Explicit character filtering of ambiguous text entry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for explicit filtering in ambiguous text entry. The invention provides embodiments including various explicit text entry methodologies, such as 2-key and long pressing. The invention also provides means for matching words in a database using build around methodology, stem locking methodology, word completion methodology, and n-gram searches.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a series of key entries from a user input device;   determining at least one entry in the series of key entries is ambiguous, wherein each ambiguous entry corresponds to two or more potential characters in a human language;   determining one or more entry groups in the series of key entries and one or more potential character sequences associated with the entry groups, wherein, when a first entry group of the entry groups includes an ambiguous entry, the first entry group corresponds to at least two potential character sequences;   matching a potential character sequence of the potential character sequences against a language database; and   presenting the potential character sequence on a character input interface when the potential character sequence matches at least a portion of a known word or object in the language database.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 locking the potential character sequence such that the first entry group is considered unambiguous and explicitly corresponding to the potential character sequence.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein locking the potential character sequence is in response to receiving a user input via the user input device. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the user input corresponds to a character indicating a word boundary. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the user input corresponds to a command to move a cursor of the character input interface toward a next character. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving user input to move a cursor over one or more characters in the potential character sequence; and   locking the one or more characters that the cursor moved over such that entries corresponding to the one or more characters are considered unambiguous and explicitly entered.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising locking a subsequence of the potential character sequence thereby causing one or more entries to correspond explicitly to respective characters in the subsequence. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining one or more new entry groups in the series of key entries and one or more new potential character sequences associated with the new entry groups; and   selecting at least one of the new potential character sequences corresponding to a second entry group to present on a character input interface based on whether the selected new potential character sequence matches at least a portion of a known word or object in the language database.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said matching includes performing an N-Gram search. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input device is a keyboard component of a mobile device and wherein the character input interface is displayed on a display component of the mobile device. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a series of key entries via a user input device;   determining, based on a user interaction with a text entry interface, at least a first key entry being explicitly associated with a character in a human language;   determining, based on a known attribute of the user input device, two or more potential characters for at least a second key entry;   identifying character combinations based on characters, explicit or ambiguous, of the series of key entries; and   performing a search to identify a likely character combination from among the character combinations that at least partially matches a word or object in a language database.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 responsive to the search not identifying any character combination that at least partially matches a word or object in the language database, performing a modified search to identify the likely character combination as a character combination including most number of explicit or locked-in characters.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein performing the search includes determining whether there is a match in the language database to a character combination sequence of an entire length of the series of key entries. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , further comprising displaying the character combination sequence when there is a match in the language database for the character combination sequence of the entire length of the series of key entries. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein performing the search further comprises:
 dividing the series of key entries into subsets of entries when there is no match in the language database for the character combination sequence of the entire length.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein performing the search further comprises: determining whether there is a match for a character subsequence corresponding to a first subset of entries, wherein the character subsequence includes an explicit character, a potential character, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising displaying the character subsequence for user verification via the text entry interface when there is a match for the character subsequence in the language database. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for typing in a human language comprising:
 a user input device to receive a series of key entries;   a display device for displaying a text entry interface;   a processor;   a memory storing a language object database and executable instructions to implement an engine when executed by the processor;   wherein the engine is operable to configure the processor to:
 determine, based on a user interaction with the text entry interface, at least a first key entry being explicitly associated with a character in a human language; 
 determine, based on a known attribute of the user input device, two or more potential characters for at least a second key entry; 
 identify character combinations based on characters, explicit or ambiguous, corresponding to the series of key entries; and 
 perform a search to identify a likely character combination from among the character combinations that at least partially matches a word or object in a language database. 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the user input device includes a button that, when pressed, generates an ambiguous key entry that corresponds to at least two potential characters in the human language. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the known attribute of the user input device specifies the potential characters corresponding to the button.