Ambiguity resolution for predictive text entry

• US 20040163032A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mcevilly, Carlos Isak, Guo, Jin, Wu, Charles Yimin
• Application Number:
  US10/322,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163032A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500
• 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

The invention is a method for resolving ambiguity of predictive text entry, such as one used by a portable electronic device (100). A user interface of the portable electronic device (100) includes a processor (206) and an output device (208, 210). The processor (206) is configured to receive the first and second data inputs (304, 312, 404, 412) and determine a word pair corresponding to the first and second data inputs (320, 426). The first data input is associated with a first word and the second data input is associated with a second word. However, the second data input may also be associated with words other than the second word. Thus, the processor (206) identifies possible combinations of word pairs based on the first word and the candidates for the second word (318, 420) and, then, determines the intended word pair from these possible combinations (320, 426). Thereafter, the output device (208, 210) displays the intended word pair determined by the processor (206) (322, 428).

Claims

1. A method for resolving ambiguity of predictive text entry comprising the steps of:

receiving a first data input associated with elements of a first word;

detecting a completion signal that distinguishes the first data input from any subsequent data input;

receiving a second data input, subsequent to the first data input, associated with elements of a second word;

determining a word pair corresponding the first and second words based on the first and second data inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting another completion signal indicating that entry of the second data input has been completed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the second word to an output device adjacent to the first word, after the step of determining the word pair.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating the word path database before the step of receiving the first data input, the word path database including a first word field, a second word field and a word pair field corresponding to the first and second word fields.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the first word to an output device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a second word of the plurality of second words to the output device adjacent to the first word.

4. A method for resolving ambiguity of predictive text entry comprising the steps of:

receiving a first data input;

determining a first word based on the first data input;

receiving a second data input;

determining a plurality of second words based on the second data input;

identifying possible combinations of word pairs based on the first word and the plurality of second words; and

determining a particular word pair of the possible combinations having the highest frequency of occurrence.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of rating for each word pair of the possible combinations based on frequency of occurrence.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particular word pair is the word pair having the highest rating among the possible combinations of word pairs.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of sequentially ordering word pairs of the possible combinations based on their ratings.

11. A user interface for a portable electronic device comprising:

an output device; and

a processor, coupled to the output device, configured to receive first and second data inputs associated with elements of first and second words, respectively, determine a word pair corresponding to the first and second words based on the first and second data inputs, and provide the word pair on the output device.

12. The user interface of claim 11, further comprising a word path database, coupled to the processor, configured to store a plurality of first words, a plurality of second words, and a plurality of word pairs corresponding to the plurality of first words and the plurality of second words.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein each second word of the plurality of second words is associated with a data input, the data input being associated with at least one other word.

14. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the word path database excludes word pairs that are identified by another database.

15. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the word pair comprises the first word followed by the second word.

16. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the output device is at least one of a visual output and an audio output.

17. The user interface of claim 11, further comprising a user input, coupled to the processor, for providing the first and second data inputs to the processor.

18. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the user input is at least one of a mechanical input and an audio input.

19. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the processor detects a completion signal that distinguishes the first data input from the second data input.

20. A portable electronic device comprising:

an output device;

a processor, coupled to the output device, configured to receive first and second data inputs associated with elements of first and second words, respectively, determine a word pair corresponding to the first and second words based on the first and second data inputs, and display the word pair on the output device;

an input device, coupled to the processor, configured to generate the first and second data inputs; and

a transceiver, coupled to the processor, configured to transmit a message that includes the word pair to a remote device.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 20, further comprising a word path database, coupled to the processor, configured to store a plurality of first words, a plurality of second words, and a plurality of word pairs corresponding to the plurality of first words and the plurality of second words.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein each second word of the plurality of second words is associated with a data input, the data input being associated with at least one other word.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the word path database excludes word pairs that are identified by another database.