Touch Display Text Selection via Word Boundary Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in accurately selecting text on touch displays due to the challenge of determining the correct text selection points, often resulting in incomplete or incorrect selections, which increases processor operations and user frustration.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus determines text selection points based on text positions outside of words, using a combination of text distance and predetermined directives to accurately identify the start and end of words, allowing for precise text selection between these points.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually select text by touching display locations, then text selection functionality is enabled, but selection accuracy deteriorates due to difficulty in determining correct text selection points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetext selection operationVSAvoidtext selection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that translates imprecise user touch inputs into precise text selection points. When a user touches a display location, the system automatically determines the nearest word boundary and establishes selection points at appropriate boundaries, acting as a mediator between the user's approximate input and the required precise selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically calculating text selection points based on word boundary analysis without requiring the user to precisely locate selection points. The apparatus autonomously processes the touch input, identifies relevant text boundaries, and executes the selection, freeing the user from the complexity of manual point determination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If text selection points are determined based on user touch positions, then user input flexibility is improved, but selection reliability deteriorates due to incomplete or incorrect selections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser input flexibilityVSAvoidtext selection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the touch input location to identify the nearest word boundary before executing the selection. By pre-processing the input to determine appropriate selection points at word boundaries, the system ensures reliable selections while maintaining flexibility in user input methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback by automatically adjusting the selection based on the analyzed touch position and word boundary structure. This feedback mechanism ensures that the final selection aligns with intended text boundaries, improving reliability while preserving user input flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If precise text selection is implemented through automated point determination, then selection accuracy is improved, but processor operations increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetext selection accuracyVSAvoidprocessor operation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by focusing computational resources only on the local area around the user's touch input. Instead of analyzing the entire text document, the apparatus examines only the vicinity of the touch point to identify relevant word boundaries, reducing overall processor operations while maintaining high selection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs partial action by determining selection points only for the specific region affected by user input rather than processing the entire text body. This selective approach achieves necessary precision for the user's intent while minimizing unnecessary processor operations on unrelated text areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2406707B1Method and apparatus for selecting text information
Publication Date: 2019.05.01 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP2406707B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP2406707B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP2406707B1 patent drawingFigure 2E~3

AI summary

An apparatus that may include a processor configured to receive a multiple touch input comprising a first touch input relating to a first text position within a first word and a second touch input relating to a second text position, determine a first text selection point positioned outside of a word based at least in part on the first text position, determine a second text selection point positioned outside of a word based at least in part on the second text position, and select text information between the first text selection point and the second text selection point is disclosed. A corresponding method, computer readable medium, and computer program product are also disclosed.