HK1082558A - Asian language input using keyboard - Google Patents

Description

Asian language input using keyboard

Technical Field

Aspects of the present invention relate to hardware and software products, and more particularly to an improved process for providing users with input information in Asian languages.

Background

Computing systems exist in multiple languages. These languages include character-based representations of words and symbol-based representations. Despite the widespread use of western 104 keyboards in the world, symbol-based language users require a way to enter symbols using the limited input provided by the keyboard. One way to input a symbolic language is to use an input method editor (IME from microsoft corporation) that is specific to one language.

Asian text input is one of the most challenging computational problems today. It has been the bottleneck in asian language computing. The asian language character set is continuously revised up to the Unicode standard. For example, CJK (chinese, japanese, korean) characters defined in Unicode 2.0 are 20902 characters. Unicode 3.0 includes 27484 characters. Extension B further adds 40711 characters.

The IME provides a conversion engine that converts english letters into asian characters. Generally, the coding of Asian characters is based on the Pinyin of Asian characters. This may include letters or a combination of letters and numbers. Sometimes, it may be desirable to convert English punctuation into punctuation in Asian languages. Furthermore, english text can be combined with asian text (and/or mixed with symbols, pinyin letters/characters, and asian ideograms (chinese characters)), requiring the ability to quickly and easily switch between encoding methods.

There are a number of problems associated with the aforementioned methods:

a. it may be difficult to recover and access the necessary functions of the IME, including the basic functions;

b. it may be difficult to remember the necessary IME functionality on a consistent usage basis;

c. the input process is error-prone due to the above-mentioned problems and conflicts between keys for different purposes (e.g., SHIFT keys have different functions depending on the state of the application);

d. the input process input amount decreases due to one or more of the following:

i. less efficient use or non-use of the key IME function;

the error rate resulting from the description in point c) above;

touch typing is virtually eliminated because the user is forced to search the keyboard and pick or press a key.

There is a need for an improved system that enables users to quickly and easily enter text in asian languages.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects of the present invention address one or more of the problems set forth above, thereby providing a solution for text entry in asian languages. Aspects of the invention include a keyboard having special keys for functions. Including mode switching, etc.

These and other aspects are explained with reference to the drawings and the related description.

Drawings

Aspects of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a general computing environment supporting one or more aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a 109-key keyboard.

FIG. 4 shows a 109-key keyboard in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 5-10 illustrate various functions in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

11-14 illustrate various user interfaces in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Aspects of the present invention relate to providing the ability to input text in asian languages.

The following is divided into various sections to aid the reader's understanding. These titles include: a general purpose computing environment; 104 keyboard and 109 keyboard; functions and shortcut keys; and a user interface.

General purpose computing environment

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate examples of suitable operating environments 100 and 201 in which the present invention may be implemented. Operating environments 100 and 201 are only a few examples of suitable operating environments and are not intended to limit the scope of use or functionality of the present invention. Other well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include, but are not limited to: personal computers, server computers, hand-held or portable devices, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Aspects of the invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, algorithms, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Generally, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

Computing device systems 100 and 201 typically include at least some form of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by server 103 or system 201. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to: RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the server 103 or system 201. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

With reference to FIG. 2, an illustrative system for implementing various aspects of the invention includes a computing device, such as device 201. In its most basic configuration, device 201 typically includes a processing unit 204 and memory 203. Depending on the actual device and type of computing device, memory 203 may be volatile (such as RAM), non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or some combination of the two. In addition, the device 201 also has a mass storage (removable and/or non-removable) such as a magnetic or optical disk or tape 205 and 206. Similarly, device 201 also has input device(s) 208 (including mouse, stylus, keyboard, trackball, etc.) and/or output device(s) 207 such as a display and the like. Other aspects of the device 201 may include a network connection 209 to other devices, computers, networks, servers, etc. using a wired or wireless medium 210. All of these devices are well known in the art and need not be discussed at length here.

104 keyboard and 109 keyboard

The current 104 keyboard has certain limitations that make asian text entry difficult. These limitations include: mode switching, error correction, common function enablement.

Regarding mode switching, there are various modes in the asian language input method, including: english, pinyin letters, chinese characters, english/chinese punctuation, full/half corners, and the like. There are difficulties for the user to switch between modes using a conventional 104 keypad. In general, it is difficult to find keyboard shortcuts (including a control, shift, alt, or windows key in combination with another character or key) for use in asian language input modes. This difficulty often forces the user to use a drop down menu or toolbar to enable these functions. Conventionally, text entry is slowed down using these alternative input processes.

With respect to error correction, the 104 keyboard is not particularly helpful to help specify candidates. In Chinese, there are about 400 phonetic syllables. However, chinese has more than 20000 characters corresponding to those 400 syllables. For users without a robust interface, finding the correct character to match any one phonetic syllable or combination of syllables can be difficult. Moreover, the interface may be used many times in a sentence. The process of using a multi-key combination as an open interface is tedious, if not laborious.

With respect to commonly used functions, the 104 keypad does not provide convenient access to other commonly used functions. There are some functions that are often used in asian language input methods, but several steps of mouse and keyboard operations are required to enable these functions. Sometimes, the user is not even aware of the existence of these functions. Some of the functions may include: loading input modes and adjusting personal settings.

First, a plurality of IMEs are installed on a user's computer system. The user needs to select and load the IME he wishes. If the user is working primarily in a single language mode, the loading of the IME should be easy to remember.

Second, users typically address their IMEs to their personal preferences. They may need to adjust the settings or attributes in the attribute setting table or define some specialized vocabulary/phrases they use commonly. In current designs, it may be difficult for a user to discover the property settings table and end-user defined functions.

The various IMEs have different functions. The Japanese IME may be used for a variety of keyboard types, including keyboards with 101, 104, and 109 keys. Using IME on a keyboard with 101 or 104 keys proves difficult. The simplified Chinese IME is called Pinyin. It currently has a variety of functions that can be accessed by the following keystroke combinations.

Phonetic key	Function(s)
		[Ctrl+Space]：	Activating or deactivating IMEs
[Shift]：	Chinese/English input mode for switching pinyin
		[`]：	Converting Chinese characters (following cursor) back to their pinyin character string in pinyin composition window
	Alternatively, use as a primary key to enter user-defined phrases via shortcut readings
		[’]：	Pinyin delimiters are added manually, e.g., ' between ' xi ' and ' an ']To obtain "xi' an instead of" now "
[Space]：	Selecting a first candidate in a pinyin input mode

	Alternatively, the highlighted candidate is selected in the error correction mode
		[Enter]：	Completing the ongoing composition string and also reading the string as it is (if any)
[Shift+BackSpace]：	Converting Chinese characters (pre-cursor) back to their pinyin character strings within a pinyin-group composition window
		[PgDn/PgUp]：	Pgdn/Pgaup within candidate window
[-/＝]And 2]Self:	same as Pgdn/Pgaup in the candidate window
		[ left/right arrow head]：	Moving cursor left/right within a compose or read string
[ Up/Down arrow ]]：	Moving candidate highlighting in candidate window
		[Home/End]：	Moving cursor to the beginning/end of composition window or reading window
[ Windows Key + C]：	Restoring the original state, loading the determined Chinese character string into the Pinyin composition window for further editing

One problem is that users of modern keyboards (including 101, 104, etc.) are required to remember all of these keystrokes. Aspects of the present invention take some of the functions represented by pinyin and assign them to special keys to make entry easier for users of asian IME.

Function and shortcut key

Fig. 3 shows a 109 key layout of a 109 keyboard 300. Fig. 4 illustrates a 109-key keyboard 400 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In one aspect of the invention, a keyboard of 109 keys may enable a user to more easily employ IME as a language input method. The commonly used functions are either copied over the selected keys, new functions are added to the IME and located on the keyboard, or new keys are substituted for the functions previously assigned to the keys. Many keys are located at the bottom of the keyboard. One benefit of locating the plurality of follower keys at the bottom of the keyboard is that their location facilitates touch typing rather than traditional "look-at-the-keyboard typing" (where it is necessary to divert attention from the source material or screen and focus on the keyboard to find a particular key).

The following key designations are illustrative of one keyboard layout. The various key locations may be mapped differently without departing from the scope of the invention. The key highlighted here is key 401 and 405.

The button 401 may be a mode switch for turning on and off the Pinyin IME (or may be a mode switch for turning on only the IME).

The button 402 may be a Chinese/English mode switch.

The key 403 may be a pop-up window for candidate selection. If the composition window is not active, button 403 may be combined with a resume function.

The button 404 can switch between Chinese and English punctuation.

The button 405 may pop up an End User Defined Phrase (EUDP) editor or an IME property setting table.

The following lists various behaviors of the various keys described above.

Referring to FIG. 5, a key 401 may be dedicated to turning IME on or off. Here, the Pinyin is turned off in step 501 and then turned on in step 502. Alternatively, the button 401 may be one-way toggle; it may turn on the IME but not turn off the IME.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the IME is active, pressing key 402 toggles between input modes. For the Pinyin IME, this is a switch between the Chinese input mode 602 and the English input mode 601. Here, the key replicates the behavior of the shift key in the Pinyin IME. However, as opposed to the use of the shift key, which provides a source for switching between input modes without interfering with the user's text input, the shift key undesirably changes back to the Chinese input mode when the user writes an uppercase letter in the English input mode.

Referring to fig. 7, the key 403 has two functions. If the composition window is active (701) and key 403 is pressed, a candidate window is displayed (702). If the composition window is not active, the composition window may be displayed when key 403 is pressed, with candidate windows also being displayed, allowing the text to be restored (703). The next step 703 may duplicate the functionality of the windows key + C pinyin IME.

Referring to FIG. 8, pressing key 405 may load an end-user defined phrase tool for defining phrases commonly used by the end-user (e.g., Pinyin IME EUDP tool 801). This may or may not automatically load context 802. The context length conforms to the specifications of the feed context.

Referring to fig. 9, a property setting dialog 901 may be loaded using a combination of the Shift + key 405. This enables the user to easily and directly access the property setting dialog.

Referring to FIG. 10, if the IME is active, the button 405 toggles between punctuation modes of the system. Here, for pinyin IME, the system can switch between chinese punctuation 1001 and english punctuation 1002.

User interface

Various user interfaces may be used depending on the combination of the particular keys and IME. FIGS. 11-14 illustrate various user interfaces used by the Pinyin IME.

FIG. 11 illustrates various areas where information is displayed to assist a user in composing a character. The composition window is shown as area 1101. The composition window 1101 includes characters 1102 that have been composed and characters 1103 that are being composed. Fig. 11 also includes a candidate window 1104 showing candidates that match the speech of the character in 1103. The user then selects the appropriate candidate, which replaces 1103, and is added to the composed character 1102. Finally, FIG. 11 shows a status bar 1105.

Fig. 12 shows the determined character string 1201 and the status bar 1202. Fig. 12 shows the user interface before the recovery. Here, the character in 1201 has been determined.

FIG. 13 shows a composition window 1301, a candidate list 1302, and a status bar 1303. After retranslation, the text string in a page is loaded back into the composition window 1301 and the candidate list 1302 is displayed. In fig. 12, the user may be entering text and have the system select the appropriate character. In fig. 13, the user asks the system an additional opportunity to modify the text as he desires.

FIG. 14 illustrates an end-user defined phrase tool. Here, the user can input preferred characters for the voice input. These will be referred to herein as end-user defined phrases. For example, if a technical document is being typed and a phrase is more common than others, the user can specify the characters to which the phonetic text should correspond. This enables faster character entry.

Aspects of the invention have been described with respect to a 109-key keyboard. These aspects may be applied to keyboards with more or less than 109 keys, depending on IME functionality and user requirements. Moreover, aspects of the present invention are also applicable to Japanese, Korean, and traditional Chinese. For example, instead of using a Pinyin IME, a developer may also include a Japanese, Korean, or traditional Chinese IME, and add functionality to the keys as described above.

Although aspects of the present invention may use Microsoft corporation's IME, other IMEs may be used. For example, international business machines corporation (IBM) Unicode IME and sourceform.

Aspects of the present invention have been described with illustrative embodiments of the invention. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure.

Claims (14)

1. A process for inputting characters, comprising the steps of:

receiving input from a user, the input comprising operation of a key on a keyboard; and

processing the operation of the key as a function of supporting input of the character.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further comprises opening pinyin.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further comprises: under the pinyin input mode, the English input mode and the Chinese input mode are switched.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further comprises: determining whether the composition window is active, and displaying at least one of a pop-up candidate window and a resubmission text.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further includes loading an end-user defined phrase tool and loading a context.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further includes loading a property setting dialog box.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the processing step further comprises: under the pinyin input mode, switching between an English punctuation mode and a Chinese punctuation mode.

8. A system for inputting characters, comprising:

means for receiving input from a user, said input comprising operation of a key on a keyboard; and

means for processing the operation of the key as a function supporting input of the character.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the means for processing further comprises turning on pinyin.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the apparatus for processing further comprises: under the pinyin input mode, the English input mode and the Chinese input mode are switched.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the apparatus for processing further comprises: determining whether the composition window is active, and displaying at least one of a pop-up candidate window and a resubmission text.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the means for processing further includes loading an end-user defined phrase tool and loading a context.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the means for processing further includes loading a property setting dialog.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the operation of a key is an operation of a single key; and

the apparatus for processing further comprises: under the pinyin input mode, switching between an English punctuation mode and a Chinese punctuation mode.