GB2378293A

GB2378293A - Processing and storing characters of a non-alphabetical language

Info

Publication number: GB2378293A
Application number: GB0118626A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Watkins
Original assignee: Sendo International Ltd
Current assignee: Sendo International Ltd
Priority date: 2001-07-31
Filing date: 2001-07-31
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-31
Also published as: GB2378293B; GB0118626D0; HK1053378A1

Abstract

Storing characters (e.g. names) of a non-alphabetical language, e.g. .a Chinese language, in the form of hash codes, for efficient retrieval. A preferred embodiment first converts each character into a Roman character, using for example Pinyin conversion, then converts the Roman characters into a hash code. Alternatively, hash codes for all the stored characters are not permanently stored, but generated whenever the user searches for a name (Fig. 6). To retrieve one of the names, one or more hash code characters are entered 424 and a matching reduced set of names is provided 426. Thus a complete set of names in the non-alphabetic language is reduced to a set that a user may more readily review 430. This is useful when the names are displayed on a small electronic display, for example in a mobile telephone. The names may be associated with data, e.g. telephone numbers.

Description

PROCESSING AND STORING CHARACTERS OF A NON-ALPHABETICAL LANGUAGE Field of the Invention This invention relates to processing and storing characters of a non-alphabetical language, for example a Chinese language. This invention is applicable to, but not limited to, the processing and storing of names in the non-alphabetical language associated with telephone numbers, in a communication device. The communication device may, for example, be a mobile telephone.

Background of the Invention In the field of this invention it is known for English, or other Latin based languages, to be sorted alphabetically, making it easy for a person to sort through lists of words or names.

However, for many languages, for example Chinese, the graphical characters used to represent the language are not alphabetical in nature.

Furthermore, the number of different characters present in languages such as Chinese is too great for it to be possible for everyone who speaks the language to be able to memorise an official order for the characters.

This is particularly disadvantageous for telephone users, e. g. mobile telephone users, when they wish to locate a certain name within a phonebook feature of the mobile phone.

Since the Chinese language is not alphabetic, Chinese names entered in the phonebook of the mobile phone cannot be ordered alphabetically. Although there are known methods of ordering Chinese names, in general these are complicated and difficult to remember.

Therefore, if a user of the mobile phone wishes to search for a Chinese name in the phonebook, it is necessary for them to either scroll through the entire phonebook until they locate the name they are looking for, or to enter the entire Chinese character that represents the name they are searching for.

A need therefore exists in the field of the present invention to provide a method of filtering non-alphabetic characters, for example Chinese names, in order to facilitate searching through a list of such characters, wherein the abovementioned disadvantages may be alleviated.

Statement of Invention In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of storing characters of a non-alphabetical language, as claimed in claim 1.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of selecting stored characters of a nonalphabetical language stored in the form of hash codes converted from Roman characters converted from the characters of the non-alphabetical language, as claimed in claim 7.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a storage medium storing processor-implementable instructions, as claimed in claim 20.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus, as claimed in claim 21.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a communication device, as claimed in claim 22.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a communication device, as claimed in claim 23.

Further aspects are as claimed in the dependent claims.

The present invention provides a process of, and apparatus for, storing non-alphabetical characters, e. g. words or names, in the form of hash codes. A preferred embodiment converts each character into a Roman character, using for example Pinyin conversion, then converts the Roman characters into a hash code, in order to provide the hash codes. A user wishing to retrieve one of the words or names may enter one or more hash code

characters, and be provided with a reduced set of words or names whose hash codes fit the one or more hash code characters entered by the user.

This provides a way of reducing a complete set of names or words in the non-alphabetic language to a reduced set that the user may more readily review. This is particularly useful when the names or words are displayed on a relatively small electronic display, as used for example in mobile telephones. The words or names may be associated with individual data, e. g. telephone numbers in an electronic telephone book of a mobile telephone, for example stored on a subscriber identity module (SIM).

Thus the invention provides a method and apparatus for storing and retrieving names in association with telephone numbers, where the names are in a nonalphabetic language.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a mobile telephone; FIG. 2 shows a block diagram representation of the mobile telephone of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing process steps of an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing process steps of a further embodiment of the invention ; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing process steps of a further embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing process steps of a further embodiment of the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments The present invention may be applied to or embodied in any apparatus or system where characters of a nonalphabetical language are stored or processed, e. g. retrieved. By way of example, the invention will be described in terms of its application to a mobile telephone.

FIG. 1 shows a mobile telephone 102 in which a first embodiment of the invention is implemented. The mobile telephone 102 comprises the following features shown in FIG. 1: an antenna 104 for radio transmission to and reception from say, a base station of a cellular communication system; a microphone 106 for a user to input speech; a loudspeaker 108 for the user to hear audio output, e. g. speech during a voice call; a keypad 110 for the user to input data, e. g. telephone numbers,

and instructions; and a display 112 for displaying to the user information, such as details of the cellular communication system and information input by the user using the keypad 110, such as telephone numbers.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram representation of the mobile telephone 102, showing certain functional modules thereof. In addition to the antenna 104, microphone 106, loudspeaker 108, keypad 110 and display 112 as shown also in FIG. 1, the mobile telephone 102 further comprises a processor 214 ; a transmission and reception module (TX/RX) 216, a memory 218, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) 220, the SIM 220 itself comprising SIM memory 222.

The processor 214 is coupled to, and generally controls, in conventional fashion, the following items: the transmission and reception module 216, the keypad 110, the display 112, the microphone 106, the loudspeaker 108, and the memory 218. The processor 214 is further coupled to the SIM 222, and generally interacts with the SIM 222, including transferring data to and from the SIM 222, in conventional fashion.

The transmission and reception module 216 is further coupled to the antenna 104, through which it transmits and receives data under the control of the processor 214 in conventional fashion.

As is usual, a user may enter names and associated telephone numbers using the keypad 110, and may view such

data as displayed on display 112, under control of the processor 214. The names and associated telephone numbers may be stored either in the telephone memory 218 or the SIM memory 222, in conventional fashion. These aspects, and indeed all other aspects of the mobile telephone, operate in conventional fashion, except where stated otherwise below with respect to storing and processing of characters of a non-alphabetical language.

In this embodiment, the mobile telephone 102 has been adapted, to offer, and provide for, storing and processing of characters of a non-alphabetical language, as will be described in more detail below. More particularly, in this embodiment the mobile telephone 102 has been adapted to implement the present invention in terms of separate aspects of : (i) storing the characters and (ii) retrieving/selecting the characters.

However, in other embodiments only one of these aspects may be implemented in the mobile telephone 102, and instead a separate apparatus coupled to the mobile telephone 102 when required performs the other.

The adaptation may be implemented in the mobile telephone 102 in any suitable manner. For example, new apparatus may be added to a conventional mobile telephone, or alternatively existing parts of a conventional mobile telephone may be adapted, for example by reprogramming of the processor therein. As such the required adaptation

may be implemented in the form of processor-implementable instructions stored on a storage medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, PROM, RAM or any combination of these or other storage media.

Furthermore, whether a separate entity or an adaptation of existing parts or a combination of these, the adaptation may be implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, software, or any combination of these. In this embodiment the adaptation is implemented by being included in program instructions and data stored in the memory 218 for implementation by the processor 214.

Also, in this embodiment the memory comprises both nonvolatile memory, such as programmable read only memory (PROM) and volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM).

The process steps carried out under the present embodiment by the mobile telephone 102 will now be described with reference to the process flowchart of FIG.

3, for a method 310 of storing Chinese names in the SIM memory 222 (although alternatively or additionally the names may be stored in the memory 218).

The method 310 comprises a first step 312 of a user of the mobile phone entering the Chinese name (s). In this embodiment a user using the keypad 110 enters the Chinese name (s), whereby different keys are used to enter different strokes of one or more Chinese characters forming the Chinese name. However, any appropriate

process may be used, for example voice input using the microphone 106, along with a voice recognition capability (not shown).

A second preferred step 314 of the method 310 converts the Chinese name (s) into a sequence of Roman characters using Pinyin conversion. Pinyin conversion takes a Chinese character and converts it into its phonetic Roman equivalent.

The method 310 comprises a third preferred step 316, in which the sequence of Roman characters is converted into a hash code. In this embodiment, the hash code comprises a sequence of numerical characters, each of which represents one of the Roman characters. For example the numerical character 2 may relate to the letters"a","b" and"c", the numerical character 3 may relate to the letters"d","e"and"f"and so on.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention is described with respect to first converting the Chinese characters into an intermediate set of characters, for example Roman characters, it is within the contemplation of the invention that a direct conversion from a nonalphabetic language, such as Chinese, directly into hash codes, more accurately reflects one aspect of the inventive concepts herein described. Furthermore, if an intermediate character set is to be used, and alphabet character set, such as Roman characters, would be suitable.

Finally, at step 318, the Chinese name (s) and its corresponding hash code are stored in an area of memory on the mobile phone, (in this embodiment in the SIM 220, more particularly the SIM memory 222).

Not illustrated in FIG. 3 is an optional step of method 310, wherein the user enters a telephone number relating to the name that has been entered. This telephone number is also stored in the memory of the mobile phone and associated with the corresponding name.

The process steps carried out under a further embodiment will now be described with reference to the process flowchart of FIG. 4, for a method 420 of selecting or filtering (for retrieval) stored Chinese names. In this embodiment these Chinese names have been stored in the SIM memory 222 using the method 310 described above with reference to FIG. 3, but the following process may also be applied to characters stored in the appropriate form by other methods or other apparatus, and then, say, downloaded to the mobile telephone 102 in that form.

In this embodiment the list of names stored on the mobile phone is filtered, i. e. a sub-list is selected, in order to locate a specific name and retrieve a telephone number associated with that name. However, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments the names may be filtered for other end-use reasons, e. g. in association with details or actions other than telephone numbers.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the first step 422 of the method 420 a list of the names stored in the memory of the mobile phone, where such names are in the form of, say, Chinese names, is copied into RAM (here part of the memory 218), along with the hash codes corresponding to the names.

At step 424 a user then enters a hash code character, which in this embodiment is a numerical character entered by pressing a key of the mobile phone that represents that number.

At step 426, the processor 214 then compares this hash code character to the hash codes corresponding to the names in RAM. Those hash codes that do not have a first character matching the hash code character entered by the user are discarded from the RAM, i. e. filtered out, along with the corresponding names.

For example, if the user enters the hash code character "9", any names that do not have hash codes beginning with the number"9"will be filtered out. The effect of this is that only names with a Roman character sequence equivalent beginning with a Roman character relating to "9", for example"w","x","y"or z", will remain.

At step 428, the remaining names form a reduced list, which is displayed to the user on the display 112. Due to the limited size of a display provided by the mobile phone, it may be possible to only display a part of the list of names. In this case the user is able to scroll up

or down (using keys of the keypad 110) in order to locate the required name. The user chooses whether the list of names as displayed remains too large for him/her to easily locate the required name in the reduced list. If the list is in fact satisfactorily short, then at step 430 the user selects the required Chinese name. However, if the list is not short enough, then the user may cause the process to be repeated from step 424 by entering a further hash code character. This hash code character entered by the user is then compared to the hash codes of the names remaining in RAM and used to further reduce the list of names.

For example, if the second hash code character entered by the user is"8", any names in the reduced list that do not have hash codes with the second number being"8"will be filtered out. Thus, if"8"relates to the Roman

characters"t","u"and"v", the remaining names will NN 11 N% have Roman equivalents starting with"wu","xu","yu"or "zu", for example.

The user can continue to enter hash code characters until the list of names is reduced to such an extent that when the names are displayed, the user can easily locate the required name, or until the user has entered all of the hash code characters that make up the hash code for the required name.

In both cases, at step 430, the user selects the required name. Here, the associated telephone number is retrieved from the SIM memory 222 and displayed on the display 112.

The user may then use this number as desired, for example using it to dial the number to be called for a new call.

Alternatively, the user may enter instruction through the keypad 110 (or other means not shown, e. g. voice activation) for the processor 214 to control a process of automatically dialling the telephone number.

The process steps carried out under a further embodiment of a method 532 of selecting or filtering (for retrieval) stored Chinese names will now be described with reference to the process flowchart of FIG. 5. In this embodiment, as with the previous embodiment, these Chinese names have been stored in the SIM memory 222 using the method 310 described above with reference to FIG. 3, but the following process may also be applied to characters stored in the appropriate form by other methods or other apparatus, and then, say, downloaded to the mobile telephone 102 in that form.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the first step 34 of the method 532, a user enters a first hash code character using the keypad 110 (i. e. this is received as input by the mobile telephone 102).

At step 536, this hash code character is compared to the hash codes of the names stored in a memory of the mobile phone (here for example the SIM memory 222), and all the names that have hash codes starting with the hash code character entered by the user are copied to RAM (here part of the memory 218) along with their corresponding hash codes.

At step 538, the names in the RAM are displayed for treating by the user in the same way as for step 528 of the method 420 described with reference to FIG. 4.

Likewise, the user may then, at step 540, select the required Chinese name from the list, or alternatively at step 542 enter further hash code characters as required to further filter the list of names.

For example, at step 544 names not having hash codes corresponding to the further entered hash code are discarded, until the selected and displayed list of names is sufficiently short to enable the user to then carry out step 540 of selecting the required Chinese name from the list. As with the previous embodiment, the telephone number of the selected name is provided and may be used as required.

It will be recalled that in the method 310 shown in FIG.

3, the hash code for the Chinese name is generated when the user enters the Chinese name into the mobile phone.

The hash code is then stored in an area of memory along with the name, and hence the above selection methods 420 and 532 may be applied.

A further embodiment of a selection (filtering) method 646 will now be described (with reference to FIG. 6) in which there is no need for the stored Chinese names to be already stored in hash code form. Instead only the Chinese names are stored in the memory of the mobile phone, along with the associated telephone number.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the first step 648 of the method 646, the full list of Chinese names stored in the SIM memory 222 is copied into RAM, the RAM being, in this example, part of the memory 218.

At step 650, hash codes for the names are generated, in the same way as described with reference to FIG. 3, using Roman characters.

Thus there is now a full set of hash codes with associated telephone numbers in the RAM, as is the case on completion of step 422 in the method 420 shown in FIG.

4. Thus, the remainder of the method is implemented in the same way as was the case for method 420 shown in FIG.

4, using the same steps (with the same reference numerals used as in FIG. 4) of : the user entering a hash code character (step 424) ; Chinese names with hash codes not corresponding to the entered hash code being discarded (step 426) ; deciding whether the remaining list of Chinese names is short enough for satisfactory location of the required name (step 428) ; and, depending on the outcome of step 428, returning to step 424 or the user selecting the required Chinese name (step 430).

Thus, this method corresponds to that of FIG. 4, except that, rather than the hash code for each name being generated when the name is added to the phonebook, all the hash codes are generated whenever the user searches for a name, i. e. they are not permanently stored.

In the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 4,5 and 6, at step 428 (FIGS. 4 and 6) and step 538 (FIG. 5) it is determined whether the remaining list of Chinese names (after selection of only those whose hash codes begin with the same hash character as input by the user) is short enough for location of the required name. If it is, the user selects the required name from this (short enough) list. If not, the user enters a second character, and the process is repeated.

In the above embodiments, the determination step 428/538 is implemented by the remaining list of names being displayed on the display, and the user deciding whether the list is sufficiently short to be convenient to his needs. In other embodiments, the determining step 428/538 may instead be implemented automatically by the mobile telephone 102, (e. g. the processor 214) by determining the number of Chinese names in the remaining list, and comparing this determined number with a predetermined threshold number.

If the number is greater than the predetermined number, then the list is still too long, i. e. not short enough, and the user is prompted (e. g. via an instruction displayed on the display 112) to enter a further hash code character, and the process returns/moves to step 424/542. If (or when) the number is equal to or less than the predetermined number, the list is displayed on the display and the user may select the required name from the displayed list.

The predetermined threshold number may be set when the mobile telephone 102 is manufactured or activated, or may additionally or alternatively be chosen by the user.

In all the embodiments described so far, the names have been copied into random access memory (RAM). It will be appreciated that this is not necessary, and that only the hash codes need be copied into RAM, with their corresponding names being retrieved as and when required for displaying.

In general, in the above-described embodiments, by converting the Chinese name to its Roman equivalent, the number of characters is reduced to 26. When a hash code character is entered, for example the numeric value"8", because the numeric value represents three Roman characters ("t","u"and"v") any name that has 1 of the remaining 23 Roman characters at the relevant point in its hash code is filtered out. Thus each time a hash code character is entered ; on average the number of names in the list is reduced by a factor of 23/26 (88%). Because of this, by only entering a few hash code characters, the list of names can be filtered significantly, allowing the required name to be quickly located.

In other words, the present invention allows a large number of non-alphabetic names (e. g. Chinese names) to be represented by a much-reduced set of characters. In the illustrated embodiments, converting the Chinese name directly to hash codes, or to an intermediate alphabet character set such as a Roman equivalent, reduces the

full set of characters to say, 26. This set is further optionally reduced to numerical values 0 to 9 (i. e. digits) by the particular form of hash code used above.

This further conversion to numerals is a preferred further step, which allows easy entry into the mobile telephone using the numeric keys generally used on keypads of mobile telephones, but in other embodiments other hash codes may be used.

In the embodiments above the characters are preferably converted from Chinese to Roman using Pinyin conversion.

This known method advantageously allows easy association of the Roman characters to the Chinese names by way of phonetics. However, it is within the contemplation of the invention that other types of intermediate conversion may be employed.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the filtering of Chinese names, but can be applied to any set of characters that form part of a nonalphabetical language.

Although in the above embodiments the invention has been implemented in a mobile telephone, this need not be the case, and the invention may be embodied in a suitable apparatus requiring storage and selective retrieval of characters of a non-alphabetic language. Examples include apparatus operating any appropriate form of database, for example a dictionary or a geographical database.

A preferred use is in communication apparatus; where the characters represent names or some other identities that are associated with information, e. g. telephone number, email address, etc. identifying a destination to which data is to be transmitted from the communication apparatus.

Thus it will be appreciated that the present invention may be embodied in a wide range of devices and systems, including inter alia computers (including wirelessly networked computers and laptop computers), email programs, telephones (including cordless telephones and mobile telephones), portable or mobile radios, terminals for local radio networks, personal organisers, and so on.

Under this invention, each time a hash code character is entered, the potential reduction in the list of names to be filtered will often be significant enough that the rate at which names are filtered out of the list as the user enters hash code characters allows the required name to be located in a more efficient manner than either scrolling through the entire list of names or entering the entire non-alphabetic character. This is particularly useful in apparatus with limited display size, limited keypad functionality or generally limited ease of use, such as personal digital assistants, laptop computers, and wirelessly networked personal computers, and most particularly in apparatus with two or more of these limitations, for example cordless telephones and mobile telephones.

Claims

Claims 1. A method of storing characters of a non-alphabetical language, comprising: converting each character into a hash code; and storing the characters in the form of their hash codes.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the characters to be stored from a user input.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of converting each character into a hash code comprises the steps of: converting each character into a sequence of alphabet characters, preferably Roman characters using Pinyin conversion ; and converting the alphabet characters into a hash code.
4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the characters are stored with associated telephone numbers.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the characters and associated telephone numbers are stored in a memory of a mobile telephone.
6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the characters and associated telephone numbers are stored in a memory of a subscriber identity module, SIM, for a mobile telephone.

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7. A method of selecting stored characters of a nonalphabetical language stored in the form of hash codes converted from the characters of the non-alphabetical language, comprising: receiving a user's input of a first hash code character ; and selecting those stored characters of the nonalphabetical language whose hash codes start with the input hash code character.
8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying the selected characters of the non-alphabetical language to the user.
9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising: (i) receiving a user's input of a further hash code character; (ii) selecting those stored characters of the nonalphabetical language whose hash codes have the input further hash code character as their next hash character; (iii) displaying the characters of the non-alphabetic language selected in step (ii) to the user; and (iv) repeating steps (i), (ii) and (iii) until the next user input received in step (i) is a user input selecting one of the displayed characters of the non-alphabetical language.
10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising: (i) determining the number of stored characters of the non-alphabetical language selected by virtue of their hash codes starting with the input hash code character;

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(ii) comparing the determined number with a predetermined number; (iii) if the determined number is greater than the predetermined number, prompting the user to enter a user input of a further hash code character; (iv) receiving the user's input of a further hash code character; (v) selecting those stored characters of the nonalphabetical language whose hash codes have the input further hash code character as their next hash character; and (vi) repeating steps (i) to (v) until at step (ii) the determined number is less than or equal to the predetermined number, in which case after step (ii) the next step performed is that of displaying the selected characters of the nonalphabetical language to the user.
11. A method according to claim 8,9 or 10, further comprising receiving a user input selecting one of the displayed characters of the non-alphabetical language.
12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying a telephone number associated with the selected character of the non-alphabetical language.
13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising using a telephone number associated with the selected character of the non-alphabetical language for an automatic dialling process.
14. A method according to any of claims 7 to 13, further comprising:

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prior to receiving the user's input of the first hash code character, entering the hash codes of all the stored characters of the non-alphabetical language into a random access memory, RAM ; and implementing the step of selecting those stored characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes start with the input hash code character by discarding, from the RAM, those characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes do not start with the input hash code character.
15. A method according to any of claims 7 to 13, further comprising: after receiving the user's input of the first hash code character, implementing the step of selecting those stored characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes start with the input hash code character by entering the stored characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes start with the input hash code character into a random access memory, RAM.
16. A method according to any of claims 7 to 13, further comprising: prior to receiving the user's input of the first hash code character, entering all the stored characters of the nonalphabetical language into a random access memory, RAM ; determining the hash codes for the characters of the non-alphabetical language stored in the RAM ; and implementing the step of selecting those stored characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes start with the input hash code character by discarding, from

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the RAM, those characters of the non-alphabetical language whose hash codes do not start with the input hash code character.
17. A method according to any of claims 7 to 16, further comprising initially storing the stored characters of the nonalphabetical language in the form of the hash codes using a method according to any of claims 1 to 6.
18. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the hash code comprises a sequence of digits.
19. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the non-alphabetical language is a Chinese language.
20. A storage medium storing processor-implementable instructions for controlling one or more processors to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 19.
21. Apparatus adapted to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 19.
22. A communication device comprising a storage medium according to claim 20 or apparatus according to claim 21.
23. A communication device adapted to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 19.
24. A communication device according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the device is one of a mobile telephone, a portable or

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mobile radio, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, a wirelessly networked personal computer.
25. A method of storing characters of a non-alphabetical language substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.
26. A method of selecting stored characters of a nonalphabetical language stored in the form of hash codes converted from Roman characters converted from the characters of the non-alphabetical language substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.
27. A communication device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and or as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.