METHOD AND HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE EMPLOYING A TOUCH SCREEN FOR AMBIGUOUS WORD REVIEW OR CORRECTION

• US 20090182552A1
• Filed: 01/14/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: White, Shannon, Rybak, Michal, FYKE, STEVEN H., Sibley, Richard, Adams, Neil, Fux, Vadim, Mujkic, Alen, La, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation

Abstract

A method of ambiguous word review or correction for a handheld electronic device includes receiving a plurality of actuations of input members in which each of a number of these members has a plurality of assigned characters, rendering a plurality of words responsive to the actuations, displaying a plurality of representations of the words, and detecting a number of the words, which are ambiguous. For each of the detected number, a visual indicator is displayed associated with a corresponding one of the representations. Touching of a touch screen is detected in connection with the displayed visual indicator. Preferably, a first magnification of the corresponding representation and a second magnification of a representation of a number of alternative words are displayed. The touch screen can be used to select one of the first and second magnifications to correct the ambiguous word.

Claims

1. A method of ambiguous word review or correction for a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including a display apparatus, a touch screen apparatus operatively associated with said display apparatus, and an input apparatus having a plurality of input members, each of a number of the input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of actuations of said input members;

rendering a plurality of words responsive to said actuations of said input members, each of said plurality of words being rendered as one possible word of a number of possible words derivable from said actuations of said input members;

displaying at said display apparatus a plurality of representations of said words;

detecting a number of said words, which are ambiguous;

for at least a number of said detected number of said words, displaying a visual indicator associated with a corresponding one of said representations for a corresponding one of said detected number of said words at said display apparatus; and

detecting touching of said touch screen in connection with one of said displayed visual indicator; and

responsive to said detecting touching of said touch screen, displaying at said display apparatus;

(a) a first magnification of the corresponding one of said representations, and (b) a second magnification of a representation of a number of alternatives to said corresponding one of said detected number of said words.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising

detecting touching of said touch screen in connection with one of the representation of a number of alternatives to said corresponding one of said detected number of said words of said second magnification and responsively displaying a representation of one of said number of alternatives in place of the corresponding one of said representations.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising

removing said visual indicator after said responsively displaying a representation of one of said number of alternatives in place of the corresponding one of said representations.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying highlighting as said displaying a visual indicator.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

displaying underlining as said highlighting.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying highlighting in one of a number of different colors as said displaying a visual indicator.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising

employing a first number of said words, which are ambiguous, each of said first number of said words having a plurality of dictionary matches;

employing a second number of said words, which are ambiguous, each of said second number of said words having no dictionary matches;

displaying first highlighting in a first color as said displaying a visual indicator for said first number of said words; and

displaying second highlighting in a different second color as said displaying a visual indicator for said second number of said words.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying a selectable and changeable field as said displayed visual indicator associated with the corresponding one of said representations.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising

forming at least part of an e-mail message with said representations of said words.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising

displaying a dialog box with a number of selectable alternatives as said responsively displaying a representation of one of said number of alternatives in place of the corresponding one of said representations.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising

for each of said detected number of said words, displaying said visual indicator after composition of a word, a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph or an entire composition.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying a dialog box including both of said first magnification of the corresponding one of said representations, and said second magnification of a representation of a number of alternatives to said corresponding one of said detected number of said words.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying said visual indicator and detecting said touching of said touch screen in a calendar application of said handheld electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying said visual indicator and detecting said touching of said touch screen in a task list application of said handheld electronic device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying said visual indicator and detecting said touching of said touch screen in received e-mail application of said handheld electronic device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying the plurality of representations of said words at said display apparatus in a read-only manner.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising

displaying said visual indicator and detecting said touching of said touch screen in an e-mail application of said handheld electronic device.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving said actuations of said input members and rendering said words responsive to said actuations of said input members in a first application of said handheld electronic device;

and

displaying said visual indicator and detecting said touching of said touch screen in a second different application of said handheld electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising

selecting a portion of said representations of said words in said second different application.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising

selecting all of said representations of said words in said second different application.

2. (canceled)

22. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a display apparatus;

a touch screen apparatus operatively associated with said display apparatus;

an input apparatus including a plurality of input members, each of said plurality of words being rendered as one possible word of a number of possible words derivable from said actuations of said input members, each of a number of the input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto; and

a processor apparatus structured to receive a plurality of actuations of said input members, render a plurality of words responsive to said actuations of said input members, display at said display apparatus a plurality of representations of said words, detect a number of said words, which are ambiguous, for at least a number of said detected number of said words, display a visual indicator associated with a corresponding one of said representations for a corresponding one of said detected number of said words at said display apparatus, and detect touching of said touch screen in connection with one of said displayed visual indicator,

wherein said processor apparatus is furthered structured, responsive to detecting said touching of said touch screen, to responsively display at said display apparatus;

(a) a first magnification of the corresponding one of said representations, and (b) a second magnification of a representation of a number of alternatives to said corresponding one of said detected number of said words.

23. (canceled)

24. The handheld electronic device of claim 23 wherein said processor apparatus comprises a plurality of detectors structured to detect touching of said touch screen in connection with one of the representation of a number of alternatives to said corresponding one of said detected number of said words of said second magnification and responsively display a representation of one of said number of alternatives in place of the corresponding one of said representations.

25. The handheld electronic device of claim 23 wherein said touch screen apparatus comprises a detecting component structured to detect touching in connection with one of said first magnification and said second magnification by said touch screen apparatus.

26. The handheld electronic device of claim 23 wherein said display apparatus comprises a virtual track ball;

and wherein said processor apparatus is further structured to respond to selection of one of said first magnification and said second magnification responsive to said virtual track ball.

27. The handheld electronic device of claim 26 wherein said processor apparatus is further structured to edit the corresponding one of said representations responsive to said virtual track ball.