Electronic keyboard system and method for reproducing selected symbolic language characters

A method of producing ideographic text material utilizing a keyboard having a plurality of keys each representing an indicium corresponding to graphic characters to be produced, comprising:

• selecting one or more keys in sequence to produce a first identifier for a first desired character;
• selecting one or more keys in sequence to produce a second identifier for a second desired character of a compound word;
• calling up from a character memory all the characters which correspond to said first identifier;
• calling up from said character memory a permissible pair list for each character corresponding to said first identifier;
• calling up from said character memory all the characters which correspond to said second identifier;
• matching each of the characters corresponding to said first identifier with each of the characters corresponding to said second identifier to produce a list of possible character pairs;
• determining whether an ambiguity exists between said possible pair list and said permissible pair list;
• and
• resolving any ambiguity.

A method of typing symbolic language text material utilizing a keyboard having indicia corresponding to configurations typical of graphic characters used in such symbolic language, comprising:

• selecting up to four keyboard indicia approximating actual stroke configurations appearing sequentially around the peripheral quadrants of a character to be typed to produce a shape identifier code for the character;
• calling up from a character memory all characters which correspond to the shape identifier code produced by said keyboard, and which have peripheral stroke configurations similar to or the same as, and in the same sequence as, the character to be typed;
• storing in a selection buffer the characters called up by the identifier code;
• transferring to a text storage means the character stored in the selection buffer when there is no ambiguity in the selection buffer;
• resolving ambiguities which exist in the selection of the desired character, when multiple characters are called up from the character memory and stored in said selection buffer, by transferring to a display buffer one after another the characters stored in said selection buffer to determine in each instance if it is the desired character to be typed;
• selecting from the displayed characters a desired character;
• and
• transferring the selected character to the text storage means.

A method of typing symbolic language text material utilizing a keyboard having a plurality of keys corresponding to a like number of stroke configurations typically used at the extremities of ideogrammatic language characters, comprising:

• selecting up to four keyboard indicia corresponding to stroke configurations appearing at the periphery of a first character of a compound word to be typed to produce a first identifier for the word;
• selecting up to four keyboard indicia corresponding to stroke configuration appearing at the periphery of a second character of said compound word to produce a second identifier for the word;
• calling up from a character memory all the characters which correspond to said first identifier;
• calling up from said character memory a permissible pair listing for each character corresponding to said first identifier;
• storing said characters corresponding to said first identifier and said pair listings therefor in a first storage buffer;
• calling up from said character memory all the characters which correspond to said second identifier;
• storing said characters corresponding to said second identifier in a second storage buffer;
• matching each of said characters in said first storage buffer with each of said characters in said second storage buffer to produce a list of possible character pairs;
• storing said list of possible character pairs in a selection buffer;
• comparing each of said possible pairs from said selection buffer with each of the permissible pairs listed in said first storage buffer;
• storing in a significant pair storage means all pairs which are found in both said possible pair list and said permissible pair list;
• determining the number of character pairs stored in said significant pair storage means to determine whether an ambiguity exists;
• and
• resolving any ambiguities by manually selecting one of the pairs in said significant pair storage means.

An electronic system for identifying and resolving ambiguities in the selection of single character or two-character symbolic language words, comprising:

• a keyboard having a plurality of key indicia corresponding to selected features of graphic characters and adapted to produce an identifier representing a character to be typed;
• file means containing a first list of characters and a second list of permitted character pairings, said characters and pairings being listed in said file by index codes selectable by specified identifiers, whereby a selected identifier will call up the index codes and pairings of all characters having that identifier;
• first storage means for receiving the index codes and permitted pairings for the identifier of a first character to be typed;
• second storage means for receiving the index codes for the identifier of a second character in a two-character word to be typed;
• a matching network for matching the index codes stored in said first storage means with the index codes in said second storage means to produce a list of possible character pairs for a two-character word;
• selection storage means;
• means for connecting said selection storage means either to said first storage means to receive and store only the index codes in said first storage means for a single character or to said matching network to receive said list of possible pairs for a two-character word;
• a comparator connected to said selection storage means for comparing said list of permitted character pairings with said list of possible pairs;
• significant pair storage means to receive and store character pairs appearing in both said list of permitted pairings and said list of possible pairs;
• and
• selector means connected either to said selection storage means to resolve single character ambiguities or to said significant pair storage means to resolve two-character word ambiguities.

An electronic system for typing symbolic language text material through identification of selected features thereof, wherein different graphic characters for said language may have similar identifying features, comprising:

• first storage means for receiving and storing a graphic character list and a permitted character pairing list for each graphic character, each said graphic character having an index code selectable by at least one specified identifier code;
• manually operable selector means corresponding to selected identifying features of graphic characters, said selector means being operable to produce an identifier code representing identified features of the character to be typed;
• means responsive to each said identifier code to call up the index codes and corresponding pairing lists of all graphic characters having the specified identifier code;
• means for displaying the graphic character or characters selected by said identifier code;
• and
• means for resolving ambiguities in the selection of said characters, whereby only the desired character or characters to be typed remains.

A method of typing symbolic language text material through identification of selected features thereof, wherein different graphic characters for said language may have similar identifying features, comprising:

• storing a graphic character list and a permitted character pairing list for each graphic character to be used in said text material, each said graphic character having an index code selectable by at least one specified identifier code;
• generating a first identifier code corresponding to selected identifying features of a first graphic character;
• calling up from said first storage means all graphic characters and permitted pairing lists which correspond to said first identifier code;
• generating a second identifier code corresponding to selected identifying features of a second graphic character when a second character is combined with said first character in said symbolic language to form a compound;
• calling up from said first storage means all graphic characters which correspond to said second identifier code;
• and
• disambiguating said called-up characters to identify the character or compound to be typed.