Inquiry-oriented user input apparatus and method
OwnerWeigen Qiu, Roland E. Williams +1inventors
InventorsWeigen Qiu, Roland E. Williams, William J. Templeton-Steadman
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Abstract
User input from a reduced keypad is disambiguated and compared with a first dynamic lexicon, and predicted matches (e.g. either a single word or phrase) are offered. If a user continues to type beyond a boundary condition, then input is no longer predicted from the first lexicon, but instead is interpreted as a request for matches from a second, quasi-static lexicon allowing words or phrases to be entered. When the entry is accepted, data is transmitted to a remote receiver and may be parsed as an inquiry for subsequent operation. Following acceptance, the apparatus invokes a program suitable for interacting with the response generated to the inquiry.
Claims18
A computer implemented text entry method for execution by a processor of a text entry system having a memory, comprising:
- receiving, by the text entry system, an ambiguous entry of text, the text entry system having input regions allowing for the ambiguous entry of at least one symbol per input region;
- querying, by the text entry system, a first database local to the text entry system for one or more entries corresponding to a first disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text, wherein the first database is an internal database;
- responsive to the one or more entries corresponding to the first disambiguation falling below a predetermined level, querying, by the text entry system, a second database remote from the text entry system for one or more entries corresponding to a second disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text, wherein the second database is an external database;
- providing, by the text entry system, the first disambiguation and the second disambiguation to the user for selection;
- and
- if a number of entries provided to the user from the first and second databases is equal to or less than a threshold number of entries, query at least one additional database for one or more entries corresponding to a third disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text, wherein the at least one additional database is a different external database from the second database.
A text entry apparatus having a processor and a memory, comprising:
- a text entry system for receiving an ambiguous entry of text, the text entry system having input regions allowing for the ambiguous entry of at least one symbol per input region;
- wherein the text entry system is configured to:
- query a first database local to the text entry system for one or more entries corresponding to a first disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text, wherein the first database is an internal database;
- responsive to the one or more entries corresponding to the first disambiguation falling below a predetermined level, query a second database remote from the text entry system for one or more entries corresponding to a second disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text, wherein the second database is an external database;
- provide the first disambiguation and the second disambiguation to the user for selection;
- and
- if a number of entries provided to the user from the first and second databases is equal to or less than a threshold number of entries, query at least one additional database for one or more entries corresponding to a third disambiguation of the ambiguous entry of text.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.