SUPPRESSION OF INPUT IMAGES

• US 20170371522A1
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Martinez del Corral, David, ROSAM, Alice Elizabeth, KOLESNYK, Vladyslav
• Granted Patent: US 10,372,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A computing device is described which has a memory storing at least one indicator of image use; a user interface which receives user input; and a processor configured to trigger prediction, from the user input, of a plurality of candidate images for input to the computing device. The processor is configured to at least partially suppress the prediction of the plurality of images using the indicator of image use.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a memory storing at least one indicator of image use, where image use is entry of images to a computing device;

a user interface which receives user input;

a processor configured to trigger prediction, from the user input, of a plurality of candidate images for input to the computing device; and

wherein the processor is configured to at least partially suppress availability of the candidate images for selection by a user, using the indicator of image use.

2. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is a statistic describing at least observations of images input to the computing device.

3. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is a statistic describing at least observations of candidate images available for selection by a user.

4. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is any one or more of:

user specific, application specific, field specific, time specific, recipient specific.

5. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to dynamically compute the at least one indicator of image use during operation of the computing device.

6. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive context about the user input and to select, using the context, the at least one indicator of image use from a plurality of indicators of image use.

7. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to trigger prediction by sending details of the user input and the indicator of image use to a prediction engine and receiving in response the plurality of candidate images.

8. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to at least partially suppress availability of the candidate images by inputting the at least one indicator to a prediction engine.

9. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to suppress availability of the candidate images by switching off image prediction capability.

10. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to at least partially suppress availability of the candidate images by filtering the candidate images.

11. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to control availability of the candidate images by multiplying statistical values of the candidate images by a multiplier computed from the at least one indicator.

12. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one indicator is a ratio of observations of images input to the computing device to observations of candidate images available for selection by a user.

13. A computing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface is a soft keyboard having text prediction and image prediction capability.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing at least one indicator of image use, where image use is entry of images to a computing device;

receiving user input;

triggering prediction, from the user input, of a plurality of candidate images for input to the computing device; and

at least partially suppressing availability of the candidate images for selection by a user, using the indicator of image use.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is a statistic describing at least observations of images input to the computing device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is a statistic describing at least observations of candidate images available for selection by a user.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the at least one indicator of image use is any one or more of:

user specific, application specific, field specific, time specific, recipient specific.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising dynamically computing the at least one indicator of image use during operation of the computing device.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising receiving context about the user input and selecting, using the context, the at least one indicator of image use from a plurality of indicators of image use.

20. A computing device comprising:

a processor which implements a soft keyboard having text prediction and emoji prediction capability; and

a memory storing a plurality of applications executable on the computing device, the memory storing an application specific indicator of emoji use for each of the applications; and

wherein the processor is configured to automatically switch on or off the emoji prediction capability of the keyboard on the basis of the application specific indicators and an indication of which of the plurality of applications is currently in focus.