Character input apparatus with character string extraction portion, and corresponding storage medium

A character input apparatus, comprising:

• a character string dictionary which stores a number of character strings each including at least one character and having a predetermined meaning, in a predetermined storage order;
• and an operation input unit which generates various instructing signals in accordance with an operation of an operator, the apparatus selecting a character string from the character string dictionary based on the instructing signal and inputting the character string, the apparatus comprising:
• display means having a display screen for displaying the selected character string and listing candidate character strings from which the character string is selected;
• the character string dictionary being constituted to store each character string at least together with speech information based on the grammar of a language of the character strings to be input, and
• a grammar dictionary which stores grammar information including a conjunction relationship between character strings disposed adjacent to each other, determined by the part of speech of the character strings in language of the character strings to be input, and
• wherein the candidate character string extracting portion, regarding a latest character string among the character strings selected by the selecting means, extracts character strings, which may come next to the latest selected character string, as candidate character strings from the character string dictionary, based on the read part of speech information and the grammar information stored in the grammar dictionary.

A recording medium storing a character input program for a computer, comprising a character string dictionary which stores a number of character strings, each including at least one character and having a predetermined meaning, in a predetermined storage order, generating various instructing signals in accordance with an operation of an operator, selecting a character string from the character string dictionary based on the instructing signal and inputting the character string, the recording medium comprising:

• a display procedure for displaying the selected character string and listing candidate character strings from which the character string is selected on a display screen;
• a candidate character string extracting procedure including a selection procedure for selecting a predetermined character string from a plurality of the listed candidate character strings, based on a selection instructing signal generated by an operation of the operator, and an extraction threshold value changing procedure for continuously changing an extraction threshold value of character strings, based on a threshold value change instructing signal generated by the operation, the candidate character string extracting procedure extracting character strings from all the character strings stored in the character string dictionary as the candidate character strings, based on comparison between extraction priorities of the character strings and the extraction threshold value;
• and
• a display control procedure for controlling the display procedure in such a manner that the candidate character strings extracted by the candidate character string extracting procedure are listed and the character string selected by the selecting procedure is displayed on the display screen,
• wherein a position is specified on the display screen by the operation of the operator, and the threshold value changing signal is generated by the position specifying, and
• the display control procedure controls the display procedure in such a manner that, in regions on both sides of the position specified by the operation of the operator on the display screen, the listed candidate character strings are shifted in an opposite direction to each other with respect to the specified position, when the number of the candidate character strings is increased or decreased in accordance with a change in the extraction threshold value.

A recording medium storing a character input program for a computer, comprising a character string dictionary which stores a number of character strings, each including at least one character and having a predetermined meaning, in a predetermined storage order, generating various instructing signals in accordance with an operation of an operator, selecting a character string from the character string dictionary based on the instructing signal and inputting the character string, the recording medium comprising:

• a display procedure for displaying the selected character string and listing candidate character strings from which the character string is selected on a display screen;
• the character string dictionary for storing each character string, at least together with an extraction priority based on an appearance frequency thereof, and part of speech information based on the grammar of a language of the character strings to be input,
• a grammar dictionary which stores grammar information including conjunction relationship between character strings disposed adjacent to each other, determined by the part of speech of the character strings in language of the character strings to be input, and
• wherein the candidate character string extracting procedure regarding a latest character string among the character strings selected by the selecting procedure, extracts character strings, which may come next to the latest selected character string, as candidate character strings from the character string dictionary, based on the read part of speech information and the grammar information stored in the grammar dictionary.

A character input apparatus, comprising:

• a character string dictionary which stores a number of character strings each including at least one character and having a predetermined meaning, in a predetermined storage order;
• and an operation input unit which generates various instructing signals in accordance with an operation of an operator, the apparatus selecting a character string from the character string dictionary based on the instructing signal and inputting the character string, the apparatus comprising:
• a display for displaying the selected character string and listing candidate character strings from which the character string is selected;
• a candidate character string extracting portion including a selection portion for selecting a predetermined character string from a plurality of the listed candidate character strings, based on a selection instructing signal generated by an operation in the operation input unit, and an extraction threshold value changing portion for changing an extraction threshold value of character strings, based on a threshold value change instructing signal generated by an operation in the operation input unit, the candidate character string extracting portion extracting character strings from character strings stored in the character string dictionary as the candidate character strings, based on extraction priorities of the character strings and the extraction threshold value;
• and
• a display controller for controlling the display in such a manner that the candidate character strings extracted from the candidate character string extracting portion are listed and the character string selected by the selecting portion is displayed on the display,
• wherein the operation input unit has a position specifying number for specifying a position on the display, and is designed in such a manner that the threshold value changing signal is generated by an operation of the position specifying member, and
• the display controller controls the display in such a manner that, in regions on both sides of the position specified by the position specifying member on the display, the listed candidate character strings are shifted in an opposite direction to each other with respect to the specified position, when the number of the candidate character strings is increased or decreased in accordance with a change in the extraction threshold value.