Reduced keyboard disambiguating computer

• US 5,818,437 A
• Filed: 07/26/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tegic Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushler, Clifford A., King, Martin T., Grover, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/507,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 395/326, 364/928, 364/928.1, 364/928.2, 364/928.3, 364/928.4, 364/928.5, 364/928.6, 345/326, 345/352, 345/353
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A reduced keyboard disambiguating computer. The keyboard has twelve keys, nine of them labeled with numerous letters and other symbols, and those nine plus one more are labeled each with one of the ten digits. Textual entry keystrokes are ambiguous. The user strikes a delimiting "select" key at the end of each word, delimiting a keystroke sequence which could match any of many words with the same number of letters. The keystroke sequence is processed with a complete dictionary, and words which match the sequence of keystrokes are presented to the user in order of decreasing frequency of use. The user selects the desired word. The letters are assigned to the keys in a non-sequential order which reduces chances of ambiguities. The same "select" key is pressed to select the desired word, and spacing between words and punctuation is automatically computed. For words which are not in the dictionary, two keystrokes are entered to specify each letter. The system simultaneously interprets all keystroke sequences as both one stroke per letter and as two strokes per letter. The user selects the desired interpretation. The system also presents to the user the number which is represented by the sequence of keystrokes for possible selection by the user.

Claims

1. A word disambiguating computer, comprising:

(a) a microprocessor,

(b) a display,

(c) a keyboard with two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of said keys is ambiguous as to which letter associated with the key is intended, a key identifier sequence being generated each time a key is selected,

(d) a first memory containing a plurality of key identifier sequences and, associated with each key identifier sequence, a set of words whose spellings correspond to the key identifier sequence,

(e) a second memory containing a set of microprocessor instructions which causes said microprocessor to receive each key identifier sequence from said keyboard and present on said display at least one of the words from the set of words whose spelling corresponds to the key identifier sequence, and

(f) a user input circuit which receives from a user a selection of the words from the set of words whose spelling corresponds to the key identifier sequence.

2. The computer of claim 1 further comprising a third memory containing letters and, associated with each letter, a corresponding ordered pair of keystrokes, wherein:

(a) said microprocessor instructions also cause said microprocessor to break the sequence of keystrokes into ordered pairs of keystrokes, retrieve from said third memory the letter corresponding to each ordered pair thereby creating a sequence of letters, and present to a user the sequence of letters; and

(b) said user input circuit also allows a user to alternatively select the presented sequence of letters.

3. The computer of claim 2 further comprising an indicator which indicates whether the next keystroke will be interpreted as a first stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes or a second stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said first memory also contains, associated with each set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence, an indication of which word of the set of words is most frequently used, and

(b) said microprocessor instructions also cause said microprocessor to display first the word of the set of words which is most frequently used.

5. The computer of claim 1 wherein:

(a) a numeral is also associated with each of said plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of the keys is ambiguous as to which of the two or more letters or the numeral associated with the key is intended,

(b) said microprocessor instructions also cause said microprocessor to present on said display with the set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence, a sequence of numerals corresponding to the sequence of keystrokes, and

(c) said user input circuit may alternatively receive from a user a selection of the sequence of numerals.

6. The computer of claim 1 wherein the words of the set of words are presented on said display simultaneously.

7. The computer of claim 1, wherein the two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys are in a substantially non-alphabetic sequence.

8. An electronic disambiguating word input device, comprising:

(a) a display,

(b) a keyboard with two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of said keys is ambiguous as to which letter associated with the key is intended, a key identifier sequence being generated each time a key is selected,

(c) a memory containing a plurality of key identifier sequences and, associated with each key identifier sequence, a set of words whose spellings correspond to the key identifier sequence,

(d) a logic circuit which receives each key identifier sequence from said keyboard and presents on said display at least one of the words from the set of words whose spelling corresponds to the key identifier sequence, and

(e) a user input circuit which receives from a user a selection of one of the words from the set of words whose spelling corresponds to the key identifier sequence.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said keyboard also includes a key without letters, a first stroke of which delimits a preceding sequence of key identifiers.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first stroke of said key without letters also selects the first presented word from said set of words and a second stroke of said key without letters, with no intervening keystroke between said first and second strokes, selects the second presented word of said set of words.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein:

(a) said memory also contains, associated with each set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence, an indication of which of the words is most frequently used, and

(b) said logic circuit which receives a sequence of key identifiers from said keyboard presents first the one of the words which is most frequently used.

12. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a second memory containing letters and, associated with each letter, a corresponding ordered pair of keystrokes, wherein

(a) said logic circuit breaks the sequence of keystrokes into ordered pair of keystrokes, retrieves from said second memory the letter corresponding to each ordered pair thereby creating a sequence of letters, and presents to a user the sequence of letters, and

(b) said user input circuit also allows a user to alternatively select the presented sequence of letters.

18. The device of claim 8 wherein the letters associated with each of said plurality of keys are ordered in a substantially non-alphabetic sequence.

19. The device of claim 8 wherein the presented words and the presented sequence of letters are presented simultaneously.

20. The input device of claim 12 further comprising an indicator which indicates whether the next key will be interpreted as a first stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes or a second stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes.

13. An electronic disambiguating word and numbers input device, comprising:

(a) a keyboard with two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys and a numeral associated with each of said plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of said keys is ambiguous as to which of the two or more letters or the numeral associated with the key is intended, a key identifier sequence being generated each time a key is selected,

(b) a first memory containing a plurality of key identifier sequences and, associated with each key identifier sequence, a set of words whose spellings correspond to the key identifier sequence,

(c) a first logic circuit which receives each key identifier sequence from said keyboard, presents to a user at least one of the words from the set of words whose spellings correspond to the key identifier sequence, and presents to a user a sequence of numerals corresponding to the key identifier sequence, and

(d) a user input circuit which receives from a user a selection of one of the words from the set of words whose spelling corresponds to the key identifier sequence or the sequence of numerals.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the words of the set of words and the sequence of numerals are presented simultaneously.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein:

(a) said first memory also contains, associated with a set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence, an indication of which of the words is most frequently used, and

(b) said first logic circuit, when outputting the set of words, outputs first the one of the words which is most frequently used.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein said keyboard also includes a key without letters or numerals, a first stroke of which delimits a preceding sequence of key identifiers.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the first stroke of said key without letters or numerals also selects the first presented word of said set of words and a second stroke of said key without letters or numerals, without an intervening keystroke between said first and said second strokes, selects the second presented word of said set of words.

21. A data storage medium containing a logic program which program causes a logic processor to:

(a) receive a sequence of key identifiers from a keyboard with two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of the keys is ambiguous as to which letter associated with the key is intended, a key identifier sequence being generated each time a key is selected,

(b) compare the received sequence of key identifiers to sequences of key identifiers in a first memory containing a plurality of sequences of key identifiers and, associated with each sequence of key identifiers, a set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence,

(c) display to a user at least one of the words from the set of words whose spellings correspond to each sequence, of key identifiers, and

(d) receive from a user a selection of a word from the set of words.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) display first among the set of words displayed the word among the set of words which is most frequently used according to indication stored in the first memory.

23. The storage medium of claim 21 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) receive from the keyboard a delimiting keystroke identifier which is not associated with a letter, which identifier delimits a previously received sequence of key identifiers.

24. The storage medium of claim 23 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) respond to the receipt of a first said delimiting keystroke identifier by selecting the first presented word of said set of words, and

(b) respond to the receipt of a second said delimiting keystroke identifier without having received an intervening keystroke identifier between the receipt of the first and the second keystroke identifiers by selecting the second presented word of said set of words.

25. The data storage medium of claim 21, further comprising a second memory containing letters and, associated with each letter, a corresponding ordered pair of keystrokes, wherein

said logic program also causes said logic processor to break the sequence of keystrokes into ordered pair of keystrokes, retrieve from said second memory the letter corresponding to each ordered pair thereby creating a sequence of letters, present to a user the sequence of letters, and allow a user to alternatively select the presented sequence of letters.

31. The storage medium of claim 21 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) present the presented words and the presented sequence of letters simultaneously.

32. The storage medium of claim 25 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) indicate to a user whether the next key will be interpreted as a first stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes or a second stroke of an ordered pair of keystrokes.

26. A data storage medium containing a logic program which program causes a logic processor to:

(a) receive a sequence of key identifiers from a keyboard with two or more letters associated with each of a plurality of keys and a numeral associated with each of the plurality of keys such that a stroke of one of the keys is ambiguous as to which of the two or more letters or the numeral associated with the key is intended, a key identifier sequence being generated each time a key is selected,

(b) compare the received sequence of key identifiers to sequences of key identifiers in a first memory containing a plurality of sequences of key identifiers and, associated with each sequence of key identifiers, a set of words whose spellings correspond to the sequence and a numeral which corresponds to the sequence,

(c) display to a user at least one of the words from the set of words in the memory whose spelling corresponds to each sequence and a numeral which corresponds to each sequence of key identifiers, and

(d) receive from a user a selection of a word from the set of words or the sequence of numerals.

27. The storage medium of claim 26, wherein the words of the set of words and the sequence of numerals are presented simultaneously.

28. The storage medium of claim 26, wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) present first among the set of words presented the word among the set of words which is most frequently used according to an indication in the first memory.

29. The storage medium of claim 26 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) receive from the keyboard a first delimiting keystroke identifier which is not associated with a letter, which identifier delimits a previously received sequence of key identifiers.

30. The storage medium of claim 29 wherein the program also causes the logic processor to:

(a) interpret said first receipt of said delimiting keystroke identifier as a selection of the first presented word of said set of words and interpret a second receipt of said delimiting keystroke identifier with no receipt of another keystroke identifier between said first and said second delimiting keystroke identifiers as a selection of the second presented word of said set of words.