Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REMOVING OR REPLACING
ON-KEYBOARD PREDICTION CANDIDATES
FIELD
[0001] Example embodiments relate to processing prediction candidates in
connection with virtual keyboards and touch-sensitive displays.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Increasingly, electronic devices, such as computers, netbooks,
cellular
phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants, and tablets, etc., have
touch-sensitive
displays that allow a user to input characters into an application, such as a
word processor
or email application. Character input on touch-sensitive displays can be a
cumbersome
task due to, for example, a small touch-sensitive display area, particularly
where a user
needs to input a long message. For example, for text entry the touch-sensitive
display is
typically divided into two areas, a first portion for displaying an
interactive virtual
keyboard having a set of selectable keys and a second portion for displaying
selected input
associated with the keys.
[0003] Predictive text input solutions have been introduced for
assisting with input
on an electronic device. These solutions include predicting a word a user is
entering after,
for example, the user inputs one or more characters of the word, and offering
to the user
one or more suggestions for one or more additional characters to complete the
word input.
Similarly, some word prediction solutions offer users full word predictions
based, for
example, on the context of other words previously input by the user alone or
with the
assistance of a word prediction solution.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing
example embodiments of this disclosure. In the drawings:
[0005] Fig. 1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating an example
mobile
communication device in accordance with an example embodiment.
[0006] Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for predicting
and
displaying selected sets of characters.
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[0007] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for
removing displayed
sets of characters.
[0008] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for
replacing displayed
sets of characters.
100091 Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for replacing
displayed
sets of characters.
[0010] Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for
replacing displayed
sets of characters.
[0011] Fig. 7 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display
in
accordance with an example embodiment.
[0012] Fig. 8 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display
in
accordance with an example embodiment.
[0013] Fig. 9 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display
in
accordance with an example embodiment.
[0014] Fig. 10 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display '
in
accordance with an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays that allow
a user to input
characters into an application where the touch-sensitive display is divided,
for example,
into two areas, a first portion for displaying an interactive virtual keyboard
having a set of
selectable keys and a second portion for displaying selected input associated
with the keys,
the user often has to divert focus from the virtual keyboard to view input
reflected by
selected keys in the second portion or to consider suggested character(s) of a
predictive
text process displayed in the second portion, and thereafter, look back at the
keyboard to
continue typing. Refocusing of one's eyes relative to the keyboard while
inputting
information in an electronic device, particularly when composing large texts,
can strain the
eyes and be cumbersome, distracting, and otherwise inefficient. Moreover,
processing
cycles are lost and display power wasted as the processor is idling while the
user is
focusing attention to the input area, and then back at the virtual keyboard.
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[0016] In one disclosed embodiment, a method for an electronic device
having a
touch-sensitive display and processor is disclosed. The method comprises
displaying in a
display area of the touch-sensitive display a virtual keyboard. In addition,
the method
comprises displaying within the virtual keyboard a plurality of keys, each of
at least some
of the keys corresponding to one or more different characters of a plurality
of characters.
The method also comprises detecting a selection of one or more of the keys. In
addition,
the method comprises generating a set of characters based on the one or more
characters
corresponding to the selected keys. The method also comprises displaying the
set of
characters within or substantially within the virtual keyboard. In addition,
the method
comprises detecting a gesture associated with the displayed set of characters,
and, in
response to detecting the gesture, removing the displayed set of characters
from the virtual
keyboard.
[0017] In another disclosed embodiment, an electronic device is
provided. The
electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, one or more processors,
one or more
memories, and instructions stored on the one or more memories. The
instructions, when
executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform
the steps
of: displaying in a display area of the touch-sensitive display a virtual
keyboard,
displaying within the virtual keyboard a plurality of keys, each of at least
some of the keys
corresponding to one or more different characters of a plurality of
characters, detecting a
selection of one or more of the keys, generating a set of characters based on
the one or
more characters corresponding to the selected keys, displaying the set of
characters within
or substantially within the virtual keyboard, detecting a gesture associated
with the
displayed set of characters, and removing the displayed set of characters from
the virtual
keyboard in response to detecting the gesture.
[0018] In another disclosed embodiment, an electronic device is provided.
The
electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display and a processor. The
processor is
configured to display in a display area of the touch-sensitive screen a
virtual keyboard,
display within the virtual keyboard a plurality of keys, display within the
display area a
viewing pane configured to hold a predetermined amount of text, detect
selection of one or
more of the keys forming a prefix text portion, the prefix text portion
comprising one or
more characters, display the prefix text portion in the viewing pane,
determine one or
more potential completion text portions as a function of the prefix text
portion, display the
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one or more potential completion text portions proximate to selected keys of
the virtual
keyboard, each selected key being selected based on a first character in each
of the one or
more displayed potential completion text portions, detect a gesture associated
with one of
the potential completion text portions, and responsive at least in part to the
detected
gesture, alter display of the one of the potential completion text portion
associated with the
gesture.
[0019] In another disclosed embodiment, an electronic device is
provided. The
electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, a linguistic database,
and a processor.
The processor is configured to display in a display area of the touch-
sensitive screen a
virtual keyboard, display within the virtual keyboard a plurality of keys,
display within the
display area a viewing pane configured to hold a predetermined amount of text,
detect
selection of one or more of the keys forming a first text portion, the first
text portion
comprising one or more characters, display the first text portion in the
viewing pane,
determine one or more potential second text portions as a function of the
first text portion,
the one or more potential second text portions having the first -text portion
as a prefix and
being selected from the linguistic database, display the one or more potential
second text
portions proximate to selected keys of the virtual keyboard, each selected key
being
selected based on a first character in each of the one or more displayed
potential second
text portions, detect a gesture associated with one of the potential second
text portions, and
responsive at least in part to the detected gesture, alter display of the one
of the potential
second text portion associated with the gesture.
[0020] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying
drawings.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the
following description to refer to the same or similar parts. While several
example
embodiments are described herein, modifications, adaptations, and other
implementations
are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications can be
made to the
components illustrated in the drawings, and the example methods described
herein can be
modified by substituting, reordering, or adding steps to the disclosed
methods.
Accordingly, the foregoing general description and the following detailed
description are
example and explanatory only and are not limiting. Instead, the proper scope
is defined by
the appended claims.
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[0021] In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order
to provide a
thorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein. However,
it will
be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the example
embodiments described
herein can be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, well-
known methods,
procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to
obscure the
example embodiments described herein.
[0022] Various embodiments for removing or replacing on-keyboard
prediction
candidates are disclosed. Example embodiments described herein may receive
character
inputs, generate sets of predicted characters based on the received character
inputs, and
display the sets of predicted characters at or near keys that correspond to
characters in the
sets of predicted characters. Example embodiments described herein further
enable a user
to remove or replace predicted characters that are displayed at or near keys.
[0023] Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which illustrates in detail
example
communication device 100 in which example embodiments can be applied.
Communication device 100 is a two-way communication device having data and
voice
communication capabilities, and the capability to communicate with other
computer
systems, for example, via the Internet. Depending on the functionality
provided by
communication device 100, in various embodiments communication device 100 can
be a
handheld device, a multiple-mode communication device configured for both data
and
voice communication, a smartphone, a mobile telephone, a netbook, a gaming
console, a
tablet, or a PDA (personal digital assistant) enabled for wireless
communication.
[0024] Communication device 100 includes a case (not shown) housing
the
components of communication device 100. In some embodiments device 100 has a
rectangular shape with two planar sides, although other configurations may be
adopted.
The internal components of communication device 100 can, for example, be
constructed
on a printed circuit board (PCB). The description of communication device 100
herein
mentions a number of specific components and subsystems. Although these
components
and subsystems can be realized as discrete elements, the functions of the
components and
subsystems can also be realized by integrating, combining, or packaging one or
more
elements in any suitable fashion.
[0025] Communication device 100 includes a controller comprising at
least one
processor 102 (such as a microprocessor), which controls the operation of
communication
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device 100. Processor 102 can be a single microprocessor, multiple
microprocessors, field
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs) capable of
executing
particular sets of instructions, or any circuit capable of electrically
coupling the device
subsystems. Processor 102 interacts with device subsystems such as a
communication
system 104 for exchanging radio frequency signals with a wireless network (for
example
WAN 144 and/or PLMN 146) to perform communication functions.
[0026] Processor 102 also interacts with additional device subsystems
including a
display 106 such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen or any other
appropriate display,
input devices 108 such as a keyboard and control buttons, persistent memory
110, random
access memory (RAM) 112, read only memory (ROM) 114, auxiliary input/output
(I/O)
subsystems 116, data port 118 such as a conventional serial data port or a
Universal Serial
Bus (USB) data port, speaker 120, microphone 122, short-range wireless
communications
subsystem 124 (which can employ any appropriate wireless (for example, RF),
optical, or
other short range communications technology), and other device subsystems
generally
designated as 126. Some of the subsystems shown in Fig. 1 perform
communication-
related functions, whereas other subsystems can provide "resident" or on-
device functions.
[0027] On one planar side of device 100 is the display 106 that can
be realized as a
touch-sensitive display in some embodiments. The touch-sensitive display can
be
constructed using a touch-sensitive input surface coupled to an electronic
controller and
which overlays the visible element of display 106. The touch-sensitive overlay
and the
electronic controller provide a touch-sensitive input device and processor 102
interacts
with the touch-sensitive overlay via the electronic controller. In some
embodiments the
touch-sensitive overlay may extend beyond a display area of display 106 to the
edges of
the side of communication device 100.
[0028] Communication system 104 includes one or more communication systems
for communicating with wireless WAN 144 and wireless access points within the
wireless
network. The particular design of communication system 104 depends on the
wireless
network in which communication device 100 is intended to operate.
Communication
device 100 can send and receive communication signals over the wireless
network after
the required network registration or activation procedures have been
completed.
[0029] Processor 102 operates under stored program control and
executes software
modules 128 stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage
medium such
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as persistent memory 110, which can be a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM
(compact
disk-read only memory), a MO (magneto-optical) disk, a DVD-ROM (digital
versatile
disk-read only memory), a DVD RAM (digital versatile disk-random access
memory), or a
semiconductor memory. Software modules 128 can also be stored in a computer-
readable
storage medium such as ROM 114, or any appropriate persistent memory
technology,
including EEPROM, EAROM, and FLASH. These computer-readable storage mediums
store computer-readable instructions for execution by processor 102 to perform
a variety
of functions on communication device 100.
[0030] Software modules 128 can include operating system software 130,
used to
control operation of communication device 100. Additionally, software modules
128 can
include software applications 132 for providing additional functionality to
communication
device 100. Software applications 132 can further include a range of
applications,
including, for example, e-mail messaging application, address book, spell
check
application, text prediction application, notepad application, Internet
browser application,
voice communication (i.e., telephony) application, mapping application, or a
media player
application, or any combination thereof. Each of software applications 132 can
include
layout information defining the placement of particular fields and graphic
elements (for
example, text fields, input fields, icons, etc.) in the user interface (i.e.,
display 106)
according to the application.
[0031] In some embodiments, persistent memory 110 stores data 134,
including
linguistic data stored in a database structure. The linguistic data is used,
for example, by
one or more of the applications, such as the spell check application and the
text prediction
application. The linguistic data may include default linguistic data, such as
words and/or
groups of words, with a corresponding number for each word or group of words
indicating
the number of words in the word or group of words. The linguistic data may
also include
custom linguistic data, such as words or groups of words previously entered by
the user.
The linguistic data may also include data acquired from a device other than
communication device 100. In certain embodiments, data 134 also includes
service data
comprising information required by communication device 100 to establish and
maintain
communication with the wireless network (for example WAN 144 and/or PLMN 146.
[0032] In some embodiments, auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystems
116
comprise an external communication link or interface, for example, an Ethernet
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connection. In some embodiments, device 100 includes one or more sensors such
as an
accelerometer, GPS, temperature sensor, and pressure sensor. In some
embodiments,
auxiliary I/O subsystems 116 can further comprise one or more input devices,
including a
pointing or navigational tool such as an optical trackpad, clickable
trackball, scroll wheel
or thumbwheel, or one or more output devices, including a mechanical
transducer such as
a vibrator for providing vibratory notifications in response to various events
on
communication device 100 (for example, receipt of an electronic message or
incoming
phone call), or for other purposes such as haptic feedback (touch feedback).
[0033] In some embodiments, communication device 100 also includes
one or
more removable memory modules 136 (typically comprising FLASH memory) and a
memory module interface 138. Among possible functions of removable memory
module
136 is to store information used to identify or authenticate a subscriber or
the subscriber's
account to a wireless network (for example WAN 144 or PLMN 146). For example,
in
conjunction with certain types of wireless networks, such as GSM and successor
networks,
removable memory module 136 is referred to as a Subscriber Identity Module
(SIM).
Memory module 136 is inserted in or coupled to memory module interface 138 of
communication device 100 in order to operate in conjunction with the wireless
network.
[0034] Communication device 100 also includes a battery 140 which
furnishes
energy for operating communication device 100. Battery 140 can be coupled to
the
electrical circuitry of communication device 100 through a battery interface
142, which
can manage such functions as charging battery 140 from an external power
source (not
shown) and the distribution of energy to various loads within or coupled to
communication
device 100. Short-range wireless communications subsystem 124 is an additional
optional
component that provides for communication between communication device 100 and
different systems or devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices.
For example,
short-range wireless communications subsystem 124 can include an infrared
device and
associated circuits and components, or a wireless bus protocol compliant
communication
device such as a BLUETOOTHS communication module to provide for communication
with similarly-enabled systems and devices.
[0035] A predetermined set of applications that control basic device
operations,
including data and possibly voice communication applications can be installed
on
communication device 100 during or after manufacture. Additional applications
or
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upgrades to operating system software 130 or software applications 132 can
also be loaded
onto communication device 100 through the wireless network (for example WAN
144
and/or PLMN 146), auxiliary I/O subsystem 116, data port 118, short-range
wireless
communication subsystem 124, or other suitable subsystems 126. The downloaded
programs or code modules can be permanently installed, for example, written
into the
persistent memory 110, or written into and executed from RAM 112 for execution
by
processor 102 at runtime.
[0036] Communication device 100 provides, for example, three modes of
communication: a data communication mode, a voice communication mode, and a
video
communication mode. In the data communication mode, a received data signal
such as a
text message, an e-mail message, Web page download, or an image file are
processed by
communication system 104 and input to processor 102 for further processing.
For
example, a downloaded Web page can be further processed by a browser
application, or an
e-mail message can be processed by an e-mail message messaging application and
output
to display 106. A user of communication device 100 can also compose data
items, such as
e-mail messages, for example, using the input devices, such as auxiliary I/O
subsystem
116, in conjunction with display 106. These composed items can be transmitted
through
communication system 104 over the wireless network (for example WAN 144 or
PLMN
146). In the voice communication mode, communication device 100 provides
telephony
functions and operates as a typical cellular phone. In the video communication
mode,
communication device 100 provides video telephony functions and operates as a
video
teleconference terminal. In the video communication mode, communication device
100
utilizes one or more cameras (not shown) to capture video of video
teleconference.
[0037] Reference is now made to Fig. 2, which depicts a flow diagram
of an
example method 200 for predicting and displaying sets of characters. Method
200 begins
by receiving an input of one or more characters (step 210). For example,
processor 102 of
device 100 may receive characters from a virtual keyboard displayed on a touch-
sensitive
display. The virtual keyboard has one or more rows of selectable keys, where
each key is
assigned a location in a row, each key is assigned a character, and each
character is
displayed on the assigned key. For example, the virtual keyboard is configured
in
accordance with the QWERTY keyboard layout. Key selection on the virtual
keyboard
causes character input. The inputted characters may be displayed in an input
field that
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displays characters input using the virtual keyboard. As used herein, a
character can be
any alphanumeric character set in device 100, such as, for example, a letter,
a number, a
symbol, a space, or a punctuation mark.
[0038] According to method 200 the processor 102 generates one or more
sets of
characters, such as for example, words, phrases, acronyms, names, slang,
colloquialisms,
abbreviations, or any combination thereof based on the input received in step
210 (step
220). The sets of characters may include, for example, sets of characters that
are stored in
a dictionary in a memory of the electronic device, sets of characters that
were previously
inputted by a user, sets of characters based on a hierarchy or tree structure,
or any other
sets of characters that are selected by a processor based on a predefmed
arrangement. For
example, using a text prediction application the processor may access data
134, including
the stored linguistic data, to identify the one or more sets of characters in
step 220.
[0039] In some example embodiments, the processor 102 uses contextual
data for
generating sets of characters. Contextual data considers the context of
characters in the
input field. Contextual data may include information about, for example, a set
of
characters previously inputted by a user, grammatical attributes of the
characters inputted
in the input field (e.g., whether a noun or a verb is needed as the next set
of characters in a
sentence), or any combination thereof. For example, if the set of characters
"the" has
already been inputted into the input field, the processor may use the
contextual data to
determine that a noun¨instead of a verb¨will most likely be the next set of
characters
after "the." Likewise, if the set of characters "Guy Lafleur played in the
National
Hockey" was inputted, based on the context, the processor may determine the
subsequent
set of characters is likely "League." Using the contextual data, the processor
may also
determine whether an inputted character was incorrect. For example, the
processor may
determine that an inputted character was supposed to be a "V' instead of an
"a", given the
proximity of these characters on a QWERTY virtual keyboard.
[0040] Processor 102 may, in some example embodiments, include an
affix as a
generated set of characters, such as, for example, an adverb ending, an
adjective ending,
different verb tenses, a plural ending or a plural form. Any known predictive
technique or
software can be used to process the received input and the contextual data in
generating
the sets of characters at step 220.
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[0041] In some example embodiments, the sets of characters generated
at step 220
can begin with the same character received as input at step 210. For example,
if the
characters "pl" have been received as input using a virtual keyboard, these
characters will
be received by the processor as the character input. In such embodiments, the
sets of
characters generated at step 220 would all begin with "p1", such as "please"
or "plot."
Similarly, if the user has input the characters "child", the affixes generated
at step 220
could include, for example, "-ren", to make the set of characters "children",
or "-ish", to
make the set of characters "childish."
[0042] In some example embodiments, the sets of characters generated
at step 220
may include the characters received as input at step 210 in any position. For
example, if
the received input is an "x", the processor may generate "example",
"xylophone", or "fax"
as sets of characters.
[0043] In addition, in some example embodiments, the sets of
characters generated
at step 220 may include characters assigned to the same key as the input
characters. For
example, if a given key can be used to input either "a" or "b", and the
received input is an
"a", the processor may generate "banana" or "apple" as sets of characters.
[0044] In addition, in some example embodiments, the input characters
are
representative of a prefix and the sets of characters are representative of a
completion text
portion. For example, if the input characters (i.e., the prefix) are "appl",
the sets of
characters (i.e., the completion text portions) can be "e", "ication", "ying",
representative
of the linguistic objects "apple", "application", and "applying". In some
embodiments, the
completion text portions are found by searching the linguistic data source for
the prefix
combined with possible completion text portions.
[0045] Returning to the example method 200, the processor 102 ranks
the
generated sets of characters (step 230). The ranking may reflect, for example,
the
likelihood that a candidate set of characters is intended by a user or the
likelihood that a
candidate set of characters will be chosen by a user compared to another
candidate set of
characters. In some embodiments, the ranking may be based on contextual data.
For
example, in some embodiments, the electronic device may be configured to rank
nouns or
adjectives higher based on the received characters. If the received characters
are
suggestive of a noun or adjective, the processor, using the contextual data,
may rank the
nouns or adjectives corresponding to what the user is typing higher than other
parts of
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speech. In some embodiments, sets of characters including adjective affixes
(such as "-
ish" or "-fur), phrases, plurals, or combinations thereof may also be ranked.
In some
embodiments, contextual data may include information about which programs or
applications are currently running or being used on the electronic device. For
example, if
the device is running an email application, then sets of characters associated
with that
device's email application, such as sets of characters from the device's
contact list, can be
used to determine the ranking. N-grams, such as unigrams, bigrams, and
trigrams, may be
also used in the ranking of the sets of characters. The geolocation of the
electronic device
may also be used in the ranking process. If, for example, the electronic
device recog,ni7es
that it is located at a user's office, then sets of characters generally
associated with work
may be ranked higher in the list. If, on the other hand, the device determines
that the
device is located at a beach, then sets of characters generally associated
with the beach
may be ranked higher in the list.
100461 The processor 102 selects which of the sets of characters to
display based
on the ranking (step 240). For example, in some embodiments, higher ranked
sets of
characters are more likely to be selected than lower ranked sets of
characters. In addition,
in some embodiments, as described in further detail below, subsequent
candidate input
characters of the sets of characters affects how processor 102 selects which
of the sets of
characters to display, in accordance with the method 200.
100471 In some embodiments, the processor 102 displays one or more of the
selected sets of characters at a location within or substantially within the
keyboard
corresponding to a subsequent candidate input character, predicted as the next
character in
a word that a user might input (step 250). For example, if a user inputs "pl",
the word
"please" is displayed on the key for the letter "e"¨the subsequent candidate
input
character for that word. Similarly, the word "plus" is displayed on the key
for the letter
"u"¨the subsequent candidate input character of the word "plus" if "pl" has
already been
entered. In some embodiments, a subsequent candidate input character is any
alphanumeric character, such as, for example, a letter, number, symbol, or
punctuation
mark. If a delimiter (e.g., a <SPACE>) has been used, the selected sets of
characters are
placed on subsequent candidate input characters that correspond to the first
letter of the
selected sets of characters on a key corresponding to the delimiter.
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[0048] In some embodiments, the selected sets of characters are
displayed at or
near keys on the virtual keyboard associated with the subsequent candidate
input
characters. In some embodiments, whether a set of characters is displayed at
or near a key
depends, for example, on the size of a candidate set of characters or the
number and size of
nearby candidate sets of characters. In some embodiments, gaps are provided
between
rows of keys, wherein a given candidate set of characters may be displayed in
a gap near a
key corresponding to a subsequent candidate input character.
[0049] In some embodiments, the selected sets of characters are
displayed
substantially within the virtual keyboard. That is, some of the pixels of a
displayed set of
characters may be displayed within the virtual keyboard, and some of the
pixels of the
displayed set of characters may be displayed in another region, such as, for
example, the
text input field. For example, if a key corresponding to a subsequent
candidate input
character of a set of characters is in a top row of the virtual keyboard, a
lower displayed
portion of the set of characters may be displayed within the virtual keyboard
on or near the
key, and an upper displayed portion of the set of characters may be displayed
in the input
field.
100501 Processor 102, in some embodiments, causes display of the one
or more
selected sets of characters in a manner that will attract the user's
attention. In some
embodiments, the appearance of a displayed set of characters is enhanced or
changed in a
way that makes the set more readily visible to a user. For example, displayed
sets of
characters is displayed with backlighting, highlighting, underlining, bolding,
italicizing,
using combinations thereof, or in any other way for making the displayed sets
of
characters more visible.
[0051] When identifying the sets of characters for display at step
240, in some
embodiments the processor 102 limits the displayed sets of characters to the
top few or
chooses among the higher ranked sets of characters. For example, if two sets
of characters
are both ranked high, and these sets of characters would otherwise be
displayed at the
same key, the electronic device could be configured to display only the
highest ranked
selected set of characters. In other embodiments, both sets of characters are
displayed at
or around the same key, or one set of characters is displayed at one key while
the second
set of characters is displayed at another key. In some example embodiments,
the
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processor takes into account the display size to limit the number of selected
sets of
characters.
100521 In some embodiments, the ranking is used to choose between two
or more
sets of characters that, when displayed on adjacent keys, would overlap with
each other
(e.g., because of their respective lengths). In such embodiments, the
electronic device is
configured to display the higher ranked set of characters on the keyboard. For
example, if
the set of characters "establishment" is ranked first in a list generated at
step 240 after the
letter "E" is inputted, "establishment" could be displayed at the "S" key.
When displayed
on a virtual keyboard, however, its length might occupy some space on the "A"
key and
the "D" key, potentially blocking a set of characters that would be displayed
on or around
those keys. Thus, at step 240, it is determined that "establishment- would be
displayed
fully, and no other set of characters would be placed at the "A" or "D" keys
ahead of the
first ranked set of characters "establishment." An alternative to displaying
only the top
ranked set of characters would be to use abbreviations or recognized shortened
forms of
the sets of characters, effectively permitting a long set of characters to be
displayed within
or mostly within the boundaries of a single key simultaneously with other sets
of
characters on adjacent keys of a virtual keyboard.
100531 According to method 200, processor 102 enables displayed sets
of
characters to be chosen for input into the input field (step 260). In some
embodiments, a
given set of characters from the displayed sets of characters is chosen for
entry into the
input field if a predetermined gesture is detected. For example, a swipe-right
gesture may
cause a given set of characters closest to the gesture to be entered into the
input field.
100541 Fig. 7 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display
that has
gone through the process of predicting and displaying sets of characters. As
depicted in
Fig. 7, an electronic device 700, which may be, for example, device 100, has
received a
character input and displays "John Doe is hyper" in the input field 710, with
`IV being the
most recently selected key 720. As depicted in Fig. 7, a plurality of sets of
characters 730
are displayed on or near keys of the device 700. For example, the word
"hypertension" is
displayed near the "T" key since "hyper" already appears in the text entry
field and thus
-t" is the subsequent candidate input character for "hypertension." Similarly,
"hyperlink"
is displayed near the "L" key, "hyperactive" is displayed near the "A" key,
and
"hypercard" is displayed near the "C" key.
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[0055] Reference is now made to Fig. 3, which depicts a flow diagram
of an
example method 300 for removing displayed sets of characters. Method 300
begins with
processor 102 detecting the start of a gesture input (step 310). The start of
a gesture input
may be detected, for example, when an object, such as a finger, touches a
touch-sensitive
display.
[0056] A gesture input may initially be ambiguous. For example, when
an object
initially touches a touch-sensitive display, a plurality of possible gestures
may potentially
be entered, such as a single key selection represented by, for example, a tap;
a selection of
a displayed set of characters represented by, for example, a swipe right; a
cancellation of a
previous input represented by, for example, a swipe left; and an erase gesture
represented
by, for example, a swipe back-and-forth (e.g., performing a swipe in one
direction
followed by a swipe in a substantially opposite direction one or more times).
However,
different movements may also be mapped to the example gestures or other
gestures.
[0057] Fig. 8 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive
display receiving a
gesture input 800. As depicted in Fig. 8, an object is moving in the left
direction on the
touch-sensitive display near the set of characters "hypercard." However, in
the example
shown in Fig. 8, the gesture is ambiguous, since it may be representative of a
swipe-left
gesture or a back-and-forth swipe gesture.
[0058] Eventually, enough of the gesture input is received for an
erase gesture to
be unambiguously determined (step 320). For example, in some embodiments, an
erase
gesture may be determined if a predetermined number of changes in direction
are detected
over a predetermined time. Alternatively, or additionally, in some
embodiments, an erase
gesture may be determined if a predetermined number of changes in direction
are detected
over a predetermined distance. For example, if an object moves 50 pixels on
the touch-
sensitive display with one change in direction, an erase gesture may be
detected. In
contrast, for example, if an object moves 50 pixels on the touch-sensitive
display without a
change in direction, a different gesture may be detected, such as, for
example, a
cancellation gesture or a select gesture. In some embodiments, a change in
direction may
be detected when the direction of an object touching the touch-sensitive
display changes
more than a predetermined angle over a predetermined distance or time. If a
movement
other than a back-and-forth movement is used to represent the erase gesture, a
different
procedure may be used to detect the erase gesture.
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[0059] After determining that an erase gesture is being input, the
displayed set of
characters closest to the erase gesture may begin to be removed from the
display (step
330). For example, in some embodiments portions of the displayed set of
characters
touched by the erase gesture may be erased. Alternatively, or additionally, in
some
embodiments the displayed set of characters closest to the erase gesture may
begin to fade
out by, for example, decreasing in intensity, brightness, or opaqueness.
[0060] Fig. 9 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive display
receiving a
gesture input 800. As depicted in Fig. 9, an object has moved in the left
direction and is
now moving in the right direction on the touch-sensitive display near the set
of characters
"hypercard." Because of the detected change in direction, the example system
has
determined that an erase gesture is being input. Because the set of characters
"hypercard"
is nearest to the erase gesture, "hypercard", as seen in Fig. 9, has begun to
be removed
from the display.
[0061] According to method 300, processor 102 determines that the
erase gesture
is complete (step 340). This determination may be made, for example, when the
object
making the erase gesture has moved more than a predetermined number of pixels
on the
touch-sensitive display or has touched the touch-sensitive display for more
than a
predetermined amount of time. The determination may also be made, for example,
when
the object making the erase gesture has made a sufficient number of changes in
direction
on the touch-sensitive display.
[0062] After determining that the erase gesture is complete, processor
102
completes the removal of the displayed set of characters closest to the erase
gesture (step
350). In some embodiments, after determining that the erase gesture is
complete, prior to
complete removal of the displayed set of characters closest to the erase
gesture, the
processor may output a prompt to confirm that the displayed set of characters
should be
removed. In such embodiments, a positive response to the prompt leads to the
complete
removal of the displayed set of characters. In some embodiments, the displayed
set of
characters closest to the erase gesture may still, at least in part, be
displayed when the
erase gesture is complete. In such embodiments, even if the object making the
erase
gesture is no longer touching the touch-sensitive display the processor 102
completes the
removal of the displayed set of characters.
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100631 Fig. 10 shows an example front view of a touch-sensitive
display receiving
a gesture input 800. As depicted in Fig. 10, an object has moved in the left
direction, then
the right direction, and is now moving back in the left direction on the touch-
sensitive
display. Because of two detected changes in direction, the example system has
determined
that the erase gesture is complete. Because the set of characters "hypercard"
was nearest
to the erase gesture (as depicted in Figs. 8 and 9), "hypercard" has been
completely
removed from the display.
[0064] In some embodiments, removal of a displayed set of characters
may affect
sets of characters generated in the future, ranking of generated sets of
characters in the
future, and/or subsequent selections of sets of characters for display. For
example, the
context data used to select sets of characters may store data regarding
previously erased
sets of characters, such that previously erased sets of characters would not
be proposed as
selected sets of characters for display. In some embodiments, an erased set of
characters
may again be proposed as a selected set of characters for display if the set
of characters is
explicitly entered by tapping of individual keys.
[00651 Reference is now made to Fig. 4, which depicts a flow diagram
of an
example method 400 for replacing displayed sets of characters. According to
method 400,
processor 102 detects the start of a gesture input (step 410), performed in
substantially the
same manner as step 310 of method 300. In addition, processor 102 then
determines that
an erase gesture is being input (step 420) and begins removing the displayed
set of
characters closest to the erase gesture (step 430), performed in substantially
the same
manner as steps 320 and 330, respectively, of method 300.
[0066] Processor 102 then begins to display a replacement set of
characters at or
near the location of the set of characters being removed (step 440). In some
embodiments,
the replacement set of characters may be chosen based on a previously
determined ranking
(e.g., the ranking of step 230 in method 200). For example, if, as depicted in
Figs. 8-10,
the set of characters "hypercard" is being removed, a replacement set of
characters
"hyperglycemic", representative of the highest ranked set of characters not
having been
displayed, may be displayed. In addition, in some embodiments, the replacement
set of
characters may have a subsequent candidate input character that is the same as
the
subsequent candidate input character of the set of characters being removed.
For example,
if, as depicted in Figs. 8-10, the set of characters "hypercard" is being
removed, a
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replacement set of characters "hypercube", representative of a set of
characters having the
same subsequent candidate input character as "hypercard", may be displayed. In
some
embodiments, the subsequent candidate input character of the replacement set
of
characters will correspond to a key that is the same as or adjacent to a key
that corresponds
to the subsequent candidate input character of the set of characters being
removed. In
some embodiments, as more of the erase gesture is received, more of the
replacement set
of characters may be displayed. For example, in some embodiments, the
replacement set
of characters may fade in as more of the erase gesture is received, by, for
example,
increasing intensity, brightness, or opaqueness of the replacement set of
characters.
[0067] According to the method 400, processor 102 determines that the erase
gesture is complete (step 450) and completes the removal of the displayed set
of characters
closest to the erase gesture (step 460) in substantially the same manner as
steps 340 and
350, respectively, of method 300. In addition, processor 102 completes the
display of the
replacement set of characters (step 470). After the display of the replacement
set of
characters has been completed, the replacement set of characters may be input
in the same
manner as the other sets of characters displayed on or near the keyboard
(e.g., using a
swipe-right gesture).
[0068] Reference is now made to Fig. 5, which depicts a flow diagram
of example
method 500 for replacing displayed sets of characters. According to method
500,
processor 102 detects the start of a gesture input (step 510), performed in
substantially the
same manner as step 310 of method 300. In addition, processor 102 then
determines that
an erase gesture is being input (step 520) and begins removing the displayed
set of
characters closest to the erase gesture (step 530), performed in substantially
the same
manner as steps 320 and 330, respectively, of method 300.
[0069] Processor 102 then determines that the erase gesture is incomplete
(step
540). A determination that the erase gesture is incomplete may be made, for
example, if
the object making the erase gesture stops touching the touch-sensitive display
before it is
determined that the erase gesture is complete (e.g., the object making the
erase gesture
stops touching the touch-sensitive display before a determination as described
in step 340
of method 300). If the processor 102 determines that the erase gesture is
incomplete, the
displayed set of characters closest to the erase gesture may be redisplayed as
it was
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originally presented (e.g., removal of the displayed set of characters closest
to the erase
gesture performed in step 530 may be undone) (step 550).
[0070] Reference is now made to Fig. 6, which depicts a flow diagram
of example
method 600 for replacing displayed sets of characters. According to method
600,
processor 102 detects the start of a gesture input (step 610), performed in
substantially the
same manner as step 410 of method 400. In addition, processor 102 then
determines that
an erase gesture is being input (step 620), begins removing the displayed set
of characters
closest to the erase gesture (step 630), and begins displaying a replacement
set of
characters (step 640), performed in substantially the same manner as steps
420, 430, and
440, respectively, of method 400.
[0071] Processor 102 then determines that the erase gesture is
incomplete (step
650). A determination that the erase gesture is incomplete may be made, for
example, if
the object making the erase gesture stops touching the touch-sensitive display
before it is
determined that the erase gesture is complete (e.g., the object making the
erase gesture
stops touching the touch-sensitive display before a determination as described
in step 450
of method 400). If the processor 102 determines that the erase gesture is
incomplete, the
displayed set of characters closest to the erase gesture may be redisplayed as
it was
originally presented (e.g., removal of the displayed set of characters closest
to the erase
gesture performed in step 630 may be undone) (step 660). In addition, if the
processor
102 determines that the erase gesture is incomplete, portions of the
replacement set of
characters that have been displayed may be erased (e.g., display of the
replacement set of
characters performed in step 640 may be undone) (step 670).
100721 Displaying sets of characters as prediction candidates within
or
substantially within a virtual keyboard enables content to be entered into a
device with
greater speed and accuracy. However, a user may find some displayed sets of
characters
distracting and/or unlikely to assist in content entry if, for example, the
user believes some
of the sets of characters are not intended for entry. Enabling the removal or
replacement
of on-keyboard prediction candidates may provide a number of advantages, such
as, for
example, more accurate and less distracting use of on-keyboard prediction
candidates.
[0073] While the above description provides examples of one or more
processes or
apparatuses, it will be appreciated that other processes or apparatuses can be
within the
scope of the accompanying claims.
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100741 The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of
illustration.
It is not exhaustive and is not limited to the precise forms or embodiments
disclosed.
Modifications and adaptations of the embodiments will be apparent from
consideration of
the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments. For example, the
described
implementations include hardware and software, but systems and methods
consistent with
the present disclosure can be implemented as hardware alone.
[0075] Computer programs based on the written description and methods
of this
specification are within the skill of a software developer. The various
programs or
program modules can be created using a variety of programming techniques. For
example, program sections or program modules can be designed in or by means of
Java,
C, C++, assembly language, or any such programming languages. One or more of
such
software sections or modules can be integrated into a computer system or
existing
communications software.
100761 Moreover, while illustrative embodiments have been described
herein, the
scope includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements,
modifications,
omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments),
adaptations and/or
alterations based on the present disclosure. The elements in the claims are to
be
interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not
limited to
examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of
the
application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. Further, the
steps of the
disclosed methods can be modified in any manner, including by reordering steps
and/or
inserting or deleting steps. It is intended, therefore, that the specification
and examples be
considered as example only, with a true scope and spirit being indicated by
the following
claims and their full scope of equivalents.
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