JPH1083241A - Numeric information address input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily input an information address (URL address) including alphabets, numbers, symbols, etc., using only numeric keys and the like. A plurality of characters, numbers, and symbols are made to correspond to one key.
A URL address candidate is generated by combining a plurality of characters, numbers, and symbols corresponding to each number in the input number code string. These candidates are matched with a list of URL addresses stored in advance, and URL address candidates are narrowed down by using the transition probability of characters. A URL address is selected from the narrowed down URL address candidates.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus having only numeric keys and the like, which is used to easily input an information address such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address including alphabets, numbers and symbols. It relates to an address input device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art WWW constructed on the Internet
In the (World Wide Web), a URL address is used as a method of expressing an information storage position. The URL address is based on a computer keyboard as input means, and its character string is composed of alphabets, numbers, and symbols. For this reason, there has been a problem that a URL address cannot be input on a telephone or a facsimile having no buttons such as alphabets and symbols. In addition, when a two-digit number is assigned to each character, the number of inputs increases.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, for example, from a device having only numeric keys such as a telephone and a facsimile, to information such as a URL address composed of alphabets, numerals and symbols. An object is to provide a means for easily inputting an address with a small number of input operations.

[0004]

According to the present invention, the following is performed.・ A plurality of letters, numbers, and symbols correspond to one key. An example in which the information address is a URL address will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to the URL address, and the present invention can be similarly applied to other information addresses.

[0005] A URL address candidate is generated by combining a plurality of characters, numbers and symbols corresponding to each number in the input number code string. A URL address list is stored in advance, and a URL address candidate generated by inputting is matched with a URL address in the URL address list (selecting a URL address included in both URL addresses) to obtain a URL.
Narrow L address candidates.

A transition probability (probability that a character Y appears after a certain character X appears) for each character / number / symbol is calculated in advance, and an appearance probability of a URL address candidate is calculated. As a result, the UR to be given priority
Determine L address candidates.

[0007] Even during input, URL address candidates are narrowed down by the input numbers up to that point. Specifically, the present invention is constituted by the following means.

According to the present invention, numeral input means for inputting a numeral by a numerical key or the like, and numeral code correspondence table storing means for storing a numeral code correspondence table in which a plurality of characters, numerals and symbols correspond to one numeral. UR that generates a plurality of URL address candidates by combining a number code string input by the number input means with a plurality of characters, numbers and symbols corresponding to each number with reference to a number code correspondence table
L address candidate conversion means, URL address storage means for storing URL addresses of home pages existing on the Internet in advance, and URL address storage means among URL address candidates obtained by the URL address candidate conversion means, which are stored in the URL address storage means. URL address candidate narrowing means for narrowing down to a URL address, and a plurality of URLs
If there is an address candidate, a plurality of URL address candidates are added and presented, and a URL address confirmation designating means for designating a desired URL address by inputting a numeral is provided. It is characterized in that it is possible to input a URL address including the following.

In addition to the above means, a character transition probability storing means for preliminarily storing transition probabilities for each character, number and symbol, and a transition probability of each character stored in the character transition probability storing means. Estimating means for calculating the appearance probabilities of each of the plurality of URL address candidates based on the URL address confirmation designation means. When there are a plurality of URL address candidates at the time of inputting a URL address including alphabets, numerals, symbols, etc. using only numeric keys, priority is given to a URL address candidate having a high appearance frequency. It is characterized by presenting one by one in order, or presenting a predetermined number and selecting a URL address. That.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a numeral input means for inputting a numeral by a numeral key or the like, and a numeral for storing a numeral code correspondence table in which a plurality of characters, numerals and symbols are associated with one numeral. A code correspondence table storage means, and converts a number into a plurality of corresponding letters / numbers / symbols by referring to the number code correspondence table for each input of a number, and the characters / numbers of the number string input up to that point. A character string candidate conversion means for generating a character string candidate obtained by combining symbols, and a URL of information existing on a network in advance
URL address storage means for storing an address, and a URL
The URL address stored in the address storage means is
U containing the character string candidate obtained by the character string candidate conversion means
URL address candidate narrowing means for narrowing down to RL addresses, candidate number determining means for determining whether or not the number of URL address candidates is smaller than a predetermined number for each input of a number, and a case where there are a plurality of URL address candidates. A plurality of URL address candidates are provided with numbers, and URL address confirmation and designation means for designating a desired URL address by inputting a number is provided. A URL address including alphabets, numbers, symbols, etc. can be entered using only numeric keys. By inputting and ending the address input when one URL address is input or the number of URL addresses becomes smaller than a predetermined number, the URL address can be input with less key input. Features.

The operation of the present invention is as follows. By using the present invention, the following becomes possible. (1) A means for associating a plurality of letters, numbers, and symbols with one key, by combining a plurality of letters, numbers, and symbols corresponding to each number in the input numeric code string,
Means for generating RL address candidates, storing a list of URL addresses in advance,
Matching the RL address candidate with the URL address in the URL address list (selecting the URL address included in both), thereby providing means for narrowing down the URL address candidates. Can be narrowed down to a small number.

(2) By providing a means for calculating the appearance probability of a URL address, a URL address having a high input probability among a plurality of URL address candidates can be preferentially presented to the operator.

(3) Even if the input is in progress, the URL address can be input with a smaller number of input times by providing means for narrowing down the URL address candidates by the input numerals up to that point.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. When performing a WWW search on a terminal having only numeric keys as input means, there is a problem in specifying a URL address composed of alphabets, numbers, and symbols.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus for designating a URL address by inputting a numeric key or the like according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes numeral input means for inputting a numeric key or the like, 2 denotes URL address candidate conversion means for converting an input numeric code string into a plurality of URL address candidates, and 3 denotes a plurality of characters for one number. Numeral code correspondence table storage means 4 for storing a table in which numbers and symbols are associated is narrowed down to URL addresses stored in the URL address storage means among URL address candidates obtained by the URL address candidate conversion means 2. URL address candidate narrowing means, 5 is a URL address storage means for storing a URL address of a homepage existing on the Internet, 6 is a plurality of URL address candidates with numbers added and presented, and a desired URL address is designated by inputting numerals URL address confirmation designating means, 7
Estimating means for calculating the appearance probability of each of the RL address candidates, 8 is a character transition probability in which the transition probability (probability that a certain character X appears and then a certain character Y appears) of each character, number and symbol is stored in advance. It is a storage means.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the numeral input means 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the numeral input means 1 is constituted by a push button of a numeral key such as a telephone or a facsimile. Here, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the keys “*” and “#” are included in the numeric keys as a kind of numeric keys.

FIG. 3 shows an example of characters used for a URL address. FIG. 4 shows an example of correspondence between numeric input keys and characters used for a URL address. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, 26 letters of lowercase alphabets, 26 kinds of uppercase alphabets, 10 kinds of numbers, and 32 other letters are used to construct the URL address.
A method of specifying a URL address by numerical input using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as a total of 94 types will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, for example, a plurality of characters, numbers and symbols are made to correspond to keys such as numbers. In this example, uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet are treated as the same, and a total of 68 characters of 26 types of alphabets, 10 types of numbers, and 32 types of symbols are associated with 12 input keys. The correspondence information shown in FIG. 4 is stored in advance as a correspondence table by the numeric code correspondence table storage means 3. By this association, for example, “1”
, "1", "a", "b", "c",
This means that one of the characters “d” has been input.

When inputting a URL address, the operator uses the numeric code correspondence table (FIG. 4) to input a numeric key corresponding to a character to be input by the numeric input means 1. For example, if you enter http://www.ntt.jp,
What is necessary is just to input "66668455834". In this example, since the leading http: // is fixed information, the input can be omitted.

The input numeric string is a URL address candidate change.
To the exchange means 2. URL address candidate conversion means 2
Refers to the numeric code correspondence table storage means 3 and
Generate dress candidates. Place of "66668455834"
5 in total₆× 5₆× 5₆× 7 ₈× 5_Four× 5_Five× 5_Five× 7
₈× 5_Three× 5_Four= 190,140,625 (subscripts are
The combination of character strings that represent input keys) is a URL address
Generated as a candidate.

In the URL address candidate narrowing means 4,
The URL address candidates are narrowed down by limiting the candidates to those included in the URL address list stored in the URL address storage unit 5 among the URL address candidates obtained by the URL address candidate conversion unit 2. The URL address list is, for example, an autonomous search type robot [reference: 'Internet Agents: Spider
s, Wanderers, Brokers, and Bots', NRP, Fah-Chun Cheo
ng, Oct-95, ISBN1-56205-463-5]. When a plurality of URL address candidates remain as a result of narrowing down the URL address candidates by the URL address candidate narrowing means 4,
The candidates are passed to the estimating means 7.

The character transition probability storage means 8 analyzes the URL address list stored in the URL address storage means 5 and calculates the probability that an arbitrary character x comes after an arbitrary character x for each character. And save them. The estimating means 7 refers to the transition probabilities of each character stored in the character transition probability storing means 8 and calculates the appearance probabilities for the character strings of a plurality of URL address candidates. For example, three URL address candidates, www, wwww, and vxw, remain, and each transition probability is ww = 0.08, wv = 0.09, vx = 0.01, xw = 0.005. The appearance probability of each URL address candidate is as follows. In each case, www = 0.08 × 0.08 = 0.0064 wwww = 0.08 × 0.009 = 0.00072 vxw = 0.01 × 0.005 = 0.00005

The URL address confirmation and designation means 6 adds numbers to the URL address candidates in the order of the highest probability of appearance and presents them to the operator, and causes the numeral input means 1 to designate a desired URL address. Instead of presenting with a number,
You may ask for confirmation by presenting them one by one in order. The presentation method to the operator may be sound or image. With the above method, it is possible to input a URL address including alphabets, numbers, symbols, etc., using only numeric keys and the like.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. Although the configuration is almost the same as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the difference is that a candidate number determination means 9 is added. The estimation unit 7 and the character transition probability storage unit 8 may or may not be provided.

In the first embodiment described above, URL address candidates are narrowed down after all the character strings of the URL address have been entered. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, each time a number is input, the number is converted into a plurality of corresponding characters, numbers, and symbols by referring to the number code correspondence table, and the number is input up to that point. A character string candidate obtained by combining characters, numbers, and symbols of the number string is generated by the character string candidate conversion unit 2 '.

Based on the character string candidates, URL address candidate narrowing means 4 narrows down URL address candidates. Then, the number-of-candidates determination means 9 determines whether the number of URL address candidates is smaller than a predetermined number for each input of one numeral. If the number of candidates is larger than a predetermined number, the process enters a standby state waiting for the next input. When the number of candidates becomes smaller than a predetermined number, a plurality or a single URL address candidate is passed to the URL address confirmation designating means 6.

When there are a plurality of URL address candidates, the URL address confirmation and designation means 6 presents the plurality of URL address candidates with a number added thereto, and designates a desired URL address by inputting a numeral. If the result of the determination by the candidate number determination means 9 is that there is only one URL address candidate, only confirmation is requested from the operator.

As described above, when inputting a URL address including alphabets, numbers, symbols, etc. using only numeric keys, it is possible to specify the URL address with fewer key inputs.

[0029]

According to the present invention, it is possible to input and designate a URL address including alphabets, numbers and symbols in a device having only numeric keys and the like. Further, the number of times of inputting the URL address is the same as the number of times of inputting from the keyboard. In the case where URL address candidates are narrowed down by the input numerals up to that point even during the input, the URL address can be input with a smaller number of input times. Moreover, as compared with a case where a keyboard or the like is incorporated or a case where another special device is required, it is possible to perform input using only a device such as an existing telephone or facsimile, and the advantage that costs can be kept low. There is also.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a number input unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of characters used for a URL address.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence between numeric input keys and characters used for a URL address.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Numerical input means 2 URL address candidate conversion means 2 'Character string candidate conversion means 3 Numerical code correspondence table storage means 4 URL address candidate narrowing down means 5 URL address storage means 6 URL address confirmation designation means 7 Estimation means 8 Character transition probability storage means 9 candidate number determination means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Noboru Sonehara 3-19-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An information address input device for inputting an information address including an alphabet, a number, and a symbol indicating a storage position of information on a network. A number code correspondence table storing means for storing a number code correspondence table in which a plurality of characters, numbers, and symbols correspond to each other, and a number code string inputted by the number input means, by referring to the number code correspondence table. Information address candidate conversion means for generating a plurality of information address candidates by combining a plurality of characters, numbers and symbols corresponding to each number;
Information address storage means for storing a plurality of information addresses indicating storage positions of information existing on the network in advance, and information address candidates obtained by the information address candidate conversion means for storing the information addresses stored in the information address storage means An information address candidate narrowing means for narrowing down by collating with an address, and an information address confirmation designation for presenting a plurality of information address candidates with a number added when there are a plurality of information address candidates, and designating a desired information address by inputting a number Means for inputting a numerical information address. 2. The numerical information address input device according to claim 1, wherein a character transition probability storing means for storing in advance a transition probability for each character, number and symbol, and said character transition probability storing means. Estimating means for calculating the appearance probabilities of each of the plurality of information address candidates based on the transition probabilities of the respective characters. In addition to the information address confirmation designating means, when the information address candidates are presented, the appearance probabilities are calculated. A numerical information address input device, comprising: an information address confirmation and designation unit that preferentially presents a high information address candidate and confirms or designates an information address to be input. 3. An information address input device for inputting an information address including an alphabet, a number and a symbol indicating a storage position of information on a network. A number code correspondence table storing means for storing a number code correspondence table in which a plurality of letters, numbers, and symbols are associated with each other, and a plurality of numbers corresponding to each number input by referring to the number code correspondence table. Character string candidate conversion means for converting character strings, numbers, and symbols into character strings, and generating character string candidates obtained by combining the characters, numbers, and symbols of the input character string up to that point, and information that already exists on the network Address information storage means for storing a plurality of information addresses indicating storage positions of the information, and information addresses stored in the information address storage means. Information address candidate narrowing means for narrowing down to information addresses including character string candidates obtained by the character string candidate conversion means, and determining whether the number of information address candidates is smaller than a predetermined number for each number input. Means for judging the number of candidates to be executed, and information address confirmation designating means for presenting a plurality of information address candidates with numbers when there are a plurality of information address candidates and designating a desired information address by inputting a numeral. The number of characters that make up an information address by inputting an information address that contains a number, a number, or a symbol, and ending the address input when one information address is entered or the number of information addresses becomes less than the predefined number Numbers characterized by enabling information addresses to be entered with fewer keystrokes Type information address input device.