Patent ID: 6346894
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for character prediction and entry using a telephone keypad comprising a plurality of keys, at least one of the plurality of keys being associated with a plurality of characters, the method comprising:(a) detecting a selection of a first key on a telephone keypad of a telephone, the first key being associated with a first plurality of characters; (b) creating an n-gram for each of the first plurality of characters associated with the first key selected in (a); (c) determining a respective probability of each of the n-grams created in (b); (d) comparing the probabilities of each of the n-grams; (e) selecting the n-gram associated with the highest probability; (f) presenting the character associated with the n-gram selected in (e) to a user via a voice prompt and not via a visual display, wherein the characters not associated with the n-gram of the highest probability are not presented to the user; (g) in response to a detection of a selection of a cycle key, presenting another character associated with the first key selected in (a) to the user via a voice prompt and not via a visual display; and (h) in response to a detection of a selection of a second key associated with a second plurality of characters, presenting a character from the second plurality of characters to the user via a voice prompt and not via a visual display, wherein the first key is the same as or different from the second key and wherein the second plurality of characters is the same as or different from the first plurality of characters; wherein the respective probability of each of the n-grams created in (b) is based on a part-of-speech of a word being entered and wherein the part-of-speech of the word being entered is based on a part-of-speech of a previously-entered word.