Patent EA-003413-B1 (EA)
Title: Method and apparatus for improved multi-tap text input
Inventor: GUTOWITZ HOWARD ANDREW
IPC: G06F3/02
Filed: 1999-12-09
Abstract: 1. An apparatus for inputting text using multi-tap, comprising: a plurality of symbols; a plurality of key inputs, at least one of said plurality of key inputs associated with a portion of said plurality of symbols; a display; a database of p-sets, each of said p-sets having a permutation of some of said plurality of symbols, at least two of said p-sets having a permutation of said portion of said plurality of symbols associated with said at least one of said plurality of key inputs wherein said permutation of a first of said at least two p-sets is shift inequivalent of said permutation of a second of said at least two p-sets; wherein when said at least one of said plurality of key inputs is activated, said portion of said plurality of symbols is displayed on said display according to said permutation of one of said at least two p-sets. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said p-sets has a position-dependent permutation and wherein when said at least one of said plurality of inputs is activated, said portion of said plurality of symbols is displayed on said display according to said p-set having said position-dependent permutation. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said position-dependent permutation is position-differential. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one of said p-sets has a prefix-dependent permutation and wherein when said at least one of said plurality of inputs is activated, said portion of said plurality of symbols is displayed on said display according to said p-set having said prefix-dependent permutation. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said p-sets having said prefix dependent permutations have prefixes of variable length. 6 The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said prefix-dependent permutation is hierarchical - differential. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 said database of p-sets is coupled to said key inputs via a telecommunications link. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one auxiliary input, wherein when said auxiliary input and said at least one of said plurality of key inputs are activated, said permutation of said at least one of said p-sets is changed. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said symbols displayed on said display are transmitted and stored. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display is selected from the group consisting of a visual and auditory display. 11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said p-sets have different permutations depending on whether said apparatus is used for text input or text retrieval. 12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising predictive text input means selectively operable to interpret sequences of operations of input means as text. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means to determine if said orderings or said predictive text input means should be used to determine the symbols displayed on said display means. 14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said database of orderings comprises field-dependent p-sets for entering text into computerized forms having text entry fields. 15. A method for constructing a database of p-sets for use in a multi-tap input device, said device having a plurality of key inputs and a display, said device being used to input text formed from a plurality of symbols, the method comprising the steps of: associating with at least one of said key inputs a portion of said plurality of symbols; forming at least two p-sets having permutations of said portion of said plurality of symbols so that said permutation of a first of said at least two p-sets is shift inequivalent of said permutation of a second of said at least two p-sets; and displaying on said display said portion of said plurality of symbols according to said permutation of one of said at least two p-sets when said at least one of said plurality of key inputs is activated. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of forming at least two p-sets further includes the step of selecting said permutations of said at least two p-sets based on position information. 17 The method of claim 15, wherein the step of forming at least two p-sets further includes the step of selecting said permutations of said at least two p-sets based on prefix information. 18. A method of forming a database having N p-sets, each if said p-sets having a permutation formed from a portion of a plurality of symbols, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a set of p-sets; (b) including in said database a p-set from said set of p-sets; (c) selecting another p-set from said set of p-sets; (d) assigning a rating to said another p-set based on p-sets included in said database of p-sets; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) until all p-sets in said set of p-sets have a rating; (f) including in said database said one of said set of p-sets having the largest rating; and (g) repeating steps (c)-(f) until said database of p-sets has N p-sets. 19 The method of claim 18 wherein said step of forming a set of p-sets includes the step of forming said set of p-sets using position information. 20 The method of claim 19, further including the step of including in said database of p-sets only those p-sets of said set of p-sets having a low position. 21 The method of claim 18 wherein said step of forming a set of p-sets includes the step of forming said set of p-sets using prefix information. 22 The method of claim 21, further including the step of including in said database of p-sets only those p-sets of said set of p-sets having a small prefix. 23 The method of claim 18, wherein said database of N p-sets is used in a mufti-tap input device and N is selected so as to minimize multi-taps. 24 The method of claim 18, wherein said database of N p-sets is used in a mufti-tap input device having an amount of storage and N is selected so as to minimize said amount of storage.