Searching for and providing objects using byte-by-byte comparison

• US 20060136408A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ZI Corporation of Canada Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wildenflycht, Tommy, Weir, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

The invention may be embodied as a method of providing information. The information may be stored as objects in a database. Such a method may use identification codes to identify pointers, and the pointers may indicate the address in a database where desired objects are stored. The invention may also be embodied as a machine having an input device, a database, a processor and executable instructions. The executable instructions may cause the processor to carry out a method according to the invention.

Claims

1. A method of providing information, comprising:

providing an input device having at least two keys;

storing objects in a database, each object having a unique address;

storing pointers in the database, each pointer identifying at least one of the unique addresses, and each pointer having an identification code that is at least one byte in length;

selecting one of the keys to provide a first selection;

selecting one of the keys to provide a second selection;

associating the selections as a first input;

comparing the first input to a first byte of the identification codes;

identifying pointers for which there is a match between the first input and the first byte, to provide a first group of pointers;

providing objects corresponding to the identified pointers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the keys to provide a third selection;

identifying from among the first group of pointers those pointers having a character in a second byte of the identification codes that matches the third input, to provide a second group of pointers;

providing objects corresponding to the second group of pointers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the keys to provide a third selection;

selecting one of the keys to provide a fourth selection, and associating the third and fourth selections as a second input;

comparing the second input to a second byte of the identification codes;

identifying from among the first group of pointers those pointers for which the second input matches the second byte, to provide a second group of pointers;

providing objects corresponding to the identified pointers from the second group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification codes are addresses of the database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pointers is a start address corresponding to a location where a first one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the pointers is an end address corresponding to a location where a last one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the pointers is a number representing how many objects correspond to the first input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the keys corresponds to more than one character.

9. A machine, comprising:

an input device having at least two keys;

a database, having stored therein a plurality of objects, each object being potentially desired by a user, and having stored therein pointers, each pointer identifying at least one address of an object and each pointer having an identification code that is at least one byte in length;

a processor capable of executing instructions;

executable instructions capable of instructing the processor to (a) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a first selection, (b) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a second selection, (c) associate the selections as a first input, (d) compare the first input to a first byte of the identification codes, (e) identify pointers for which there is a match between the first input and the first byte, to provide a first group of pointers, and (f) provide objects corresponding to the identified pointers.

10. The machine of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions have instructions capable of instructing the processor to (a) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a third selection, and to identify from among the first group of pointers those pointers having a character in a second byte of the identification code that matches the third input, to provide a second group of pointers, and (b) provide objects corresponding to the second group of pointers.

11. The machine of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions have instructions capable of instructing the processor to (a) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a third selection, (b) accept selection of one of the keys to provide a fourth selection, (c) associate the third and fourth selections as a second input, (d) compare the second input to a second one of the bytes of the identification codes, (e) identify pointers for which there is a match between the second input and the second byte and provide those pointers as a second group of pointers, and (f) provide objects corresponding to the second group of pointers.

12. The machine of claim 9, wherein the identification codes correspond to addresses of the database.

13. The machine of claim 9, wherein at least one of the identified pointers is a start address corresponding to a location where a first one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the identified pointers is an end address corresponding to a location where a last one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the identified pointers is a number representing how many objects correspond to the first input.

16. The machine of claim 9, wherein at least one of the keys corresponds to more than one character.

17. A computer readable memory device having stored thereon instructions that are executable by a computer, the instructions causing a computer to (a) accept a first selection and a second selection, (b) associate the selections as a first input, (c) compare the first input to a first byte of identification codes, each identification code corresponding to a pointer that identifies at least one address for an object, (d) identify a first group of pointers, each pointer in the first group having an identification code with a first byte that matches the first input, and (e) provide objects corresponding to the first group of pointers.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the instructions further include instructions which cause the computer to (a) accept a third selection, (b) identify a second group of pointers from among the first group of pointers, each pointer in the second group having a character in a second byte of the identification code that matches the third input, and (c) provide objects corresponding to the second group of pointers.

19. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the instructions further include instructions which cause the computer to (a) accept a third selection and a fourth selection, (b) associate the third and fourth selections as a second input, (c) compare the second input to a second byte of the identification codes, (d) identify a second group of pointers from the first group of pointers, each pointer in the second group having an identification code that has a second byte that matches the second input, and (e) provide objects corresponding to the second group of pointers.

20. The memory device of claim 17, wherein one of the pointers in the first group is a start address corresponding to a location where a first one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the pointers in the first group is an end address corresponding to a location where a last one of the objects corresponding to the first input may be found.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the pointers in the first group is a number representing how many objects correspond to the first input.