Spell-check for a keyboard system with automatic correction

• US 8,892,996 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Unruh, Erland
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US13/538,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

User input is received, specifying a continuous traced path across a keyboard presented on a touch sensitive display. An input sequence is resolved, including traced keys and auxiliary keys proximate to the traced keys by prescribed criteria. For each of one or more candidate entries of a prescribed vocabulary, a set-edit-distance metric is computed between said input sequence and the candidate entry. Various rules specify when penalties are imposed, or not, in computing the set-edit-distance metric. Candidate entries are ranked and displayed according to the computed metric.

Claims

1. A method, comprising operations of:

receiving user input specifying a continuous traced path across a keyboard presented on a touch sensitive display;

resolving an input sequence of traced keys and auxiliary keys proximate to the traced keys by prescribed criteria;

for each of one or more candidate entries of a prescribed vocabulary, computing a set-edit-distance metric between said input sequence and the candidate entry;

where;

the set-edit-distance computation imposes a penalty for omitting from the candidate entry all keys from a first group comprising a start key of the path and auxiliary keys to the start key;

the set-edit-distance computation imposes a penalty for omitting from the candidate entry all keys from a second group comprising an end key of the path and auxiliary keys to the end key;

the set-edit-distance computation imposes a penalty for omitting from the candidate entry all keys from a third group comprising any traced keys and their auxiliaries where at least a prescribed minimum change in direction of the path occurs;

the set-edit-distance computation does not impose any penalty for omitting from the candidate entry any key of the input sequence outside all of the first, second, and third groups; and

the set-edit-distance computation does not impose any penalty the candidate entry using any key in the input sequence twice or more in succession; and

ranking candidate entries according to the computed set-edit-distance metrics, and displaying an output of some or all of the ranked candidate entries;

where at least one of the operations is performed by a processor.

2. An apparatus comprising a touch sensitive display coupled to the processor, the processor programmed to perform operations of claim 1.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory storage medium storing a program, the program executed by the processor to perform the operations of claim 1.