Systems and Methods for Predictive Text Entry for Small-Screen Devices with Touch-Based Two-Stage Text Input

• US 20140282211A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ady, Roger W., Dai, Hui, Ma, Jeong J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for predictive text entry for small touch-screen devices. A two-state input interface (116) of a device (102) can include a seek area (120), which displays a subset of letters representing the full range of available letters. The user can select a first letter in that subset. A prediction engine (160) can generate a next most-likely letter (162) based on the currently inputted letter, using look-up tables or other techniques based on letter sequence probabilities. The user can respond with a right or left-swipe gesture, causing the prediction engine (160) to seek the most-likely next letter upstream or downstream in the alphabet. The user can also respond by touching the seek area causing the prediction engine (160) to seek the next predicted letter closest to the touch point. The prediction engine (160) can also generate a predicted completed word, for convenient user selection.

Claims

1. A method of processing user input using a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

receiving a user input to select a first letter from an alphabet;

accessing a prediction engine to determine a most likely next letter based on the first letter;

presenting the most likely next letter in a highlighted position of a selection area;

receiving an additional user input comprising either—

a selection of a letter in the selection area, or

a gesture to proceed either up the alphabet or down the alphabet to a next-most likely next letter in a previous portion or a succeeding portion of the alphabet, respectively;

presenting the next-most likely next letter in the highlighted position of the selection area; and

repeating the receiving an additional user input and the presenting the next-most likely next letter until receiving user input discontinuing letter entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection area displays a subset of the alphabet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the alphabet comprises a predetermined range of the alphabet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the alphabet comprises a group of next-most likely next letters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the group of next-most likely next letters are arranged in decreasing order of likelihood generated by the prediction engine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a manual selection of a further subset of the alphabet in the selection area without using the prediction engine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving a manual selection comprises:

receiving a user selection of a point in a seek area, and

displaying, in the selection area, a subset of letters associated with the selected point.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a point in a seek area;

determining a further subset of the alphabet associated with the selected point;

identifying at least one next-most likely next letter in the further subset using the prediction engine; and

displaying the further subset in the selection area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying the further subset of the alphabet to center the modified further subset on the at least one next-most likely next letter.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a further gesture to proceed either up the alphabet or down the alphabet;

determining an additional further subset of the alphabet based on the further gesture;

identifying at least one next-most likely next letter in the additional further subset using the prediction engine; and

displaying the additional further subset in the selection area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the additional further subset to center the additional further subset on the at least one next-most likely next letter.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising reverting to a linear seek mode to locate the additional further subset of the alphabet upon determining that no at least one next-most likely next letter exists.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture to proceed either up the alphabet or down the alphabet comprises a swipe gesture.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising eliminating a letter as a next-most likely next letter upon determining the gesture has previously failed to select the letter.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a predicted completed word for selection in a text input area based on a current set of selected letters.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a user input to select a first letter comprises inserting the first letter in a text input area of a display.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising pinning the selection area at the beginning of the alphabet or end of the alphabet when the gesture encounters the first letter or the last letter of the alphabet, respectively.

18. A device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display; and

a processor, coupled to the touch-sensitive display, the processor being configured to—

receive a user input to select a first letter from an alphabet shown in the display,

access a prediction engine to determine a most likely next letter based on the first letter,

present the most likely next letter in a highlighted position of a selection area in the touch-sensitive display,

receive an additional user input comprising either—

a selection of a letter in the selection area, or

a gesture to proceed either up the alphabet or down the alphabet to a next-most likely next letter in a previous portion or a succeeding portion of the alphabet, respectively,

present the next-most likely next letter in the highlighted position of the selection area in the touch-sensitive display, and

repeat the receiving an additional user input and the presenting the next-most likely next letter until receiving user input discontinuing letter entry.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the user input or additional user input comprises—

a touch-point input entered on the touch-sensitive display, or

a swipe gesture entered on the touch-sensitive display.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the device comprises a wireless transceiver.