Patent ID: 7243305
Filing Date: 2007-07-10
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method of correcting a misspelled word in input text, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a misspelled word in the input text, wherein the detecting comprises comparing each word in the input text to a dictionary database and characterizing a word as misspelled when the word does not match any words in the dictionary database; determining a list of alternative words for the misspelled word; and ranking the list of alternative words based on a context of the input text, wherein the alternative words yield correct parts of speech sequences according to the context, wherein the ranking step comprises; generating a first finite state machine (“FSM”) for the input text, the first FSM having a plurality of arcs which include the alternative words and weights associated therewith, where a weight of each alternative word corresponds to a likelihood that the alternative word, taken out of grammatical context, comprises a correctly-spelled version of the misspelled word; and applying a second FSM to the first FSM wherein the second FSM encodes a set of grammatically correct sequences of words.