Automatic supplementation of word correction dictionaries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977779-B2
Application number	US-201414203284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a supplemental word correction dictionary are provided. The method is performed at one or more electronic devices each having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving an at least partial word input by a user. In some implementations, the at least partial word is input into a text field, such as an email body. The method includes determining that a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, such as whether the word appears in a trigger word list. The method further includes, in response to determining that the use condition is satisfied, obtaining a supplemental word correction dictionary that includes words associated with a same subject matter as the at least partial word, wherein the supplemental word correction dictionary supplements an existing word correction dictionary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a supplemental word correction dictionary, comprising:
at one or more electronic devices each having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors:
receiving an at least partial word input by a user; determining whether a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, the use condition including a condition that the at least partial word is not found in an existing word correction dictionary of a local device; and
in response to determining that the use condition is satisfied:
determining whether the at least partial word is corrected by the user;
in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is not corrected by the user:
obtaining a supplemental word correction dictionary from a remote source, the supplemental word correction dictionary consisting of words associated with a same subject matter as the at least partial word; and combining the supplemental word correction dictionary with the existing word correction dictionary;
and in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is corrected by the user, forgoing obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least partial word is included in a plurality of words input by a user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining that the use condition is satisfied includes determining that at least one of the plurality of words is found in a list of trigger words.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental word correction dictionary is selected from a plurality of supplemental word correction dictionaries of the remote source, the plurality of supplemental word correction dictionaries each associated with a respective subject matter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary from the remote source includes retrieving the supplemental word correction dictionary from a storage device associated with a server system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed at a client device, and wherein obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary from the remote source includes:
sending a request for the supplemental word correction dictionary to a server system remote from the client device; and
receiving the supplemental word correction dictionary from the server system, wherein the remote source comprises the server system.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising replacing a plurality of characters received at the client device with a word from the supplemental word correction dictionary.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary, requesting user confirmation that the supplemental word correction dictionary should be obtained, wherein the supplemental word correction dictionary is obtained in response to receiving confirmation from the user.

9. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
receiving an at least partial word input by a user;
determining whether a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, the use condition including a condition that the at least partial word is not found in an existing word correction dictionary of a local device; and
in response to determining that the use condition is satisfied:
determining whether the at least partial word is corrected by the user;
in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is not corrected by the user:
obtaining a supplemental word correction dictionary from a remote source, the supplemental word correction dictionary consisting of words associated with a same subject matter as the at least partial word; and combining the supplemental word correction dictionary with the existing word correction dictionary;
and in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is corrected by the user, forgoing obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least partial word is included in a plurality of words input by a user.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining that the use condition is satisfied includes determining that at least one of the plurality of words is found in a list of trigger words.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the supplemental word correction dictionary is selected from a plurality of supplemental word correction dictionaries, each associated with a respective subject matter.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary from the remote source includes retrieving the supplemental word correction dictionary from a storage device associated with a server system.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for:
sending a request for the supplemental word correction dictionary to a server system remote from system; and
receiving the supplemental word correction dictionary from the server system, wherein the remote source comprises the server system.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device cause the device to:
receive an at least partial word input;
determine whether a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, the use condition including a condition that the at least partial word is not found in an existing word correction dictionary of a local device; and
in response to determining that the use condition is satisfied:
determine whether the at least partial word is corrected by the user;
in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is not corrected by the user:
obtain a supplemental word correction dictionary from a remote source, the supplemental word correction dictionary consisting of words associated with a same subject matter as the at least partial word; and combine the supplemental word correction dictionary with the existing word correction dictionary; and
in accordance with the determination that the at least partial word is corrected by the user, forgo obtaining the supplemental word correction dictionary.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the at least partial word is included in a plurality of words input by a user.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for causing the electronic device to:
send a request for the supplemental word correction dictionary to a server system remote from the electronic device; and
receive the supplemental word correction dictionary from the server system, wherein the remote source comprises the server system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein determining that the use condition is satisfied includes determining that the at least partial word has been input by a user a predetermined number of times.

19. An electronic device, comprising:
an input receiving unit configured to receive an at least partial word from a user; and
a processing unit coupled to the input receiving unit, the processing unit configured to:
determine whether a use condition of the at least partial word is satisfied, the use condition including a condition that the at least partial word is not found in an existing w

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Winer Morgan

Classifications

• G06F40/232

  Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation · CPC title

• G06F40/274

  Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs · CPC title

• G06F40/242 Primary

  Dictionaries · CPC title

• G06F40/40 Primary

  Processing or translation of natural language (natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30) · CPC title

• G06F17/276

  Physics · mapped topic