System and method for multilanguage text input in a handheld electronic device

• US 8,401,838 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fux, Vadim, Elizarov, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GUERRA-ERAZO, EDGAR X
• Application Number:
  US12/659,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/277, 400/109, 341/22, 715/261, 715/264, 715/265, 715/256
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A system provides multilanguage text input in a handheld electronic device. The system includes one or more applications implemented in the handheld electronic device. The applications include a text input application requiring access to language data usable thereby. One or more language databases contain language data from a plurality of different languages usable by at least one of the applications including the text input application. An interface provides the applications with access to at least some of the different languages of the language data of the one or more language databases, in order that the applications including the text input application receive the different languages.

Claims

1. A system for multilanguage text input in a handheld electronic device, the system comprising:

a multilanguage text input application implemented in the handheld electronic device;

at least one additional application implemented in the handheld electronic device;

a plurality of language databases containing language data from a plurality of different languages usable by the multilanguage text input application; and

an interface communicating with the multilanguage text input application and the at least one additional application,

the interface providing the multilanguage text input application, at the time of multilanguage text input, with data from more than one of the plurality of language databases in response to a single request for data from the multilanguage text input application to the interface,

the interface further providing the at least one additional application with data from at least some of the language databases accessed for the multilanguage text input application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one language database is a single language database containing blended information from two or more different languages.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a spell check application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the multilanguage text input application employs a reduced keyboard.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the language data comprises a mixture of a plurality of different languages using the same script or alphabet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one language database is a plurality of language databases containing information from a plurality of different languages.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a first one of the different language databases contains information from a first language of the different languages;

and wherein a second one of the different language databases contains information from a second language of the different languages.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first language is English and the second language is German.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a first one of the different language databases contains information from a first language of the different languages;

and wherein a second one of the different language databases contains information from a second language and a third language of the different languages.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first language is English, the second language is French, and the third language is German.

11. A method of multilanguage text input in a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

implementing a multilanguage text input application in the handheld electronic device;

implementing at least one additional application in the handheld electronic device;

employing a plurality of language databases containing language data from a plurality of different languages usable by at least the multilanguage text input application; and

employing an interface to communicate with the multilanguage text input application and the at least one additional application,

the interface providing the multilanguage text input application, at the time of the multilanguage text input, with data from more than one of the plurality of language databases in response to a single request for data from the multilanguage text input application to the interface,

the interface further providing the at least one additional application with data from at least some of the language databases accessed for the multilanguage text input application.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

employing as the at least one language database a single language database including blended information from two or more different languages.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

employing as the at least one application the text input application and a spell check application; and

including in the different languages of the language data a plurality of words usable by the text input application and the spell check application, and frequency data for the words usable only by the text input application.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inputting text input including the at least some of the different languages of the language data; and

seamlessly providing predictive text without regard to the different languages of the text input.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

inputting the text input from a reduced keyboard.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

including with the at least some of the different languages of the language data a mixture of a plurality of different languages using the same script or alphabet.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

employing as the at least one language database a plurality of different language databases including information from a plurality of different languages.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

including with a first one of the different language databases information from a first language of the different languages; and

including with a second one of the different language databases information from a second language of the different languages.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

including with a first one of the different language databases information from a first language of the different languages; and

including with a second one of the different language databases information from a second language and a third language of the different languages.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting an output using frequency data.