Method for converting text corresponding to one keyboard mode to text corresponding to another keyboard mode

• US 6,326,953 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wana, John Surapunt
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LESPERANCE, JEAN E
• Application Number:
  US09/103,784
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/171, 345/173, 341/22, 341/23, 400/484, 704/2, 704/3, 704/8, 704/4, 704/5, 704/6, 704/7, 704/9, 704/10
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification

Abstract

Converting text corresponding to one keyboard mode to text corresponding to another keyboard mode. Language detection is used to determine whether text was entered using the correct keyboard mode. If the text was entered using an incorrect keyboard mode, then the text is automatically converted to text that corresponds to the correct keyboard mode. The incorrect text is converted on a character by character basis to the correct text by mapping each incorrect character to a virtual key and then mapping the virtual key to the correct character.

Claims

1. A method for automatically converting text from a first set of characters corresponding to a first language entered using a first keyboard mode to an alternative set of characters corresponding to a second keyboard mode and an alternative language, comprising the steps of:

determining what language the first set of characters represents;

if the first set of characters represents the alternative language, then for each one of the first set of characters, selecting one of the characters as a selected character;

determining whether the selected character could be mapped into a virtual key;

if the selected character could be mapped into a virtual key, then performing the steps of;

determining a selected virtual key that corresponds to the selected character;

determining selected keyboard state information that corresponds to the selected character; and

determining the alternative selected character that corresponds to the selected virtual key and the selected keyboard state information; and

replacing the selected character with the alternative selected character; and

if the selected character could not be mapped to a virtual key, then performing the steps of;

determining whether the selected character could be mapped to an alternative character using an exception table; and

replacing the selected character with the alternative character if the selected character could be mapped using the exception table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a selected virtual key that corresponds to the selected character comprises the step of:

requesting that a first keyboard driver corresponding to the first keyboard mode map the selected character to the selected virtual key and determine the selected keyboard state information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the alternative selected character that corresponds to the selected virtual key comprises the step of:

requesting that a second keyboard driver corresponding to the second keyboard mode map the selected virtual key and the selected keyboard state information to the alternative selected character.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining what language the first set of characters represents, comprises the steps of:

sending the first set of characters to a language detection module;

receiving from the language detection module a first language identifier that identifies what keyboard mode was used to enter the first set of characters and a second language identifier that identifies what keyboard mode should have been used to enter the first set of characters;

comparing the first language identifier and the second language identifier; and

if the first language identifier identifies the first keyboard mode and the second language identifier identifies the second keyboard mode, then determining that the first set of characters represents the alternative language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first language corresponds to the first keyboard mode, and wherein the step of determining what language the first set of characters represents further comprises the step of:

if the first language identifier identifies the first keyboard mode and the second language identifier identifies the first keyboard mode, then determining that the first set of characters represents the first language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of characters is a sentence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of characters comprises a word.

8. In a computer system having a keyboard with a first keyboard mode that supports a first language and a second keyboard mode that supports a second language, a method for automatically converting a first word in a sentence entered using the first keyboard mode to a second word in the second language, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the sentence is primarily in the first language or the second language;

(b) if the sentence is primarily in the second language, then selecting the first word;

(c) determining whether the first word is misspelled;

(d) if the first word is misspelled, then selecting a character from the first word;

(e) determining whether the selected character can be mapped to a virtual key;

(f) if the selected character can be mapped to a virtual key, performing the sequence, comprising the steps of;

(1) converting the selected character to a virtual key; and

(2) converting the virtual key to a second character in the second language;

(g) if the selected character cannot be mapped to a virtual key, determining whether the selected character can be mapped to an exception table; and

(h) if the selected character can be mapped to the exception table, replacing the selected character with an alternative character using the exception table; and

(i) repeating steps (d)-(h) until the first word is converted into the second word.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

sending the sentence to a language detection module;

receiving from the language detection module a first language identifier that identifies what keyboard mode was used to enter the sentence and a second language identifier that identifies what keyboard mode should have been used to enter the sentence;

comparing the first language identifier and the second language identifier; and

if the first language identifier identifies the first keyboard mode and the second language identifier identifies the second keyboard mode, then determining that the sentence is primarily in the second language.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of:

if the first language identifier and the second language identifier identify the first keyboard mode, then determining that the sentence is primarily in the first language.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

if the first word is not misspelled, then selecting another word from the sentence; and

repeating steps (c)-(i) for the other word.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

repeating steps (c)-(j) for the remaining words of the sentence.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a first keyboard driver module corresponds to the first keyboard mode, and wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

sending the selected character to the first keyboard driver module; and

receiving the virtual key and keyboard state information from the first keyboard driver module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a second keyboard driver module corresponds to the second keyboard mode, and wherein step (f)(2) comprises the steps of:

sending the virtual key and the keyboard state information to the second keyboard driver module; and

receiving the converted character from the second keyboard driver module.

15. A method for automatically converting a first set of characters entered using a first keyboard mode corresponding to a first keyboard driver module and a first language to a second set of characters corresponding to a second keyboard mode, the second keyboard mode corresponding to a second keyboard driver module and a second language, comprising the steps of:

determining whether the first set of characters corresponds to the first language or to the second language;

if the first set of characters corresponds to the second language, then converting the first set of characters to the second set of characters by;

(a) selecting one of the characters of the first set of characters as a selected character;

(b) determining a second selected character by

(i) sending the selected character to the first keyboard driver module;

(ii) if the first keyboard driver module returns a virtual key, then performing steps of;

(A) sending the virtual key to the second keyboard driver module;

(B) receiving the second selected character from the second keyboard driver module; and

(C) replacing the first selected character with the second selected character; and

(iii) if the first keyboard module does not return a virtual key, performing the steps of;

(A) determining whether the first selected character is contained in an exception table; and

(B) if the first selected character is contained the exception table, mapping the first selected character to the second selected character; and

(c) repeating steps (a)-(b) for each of the remaining characters of the first set of characters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining whether the first set of characters corresponds to the first language or to the second language comprises the steps of:

using a language detection module to generate a first language identifier and a second language identifier, the first language identifier identifying what keyboard mode was used to enter the first set of characters and the second language identifier identifying what keyboard mode should have been used to enter the first set of characters;

comparing the first language identifier and the second language identifier;

if the first language identifier and the second language identifier identify the first keyboard mode, then determining that the first set of characters corresponds to the first language; and

if the first language identifier identifies the first keyboard mode and the second language identifier identifies the second keyboard mode, then determining that the first set of characters corresponds to the second language.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first language is Greek and the second language is English.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first language is English and the second language is Cyrillic.