsequent selections of a delete/backspace indication after the automatic selection of the prediction.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the undo indication is an undo button.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the entry mechanism is a keypad and the undo indication is a button on the keypad.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the prediction comprises one of the group comprising:

a word, multi words, a phrase, an emoji, and a graphical symbol.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the prediction corresponds to a correction of the input, wherein the input corresponds to two or more consecutive words, comprising a first word, a second word and, optionally a third word, wherein the prediction corresponds to a corrected version of the first word and, optionally the second and/or third word, wherein the prediction is selected after the second, and optionally the third words have been entered via the entry mechanism.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the prediction is automatically selected in response to one of the group of actions comprising:

insertion of a space/period, insertion of a punctuation mark, selection of an ‘

enter’

or ‘

return’

button, and selection of a correction button.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein in response to every selection of a prediction a marker is set, and wherein the undo indication is configured to selectively replace the prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism at every marker.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

program instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising provision of a user interface;

the user interface comprising;

an entry mechanism for entering an input comprising at least one character, symbol, numeral or punctuation mark;

a typing pane configured to display the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein, in response to automatic selection of a prediction based on the input entered via the entry mechanism, the typing pane is configured to replace the input entered via the entry mechanism by the prediction; and

an undo indication wherein in response to selection of the undo indication, the typing pane is configured to replace the selected prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein the undo indication is displayed in response to the automatic selection of the prediction and in response to one or more subsequent selections of a delete/backspace indication after the automatic selection of the prediction.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the undo indication corresponds to a delete/backspace button, wherein the undo functionality is enabled on the delete/backspace button in response to the selection of the prediction or the one or more subsequent selections of the delete/backspace button.

18. A system comprising:

an entry mechanism for entering an input comprising at least one character, symbol, numeral or punctuation mark;

one or more processors; and

program instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising provision;

instantiation of a user interface comprising;

instantiation of a typing pane configured to display the input entered via the entry mechanism;

wherein, in response to automatic selection of a prediction based on the input entered via the entry mechanism, the typing pane is configured to replace the input entered via the entry mechanism by the prediction;

wherein the entry mechanism or the user interface comprises an undo indication, wherein in response to user selection of the undo indication, the typing pane is configured to replace the prediction by the input entered via the entry mechanism; and

wherein the undo indication is displayed by the user interface in response to the automatic selection of the prediction and in response to one or more subsequent selections of a delete/backspace indication after the automatic selection of the prediction.