Server-based single roundtrip spell checking

• US 20050149867A1
• Filed: 12/26/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Freelander, Jack, Bracewell, Shawn Derek
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation

Abstract

A single-roundtrip server-based spell checking service is provided. A client provides a composition to the server to be spell checked. The server performs a spell check on the composition and flags the words that are determined to be errors. The server may provide suggested corrections for the flagged words in the composition depending on the error. The suggested corrections are compressed before they are sent to the client. While a word may be misspelled several times throughout the composition, the suggested corrections for the word are only sent one time. Spell check options may also be set to help control the spell check operation.

Claims

1. A method for spell checking a composition between a client and a server in a single round-trip, comprising:

sending a composition from the client to the server;

performing a spell check on the composition;

flagging any words that are determined to be errors based on the spell check;

determining suggested corrections for the flagged words; and

providing the flagged words and the suggested corrections to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the suggested corrections.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein flagging the words further comprises associating a type of error with the flagged word.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the type of error is selected from at least one of the following errors:

a repeated word error, an unknown word error, a capitalization word error, and an accent error.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting options relating to the spell check.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the options relating to the spell check include at least one of the following options:

ignore all capitals option;

ignore mixed digits option;

spelling language option;

limit unique error option;

limit composition size option, limit total errors option; and

limit time spell checking option.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the flagged words and the suggested corrections to the client, further comprises providing the flagged words in node of a markup language document and the suggested corrections in another node of the markup language document.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining an offset associated with the flagged word indicating a position within the composition and providing the offset to the client.

9. A system for spell checking a composition in a single round-trip, comprising:

a client including a network communication device and a client spell check application that is configured to;

send a composition to a server to be spell checked; and

receiving flagged words and suggested corrections from the server; and

the server that includes a network communication device that is coupled to the client and a server spell check application that is configured to;

receive the composition from the client;

perform a spell check on the composition;

flag any words that are determined to be errors based on the spell check;

determine suggested corrections for the flagged words; and

send the flagged words and the suggested corrections to the client.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the server spell check application is further configured to compress the suggested corrections.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server spell check application is further configured to associate a type of error with the flagged word.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the type of error is selected from at least one of the following errors:

a repeated word error, an unknown word error, a capitalization word error, and an accent error.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the client spell check application is further configured to set options relating to the spell check.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the options relating to the spell check include at least one of the following options:

ignore all capitals option;

ignore mixed digits option;

spelling language option;

limit unique error option;

limit composition size option, limit total errors option; and

limit time spell checking option.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the flagged words and the suggested corrections are sent to the client in a markup language document that comprises a node for the flagged words and another node for the suggested corrections.

16. A modulated data signal having computer instructions encoded thereon for spell checking a composition in a single round-trip, comprising:

sending a composition from a client to a server to be spell checked; and

providing a markup language document that includes flagged words and suggested corrections that relate to the flagged words from the server to the client.

17. The modulated data signal of claim 16, wherein providing the markup language document that includes flagged words and suggested corrections further comprises associating a type of error with each of the flagged words.

18. The modulated data signal of claim 17, wherein the type of error is selected from at least one of the following errors:

a repeated word error, an unknown word error, a capitalization word error, and an accent error.

19. The modulated data signal of claim 17, wherein sending the composition from the client to the server to be spell checked further comprises sending options relating to the spell check.

20. The modulated data signal of claim 19, wherein the options relating to the spell check include at least one of the following options:

ignore all capitals option;

ignore mixed digits option;

spelling language option;

limit unique error option;

limit composition size option, limit total errors option; and

limit time spell checking option.

21. The modulated data signal of claim 19, wherein providing the flagged words and the suggested corrections to the client, further comprises providing the flagged words in one node and the suggested corrections in another node.

22. The modulated data signal of claim 21, further comprising providing an offset associated with the flagged word indicating a position within the composition.