# US 2012/0084075 A1 · Character input apparatus equipped with auto-complete function, method of controlling the character input apparatus, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0084075 A1 - Document ID: US20120084075A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/242,667 - Filed: 2011-09-23 - Published: 2012-04-05 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Masayuki YAMADA; Masayuki SATO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120084075A1 ## CPC - G06F 40/274: Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs - G06F 3/0236: {using selection techniques to select from displayed items} - G06F 3/0237: {using prediction or retrieval techniques} - 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 - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G09B 21/002: {Writing aids for blind persons (devices for Braille writing G09B21/02)} - G09B 21/007: {using both tactile and audible presentation of the information} - H04M 1/72481: for visually impaired users - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A character input apparatus which makes it possible to suppress degradation of use-friendliness in a case where a visually disabled user inputs characters using an auto-complete function. In the character string input apparatus, a character string to be input as a portion following a character string input by a user is predicted based on the character string input by the user, and the character string input by the user is completed using the predicted character string as a portion complementary thereto. In a voice guidance mode, information associated with a key selected by the user is read aloud by voice. When the voice guidance mode is enabled, the character string input apparatus disables the auto-complete function and performs control such that a character string cannot be automatically completed. ## Claims ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The character input apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to selectively set whether or not to perform the completion of the input character string, by said completing unit, and wherein when said voice guidance unit is set to provide guidance and said completing unit is set not to perform the completion of the input character string, said control unit controls said completing unit not to perform the completion of the input character string, and wherein when said voice guidance unit is set to provide guidance and said completing unit is set to perform the completion of the input character string, said control unit controls said completing unit to perform the completion of the input character string. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The character input apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a voice control unit configured to be operable when said completing unit is set by said setting unit to perform the completion of the input character string, to read aloud the character string input by the user and the character string added by said completing unit in a manner distinguishable therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The character input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said completing unit is set by said setting unit to perform the completion of the input character string, said voice control unit reads aloud the character string input by the user and the character string added by said completing unit, by respective voices different in one of sound timbre, tone, and volume. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The character input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said completing unit is set by said setting unit to perform the completion of the input character string, and when the number of character completing suggestions each as the character string predicted based on the character string input by the user is not larger than a predetermined number, said control unit controls said completing unit to perform the completion of the input character string, and when said completing unit is set by said setting unit to perform the completion of the input character string and when the number of character completing suggestions each as the character string predicted based on the character string input by the user is larger than the predetermined number, said control unit controls said completing unit not to perform the completion of the input character string. ### Claim 6 A character input apparatus comprising: a completing unit configured to predict, based on a character string formed by at least one character, which is input by a user, a character string formed by at least one character which is to be input as a portion following the character string input by the user, and complete the character string input by the user, by adding the predicted character string as a portion complementary thereto; and a voice control unit configured to read aloud the character string input by the user and the character string added by said completing unit in a manner distinguishable therebetween. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The character input apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said voice control unit reads aloud the character string input by the user and the character string added by said completing unit, by respective voices different in one of sound timbre, tone, and volume. ### Claim 8 A method of controlling a character input apparatus, comprising: predicting, based on a character string formed by at least one character, which is input by a user, a character string formed by at least one character which is to be input as a portion following the character string input by the user, and completing the character string input by the user, by adding the predicted character string as a portion complementary thereto; providing information associated with a key selected by the user, by voice guidance; and performing control, when voice guidance is set to be provided, not to perform completion of the input character string. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling a character input apparatus, wherein the method comprises: predicting, based on a character string formed by at least one character, which is input by a user, a character string formed by at least one character which is to be input as a portion following the character string input by the user, and completing the character string input by the user, by adding the predicted character string as a portion complementary thereto; providing information associated with a key selected by the user, by voice guidance; and performing control, when voice guidance is set to be provided, not to perform completion of the input character string.