Real-time typing assistance

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing feedback and guidance to touch screen device users to improve the text entry user experience and performance through the use of indicators such as feedback semaphores. Also disclosed are suggestion candidates, which allow a user to quickly select next words to add to text input data, or replacement words for words that have been designated as incorrect. According to one embodiment, a method comprises receiving text input data, providing an indicator for possible correction of the text input data, displaying suggestion candidates associated with alternative words for the data, receiving a single touch screen input selecting one of the suggestion candidates, and modifying the input data using the word associated with the selected suggestion candidate.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving first input data comprising one or more input words from a keyboard;   providing one or more feedback semaphores, wherein the feedback semaphores are operable to alert a user using the keyboard that one or more suggestion candidates are available;   automatically displaying the one or more suggestion candidates, wherein the suggestion candidates are each associated with an alternative word for one or more of the input words;   automatically receiving a touch screen input selecting one of the suggestion candidates; and   modifying the first input data using the alternative word associated with the selected suggestion candidate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on the first input data, generating one or more alternative words for one or more of the input words;   auto-correcting the first input data by automatically replacing the input word with one of the alternative words; and   wherein the providing the feedback semaphores occurs immediately after the auto-correcting.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first input data comprises a character designated as a delimiter for the input word; and   the providing the feedback semaphores occurs based on receiving the delimiter character in the first input data and on word probability data associated with the input word.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback semaphores include one or more of the following: playing a sound, generating haptic feedback, highlighting one or more keys on the keyboard, highlighting a background area of the keyboard, and highlighting a suggestion candidates area. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the feedback semaphores include highlighting one or more delimiter keys on the keyboard; and   the receiving a single touch screen input comprises receiving a key press for one of the highlighted delimiter keys.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback semaphores are not provided until the input word is designated incorrect using a dictionary, a common speller application programming interface, or an input history data source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first input data comprises a character designated as a delimiter for the input word; and   the providing the feedback semaphores occurs based on receiving the delimiter character in the first input data.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing the feedback semaphores does not occur until a delimiter key for the input word is received in the first input data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the keyboard is a touch screen keyboard; and   the receiving text input data further comprises playing a randomly selected keypress sound for a character of the first input data, wherein the keypress sound is selected from a group including at least two or more keypress sounds.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving typing speed data for at least a portion of the first input data; and   based on the typing speed data, selecting one or more feedback semaphores from a group including at least two or more of the following: a tooltip balloon, audio feedback, haptic feedback, highlighting one or more delimiter keys, highlighting the keyboard, and wherein the one or more feedback semaphores are the selected feedback semaphores.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting whether the user is using the keyboard with one hand or two hands, and;   based on the detecting, selecting one or more feedback semaphores from a group including at least two or more of the following: a tooltip balloon, audio feedback, haptic feedback, highlighting one or more delimiter keys, highlighting the keyboard, and wherein the one or more feedback semaphores are the selected feedback semaphores.   
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instruction that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving text input data comprising at least one word using a keyboard coupled to a touch screen;   detecting that an event has occurred based on the text input data and based on the detected event, automatically displaying on the touch screen one or more suggestion candidates for the at least one word based on the text input data and one or more candidate sources, wherein each of the candidates is associated with at least one next word designated as likely to follow the at least one word;   receiving a single touch screen input selecting one of the suggestion candidates; and   based on the single touch screen input, automatically modifying the text input data by adding the at least one next word associated with the selected suggestion candidate to the text input data.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the event is detected based on a measured keystroke latency exceeding a threshold value. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , wherein the event is an auto-correction of the text input data or receiving a delimiter key in the text input data. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , further comprising automatically displaying on the touch screen one or more replacement suggestion candidates for the at least one word based on the text input data and one or more candidate sources, wherein each of the replacement suggestion candidates is associated with at least one replacement word for the at least one word; and
 wherein the displaying includes displaying the replacement suggestion candidates in a manner that distinguishes the replacement suggestion candidates from the suggestion candidates.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage media of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 immediately after the automatically adding the at least one word, displaying one or more suggestion candidates for the text input data, which includes the selected next word; and   repeating the automatically modifying the text input data.   
     
     
         18 . A mobile device, comprising:
 one or more processing units operable to execute computer-executable instructions for text entry and correction;   one or more memory units coupled to the processing units;   one or more touch screens coupled to the mobile device configurable to have a text display area, a suggestion candidates area, and a touch screen keyboard area, wherein the text display area, the suggestion candidates area, and the touch screen keyboard area occupy distinct, non-overlapping areas of the touch screens, and wherein the one or more touch screens are operable to receive touch input over at least a portion of the touch screen keyboard area and the suggestion candidates area;   storage for storing the computer-executable instructions for text entry and correction using:
 a text input module for receiving text input using the touch screen keyboard and displaying at least a portion of the text input in the text display area; 
 a candidate generation module for generating one or more suggestion candidates comprising one or more replacement suggestions and/or one or more next word suggestions for an input word of the text input; 
 an indicator generation module for producing one or more indicators that can notify a user that the suggestion candidates are available; 
 a suggestion presentation module for presenting the suggestion candidates associated with the input word in the suggestion candidates area and receiving touch screen user input for selecting one of the presented suggestions, wherein:
 if the selected suggestion is a replacement suggestion, replacing the input word with the selected suggestion; and 
 if the selected suggestion is a next word suggestion, adding the selected suggestion as a next word subsequent to the input word in the text input. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , wherein the indicator generation module and the suggestion presentation module are configured to not produce indicators and to not present suggestion candidates, respectively, until one of the input words is designated incorrect by a dictionary, a common speller application programming interface, or an input history data source. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , wherein the indicator generation module and the suggestion presentation module are configured to not produce indicators and to not present suggestion candidates, respectively, until a delimiter character is received immediately after the input word.