Input method editor

• US 8,704,761 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Guangqiang, Wang, Mojun, Wu, Genqing, Huang, Tai-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/141,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor receives input in a first writing system and presents input candidates in the first writing system or a second writing system. In one implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving input in a first writing system; presenting the input in the first writing system in a first interface element of an interface as content input; automatically identifying one or more candidates in a second writing system based on the input in the first writing system; and presenting the one or more candidates in the second writing system in a second interface element that is separate from the first interface element.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving input in a first writing system;

presenting the input in the first writing system in a first interface element of an interface as content input, wherein the first interface element is a default interface element for presenting the input and a default entry command of the first interface element copies the input into a target location in the interface;

calculating a temporal length of the input, the temporal length representing a duration of actuation of an input device corresponding to the input;

comparing the temporal length of the input to a threshold value;

when the temporal length of the input is greater than or equal to the threshold value, identifying the input as representative of content input in the first writing system;

when the temporal length of the input is less than the threshold value, identifying the input as representative of content input in a second writing system; and

when the input is identified as content input in the second writing system;

identifying one or more candidates in the second writing system based on the input in the first writing system; and

presenting the one or more candidates in the second writing system in a second interface element that is separate from the first interface element, wherein a first candidate in the second writing system is copied into the target location subsequent to a corresponding selection of one of the one or more candidates in the second interface element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding selection is a user selection of the first candidate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more candidates in the second writing system comprise translations, transliterations, or phonetic representations of the input in the first writing system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first writing system is Pinyin and the second writing system is Hanzi.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporal length of the input represents a duration of actuation of a specific key of the input device.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting a current input to an interface;

calculating a temporal length of the current input, the temporal length representing a duration of actuation of an input device corresponding to the current input;

comparing the temporal length of the current input to a threshold value;

identifying the current input as content input in a first writing system if the temporal length is greater than or equal to the threshold value, or as representative of content input in a second writing system if the temporal length is less than the threshold value;

copying the current input into a target location in the interface, if the current input is identified as content input in the first writing system; and

identifying one or more candidates in the second writing system based on the current input in the first writing system, for display in the interface, if the current input is identified as representative of content input in the second writing system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying one or more candidates in the second writing system includes:

generating the one or more candidates in the second writing system based on the current input and previous input representative of content input in the second writing system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the current input is received through a virtual input device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first writing system is Pinyin and the second writing system is Hanzi.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the temporal length of the input represents a duration of actuation of a specific key of the input device.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold value is configured based on the user'"'"'s previous input or habits.

9. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a data store, in which is stored;

a detection engine including;

an input module that detects input received through an interface of the data processing apparatus, wherein the input is in a first writing system, and

a timing module that calculates a temporal length of the input, the temporal length representing a duration of actuation of an input device corresponding to the input,

wherein the detection engine identifies the input as content input in the first writing system when the temporal length of the input is greater than or equal to a threshold value and identifies the input as content input in a second writing system when the temporal length of the input is less than the threshold value; and

an input method editor that;

presents the input in the first writing system in a first interface element of the interface as content input, and

when the input is identified as content input in the second writing system, identifies one or more candidates in a second writing system, based on the input in the first writing system, for display in a second interface element that is separate from the first interface element.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first interface element is a default interface element for presenting the input and a default entry command of the first interface element copies the input into a target location in the interface, and a first candidate in the second writing system is copied into the target location subsequent to a corresponding selection of one of the one or more candidates in the second interface element.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first writing system is Pinyin and the second writing system is Hanzi.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the temporal length of the input represents a duration of actuation of a specific key of the input device.

12. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a data store, in which is stored;

a detection engine including;

an input module that detects input received through an interface of the data processing apparatus, wherein the input is in a first writing system, and

a timing module that calculates a temporal length of the input, the temporal length representing a duration of actuation of an input device corresponding to the input; and

an input method editor that identifies the input as content input in the first writing system if the temporal length is greater than or equal to a threshold value, or as representative of content input in a second writing system if the temporal length is less than the threshold value, for display in a target location in the interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data store further stores:

a language model that identifies one or more candidates in the second writing system based on the input in the first writing system, for display in the target location, if the input is identified as representative of content input in the second writing system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first writing system is Pinyin and the second writing system is Hanzi.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the temporal length of the input represents a duration of actuation of a specific key of the input device.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the threshold value is configured based on the user'"'"'s previous input or habits.