Text editing assistor

• US 20040139404A1
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawashima, Takashi, Asano, Takashi, Shin, Hidehiko, Inukai, Hisamori
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A text editing assistor comprises a table storing section storing a candidate table, a candidate displaying section, a character sequence finalization section, an environment information acquisition section, a determination section, and a first updating section. The candidate displaying section displays at least one prospective character sequence in response to a character sequence which is input by the user. The character sequence finalization section allows the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed by the candidate displaying section as a final character sequence. The environment information acquisition section acquires environment information. When a final character sequence is selected by means of the character sequence finalization section, the determination section determines whether or not to update the candidate table based on the environment information. The first updating section updates the candidate table only when the determination section determines that the candidate table is to be updated.

Claims

1. A text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, comprising:

a table storing section for storing a candidate table which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence;

a candidate displaying section for displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization section for allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed by the candidate displaying section as a final character sequence;

an environment information acquisition section for acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a determination section for, when a final character sequence is selected by means of the character sequence finalization section, determining whether or not to update the candidate table based on the environment information; and

a first updating section for updating the candidate table based on an association between the final character sequence selected by means of the character sequence finalization section and the character sequence which has been input by the user, the update being made only when the determination section determines that the candidate table is to be updated.

2. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a current time as the environment information, and

the determination section determines whether or not to update the candidate table based on the information indicating the current time.

3. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a current position of the text editing assistor as the environment information, and

the determination section determines whether or not to update the candidate table based on the information indicating the current position.

4. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a type of application which accepts an inputting of a character sequence as the environment information, and

the determination section determines whether or not to update the candidate table based on the information indicating the type of the application.

5. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a state of an application which accepts an inputting of a character sequence as the environment information, and

the determination section determines whether or not to update the candidate table based on the information indicating the state of the application.

6. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input accepting section which accepts at least two kinds of input methods for inputting a selection of a final character sequence by means of the character sequence finalization section; and

a second updating section operable to update the candidate table based on the association between the final character sequence selected by means of the character sequence finalization section and the character sequence which has been input by the user when the input accepting section accepts a selection of the final character sequence by the first input method, and not update the candidate table when the input accepting section accepts a selection of the final character sequence by a second input method which is different from the first input method.

7. The text editing assistor according to claim 1 further comprising:

a designation section for allowing the user to designate an association between a character sequence and a prospective character sequence in the candidate table, and

a deletion section for deleting from the candidate table the association between the character sequence and the prospective character sequence designated by means of the designation section.

8. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein,

the candidate table associates a plurality of prospective character sequences, in an order of being displayed by the candidate displaying section, with a given character sequence,

the text editing assistor further comprising:

a changing section for changing the order of the prospective character sequences associated by the candidate table with the given character sequence.

9. The text editing assistor according to claim 1, wherein,

the table storing section further stores an inhibited sequence table which associates one or more inhibited character sequences with a given character sequence, the inhibited character sequences being inhibited from being displayed as prospective character sequences, and

the candidate displaying section displays, in response to the character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table with the character sequence which has been input by the user, excluding the inhibited character sequence(s) associated by the inhibited sequence table with the character sequence which has been input by the user.

10. A text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, comprising:

a table storing section for storing a plurality of candidate tables each of which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence, each candidate table containing a different set of such associations;

an environment information acquisition section for acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a table determination section for determining one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the environment information acquired by the environment information acquisition section;

a candidate displaying section for displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table determined by the table determination section with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization section for allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed by the candidate displaying section as a final character sequence; and

a first updating section for updating the candidate table determined by the table determination section based on an association between the final character sequence selected by means of the character sequence finalization section and the character sequence which has been input by the user.

11. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a current time as the environment information, and

the table determination section determines one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the information indicating the current time.

12. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a current position of the text editing assistor as the environment information, and

the table determination section determines one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the information indicating the current position.

13. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, wherein,

the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a type of application which accepts an inputting of a character sequence as the environment information, and

the table determination section determines one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the information indicating the type of the application.

14. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, wherein the environment information acquisition section acquires information indicating a state of an application which accepts an inputting of a character sequence as the environment information, and

the table determination section determines one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the information indicating the state of the application.

15. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, further comprising:

an input accepting section which accepts at least two kinds of input methods for inputting a selection of a final character sequence by means of the character sequence finalization section; and

a second updating section operable to update the candidate table determined by the table determination section based on the association between the final character sequence selected by means of the character sequence finalization section and the character sequence which has been input by the user when the input accepting section accepts a selection of the final character sequence by the first input method, and not update the candidate table when the input accepting section accepts a selection of the final character sequence by a second input method which is different from the first input method.

16. The text editing assistor according to claim 10, wherein,

the table storing section further stores an inhibited sequence table which associates one or more inhibited character sequences with a given character sequence, the inhibited character sequences being inhibited from being displayed as prospective character sequences, and

the candidate displaying section displays, in response to the character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table with the character sequence which has been input by the user, excluding the inhibited character sequence(s) associated by the inhibited sequence table with the character sequence which has been input by the user.

17. A program to be executed by a computer in a text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, the text editing assistor comprising a table storing section for storing a candidate table which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence,

wherein the program causes the computer to execute:

a candidate displaying step of displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization step of allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed in the candidate displaying step as a final character sequence;

an environment information acquisition step of acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a determination step for, when a final character sequence is selected in the character sequence finalization step, determining whether or not to update the candidate table based on the environment information; and

a first updating step of updating the candidate table based on an association between the final character sequence selected in the character sequence finalization step and the character sequence which has been input by the user, the update being made only when the determination step determines that the candidate table is to be updated.

18. A program to be executed by a computer in a text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, the text editing assistor comprising a table storing section for storing a plurality of candidate tables each of which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence, each candidate table containing a different set of such associations,

wherein the program causes the computer to execute:

an environment information acquisition step of acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a table determination step of determining one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the environment information acquired in the environment information acquisition step;

a candidate displaying step of displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table determined in the table determination step with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization step of allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed in the candidate displaying step as a final character sequence; and

a first updating step of updating the candidate table determined in the table determination step based on an association between the final character sequence selected in the character sequence finalization step and the character sequence which has been input by the user.

19. A method for use with a text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, the text editing assistor comprising a table storing section for storing a candidate table which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence,

wherein the method comprises:

a candidate displaying step of displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization step of allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed in the candidate displaying step as a final character sequence;

an environment information acquisition step of acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a determination step for, when a final character sequence is selected in the character sequence finalization step, determining whether or not to update the candidate table based on the environment information; and

a first updating step of updating the candidate table based on an association between the final character sequence selected in the character sequence finalization step and the character sequence which has been input by the user, the update being made only when the determination step determines that the candidate table is to be updated.

20. A method for use with a text editing assistor for displaying a prospective character sequence based on a character sequence which is input by a user, the text editing assistor comprising a table storing section for storing a plurality of candidate tables each of which associates one or more prospective character sequences with a given character sequence, each candidate table containing a different set of such associations,

wherein the method comprises:

an environment information acquisition step of acquiring environment information concerning the text editing assistor or an environment thereof;

a table determination step of determining one of the plurality of candidate tables stored in the table storing section based on the environment information acquired in the environment information acquisition step;

a candidate displaying step of displaying, in response to a character sequence which is input by the user, at least one prospective character sequence which is associated by the candidate table determined in the table determination step with the character sequence which has been input by the user;

a character sequence finalization step of allowing the user to select one of the at least one prospective character sequence displayed in the candidate displaying step as a final character sequence; and

a first updating step of updating the candidate table determined in the table determination step based on an association between the final character sequence selected in the character sequence finalization step and the character sequence which has been input by the user.