Handheld electronic device with text disambiguation

• US 20060047244A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Elizarov, Michael G., Kolomiets, Sergey V., Fux, Vadim
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided. Additionally, the device can facilitate the selection of variants by displaying a graphic of a special <NEXT> key of the keypad that enables a user to progressively select variants generally without changing the position of the user'"'"'s hands on the device.

Claims

1. A method of disambiguating an input into a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory having a plurality of objects stored therein, the plurality of objects including a plurality of language objects and a plurality of frequency objects, each of at least a portion of the language objects of the plurality of language objects being associated with an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the plurality of language objects including a plurality of word objects and a plurality of n-gram objects, substantially each n-gram object of the plurality of n-gram objects including at least a first character, the input apparatus including a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members of the plurality of input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto, the method comprising:

detecting an ambiguous input including a number of input member actuations of a number of the input members of the plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members of the number of input members including a number of characters assigned thereto, at least one of the input members of the number of input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto;

generating a number of prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input, each prefix object of the number of prefix objects including a number of the characters of the number of the input members of the ambiguous input;

for each prefix object of at least a portion of the number of prefix objects, seeking a corresponding language object of the plurality of language objects that corresponds with the prefix object;

generating a result by, for each prefix object of at least a portion of the number of prefix objects, said at least a portion being a quantity of one of zero and greater than zero, identifying a word object of the plurality of word objects, the identified word object corresponding with the prefix object, obtaining an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the associated frequency object being associated with the identified word object and having a frequency value, and associating the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the prefix object;

for at least a portion of the prefix objects of the result, generating an output set of the prefix objects sorted according to the frequency values associated therewith;

at least a portion of the output set including a first prefix object with a spelling and having all lower case letters and a second prefix object having the same spelling and having at least one capital letter; and

outputting an output including the prefix objects of at least a portion of the output set organized in descending order of frequency value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a particular prefix object of the result is of a length having a first quantity of characters, determining that a particular identified word object corresponding with the particular prefix object is of a length having a second quantity of characters, determining that the first quantity is equal to the second quantity, and positioning the particular prefix object in the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively high frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the result includes a quantity of prefix objects, determining that the quantity of prefix objects in the result is fewer than a predetermined quantity, and adding as an orphan prefix object to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency a prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting another input member actuation of an input member of the plurality of input members, determining that a selection input was not detected between the detection of the ambiguous input and the detection of the another input member actuation, and generating a number of additional prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input plus the another input member actuation without generating an additional prefix object corresponding with the orphan prefix object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory includes a first linguistic source and a second linguistic source, at least a portion of the objects being in the first linguistic source, at least a portion of the objects being in the second linguistic source, further comprising identifying in the first linguistic source a first word object corresponding with one of the prefix objects of the number of prefix objects and obtaining a first associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the first associated frequency object being associated with the identified first word object and having a first frequency value, identifying in the second linguistic source a second word object corresponding with the one of the prefix objects and obtaining a second associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the second associated frequency object being associated with the identified second word object and having a second frequency value, determining that one of the first frequency value and the second frequency value is less than the other of the first frequency value and the second frequency value, and filtering from the result the one of the first frequency value and the second frequency value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising employing as the first linguistic source one of a generic word list, a new words database, a frequency learning database, an address database, and a speed-text database, and employing as the second linguistic source another of a generic word list, a new words database, a frequency learning database, an address database, and a speed-text database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the result includes a quantity of prefix objects, determining that the quantity of prefix objects is fewer than a predetermined quantity, adding to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency as a first orphan prefix object a prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified, and adding to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency as a second orphan prefix object another prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified, determining a first frequency value and associating the first frequency value with the first orphan prefix object, determining a second frequency value and associating the second frequency value with the second orphan prefix object, and sorting in the output set the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object in descending order of frequency value.

8. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a processor unit including a processor, an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory having a plurality of objects and a routine stored therein;

the plurality of objects including a plurality of language objects and a plurality of frequency objects, each of at least a portion of the language objects of the plurality of language objects being associated with an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the plurality of language objects including a plurality of word objects and a plurality of n-gram objects, substantially each n-gram object of the plurality of n-gram objects including at least a first character;

the input apparatus including a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members of the plurality of input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto;

the routine being adapted to detect an ambiguous input including a number of input member actuations of a number of the input members of the plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members of the number of input members including a number of characters assigned thereto, at least one of the input members of the number of input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto;

the routine being adapted to generate a number of prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input, each prefix object of the number of prefix objects including a number of the characters of the number of the input members of the ambiguous input;

for each prefix object of at least a portion of the number of prefix objects, the routine being adapted to seek a corresponding language object of the plurality of language objects that corresponds with the prefix object;

the routine being adapted to generate a result by, for each prefix object of at least a portion of the number of prefix objects, said at least a portion being a quantity of one of zero and greater than zero, identifying a word object of the plurality of word objects, the identified word object corresponding with the prefix object, obtaining an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the associated frequency object being associated with the identified word object and having a frequency value, and associating the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the prefix object;

for at least a portion of the prefix objects of the result, the routine being adapted to generate an output set of the prefix objects sorted according to the frequency values associated therewith, at least a portion of the output set including a first prefix object with a spelling and having all lower case letters and a second prefix object having the same spelling and having at least one capital letter; and

the routine being adapted to output an output including the prefix objects of at least a portion of the output set organized in descending order of frequency value.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the routine is adapted to determine that the result includes a quantity of prefix objects, to determine that the quantity of prefix objects in the result is fewer than a predetermined quantity, and to add as an orphan prefix object to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency a prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 9, wherein the routine is adapted to detect another input member actuation of an input member of the plurality of input members, to determine that a selection input was not detected between the detection of the ambiguous input and the detection of the another input member actuation, and to generate a number of additional prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input plus the another input member actuation without generating an additional prefix object corresponding with the orphan prefix object.

11. The handheld electronic device of claim 8 wherein the memory includes a first linguistic source and a second linguistic source, at least a portion of the objects being in the first linguistic source, at least a portion of the objects being in the second linguistic source, wherein the routine is adapted to identify in the first linguistic source a first word object corresponding with one of the prefix objects of the number of prefix objects and obtain a first associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the first associated frequency object being associated with the identified first word object and having a first frequency value, the routine also being adapted to identify in the second linguistic source a second word object corresponding with the one of the prefix objects and obtain a second associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the second associated frequency object being associated with the identified second word object and having a second frequency value, the routine further being adapted to determine that one of the first frequency value and the second frequency value is less than the other of the first frequency value and the second frequency value, and to filter from the result the one of the first frequency value and the second frequency value.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the routine is adapted to determine that the result includes a quantity of prefix objects, to determine that the quantity of prefix objects is fewer than a predetermined quantity, to add to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency as a first orphan prefix object a prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified, and to add to the output set at a position corresponding with a relatively low frequency as a second orphan prefix object another prefix object of the number of prefix objects for which a corresponding word object of the plurality of word objects was not identified, the routine also being adapted to determine a first frequency value and associating the first frequency value with the first orphan prefix object, to determine a second frequency value and associating the second frequency value with the second orphan prefix object, and to sort in the output set the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object in descending order of frequency value.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein the routine is adapted to determine that one of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object has a relatively higher priority than the other of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object since a final three characters of the one of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object correspond with a first n-gram object of the plurality of n-gram objects having three characters, and to position in the output set the one of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object at a position corresponding with a relatively higher frequency than the other of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 13, wherein the routine is adapted to determine that a final three characters of the other of the first orphan prefix object and the second orphan prefix object correspond with a second n-gram object of the plurality of n-gram objects having three characters, to determine that the first n-gram object is associated with an associated first frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects having a first frequency value, to determine that the second n-gram object is associated with an associated second frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects having a second frequency value, and to determine that the first frequency value is greater than the second frequency value.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the routine is adapted to output as at least a portion of the output a default output and a variant output, the default output being a portion of the output having a relatively higher priority than the variant output on the basis of at least one of being associated with an object of the plurality of objects associated with a relatively higher frequency value than the variant output and being associated with an object of the plurality of objects to which is assigned a preferred status, and to output as at least a portion of the default output a first prefix object of the result, and outputting as a portion of the variant output a second prefix object of the result.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, wherein the routine is adapted to:

detect a selection input as to at least a portion of the variant output to provide a selected variant;

detect another input member actuation of an input member of the plurality of input members;

generate a number of additional prefix objects corresponding with the ambiguous input and the another input member actuation, each additional prefix object of the number of additional prefix objects including a number of the characters of the number of the input members of the ambiguous input and the another input member actuation;

generate another result by, for each additional prefix object of at least a portion of the number of additional prefix objects, said at least a portion being a quantity of one of zero and greater than zero, identifying a word object of the plurality of word objects, the identified word object corresponding with the additional prefix object, obtaining an associated frequency object of the plurality of frequency objects, the associated frequency object being associated with the identified word object and having a frequency value, and associating the frequency value of the associated frequency object with the additional prefix object, the another result including an additional prefix object of the number of additional prefix objects corresponding with the selected variant and the another input member actuation as a default additional prefix object;

for at least a portion of the additional prefix objects of the result, generate another output set of the additional prefix objects sorted according to the frequency values associated therewith;

output an output including at least a portion of the prefix objects of the output set organized in descending order of frequency value; and

output as at least a portion of the default output the default additional prefix object.