Ambiguous Keypad Input Disambiguation for Mobile Search

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile appliances face challenges in user interaction due to limited display size and fewer keys than a full-scale keyboard, making it unwieldy to perform searches without invoking a browser session, which increases time and bandwidth usage.

Innovation Solution

A personal appliance with a display, keypad, and microprocessor that uses polysemous keys to enter ambiguous data, compares key sequences to stored tables, retrieves candidates, and disambiguates text for user selection, allowing for efficient interaction without requiring a browser session.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a full-scale keyboard and large display are used for text entry, then text input accuracy and ease of use improve, but device portability and compactness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetext input accuracyVSAvoiddevice portability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Each key on the mobile appliance is assigned multiple symbols (polysemous keys), allowing a single key to represent multiple characters or functions. This multi-functionality enables the reduced keyboard to maintain text input capability comparable to a full-scale keyboard, resolving the contradiction between compactness and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the information density parameter by allowing each key to represent multiple symbols rather than a single character. This parameter change enables more information to be conveyed through fewer physical keys, maintaining text input accuracy while reducing device volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If a browser session is invoked for search operations, then search functionality is achieved, but time consumption and network bandwidth usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch functionalityVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining local indexes and candidate lists that anticipate user search needs. When a user enters a search query, the appliance can immediately retrieve candidates from local tables without waiting for browser-based search processes, significantly reducing time consumption while maintaining search versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential search functionality from the browser environment and implements it directly in the mobile appliance through local data tables and candidate retrieval mechanisms. This extraction eliminates the need to invoke a full browser session for basic search operations, reducing both time consumption and network bandwidth usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Volume of moving object

If polysemous keys are used for data entry, then device compactness is maintained, but data entry ambiguity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compactnessVSAvoiddata entry ambiguity

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback mechanisms where entered key sequences are compared against stored tables to retrieve candidate matches. The display shows these candidates to the user, allowing them to select the intended meaning. This feedback loop resolves the ambiguity introduced by polysemous keys while maintaining device compactness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces an intermediary layer (candidate list display and selection interface) between the ambiguous key input and the final data interpretation. This intermediary resolves ambiguity by presenting possible interpretations to the user for selection, maintaining compactness while preventing information loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If traditional text entry methods are used on mobile appliances, then compatibility with existing systems is maintained, but user interaction efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem compatibilityVSAvoiduser interaction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts between different input modes and data retrieval strategies based on the entered sequence and available local data. This dynamic behavior allows the appliance to optimize for speed when local tables contain matches while maintaining compatibility with traditional text entry methods, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing system compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8589417B2Inquiry-oriented user input apparatus and method

Publication Date: 2013.11.19 CERENCE OPERATING CO

AI summary

User input from a reduced keypad is disambiguated and compared with a first dynamic lexicon, and predicted matches (e.g. either a single word or phrase) are offered. If a user continues to type beyond a boundary condition, then input is no longer predicted from the first lexicon, but instead is interpreted as a request for matches from a second, quasi-static lexicon allowing words or phrases to be entered. When the entry is accepted, data is transmitted to a remote receiver and may be parsed as an inquiry for subsequent operation. Following acceptance, the apparatus invokes a program suitable for interacting with the response generated to the inquiry.