Capitalization Key for Text Disambiguation Input

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Solution Overview

Problem

Capitalizing text on handheld electronic devices is cumbersome due to the need to maintain the capitalization key activated while typing, leading to inefficiency and awkwardness, especially when editing text or changing capitalization, as users often have to delete and re-input text.

Innovation Solution

A method that facilitates capitalization during text disambiguation by allowing users to change the capitalization of displayed possible inputs using a capitalization key and a multi-directional navigation device, simplifying the selection of capitalized characters without the need to pre-load or save capitalized versions in memory.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users maintain the capitalization key activated while typing, then capitalized text can be input, but the operation becomes cumbersome and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of capitalization inputVSAvoidtext input efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically generating capitalized versions of all possible inputs in the disambiguation list before the user needs to select. When a capitalization key is detected, the system proactively transforms the displayed possible inputs into their capitalized forms, so the user can directly select the desired capitalized word without manual typing or maintenance of capitalization state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If users delete and re-input text to change capitalization, then correct capitalization can be achieved, but time is lost and user comfort decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapitalization accuracyVSAvoidtext editing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates copies of the possible inputs in capitalized form within the disambiguation list. Instead of requiring users to delete and re-input text, the system generates capitalized copies of the same word options and presents them for selection. This allows users to choose the correct capitalized version directly from the list, maintaining accuracy while eliminating the time-consuming delete-and-retype process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Volume of moving object

If the keyboard has multiple characters per key, then the device form factor remains small, but ambiguous input requires additional disambiguation steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice sizeVSAvoidinput disambiguation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary disambiguation list that mediates between the ambiguous key presses and the final text input. When users press keys with multiple characters, the system generates a list of possible interpretations and presents them for selection. This intermediary step resolves the ambiguity created by multi-character keys while maintaining the compact device form factor, as the disambiguation is handled through software processing rather than additional physical keys.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2317417B1System and method for facilitating character capitalization in handheld electronic device
Publication Date: 2013.07.03 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2317417B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2317417B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2317417B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods for facilitating input of capitalized text into a handheld electronic device wherein possible inputs generated by the text disambiguation function of the handheld electronic device are provided. A capitalization key is used to convert capitalization of possible inputs generated by the disambiguation function for selection by user.