System and method for automatically correcting multi-word data entry errors
First Claim
1. In a computer system comprising a processing unit, a memory storage device, a user input/output system including a monitor, and an editing program module including instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computer system to edit a current file, a method for altering the content of the file comprising the steps of:
- receiving a plurality of characters from the user input/output system;
detecting among the plurality of characters an internal delimiter character indicating that the plurality of character includes more than one word; and
in response to detecting the delimiter character,retrieving from the memory storage device a multi-word source term of a source-target pair comprising the source term and a target term,comparing the source term to a multi-word set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, andif the source term matches the set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, thenretrieving the target term from the memory storage device, andin the current file, replacing the set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character with the target term.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An editing system operable for automatically detecting and correcting multi-word data entry errors. A standard list including a plurality of source-target pairs is provided as an integral part of an editing program suitable of operation on a conventional personal computer. Each source term is a common multi word data entry error, and each target term is a correction for a corresponding source term. Each user may create a customized substitution list by adding user-defined source-target pairs to the list, and deleting source-target pairs from the list. In addition to correcting common multi-word spelling and grammatical errors, the substitution list may be used to perform other functions such as substituting a symbol for a multi-word alias typed with a standard keyboard. The substitution list may optionally be implemented in connection with an "AUTOCORRECT" engine that implements multi word substitutions as they are typed by a user. In this case, automatically substitutions arc highlighted in the document displayed to the user. The user my easily reverse an undesired automatic substitution by selecting an "undo" menu item from a tool bar. A convenient user interface is also provided for accessing the substitution list. Convenient tool bars and menu items for activating the user interface.
153 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a computer system comprising a processing unit, a memory storage device, a user input/output system including a monitor, and an editing program module including instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computer system to edit a current file, a method for altering the content of the file comprising the steps of:
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receiving a plurality of characters from the user input/output system; detecting among the plurality of characters an internal delimiter character indicating that the plurality of character includes more than one word; and in response to detecting the delimiter character, retrieving from the memory storage device a multi-word source term of a source-target pair comprising the source term and a target term, comparing the source term to a multi-word set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, and if the source term matches the set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, then retrieving the target term from the memory storage device, and in the current file, replacing the set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character with the target term. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-readable medium storing an editing program module comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system comprising a processing unit, a memory storage device, and a user input/output system including a monitor, cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
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editing a current file by receiving a plurality of characters from the user input/output system; receiving a command from the user input/output system to focus a multi-word set of the characters including an internal delimiter character indicating that the multi-word set of the characters includes more than one word; receiving a command from the user input/output system to activate a multi-word correction user interface; displaying a multi-word correction user interface on the monitor; defining the focused set of the characters to be a source term of a source-target pair comprising the source term and a target term; displaying the focused set of the characters in the source field of the source-target pair; receiving data from the user input/output system defining the target term; displaying the target term in the target field of the source-target pair; receiving an indication from the user input/output system that the source-target pair is complete; and in response to the indication, replacing the focused set of the characters with the target term in the current file, and storing the source-target pair in the memory storage device in a file comprising a substitution list comprising a plurality of source-target pairs. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An editing system comprising:
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a computer system including a processing unit, a memory storage device, and a user input/ output system including a monitor; and an editing program module including instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the computer system to perform the steps of; editing a current file by receiving a plurality of characters from the user input/output system; receiving from the user input/output system an internal delimiter character indicating that the plurality of characters includes more than one word; and in response to detecting the delimiter character, retrieving the source term of a source-target pair comprising the source term and a target term from a substitution list of source-target pairs within the memory storage device; comparing the source term to a multi-word set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, and if the source term matches the multi-word set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character, then retrieving the target term of the source-target pair from the memory storage device, and replacing the multi-word set of characters immediately preceding the delimiter character with the target term in the current file; receiving an undo command from the user input/output system; and in response to the undo command, replacing the target term with the source term in the current file; and deleting the source-target pair from the substitution list.
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17. A editing system, comprising:
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a program module including computer executable instructions for causing a computer system to receive a plurality of characters; and means for automatically correcting a predefined set of multi-word data entry errors in the plurality of characters, each multi-word data entry error including an internal delimiter character indicating that the multi-word data entry error includes more than one word. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification