Correction of errors in character strings that include a word delimiter

Abstract

In response to determining that a first series of user inputs corresponds to a first character string, the computing device outputs, for display, the first character string. In response to determining that a second character string is more likely to correspond to the first series of user inputs than the first character string, the computing device outputs the second character string in place of the first character string. After receiving the first series of user inputs, the computing device receives a second series of user inputs. In response to determining that the second series of user inputs corresponds to a third character string, the computing device outputs the third character string. The computing device determines, based at least in part on the first and second series of user inputs, a fourth character string and outputs, for display, the fourth character string.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, a first series of one or more user inputs;   in response to determining that the first series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a first string of characters and a word delimiter, outputting, by the computing device, for display, the first string of characters followed by the word delimiter;   after receiving the first series of one or more user inputs, receiving, by the computing device, a second series of one or more user inputs;   in response to determining, by the computing device that the second series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a second string of characters, outputting, by the computing device, for display, the second string of characters;   determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the first and second series of one or more user inputs, a third string of characters, wherein the third string of characters is one word; and   outputting, by the computing device and for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings of characters.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein neither the first string nor the second string is in a lexicon for a particular language. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the third string is in the lexicon for the particular language. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising outputting, by the computing device and for display, a suggestion element that includes the third string of characters, wherein outputting the third string in place of the first and second strings comprises in response to receiving an indication of a user input to select the suggestion element, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the suggestion element is a first suggestion element,   determining the third string comprises:
 determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on the first and second series of one or more user inputs, a plurality of replacement candidates, each of the replacement candidates being a string of characters, and 
 selecting, by the computing device, a portion of the plurality of replacement candidates, the portion of the plurality of replacement candidates including the third string, 
   further comprising: outputting a plurality of suggestion elements, the plurality of suggestion elements including the first suggestion element, each of the suggestion elements from the plurality of suggestion elements specifying a different replacement candidate in the portion of the plurality of replacement candidates.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the word delimiter is a first word delimiter, and   outputting the third string comprises:
 in response to determining that the second string ends with a second word delimiter, outputting, by the computing device and for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining the third string comprises determining, by the computing device and based on the first and second series of one or more user inputs, a plurality of replacement candidates, the plurality of replacement candidates including the third string; and   further comprising determining, by the computing device, that the third string has a lowest replacement score among the plurality of replacement candidates.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first series of one or more user inputs comprises a series of one or more tapping gestures at a presence-sensitive display. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first series of one or more user inputs comprises a sliding movement of an input object at a presence-sensitive display. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the word delimiter is a space character, and   the third string is a concatenation of the first character string, a letter, and the second character string.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the word delimiter is a space character, and   the third string is a concatenation of the first character string and the second character string.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using, by the computing device, a finite state transducer (FST) to determine that the second series of one or more user inputs corresponds to the second string. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein using the FST comprises determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on cost values of tokens in an active beam, a highest-ranked token in the active beam, wherein the highest-ranked token in the active beam specifies the second string, wherein each of the tokens in the active beam is associated with a node in the FST. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a particular token in the active beam is associated with a particular node of the FST and the third string includes a word that is associated with a terminal node of the FST that is reachable from the particular node. 
     
     
         15 . A computing device comprising one or more processors configured to:
 receive a first series of one or more user inputs;   in response to determining that the first series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a first string of characters and a word delimiter, output, for display, the first string of characters followed by the word delimiter;   after receiving the first series of one or more user inputs, receive a second series of one or more user inputs;   in response to determining that the second series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a second string of characters, output, for display, the second string of characters;   determine, based at least in part on the first and second series of one or more user inputs, a third string of characters, wherein the third string of characters is one word; and   output, for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings of characters.   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 output, for display, a suggestion element that includes the third string of characters; and   in response to receiving an indication of a user input to select the suggestion element, output, for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings.   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the word delimiter is a first word delimiter and the one or more processors are configured to output, in response to determining that the second string ends with a second word delimiter, for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the word delimiter is a space character, and   the third string is a concatenation of the first character string, a letter, and the second character string.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the word delimiter is a space character, and   the third string is a concatenation of the first character string and the second character string.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computing-readable data storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 in response to determining that a first series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a first string of characters and a word delimiter, output, for display, the first string of characters followed by the word delimiter;   after receiving the first series of one or more user inputs, receive a second series of one or more user inputs;   in response to determining that the second series of one or more user inputs corresponds to a second string of characters, output, for display, the second string of characters;   determine, based at least in part on the first and second series of one or more user inputs, a third string of characters, wherein the third string of characters is one word; and   output, for display, the third string in place of the first and second strings of characters.