METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING TEXT INPUT

• US 20100332215A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Alhonen, Jari Pertti Tapani
• Application Number:
  US12/492,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332215A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/129 Handling non-Latin characters, e.g. kana-to-kanji conversion

Abstract

A method includes detecting a group of characters input into an electronic device, the group of characters including a sequence of character sub-groups that are input in a first configuration, and converting the group of characters as a whole, from the first configuration to a second configuration such that a given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups is converted at least by analyzing other character sub-groups that both precede and follow the given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an input of a group of characters in an electronic device, the group of characters including a sequence of character sub-groups that are input in a first configuration; and

converting the group of characters as a whole, from the first configuration into a second configuration, wherein a given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups is converted at least by analyzing other character sub-groups that both precede and follow the given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration comprises a basic Latin script and the second configuration comprises accented characters corresponding to tones and phonemes of a predetermined language.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an end of group marker identifying an end of the group of characters, where the converting of the group of characters begins only after detection of the end of group marker.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing each character sub-group as the input of the character sub-groups into the electronic device is detected and converting one or more of the character sub-groups as the one or more sub-groups become disambiguous based on other character sub-groups preceding and following the one or more character sub-groups in the sequence of character sub-groups.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of characters comprises one or more of an entire phrase, an entire sentence and an entire paragraph and the character sub-groups comprise one or more of individual words and individual syllables.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting on a display of the electronic device character sub-groups whose conversion is uncertain, where the highlighted character sub-groups are selectable for one of acceptance or replacement with a replacement character sub-group.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising recording, in a memory of the electronic device, one or more of corrections that were or were not made to uncertain sub-groups and a context in which the replacement character sub-group was used.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising one or more of:

modifying a language model stored in the electronic device to allow more accurate conversion of the uncertain character sub-groups during conversion of subsequent groups of characters including the uncertain character sub-groups; and

modifying a list of replacement character sub-groups based on information regarding the acceptance or replacement of the uncertain character sub-groups to present more accurate replacements for uncertain character sub-groups during subsequent replacement of the uncertain character sub-groups.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein when a highlighted character sub-group is replaced, the method further comprising verifying the conversion by re-analyzing at least a portion of the group of characters based on a corresponding replacement sub-group.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to a second electronic device, the message including a converted group of characters; and

encoding the message with an encoding previously obtained from a message received from the second electronic device.

11. A computer program product comprising computer readable code means stored in a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable code means configured to execute the method steps according to claim 1.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a character input detection device configured to detect an input of a group of characters, where the group of characters includes a sequence of character sub-groups that are input in a first configuration; and

at least processor coupled to the character input detection device, the at least one processor being configured to

convert the group of characters as a whole from the first configuration to a second configuration such that a given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups is converted at least by analyzing other character sub-groups that both precede and follow the given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first configuration comprises a basic Latin script and the second configuration comprises accented characters corresponding tones and phonemes of a predetermined language.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to detect an end of group marker identifying an end of the group of characters, where the converting of the group of characters begins only after detection of the end of group marker.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to analyze each character sub-group as the input of the character sub-groups into the apparatus is detected and convert one or more of the character sub-groups as the one or more sub-groups become disambiguous based on other character sub-groups preceding and following the one or more character sub-groups in the sequence of character sub-groups.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a display coupled to the at least one processor; and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to highlight, on the display, character sub-groups whose conversion is uncertain, and allow selectability of the highlighted character sub-groups for one of acceptance or replacement with a replacement character sub-group.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the at least one processor being further configured to record one or more corrections that were or were not made to uncertain sub-groups and a context in which the replacement character sub-group was used.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

modify a language model to allow more accurate conversion of the uncertain character sub-groups during conversion of subsequent groups of characters including the uncertain character sub-groups; and

/or

modify a list of replacement character sub-groups based on information regarding the acceptance or replacement of the uncertain character sub-groups to present more accurate replacements for uncertain character sub-groups during subsequent replacement of the uncertain character sub-groups.

19. A user interface comprising:

an character input detection device configured to detect an input of a group of characters into an electronic device, where the group of characters includes a sequence of character sub-groups that are input in a first configuration; and

at least one processor configured to and

convert the group of characters as a whole from the first configuration to a second configuration such that a given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups is converted at least by analyzing other character sub-groups that both precede and follow the given character sub-group in the sequence of character sub-groups.

20. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the first configuration comprises a basic Latin script and the second configuration comprises accented characters corresponding tones and phonemes of a predetermined language.