US 6,608,639 B2 · Method of inputting name

Abstract

A method of inputting a place name that reduces the necessary memory capacity for input processing. A name list in which a plurality of names are registered in alphabetical order is prepared. A table is also prepared by storing sequences of n leading characters and data related to each sequence of n leading characters. The data represents information as to whether some of the registered names in the name list have the corresponding sequence of n leading characters. When a user inputs one of the sequences of n leading characters, a processor examines whether registered names in the name list have the same sequence of characters as the input sequence of n characters by referring to the table. If none of the registered names have the same sequence, the processor requests the user input a name again. If some of the registered name have the same leading characters as the input sequence of n characters, the processor searches for them from the name list, identifies, from the names searched out, characters each probable to be input as (n+1)th character and characters improbable to input, and displays the two groups of characters so that they are discriminable from each other.

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Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of inputting one of a plurality of predetermined names comprising the acts of:

providing a name list in which the plurality of names are stored;
providing a skip table including parent, child and grandchild records, the skip table formed by storing sequences of n leading characters and data related to each sequence of n leading characters that indicates through characters and bit positions in a one-to-one relationship which names in the name list have the corresponding sequence of n leading characters, wherein a flag at each of the bit positions corresponds to whether an inputted character will yield a name in the name list, the parent records designate whether a character inputted as a first character corresponds to a name in the name list, the child records designate whether a character inputted as a second character subsequent to a character selected as a first character corresponds to a name in the name list, and the grandchild records designate whether a character inputted as a third character subsequent to a combination of first and second characters corresponds to a name in the name list;
receiving input data corresponding to a sequence of n leading characters;
evaluating whether a name in the name list has the same sequence of characters as the inputted sequence of n characters by referring to the skip table;
searching the name list for some of the names whose leading characters correspond to the input sequence of n leading characters;
and
identifying characters each probable to be inputted as (n+1)th character;
and displaying the probable characters.

5 more elements

A method of inputting one of predetermined names through a keypad input image, comprising the acts of:

providing a name list on a recording medium in which a plurality of names are stored;
providing a skip table on the recording medium comprising parent, child and grandchild records, said parent, child and grandchild records representing information indicating sequences of at least 3 leading characters that have corresponding names in the name list;
reading the skip table from the recording medium;
storing data from the skip table in a memory;
displaying a keypad input image;
receiving an inputted sequence of n leading characters;
evaluating whether at least one of the names in the name list has the same sequence of n leading characters as the inputted sequence of n characters by referring to the skip table;
searching the name list for at least one name whose leading characters correspond to the inputted sequence of n leading characters;
identifying characters that would yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character;
and
displaying the characters that would yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character so that they are discernable from characters that would not yield a name in the name list if inputted as the (n+1)th character.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,279 words

Summary965 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a method of inputting a name and, more particularly, to a method of inputting one of predetermined names through a key pad input image.

#2. Description of the Related Art

Brief description of the drawings6 figures

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a navigation apparatus having a name inputting function;

#FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a place name list;

#FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a skip table;

Detailed description3,238 words

#(a) Configuration

#FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a navigation apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. The navigation apparatus has a map storage medium 11, e.g., a CD-ROM having map information stored therein, a CD-ROM control section 12 for controlling reading of map information from the CD-ROM, and a position measuring unit 13 for measuring the current position of a vehicle. The position measuring unit 13 includes a vehicle speed sensor which detects the distance traveled, a gyroscope for ascertaining the vehicle heading, and central processing unit (CPU) for calculating the position of the vehicle. The navigation apparatus also has a map information memory 14 for storing map information read out from the CD-ROM, a remote controller 15 for operation via the remote control interface 16 and for performing an operation for selection from a menu, an operation for enlargement/reduction, a manual map scrolling and so on. The apparatus further has a processor (CPU) 17 for overall control of the navigation apparatus, a read only memory (ROM) 18 having various navigation control programs stored therein, a random access memory (RAM) 19 for storing processing results, a display controller 20 for generating map images and menu images, a video RAM 21 for storing map images and menu images generated by the display controller 20, a monitor (display) 22 for displaying a menu image, etc., and a bus 23.

#In the CD-ROM 11, a place name list NLS in which a multiplicity of place names are registered in alphabetical order is stored. A skip table is also stored in the CD-ROM 11 for recognition as to whether some of the places registered in the place name list NLS have a sequence of certain n (e.g., n=3) alphabetical letters as their leading letters.

Facts

Application

09/188,776Filed 9 Nov 1998

Priority

JP 9-31027512 Nov 1997

Published

US 2002/0067377 A16 Jun 2002

Granted

19 Aug 2003

Term ended

9 Nov 2018

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination. Patent term adjustment is unavailable; no adjustment was added.

Classification4 codes

G06F 3/0237
Character input methods: using prediction or retrieval techniques
Y10S 707/99933
Database or file accessing: query processing, i.e. searching
G06F
Computing and data processing
Y10S
Technical subjects covered by former uspc cross-reference art collections [xracs] and digests

Method of inputting name

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Method of inputting name

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims20

Description4,279 words

Drawings

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,279 words