U.S. patent application number 13/826732 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-30 for apparatus, method and computer readable medium for selectively editing polysemous symbol sequences in a multifunctional interactive dictionary database.
This patent application is currently assigned to Semantic Compaction Systems. The applicant listed for this patent is Bruce R. BAKER, Russell T. CROSS, David H. HERSHBERGER, Thomas R. KOVACS, Rob READ. Invention is credited to Bruce R. BAKER, Russell T. CROSS, David H. HERSHBERGER, Thomas R. KOVACS, Rob READ.
Application Number | 20140032584 13/826732 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49994447 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140032584 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BAKER; Bruce R. ; et
al. |
January 30, 2014 |
APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR SELECTIVELY
EDITING POLYSEMOUS SYMBOL SEQUENCES IN A MULTIFUNCTIONAL
INTERACTIVE DICTIONARY DATABASE
Abstract
An embodiment of the present application is directed to an
apparatus, method, and or article of manufacture. In at least one
embodiment, the method includes receiving an indication of
selection of an editing mode for editing a displayed one of a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, without editing any
of the plurality of electronic screen overlays linked to the
displayed electronic screen overlays; receiving an indication of
selection of a key location for editing on the displayed electronic
screen overlay, subsequent to the receiving the indication of
selection of the editing mode; receiving an indication of selection
of a parameter from a plurality of parameters associated with the
selected key location; and receiving an indication of a change in
the selected parameter.
Inventors: |
BAKER; Bruce R.;
(Pittsburgh, PA) ; CROSS; Russell T.; (Wooster,
OH) ; HERSHBERGER; David H.; (Millersburg, OH)
; KOVACS; Thomas R.; (Pittsburgh, PA) ; READ;
Rob; (Millersburg, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BAKER; Bruce R.
CROSS; Russell T.
HERSHBERGER; David H.
KOVACS; Thomas R.
READ; Rob |
Pittsburgh
Wooster
Millersburg
Pittsburgh
Millersburg |
PA
OH
OH
PA
OH |
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Semantic Compaction Systems
Pittsburgh
PA
|
Family ID: |
49994447 |
Appl. No.: |
13/826732 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61676491 |
Jul 27, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
707/758 ;
715/765 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04886 20130101;
G06F 16/332 20190101; G09G 2340/12 20130101; G06F 40/253 20200101;
G09G 2354/00 20130101; G06F 40/242 20200101; G09G 5/14 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 40/242 20200101; G09G 5/377 20130101;
G06F 16/24 20190101; G09G 2340/12 20130101; G06F 16/332 20190101;
G09G 5/377 20130101; G09G 5/14 20130101; G06T 11/60 20130101; G09G
2354/00 20130101; G06F 16/24 20190101; G06F 3/04817 20130101; G06F
3/04886 20130101; G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 3/04817 20130101; G06T
11/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/758 ;
715/765 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: receiving an indication of selection of an
editing mode for editing a displayed one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays, without editing any of the plurality of
electronic screen overlays linked to the displayed electronic
screen overlays; receiving an indication of selection of a key
location for editing on the displayed electronic screen overlay,
subsequent to the receiving the indication of selection of the
editing mode; receiving an indication of selection of a parameter
from a plurality of parameters associated with the selected key
location; and receiving an indication of a change in the selected
parameter.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters include a symbol
associated with the selected key location and wherein the change in
the selected parameter includes a change from the symbol to a
different or modified symbol.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the
parameters associated with the selected key on a list.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the selected
parameter results in a change in at least one visual characteristic
of the selected key on the displayed electronic screen overlay.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the different or modified symbol
is displayed at the selected key location on the displayed
electronic screen overlay.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the different or modified symbol
is displayed at a relative center of the selected key location on
the displayed electronic screen overlay.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of selection of a
parameter includes an indication of a text entry, and wherein the
method further comprises associating the text entry with the
selected key location.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the associating includes
displaying the text entry at the selected key location on the
displayed electronic screen overlay.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication of selection of a
parameter includes an indication of a text entry and wherein the
method further comprises: displaying the selected symbol at a
relative center of the selected key location on the displayed
electronic screen overlay and displaying the text entry at least
one of above and below the selected symbol.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of an indication
of selection of a parameter includes receiving an indication to
edit at least one of font, text, size and color of the text
entry.
11. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when
executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to
implement the method of claim 1.
12. An apparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display
device, configured to display one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays; and a processor, configured to receive
an indication of selection of an editing mode for editing a
displayed one of a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays,
without editing any of the plurality of electronic screen overlays
linked to the displayed electronic screen overlays, receive an
indication of selection of a key location for editing on the
displayed electronic screen overlay, subsequent to the receiving
the indication of selection of the editing mode, receive an
indication of selection of a parameter from a plurality of
parameters associated with the selected key location, and receive
an indication of a change in the selected parameter.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the parameters include a
symbol associated with the selected key location and wherein the
change in the selected parameter includes a change from the symbol
to a different or modified symbol.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the integrated input and
display device is further configured to display the parameters
associated with the selected key on a list.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the change in the selected
parameter results in a change in at least one visual characteristic
of the selected key on the displayed electronic screen overlay.
16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the different or modified
symbol is displayed at the selected key location on the displayed
electronic screen overlay.
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the different or modified
symbol is displayed at a relative center of the selected key
location on the displayed electronic screen overlay.
18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the indication of selection
of a parameter includes an indication of a text entry, and wherein
the processor is further configured to associate the text entry
with the selected key location.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the associating includes
displaying the text entry at the selected key location on the
displayed electronic screen overlay.
20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indication of selection
of a parameter includes an indication of a text entry and wherein
the integrated input and display device is further configured to
display the selected symbol at a relative center of the selected
key location on the displayed electronic screen overlay and
displaying the text entry at least one of above and below the
selected symbol.
21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the receiving of an
indication of selection of a parameter includes receiving an
indication to edit at least one of font, text, size and color of
the text entry.
22. A method, comprising: receiving a request to store a symbol
sequence in an interactive dictionary database stored in a memory,
the symbol sequence including at least one polysemous symbol and
being associated with at least one of at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase, the interactive dictionary database including a plurality
of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences
including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality
of symbol sequences being stored in association with at least one
of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase; searching the interactive dictionary database,
upon receiving the request, for the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request; storing the requested symbol
sequence and associated at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase in the
interactive dictionary database upon determining that the
interactive dictionary database does not include an existing symbol
sequence associated with the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with the request; and providing to the user, upon
determining that the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary database
in association with an existing symbol sequence, information
permitting entry of the requested symbol sequence as an additional
sequence.
23. The method of claim 22, further comprising: storing, upon
receiving entry of the additional symbol sequence, the requested
symbol sequence in the interactive dictionary database in
association with the at least one of at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request.
24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: displaying the
associated symbol sequence in association with the at least one of
a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase associated with the request, in response to
determining that at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary
database.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising: displaying the
associated symbol sequence in association with the at least one of
a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase associated with the request, in response to
determining that at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary database;
and displaying the additional symbol sequence in association with
associated symbol sequence and the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request, in response to receiving an
indication of input of the additional symbol sequence.
26. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when
executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to
implement the method of claim 22.
27. An apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to receive a
request to store a symbol sequence in an interactive dictionary
stored in a memory, the symbol sequence including at least one
polysemous symbol and being associated with at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase, the interactive dictionary including a plurality of symbol
sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences including at
least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality of symbol
sequences being stored in association with at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase; search the interactive dictionary database, upon receiving
the request, for the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request, store the requested symbol sequence and
associated at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message,
letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase in the interactive
dictionary database upon determining that the interactive
dictionary database does not include an existing symbol sequence
associated with the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request; and control a display to provide to the user,
upon determining that the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary
database in association with an existing symbol sequence,
information permitting entry of the requested symbol sequence as an
additional symbol sequence.
28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising the display,
wherein the display is an integrated input and display device to
display the information permitting entry of the requested symbol
sequence as an additional symbol sequence.
29. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising: the memory, to
store, upon the processor receiving input of the additional symbol
sequence, the additional symbol sequence in the interactive
dictionary database in association with the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request.
30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising: the display to
display the associated symbol sequence in association with the at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with the request, in
response to determining that the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary
database; and display the additional symbol sequence in association
with associated symbol sequence and the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request, in response to receiving an
indication of entry of the additional symbol sequence.
31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the memory is further
configured to store, upon the processor receiving an indication of
input of the symbol sequence, the symbol sequence in the
interactive dictionary database in association with the at least
one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with the request.
Description
PRIORITY STATEMENT
[0001] The present application hereby claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to U.S. provisional patent application No.
61/676,491 filed Jul. 27, 2012, the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present application generally relates to an apparatus
and method using polysemous (multi-meaning) symbols.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A system and method for producing synthetic single or plural
word messages was developed by Bruce Baker et al. and is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,916 to Baker et al. (the Baker '916 patent)
issued on Apr. 28, 1987, the entire contents of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference. The system was directed to a
linguistic coding system and keyboard for use by people with
cognitive and/or physical impairments. The coding system and
associated keyboard was used to store and access messages, which
included words, plural word messages, phonemes, sentences, phrases,
full names, letters, numbers, functions, or any combination
thereof.
[0004] In such a system, the keyboard was coupled to a computer
device, or was alternately part of the stand-alone entity which
included a microprocessor, memory and display. The memory stored
the messages for selective retrieval by the keyboard. The messages
retrieved from the keyboard were then fed to a voice synthesizer,
for example, which converted them through a loudspeaker to produce
audible spoken messages. On this keyboard, associated with each of
a plurality of keys, were polysemous (multi-meaning) symbols, also
known as icons. By designating selected ones of the keys and their
associated symbols or icons, selected stored messages or plural
word messages (including but not limited to words, phrases and
sentences) were accessed from the memory and then subsequently
output.
[0005] With the system described in the Baker '916 patent, messages
stored in the memory could be retrieved by activating a combination
of symbol keys and other keys to vary the context of the polysemous
symbols. Thus, a plurality of sentences could be selectively
generated as a function of polysemous symbols in combination with
other polysemous symbols. This allowed a user the ability to access
thousands of words or messages based upon as little as one, two, or
three keystrokes. Further, with symbols being polysemous, thousands
of symbol sequences could be generated with only a small number of
keys on a keyboard. Based upon ease of use of the system, the
polysemous icons or symbols utilized, and the easily memorized
symbol sequence combinations, such a system became ideal for many
mentally and physically challenged users for whom spelling and
typing, as well as speech itself, was extremely difficult.
[0006] The system of the Baker '916 patent allowed for an operator
to go directly from thought to speech. This was possible because
each key of the keyboard bore a central image or symbol which was
polysemous and illustrated an important aspect of life and/or
linguistic function. The keyboards could be varied depending on the
intellectual level of the intended operator. Therefore, each
keyboard could in itself be a language which was designed for or
with a specific user.
[0007] Each of the polysemous symbols was developed to be rich in
associations so that combinations of symbols could signal sentence
or message ideas in the operator's memory. This enabled the
generation of plural word or whole sentence messages by the
activation of only a limited number of keys. The device allowed for
the generation of many sentences or phrases and a large core
vocabulary which could be easily retrieved from memory because of
the ease with which the polysemous symbols on the keys portrayed
the production of whole thoughts.
[0008] In the aforementioned system of the Baker '916 patent, the
spatial configuration of the symbols on a given keyboard remained
constant. Sequences of symbols in fixed places were consistent,
allowing messages to be reliably produced with the same sequence
each time. This constant mapping supported the learning of motor
patterns associated with symbol sequences. As such sequences were
learned, the user could establish motor programs that allow
sequences to be produced quickly and accurately in the same way a
touch typist efficiently spelled many words or a musician played an
instrument.
[0009] The aforementioned Baker '916 patent provided an excellent
means of accessing high frequency "core" vocabulary words using
sequenced polysemous symbols. However, the system of the Baker '916
patent only provided limited access to the relatively large set of
low frequency "fringe" vocabulary words that would only be used
periodically.
[0010] A subsequent design that provided for a way to easily access
fringe vocabulary utilizing non-polysemous symbols on dynamic
graphical screens was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,303 to Baker
et al. (the Baker '303 patent) issued Jul. 6, 1999, the entire
contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In
the system of the aforementioned Baker '303 patent, non-polysemous
symbols were used for accessing fringe vocabulary. In the system of
the Baker '303 patent, less than all of a plurality of keys on the
displayed keyboard were dynamically redefined in response to
selection of a symbol or sequentially selected symbols. These
dynamic characteristics produced a dynamically redefined keyboard
for accessing fringe vocabulary.
[0011] Even though the system of the aforementioned Baker '303
patent provided an improved method for accessing fringe vocabulary,
it could still be limited in that it could not provide efficient
access to a very large set of fringe vocabulary words. The fringe
vocabularies of adolescents or adults may include many thousand
words that are used on occasion in specific contexts. For example,
most vocabulary words that are learned in academic or vocational
settings are fringe vocabulary words related to specific topics. In
the system of the Baker '303 patent, a subset of the plurality of
keys on the displayed keyboard could contain dynamically re-defined
non-polysemous symbols for selection of fringe vocabulary. In some
embodiments, this subset of keys on the displayed keyboard may
include one row of twelve keys, which may be used to access fifty
different fringe words, for example. In this case, the operator may
need to use command keys to browse through a set of non-polysemous
symbols that is much larger than the number of available key
locations. A control key may be used to dynamically redefine this
subset of keys multiple times until the desired symbol is
presented. In the system of the aforementioned Baker '303 patent,
the operator may need to execute six or more keystrokes to access a
desired fringe vocabulary word corresponding to one of a large
number of non-polysemous symbols.
[0012] Although many people have learned to successfully use
augmentative and alternative communication systems containing
embodiments of the semantic compaction encoding techniques to
communicate with very high levels of linguistic performance, some
populations of children have had difficulty learning more advanced
systems where the available language is effectively unlimited.
Children with autism, in particular, may be overwhelmed by a large
array of unfamiliar polysemous symbols and potential polysemous
symbol sequences. Alternatively, they may perseverate on one symbol
while a clinician is trying to provide structured instructional
activities involving sequences associated with a different
polysemous symbol.
[0013] The Baker '916 patent provided for embodiments that include
a keyboard with a relatively large number of polysemous symbols
suitable for individuals with relatively high cognitive and
linguistic skills, and embodiments that included a keyboard with a
relatively small number of polysemous symbols suitable for
individuals with more significant cognitive or linguistic
impairments. An individual who has difficulty learning the system
may benefit from a system with a simpler keyboard, but this
consequently limits the availability of stored language
content.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,041 issued Mar. 22, 1994 (the Kushler
'041 patent), the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference, provided for a predictive input system which
only allowed an operator to select a polysemous symbol that would
lead to the valid production of a sequence for accessing a
previously stored message after, an initial polysemous symbol has
been selected (or even prior to selection). The subsequent Baker
'303 patent provided for a dynamically re-defined keyboard, where
individual keys were dynamically re-definable after one or more
initial polysemous symbols were selected to provide additional
visual information about potential words or messages that may be
produced by selecting one or more additional symbols. Such systems
may support access to thousands of stored words or messages through
selection of unique sequences of polysemous symbols, and provide
feedback in relation to available sequences. Although these systems
may store enough content to support selective generation of
numerous unique sentences with a relatively small number of
polysemous symbols, all valid polysemous symbol sequences and
corresponding stored words and messages are accessible to the user
at all times. Thus, access to the stored language content was
effectively unlimited.
[0015] In the system of the Baker '916 patent, the communication
device included a keyboard coupled to a microprocessor associated
with an electrical programmable read only memory. Each key of the
keyboards included a relatively centrally disposed polysemous
symbol, and all keys were permanently displayed in a static
configuration. A given pre-stored message including one or more
words, for example, could be retrieved from the electrical
programmable read-only memory by actuating a specific sequence of
keys that included polysemous symbols, where the key sequence was
associated with the given pre-stored message.
[0016] The systems of several subsequent patents improved on the
design disclosed in the Baker '916 patent while consistently
maintaining a requirement that pre-stored messages be retrieved
from an electronic memory via actuation of a corresponding symbol
sequence using a single keyboard or keyboard overlay. The system
developed by Baker, et al, and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,689
to Baker, et al, (the Baker '689 patent) issued on May 11, 1993,
the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference, provided for a continuous input system that allowed a
user utilizing an icon or symbol mode to access stored morphemes,
words, phrases, or sentences by selecting sequences of polysemous
icon symbols and allowed a user utilizing a character, word
prediction, or suffix mode to enter additional content using a
text-based keyboard. In the system of the Baker '689 patent, the
keyboards for the symbol mode and character, word prediction or
suffix mode overlapped in space so that a user could automatically
toggle between modes on a single keyboard without having to
manually switch between modes.
[0017] The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,303, issued to
Baker, et al on Jul. 6, 1999 provided for a dynamic keyboard on a
graphical user interface including a plurality of keys with
associated symbols that are dynamically redefinable to provide
access to higher level keyboards. In this system, keys could be
dynamically redefined based on one or more initially selected
symbols in a sequence such that symbols on dynamically redefined
keys could include embellished symbols and/or newly displayed
symbols. This system also allowed for easy access to core
vocabulary words through selection of sequenced polysemous symbols
while providing improved access to fringe vocabulary words via
selection of the new or embellished symbols corresponding to fringe
vocabulary words.
[0018] In the systems of the above-mentioned patents, and other
patents subsequent to the Baker '916 patent, sequenced polysemous
symbols were selected from a keyboard to retrieve associated stored
messages from an electronic memory. Where features of the keyboard
have been dynamically redefined based on one or more initially
selected polysemous symbols in a sequence, those dynamically
redefinable features were limited to changes in individual keys or
symbols.
[0019] An alternative to the polysemous symbols disclosed in the
Baker '916 patent and subsequent patents involves the use of solely
non-polysemous (single meaning) symbols. When solely non-polysemous
symbols are used, a small number of non-polysemous symbols, for
example 20 symbols in a four by five array, are initially
introduced. Selection of one of these non-polysemous symbols is
typically used to produce a stored message, such as a noun that is
easy to represent with pictures of a pre-stored sentence. At this
point, solely non-polysemous symbols may be used easily, and with
minimal effort.
[0020] Use of solely non-polysemous symbols becomes much more
challenging, however, when the number of available stored
vocabulary words and sentences exceeds the number of available
locations on the display of the communication device; when this
happens, the set of non-polysemous symbols and associated stored
messages must be sorted and divided across a plurality of linked
pages, and the operator must navigate between these pages to locate
and select desired messages. Typically, many of the non-polysemous
symbols on the highest level "master" page include links to
additional pages of non-polysemous symbols. These additional pages
may contain non-polysemous symbols that include links to even more
pages, a link back to the master page, and/or some non-polysemous
symbols that are associated with stored messages.
[0021] The words on these various pages are often organized into
semantic categories. In these systems, selecting a non-polysemous
symbol on the master page that represents a superordinate semantic
category links the operator to a second page containing
non-polysemous symbols associated with category members and/or
subordinate categories. On the second page, selecting a
non-polysemous symbol associated with a subordinate category
activates a link to a third page containing additional
non-polysemous symbols, and so on. Selecting a non-polysemous
symbol associated with a category member generates the associated
stored message.
[0022] As an example, the master page on a communication device may
have non-polysemous symbols linking to the categories "people,"
"food," "school", "fun times," and clothing." Selecting the
non-polysemous symbols that includes a link to the "clothing"
category may link to a page containing non-polysemous symbols
associated with the category members "shirt," "pants," "underwear,"
and "shoes," as well as non-polysemous symbols that include links
to the subordinate categories "winter clothing," "summer clothing,"
and "formal clothing," and a non-polysemous symbol including a link
back to the master page.
[0023] As the vocabulary increases in size, the number of pages of
non-polysemous symbols on such a system must necessarily increase,
which in turn increases the cognitive complexity of tasks involved
in using the system. In order to produce any given word, the
operator must recall the categorical organization of the system
well enough to identify the superordinate and subordinate
categories that must be linked in order to navigate to the page
containing the desired word, and visually search for each symbol
that should be selected during navigation.
[0024] For example, the operator may recall that "coat" is located
under the superordinate category for clothing, and still not be
sure whether "coat" is located under the subordinate category for
"winter clothing" or "formal clothing." This becomes a recurrent
problem when navigating many pages. In order to store a 1,000 word
vocabulary, consistent with that of a typically developing
three-year-old, a minimum of 56 linked 20-location pages of
non-polysemous symbols are required. When an operator must navigate
such an extensive set of categorically organized pages, actual
communication using the system may be very limited because the
cognitive demands of page navigation are so extensive.
[0025] Recent developments in broadly available consumer
technologies have included tablets, smart phones, and other
portable multifunction devices with touch-screen interfaces, such
as iPADs, iPhones, and Android devices. These devices have allowed
programmers to develop and implement a wide range of third-party
application programs, including assistive technology programs, as
long as the program was compatible with the device hardware and the
software platform that was integral to the device's operating
system. The software platforms on portable multifunction devices
were highly compatible with a wide range of third-party
augmentative and alternative communication programs containing
numerous pages of non-polysemous symbols, but were not necessarily
compatible with established embodiments of the Baker '916 patent or
any subsequent patents using polysemous symbol systems.
[0026] Previous embodiments of the Baker '916 patent and all
subsequent patents have relied on a method of retrieving stored
messages from an electronic memory when a corresponding symbol
sequence is selected on a keyboard. This process could have
involved a large and complex computer program with over a million
lines of code and a database defining the interactions between the
various polysemous or non-polysemous symbols, words, and speech.
Modifying such a program to be elegantly and efficiently
transferred between a plurality of operating systems on tablet,
smart phone, and other portable multifunction devices may have been
very difficult or even impossible.
[0027] Previous embodiments of the Baker '916 patent and all
subsequent patents have incorporated a plurality of polysemous
symbols that were rich with association, and could be used
sequentially to produce a plurality of previously stored messages
using various polysemous symbol sequences. The association between
a polysemous symbol sequence and a corresponding previously stored
message often was not immediately obvious to an inexperienced
operator learning to use a polysemous symbol system for
communication, or to that person's instructor. Experienced
operators have often needed to give explanations of the
associations between polysemous symbol sequences and corresponding
previously stored messages have often been required in
instructional and clinical settings. Rationales to explain these
associations have been provided in printed (hard copy) manuals that
service providers could access who were teaching an inexperienced
operator to use a polysemous symbol system for communication. Such
hard-copy manuals can provide critical reference material for
non-disabled service providers in instructional and clinical
settings.
[0028] In communication devices using a combination of polysemous
and non-polysemous symbols, such as that disclosed in the Baker
'303 patent for example, the programming tasks that an operator
would have had to execute to add stored messages may have been more
complex. For example, one process that may have been used to add a
stored message that corresponded to a sequence of polysemous
symbols, and another process may have been used to add a stored
message that corresponded to a non-polysemous symbol that appeared
after an initial one or more polysemous symbols were selected. At
times, these programming tasks were overwhelmingly complex and
acted as a deterrent to individuals who may have otherwise
benefited from access to a communication device using a combination
of polysemous and non-polysemous symbols.
SUMMARY
[0029] The inventors have discovered that there is a need for a
single, consistent programming strategy that an operator may
utilize to edit parameters of any of a plurality polysemous symbol
sequences at any point within a symbol sequence, including a need
for a single, consistent programming strategy for editing
parameters of any given symbol in an application program utilizing
sequenced polysemous symbols, regardless of whether the selected
symbol currently functions as a polysemous or non-polysemous
symbol.
[0030] At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed
to a system (such as an AAC system for example), apparatus,
computer readable medium and/or method for selectively editing
parameters corresponding to any one of a plurality of stored
messages that may be included in an application program utilizing
sequenced polysemous symbols to access messages. Note that
throughout the embodiments of the application, the word "message"
or "messages" is used to mean any of words, plural word messages,
phonemes, morphemes, sentences, phrases, full names, letters,
numbers, functions, commands or any combination thereof, stored in
association with sequenced polysemous symbols and/or at least one
entry in an interactive dictionary database.
[0031] At least one embodiment of the system, apparatus, computer
readable medium and/or method may be directed to at least one of:
[0032] 1. Implementing an apparatus, computer readable medium
method and/or an application program that may be adapted to a
plurality of consumer devices, including tablets, smart phones
and/or other devices computer processors, touch screen interfaces,
memory and/or a plurality of different operating systems; and/or
using sequenced multi-meaning symbols in such a system, apparatus,
method and/or application program. [0033] 2. Implementing an
application program, system and/or method involving a single,
consistent programming strategy for an operator to edit parameters
of entries to an interactive dictionary database that correspond to
both polysemous symbol sequences and non-polysemous symbols,
throughout all key locations and all electronic screen overlays of
the system, including overlays with polysemous symbols, overlays
with a combination of polysemous and non-polysemous symbols, and
overlays containing categorically organized non-polysemous symbols.
In at least one embodiment, this may include implementing a
consistent programming strategy for modifying existing entries in
the interactive dictionary database, adding new entries to the
interactive dictionary database, and/or deleting existing entries
from the interactive dictionary database. This may include a
system, method and/or application program for automatically
searching the interactive dictionary database and notifying a user
if he/she is attempting to store a new entry in the interactive
dictionary database that duplicates a word corresponding to an
existing entry in the interactive dictionary database and give the
user the option to cancel the save request, complete the save
request, edit parameters corresponding to the requested new entry,
or view the definition of the matching existing entry in the
interactive dictionary database (including a symbol sequence and
rationale).
[0034] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to a method, comprising: receiving an indication of
selection of a currently displayed one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays for editing, to thereby permit editing
of the currently displayed linked electronic screen overlay without
editing any of the plurality of electronic screen overlays linked
to the currently displayed electronic screen overlays; receiving an
indication of selection of a key location for editing on the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, subsequent to the
receiving of an indication of selection of an editing mode;
receiving an indication of selection of a symbol from a plurality
of available symbols; and associating the selected symbol with the
selected key location and a plurality of editable parameters
including parameters of at least one corresponding entry in an
interactive dictionary database.
[0035] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to an apparatus, comprising: a processor, configured to
receive an indication of selection of a currently displayed one of
a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays for editing, to
thereby permit editing of the currently displayed linked electronic
screen overlay without editing any of the plurality of electronic
screen overlays linked to the currently displayed electronic screen
overlays, receive an indication of selection of a key location for
editing on the currently displayed electronic screen overlay,
subsequent to the receiving of an indication of selection of an
editing mode, receive an indication of selection of a symbol from a
plurality of available symbols, and associate the selected symbol
with the selected key location and a plurality of editable
parameters including parameters of at least one corresponding entry
in an interactive dictionary database.
[0036] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to an article of manufacture, comprising: a first code
segment for causing a computer device to receive an indication of
selection of a currently displayed one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays for editing, to thereby permit editing
of the currently displayed linked electronic screen overlay without
editing any of the plurality of electronic screen overlays linked
to the currently displayed electronic screen overlays; a second
code segment for causing the computer device to receive an
indication of selection of a key location for editing on the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, subsequent to the
receiving of an indication of selection of an editing mode; a third
code segment for causing the computer device to receiving an
indication of selection of a symbol from a plurality of available
symbols; and a fourth code segment for causing the computer device
to associate the selected symbol with the selected key location and
a plurality of editable parameters including parameters of at least
one corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary database.
[0037] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to a method comprising: receiving a request to store a
symbol sequence in an interactive dictionary database stored in a
memory, the symbol sequence including at least one polysemous
symbol and being associated with at least one of at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase, the interactive dictionary database including a
plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol
sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the
plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase; searching the interactive dictionary
database, in response to receiving the request, for the at least
one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with to the request; and
executing a differential response behavior depending on whether or
not an existing entry in the interactive dictionary database
corresponding to the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is found.
[0038] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to an apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to
receive a request to store a symbol sequence in an interactive
dictionary database stored in a memory, the symbol sequence
including at least one polysemous symbol and being associated with
at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase, the interactive dictionary database
including a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of
symbol sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each
of the plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association
with at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and phrase; search the interactive
dictionary database, in response to receiving the request, for the
at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with to the request; and
executing a differential response behavior depending on whether or
not an existing entry in the interactive dictionary database
corresponding to the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is found.
[0039] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to an article of manufacture, comprising: a first code
segment for causing a computer device to receive a request to store
a symbol sequence in an interactive dictionary database stored in a
memory, the symbol sequence including at least one polysemous
symbol and being associated with at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase, the
interactive dictionary database including a plurality of symbol
sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences including at
least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality of symbol
sequences being stored in association with at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase; a second code segment for causing a computer device to
search the interactive dictionary database, in response to
receiving the request, for the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with to the request; and a third code segment for
causing a computer device to execute a differential response
behavior depending on whether or not an existing entry in the
interactive dictionary database corresponding to the at least one
of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase associated with the request is found.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0040] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of an
example portable multifunction device with a touch-sensitive
display;
[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates an example portable multifunction device
having a touch sensitive display;
[0042] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of a method of scrolling through a list of entries in an
interactive dictionary database;
[0043] FIG. 4A illustrates an example embodiment of the application
program of an embodiment of the present invention running on a
portable multifunction device which is a tablet type consumer
computer device, including a touch sensitive display;
[0044] FIG. 4B illustrates an example embodiment of the application
program of an embodiment of the present invention running on a
portable multifunction device which is a smart phone type consumer
device, including a touch sensitive display;
[0045] FIGS. 5 A-D illustrate example embodiments of electronic
screen overlays;
[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of an electronic
screen overlay with non-polysemous symbols;
[0047] FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment of an interactive
dictionary database;
[0048] FIGS. 8 A-C illustrate examples of an Edit Mode of an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0049] FIG. 9 illustrates a popup message presented to an operator
working in the Edit Mode of an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0050] FIG. 10 illustrates an electronic screen overlay containing
a Word Finder tool for searching the interactive dictionary
database of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0051] It should be noted that these Figures are intended to
illustrate the general characteristics of methods, structure and/or
materials utilized in certain example embodiments and to supplement
the written description provided below. These drawings are not,
however, to scale and may not precisely reflect the precise
structural or performance characteristics of any given embodiment,
and should not be interpreted as defining or limiting the range of
values or properties encompassed by example embodiments. For
example, the relative thicknesses and positioning of molecules,
layers, regions and/or structural elements may be reduced or
exaggerated for clarity. The use of similar or identical reference
numbers in the various drawings is intended to indicate the
presence of a similar or identical element or feature.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0052] Various example embodiments will now be described more fully
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which only some
example embodiments are shown. Specific structural and functional
details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of
describing example embodiments. The present invention, however, may
be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as
limited to only the example embodiments set forth herein.
[0053] Accordingly, while example embodiments of the invention are
capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments
thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein
be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that
there is no intent to limit example embodiments of the present
invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary,
example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention. Like
numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the
figures.
[0054] Before discussing example embodiments in more detail, it is
noted that some example embodiments are described as processes or
methods. Although the processes describe the operations as
sequential processes, many of the operations may be performed in
parallel, concurrently or simultaneously. In addition, the order of
operations may be re-arranged. The processes may be terminated when
their operations are completed, but may also have additional steps
not included. The processes may correspond to methods, functions,
procedures, subroutines, subprograms, etc.
[0055] Methods discussed below may be implemented by hardware,
software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description
languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in
software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program code or
code segments to perform the necessary tasks will be stored in a
machine or computer readable medium such as a storage medium or
non-transitory computer readable medium. A processor(s) will
perform the necessary tasks.
[0056] Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein
are merely representative for purposes of describing example
embodiments of the present invention. This invention may, however,
be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as
limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.
[0057] It will be understood that, although the terms first,
second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these
elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only
used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first
element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second
element could be termed a first element, without departing from the
scope of example embodiments of the present invention. As used
herein, the term "and/or," includes any and all combinations of one
or more of the associated listed items.
[0058] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as
being "connected," or "coupled," to another element, it can be
directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening
elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred
to as being "directly connected," or "directly coupled," to another
element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words
used to describe the relationship between elements should be
interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., "between," versus "directly
between," "adjacent," versus "directly adjacent," etc.).
[0059] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
example embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular
forms "a," "an," and "the," are intended to include the plural
forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As
used herein, the terms "and/or" and "at least one of" include any
and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be further understood that the terms "comprises,"
"comprising," "includes," and/or "including," when used herein,
specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0060] It should also be noted that in some alternative
implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the
order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in
succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or
may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality/acts involved.
[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and
scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example
embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g.,
those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted
as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the
context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an
idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined
herein.
[0062] Portions of the example embodiments and corresponding
detailed description may be presented in terms of software, or
algorithms and symbolic representations of operation on data bits
within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations
are the ones by which those of ordinary skill in the art
effectively convey the substance of their work to others of
ordinary skill in the art. An algorithm, as the term is used here,
and as it is used generally, is conceived to be a self-consistent
sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those
requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually,
though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of optical,
electrical, or magnetic signals capable of being stored,
transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has
proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common
usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,
symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.
[0063] In the following description, illustrative embodiments may
be described with reference to acts and symbolic representations of
operations that may be implemented as program modules or functional
processes include routines, programs, objects, components, data
structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement
particular abstract data types and may be implemented using
existing hardware at existing network elements. Such existing
hardware may include one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs),
digital signal processors (DSPs),
application-specific-integrated-circuits, field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs) computers or the like.
[0064] Note also that the software implemented aspects of the
example embodiments may be typically encoded on some form of
program storage medium or implemented over some type of
transmission medium. The program storage medium (e.g.,
non-transitory storage medium) may be magnetic (e.g., a floppy disk
or a hard drive) or optical (e.g., a compact disk read only memory,
or "CD ROM"), and may be read only or random access. Similarly, the
transmission medium may be twisted wire pairs, coaxial cable,
optical fiber, or some other suitable transmission medium known to
the art. The example embodiments not limited by these aspects of
any given implementation.
[0065] It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and
similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical
quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these
quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, or as is apparent
from the discussion, terms such as "processing" or "computing" or
"calculating" or "determining" of "displaying" or the like, refer
to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar
electronic computing device/hardware, that manipulates and
transforms data represented as physical, electronic quantities
within the computer system's registers and memories into other data
similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer
system memories or registers or other such information storage,
transmission or display devices.
[0066] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below",
"lower", "above", "upper", and the like, may be used herein for
ease of description to describe one element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in
the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative
terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the
device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted
in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned
over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or
features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or
features. Thus, term such as "below" can encompass both an
orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise
oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the
spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted
accordingly.
[0067] Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to
describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or
sections, it should be understood that these elements, components,
regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these
terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element,
component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or
section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or
section discussed below could be termed a second element,
component, region, layer, or section without departing from the
teachings of the present invention.
[0068] Embodiments of a portable multifunction device, user
interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using
such devices are described herein. In some embodiments, the
portable multifunction device is a portable communications device
such as a mobile telephone that also contains other functions, such
as PDA and/or music player functions. It should be noted that the
portable multifunction device described hereafter is an example of
a device capable of performing the methodology provided in the
present application and discussed in detail hereafter, and that the
methodologies of the embodiments of the present application can be
performed on the hereafter discussed portable multifunction device,
but are not necessarily limited thereoto.
[0069] The portable multifunction device may support a variety of
application programs or applications, such as a telephone
application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail
application, an instant messaging application, a blogging
application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera
application, a web browsing application, a digital music player
application, and/or a digital video player application.
[0070] The various applications that may be executed on the
portable multifunction device may use at least one common physical
user-interface device, such as the touch screen. One or more
functions of the touch screen as well as corresponding information
displayed on the portable multifunction device may be adjusted
and/or varied from one application to the next and/or within a
respective application. In this way, a common physical architecture
(such as the touch screen) of the portable multifunction device may
support the variety of applications with user interfaces that are
intuitive and transparent.
[0071] The user interfaces may include one or more soft keyboard
embodiments. The keyboard embodiments may include a reduced number
of icons (or soft keys) relative to the number of keys in existing
physical keyboards, such as that for a typewriter. This may make it
easier for users to select one or more icons in the keyboard, and
thus, one or more corresponding symbols. The keyboard embodiments
may be adaptive. For example, displayed icons may be modified in
accordance with user actions, such as selecting one or more icons
and/or one or more corresponding symbols. One or more applications
on the portable device may utilize common and/or different keyboard
embodiments. Thus, the keyboard embodiment used may be tailored to
at least some of the applications. In some embodiments, one or more
keyboard embodiments may be tailored to a respective user. For
example, based on a word usage history (lexicography, slang,
individual usage) of the respective user. Some of the keyboard
embodiments may be adjusted to reduce a probability of a user error
when selecting one or more icons, and thus one or more symbols,
when using the soft keyboard embodiments.
[0072] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment
of a portable multifunction device 100 with a touch-sensitive
display 112. The touch-sensitive display 112 is sometimes referred
to herein as a "touch screen", "touch panel" "integrated input and
display device", or "display system 112" for convenience. The
portable multifunction device 100 may include a memory 102 (which
may include one or more computer readable storage mediums for
example), a memory controller 122, one or more computer processing
units (CPU's, sometimes referred to herein as a "processor" or
"controller" for convenience) 120. These components may communicate
over one or more communication buses or signal lines 103.
[0073] It should be appreciated that the portable multifunction
device 100 is only one example of a portable multifunction device,
and that the portable multifunction device supporting various
embodiments of the present application described hereafter may have
more or fewer components than shown, may combine two or more
components, or a may have a different configuration or arrangement
of the components, etc.
[0074] The touch-sensitive display system 112 provides an input
interface and an output interface between the portable
multifunction device 100 and a user (hence the previous reference
to integrated input and display device). The touch-sensitive
display system 112 displays visual output to the user. The visual
output may include for example, graphics, text, icons, video, and
any combination thereof (collectively termed "graphics").
Additional outputs can be that of, for example, a printer (not
shown), an audible output via a speaker 111 and audio circuitry
110, and/or other output devices. Peripheral interfaces 118 can be
included between the processor(s) 120/controller 122 and the output
devices (touch-sensitive display system 112, and audio circuitry
110/speaker 111).
[0075] The touch screen in the touch-sensitive display system 112
may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light
emitting polymer display) technology, although other display
technologies may be used in the embodiments of the invention as
well, and is not limited as such.
[0076] In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen in the
touch-sensitive display system 112, the portable multifunction
device 100 may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or
deactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the
touchpad may be a touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike
the touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may
be a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the touch screen
in the touch-sensitive display system 112 or an extension of the
touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen. Further, other
types of known input devices (keyboard, mouse, microphone, etc.)
and/or output devices (speaker, printer, etc.) may also be
integrated therein/connected thereto.
[0077] Application programs 136 of embodiments of the present
application, utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to access
messages (sequenced polysemous symbols module 137), can also be
stored in memory 102. Such application programs 136 of various
embodiments of the present application, as will be discussed
hereafter can be implemented on the portable multifunction device
100 and/or can implement the methods discussed above and
hereafter.
[0078] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device 100
having a touch screen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. The
touch screen 112 may display one or more graphics. These graphics
can include symbols, icons, text, a virtual keyboard with virtual
keys, etc., such as those described in the embodiments hereafter.
In an embodiment, as well as others described below, a user may
select one or more of the graphics by making contact or touching
the graphics, for example, with one or more fingers 202 (not drawn
to scale in the figure).
[0079] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 of
scrolling through a list in accordance with some embodiments. The
presence of an object is detected on or near a touch screen display
of a portable multifunction device 302. In some embodiments, the
object is a finger. In response to detecting the presence, a list
of items displayed on the touch screen display. Movement of the
detected object may then trigger the multifunction device to scroll
through the list of available items in a first direction 304. In
some embodiments, the scrollable list is a list of available
entries in an interactive dictionary database 306. In some
embodiments, the list is a complete list of a plurality of entries
in an interactive dictionary database, which may be organized
alphabetically. In some other embodiments, the list is a selected
subset of a plurality of entries in an interactive dictionary
database, which may be organized alphabetically. In some
embodiments, the first direction is a vertical direction; in some
other embodiments, the first direction is a horizontal
direction.
[0080] Scrolling the list in the first direction while the object
is still detected on or near the touch screen display may continue
at least until a terminus of the list is reached. The scrolling
process 300 may be re-initiated upon subsequent detection of
another movement of an object on or near the touch screen display
302. When the scrolling process 300 is re-initiated, the list may
be scrolled in the first direction again, or in the opposite
direction.
[0081] If the list of entries fills more than the allotted screen
area, the user may scroll through the items using vertically upward
and/or vertically downward swipe gestures on the touch screen
display. A user performs a vertically downward swipe gesture to
scroll toward the top of the list, or a vertically upward swipe
gesture to scroll toward the bottom of the list. The vertically
downward gesture, which may be a finger gesture, corresponds to the
movement of an object on or near the touch screen that is detected
in operation 302 of process 300. The vertically downward gesture
need not be exactly vertical; a gesture within a predetermined
angle of being perfectly vertical is sufficient and results in
vertical scrolling.
[0082] In one embodiment an item from the scrollable list may be
selected by a finger tap on that item.
[0083] The scrollable list of entries may be a list of entries in
the interactive dictionary database 306. In some embodiments not
all elements of each entry in the interactive dictionary database
may be displayed. For example, in some embodiments, the scrollable
list may display the term of each entry in the interactive
dictionary database, where the term includes a previously stored
message of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message,
letter, morpheme, command and phrase. There may also be a
definition associated with each entry in the interactive dictionary
database, which may be displayed when the term is selected (e.g.,
triggered by a finger tap). The definition corresponding with a
selected term may include at least one of a polysemous symbol
sequence that may be triggered to produce the corresponding term, a
rationale explaining the association between the corresponding term
and the polysemous symbol sequence, an indicator of the entry's
active or inactive status, and a frequency counter.
[0084] It should be noted that the apparatus described above with
reference to FIGS. 1, 2 3 references a general description of
hardware for an apparatus described hereafter regarding embodiments
of the present application, as well as a general description of
hardware for an apparatus to implement the methods and programs
described below regarding embodiments of the invention.
[0085] Application programs of embodiments of the present
application described hereafter, utilizing sequenced polysemous
symbols to access stored messages, can also be stored in memory
102. Such application programs of various embodiments of the
present application as will be discussed hereafter can be
implemented on the portable multifunction device 100 discussed
above.
[0086] At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed
towards an application program utilizing sequenced polysemous
symbols to access stored messages, on tablet devices such as the
portable multifunction device 100 including but not limited to
iPADs and Android devices, for example, as well as other computer
devices with at least one processor 120, memory 102, integrated
input and display device or touch screen display 112, etc. Thus, it
should be noted that while hardware relating to the portable
multifunction device 100 is described above for implementing the
application programs of embodiments of the present application
described hereafter in an example manner, the embodiments of the
present application are not limited to the portable multifunction
device 100 described above and can be implemented on various
portable and non-portable computer devices including at least one
processor, memory, integrated input and display device, etc.
[0087] For example, at least one embodiment of the present
invention is directed towards an application program utilizing
sequenced polysemous symbols to access stored messages on smaller
portable smart phone devices such as iPhone devices, for
example.
[0088] At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed
towards an apparatus, computer readable medium, method, article of
manufacture and/or an application program utilizing sequenced
polysemous symbols to access stored messages on computer devices
with touch screen interfaces, as well as other computer devices
with at least one processor, memory, touch screen interface,
etc.
[0089] At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed
towards an apparatus, computer readable medium, method, article of
manufacture and/or an application program utilizing sequenced
polysemous symbols to access stored messages with an elegantly
structured (internally consistent) database that can be easily and
efficiently adapted to establish compatibility with a plurality of
operating systems and devices. For example, an embodiment of the
present invention may include an application program such as an
Sqlite (for example) or other database program that is natively
supported by a plurality of software platforms, including mutual
compatibility across different platforms.
[0090] FIG. 4A illustrates an example embodiment of the application
program of an example embodiment of the present invention running
on a portable multifunction device 100 which is a tablet type
consumer computer device 410, including a touch sensitive display
112. The touch sensitive display 112 includes a plurality of
graphic symbols arranged in an initial or first level electronic
screen overlay 500. Again, the illustrated structure of FIG. 4A is
that of an example embodiment and the embodiments of the present
application should not be limited to such a portable multifunction
device 100, or even to portable devices.
[0091] FIG. 4B illustrates an example embodiment of the application
program of an example embodiment of the present invention running
on a portable multifunction device 100 which is a smart phone type
consumer device 420, including a touch sensitive display 112. The
touch sensitive display 112 includes a plurality of graphic symbols
arranged in an initial or first level electronic screen overlay
500. Again, the illustrated structure of FIG. 4B is that of an
example embodiment and the embodiments of the present application
should not be limited to such a portable multifunction device 100,
or even to portable devices.
[0092] Note that FIGS. 4A and 4B are merely non-limiting examples
of portable multifunction devices 100 including a graphical touch
sensitive display 112 which are encompassed by the embodiments of
the present application, used to illustrate a relationship between
symbols arranged on an electronic screen overlay 500 and the
portable multifunction devices 100 including a graphical touch
sensitive display 112. It should be understood that the embodiments
of the present application are applicable to any portable or even
semi or non-portable multifunction devices including a graphical
touch sensitive display capable of displaying electronic screen
overlays such as those shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
[0093] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed towards an interactive dictionary database that may be
fully integrated with an application program containing a plurality
of polysemous symbol sequences, each of which may be triggered to
produce a corresponding previously stored message of at least one
of a letter, word, morpheme, phrase, phoneme, sentence, full name,
letter, number, plural word message, function, and command being
stored in a memory in such a way that:
[0094] the interactive dictionary database may be searched to
identify at least one polysemous symbol sequence associated with a
given previously stored message of at least one of a letter, word,
morpheme, phrase, phoneme, sentence, full name, letter, number,
plural word message, function, and command; and a rationale for
that association,
[0095] individual polysemous symbol sequences may be independently
configured to an active or inactive status, and
[0096] each entry in the interactive dictionary database may be
associated with a frequency counter that automatically records the
number of times the corresponding polysemous symbol sequence is
triggered to produce a given previously stored message of at least
one of a letter, word, morpheme, phrase, phoneme, sentence, full
name, letter, number, plural word message, function, and command;
and data from these frequency counters may be used to help
automatically expand the range of active polysemous symbol
sequences.
[0097] Embodiments of a sequenced polysemous symbol system using
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays are described herein
in such a way that each polysemous symbol sequence is fully
integrated with an entry in an embodiment of an interactive
dictionary database. These embodiments are non-limiting, in that
other sequenced polysemous symbol systems that do not utilize
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays may also be
integrated with entries in an interactive dictionary database. At
least one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, each of which displays a
virtual keyboard with a plurality of virtual key locations that may
include a symbol, such as a relatively centrally disposed symbol
for example.
[0098] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, each of which
displays a virtual keyboard, as described above, where a
configuration of the virtual key locations of the virtual keyboard
may be held constant across the plurality of electronic screen
overlays.
[0099] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above,
all of which may occupy the same region of space on a graphic
display when they are displayed so that only one overlay may be
displayed for the operator at any given moment.
[0100] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture displaying a plurality of polysemous symbols, each of
which may be relatively centrally disposed on at least one location
of the virtual keyboard of a subset of one or more of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above.
[0101] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture displaying a plurality of virtual key locations, as
described above, each of which may include a corresponding
polysemous symbol and a corresponding embedded link to retrieve and
display an electronic screen overlay that differs from the
electronic screen overlay that is currently displayed for the
operator. As such, the electronic screen overlay that is displayed
for the operator may change when a key location including a
polysemous symbol and an embedded link is triggered or selected.
Although key locations and/or polysemous symbols may be included on
a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, the embedded link
that corresponds to a key location and/or symbol on one electronic
screen overlay may be unique and differ from an embedded link that
corresponds to the same key location and/or symbol on other
electronic screen overlays. Note that the same symbol can be
included on multiple electronic screen overlays and may exist at
the same key location, for example.
[0102] At least one embodiment of the present invention provides an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of polysemous symbols, each of
which may be relatively centrally disposed on a location of the
virtual keyboard of at least one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays, and which may produce the speech and/or
text output of a corresponding previously stored message when
triggered. Although each polysemous symbol may be included on a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, the previously
stored message that corresponds to a symbol on one electronic
screen overlay (when sequenced with other symbols) may be unique
and differ from the previously stored message that corresponds to
the same symbol on other electronic screen overlays (when sequenced
with other symbols). Note that the same symbol can be included on
multiple electronic screen overlays and may exist at the same key
location, for example. Each of these polysemous symbol sequences
that may be triggered to produce a previously stored message may be
integrated with a corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary
database. In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method,
computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the
present invention, an operator may trigger, via selection thereof,
a sequence of two polysemous symbols that are located on two
sequentially displayed linked electronic screen overlays to produce
a speech or text output of a previously stored message using the
following process, for example.
[0103] An initial electronic screen overlay 500, such as that shown
in FIGS. 4A and 4B for example, is shown on the touch sensitive
display 112 of the portable multifunction device 100; the initial
electronic screen overlay 500 including a grid of symbols for
example, stored in a database in memory 102 for example, and
visually displayed to the user on an LCD display, for example, of
the touch sensitive display 112. The initial electronic screen
overlay 500 may be referred to as the `CORE HOME overlay,` for
example.
[0104] Polysemous and non-polysemous symbols are initially provided
for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay 500 or `CORE
HOME overlay`, displayed with symbols for selection on touch
sensitive display 112, for example. Thereafter, triggering of an
initial polysemous symbol of the sequence on the initial or first
level electronic screen overlay then may begin upon user selection
(via selection using a touch panel key or other form of input, for
example on the touch sensitive display 112), as described above,
where the initially selected polysemous symbol may include an
embedded link to retrieve (upon the processor 120, for example,
receiving an indication of selection of a key location
corresponding to the symbol) and trigger display of a second level
electronic screen overlay (the display being displayed on touch
sensitive display 112, for example, in place of the first level
electronic screen overlay, for example).
[0105] The aforementioned may occur, for example, by the processor
120 receiving an indication of user selection by determining the XY
position of the activation on the touch sensitive display 112 to
identify the position of the initially selected polysemous symbol
within the CORE HOME overlay. This selected polysemous symbol may
be one of a plurality of selectable polysemous symbols of the `CORE
HOME overlay` stored in association with, and marked in the
database in memory 102 for example, a pointer to a second level
electronic screen overlay. In response to the processor 120
determining selection of the initially selected polysemous symbol,
the processor 120 may then control the touch sensitive display 112
to display the second level electronic screen overlay indicated by
the pointer, the second level electronic screen overlay being the
electronic screen overlay associated via a pointer with the
selected polysemous symbol and being different from the initial
electronic screen overlay or `CORE HOME overlay`. The contents of
this second level electronic screen overlay can further be directed
by the processor 120 to replace the content of the CORE HOME
overlay on the touch sensitive display 112 from which the initial
polysemous symbol was selected.
[0106] Thereafter, the processor 120 may receive an indication of
selection of a terminal (final) polysemous symbol of a sequence,
from the currently displayed second level electronic screen overlay
for example (via selection using a touch panel key or some other
form of input, for example), as described above, where the selected
final polysemous symbol triggers (upon the processor 120, for
example, receiving an indication of selection of a key location
corresponding to the terminal symbol) output of a previously stored
message (word, phrase, morpheme or message) corresponding to the
symbol sequence including the selected first and terminal symbols
(displayed on touch sensitive display 112, output via a speaker,
etc.). Thus, a polysemous or non-polysemous symbol on the second
level electronic screen overlay can serve as a terminal symbol. In
this case, detection of selection of the symbol, through that
described above, may cause the processor 120 to access a message
(word, phrase, morpheme, message, etc.) stored in memory 102 and
linked in the database to a symbol sequence including the initially
selected symbol and the selected symbol provided on the displayed
second electronic screen overlay. The message may contain a text
string which can be shown on the LCD display of the touch sensitive
display 120, spoken via a speech synthesizer, printed, etc., or
otherwise output. Further, each of these previously stored messages
and each corresponding polysemous symbol sequence may be integrated
with a corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary database
700.
[0107] Selection of the terminal polysemous symbol of the two
symbol sequence that is on the second level electronic screen
overlay may further trigger display of the first level electronic
screen overlay or `CORE HOME overlay` (in place of the second level
electronic screen overlay for example and in addition to the
outputting of the stored message, e.g. subsequent thereto or
simultaneous therewith). This may occur subsequent to the symbol
being selected so that the operator may thereafter begin executing
a new function, such as selection of a next sequence of polysemous
symbols, for example. This automatic function may allow the system
to act as a continuous input device that does not require
additional keystrokes to return to the first level electronic
screen overlay after completion of a valid two symbol sequence. In
addition to acting upon linked text string as described above, the
selection of a terminal symbol may also trigger the contents of the
second level electronic screen display to be replaced by the
contents of the CORE HOME overlay. Again, similar to that discussed
previously, this can occur via storage of an embedded link in
association with the terminal symbol in the database of memory 102
for example.
[0108] Note that all key locations on the any level electronic
screen overlay need not correspond solely to symbols including an
embedded link, let alone polysemous symbols including an embedded
link. Note also that key locations corresponding to a symbol
including an embedded link on any level electronic screen overlay
may be differentiated from key locations corresponding a symbol
which does not include an embedded link, by including a common
displayable additional symbol for all key locations corresponding
to symbols which include an embedded link, for example (and/or in
any other way, such as by including differentiated lettering on the
corresponding key location, for example).
[0109] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, an operator may trigger a sequence of three polysemous
symbols that are located on three sequentially displayed linked
electronic screen overlays to produce a speech or text output of a
previously stored message using the following process, for
example.
[0110] Polysemous and non-polysemous symbols are initially provided
for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay 500 or `CORE
HOME overlay`, displayed with symbols for selection on touch
sensitive display 112, for example. Thereafter, triggering of an
initial polysemous symbol of the sequence on the initial or first
level electronic screen overlay then may begin upon user selection
(via selection using a touch panel key or other form of input, for
example on the touch sensitive display 112), as described above,
where the initially selected polysemous symbol may include an
embedded link to retrieve (upon the processor 120, for example,
receiving an indication of selection of a key location
corresponding to the symbol) and trigger display of a second level
electronic screen overlay (the display being displayed on touch
sensitive display 112, for example, in place of the first level
electronic screen overlay, for example).
[0111] It can further include triggering an intermediate polysemous
symbol of the same sequence (via selection of, and detection of
selection by processor 120, a symbol of the displayed second level
electronic screen overlay using a touch panel key or some other
form of input on touch sensitive display 112, for example), as
described above, where the selected intermediate polysemous symbol
includes a corresponding embedded link stored in memory 102 and
retrievable via processor 120 to trigger the processor 120 to
control display of a third level electronic screen overlay on touch
sensitive display 112. The aforementioned may be achieved by an
initial electronic screen overlay being shown on the visual display
of the touch sensitive display system 112; an electronic screen
overlay being a grid of symbols, stored in a database in the memory
102 and visually displayed to the user on an LCD display of the
touch sensitive display system 112, for example. The initial
electronic screen overlay will be referred to as the `CORE HOME
overlay.`
[0112] Symbol activation may be detected by the processor 120 on
the touchscreen of the touch sensitive display 112 or alternative
input device. The processor 120 may then determine the XY position
of the activation to identify the initial polysemous symbol within
the CORE HOME overlay. This polysemous symbol may be marked in the
database in memory 102 with a pointer to a second level electronic
screen overlay. The contents of this second level electronic screen
overlay may then be controlled by processor 120 to replace the
content of the CORE HOME overlay from which the initial polysemous
symbol was selected.
[0113] A second polysemous symbol can then be selected from the
symbols of the second electronic screen overlay. Again, the
processor 120 receives an indication of and determines the XY
position of the activation to identify the second selected
polysemous symbol within the second level electronic screen
overlay. This polysemous symbol may be one marked in the database
in memory 102 with a pointer to a third level electronic screen
overlay. In response to the processor 120 determining selection of
the second selected polysemous symbol, the processor 120 may then
control the touch sensitive display 112 to display the third level
electronic screen overlay indicated by the pointer, the third level
electronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay
associated via a pointer with the second selected polysemous symbol
and being different from the second electronic screen overlay. The
contents of this third level electronic screen overlay may replace
the content of the second level electronic screen overlay from
which the second polysemous symbol was selected.
[0114] Selection of a the terminal polysemous symbol of the
sequence may then occur on the currently displayed third level
electronic screen overlay (via selection using a touch panel key or
some other form of input, for example), as described above, where
the final polysemous symbol triggers (upon a processor, 120 for
example, receiving an indication of detection of a key location
corresponding to the terminal symbol) output of a previously stored
message (word, phrase, morpheme or message) corresponding to the
symbol sequence including the selected first, second and terminal
symbols (displayed on touch sensitive display 112, output via a
speaker, etc.).
[0115] Thus, as described above, a polysemous or non-polysemous
symbol on the second level or third level electronic screen display
can serve as a terminal symbol. In this case, detection of
selection of the symbol, through that described above, may cause
the processor 120 to access a message (word, phrase, morpheme or
message) stored in memory 102 and linked in the database to a
symbol sequence including the initially selected symbol, and the
selected symbol provided on the displayed electronic screen overlay
(and potentially an intermediate symbol as well). The message may
contain a text string which can be shown on the LCD display of the
touch sensitive display 120, spoken via a speech synthesizer,
printed, etc., or otherwise output.
[0116] Selection of the terminal polysemous symbol of the three
symbol sequence that is on the third level electronic screen
overlay (or similarly the second level electronic screen overlay in
a two symbol sequence) may further trigger display of the first
level electronic screen overlay or `CORE HOME overlay` (in place of
the third level electronic screen overlay for example, or similarly
the second level electronic screen overlay in a two symbol
sequence) and in addition to the outputting of the stored message,
e.g. subsequent thereto or simultaneous therewith). This may occur
subsequent to the symbol being selected so that the operator may
thereafter begin executing a new function, such as selection of a
next sequence of polysemous symbols, for example. This automatic
function may allow the system to act as a continuous input device
that does not require additional keystrokes to return to the first
level electronic screen overlay after completion of a valid three
symbol sequence. In addition to acting upon linked text string as
described above, the selection of a terminal symbol may also
trigger the contents of the second level or third level electronic
screen display to be replaced by the contents of the CORE HOME
overlay. Again, similar to that discussed previously, this can
occur via storage of an embedded link in association with the
terminal symbol in the database of memory 102 for example.
[0117] Note that all key locations on the any level electronic
screen overlay need not correspond solely to symbols including an
embedded link, let alone polysemous symbols including an embedded
link. Note also that key locations corresponding to a symbol
including an embedded link on any level electronic screen overlay
may be differentiated from key locations corresponding to a symbol
which does not include an embedded link, by including a common
additional symbol for all key locations corresponding to symbols
which include an embedded link, for example (and/or in any other
way, such as by including differentiated lettering on the
corresponding key location, for example).
[0118] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, a pointer associated with each of a plurality of second
level linked electronic screen overlays may store, in memory 102,
the name of the polysemous symbol on the first level linked
electronic screen overlay that can be triggered to retrieve and
display the second level linked electronic screen overlay.
Similarly, a pointer may be associated with each of a plurality of
third level linked electronic screen overlays which stores, in
memory 102, the names of the symbols on the first level linked
electronic screen overlay and subsequent second level linked
electronic screen overlay that can be triggered to retrieve and
display the third level linked electronic screen overlay. There may
also be a pointer that stores in memory 102 a name associated with
the first level linked electronic overlay, "Core Home" for example.
These pointers may automatically populate an overlay name field to
create a unique name for each of the plurality of linked electronic
screen overlays that corresponds to the symbol sequence used to
retrieve and display that overlay, and may be accessed via
processor 120 from memory 102. The contents of the overlay name
field may be used to automatically assign a new unique name to any
new electronic screen overlays that are added to the system when an
operator edits a selected key in an edit mode, for example.
[0119] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of linked electronic screen
overlays, as described above, where the virtual keys of the virtual
keyboard on each electronic screen overlay may include one of a
plurality of polysemous symbols, as described above, wherein the
included corresponding polysemous symbols may vary across the
plurality of electronic screen overlays, and may exist at the same
key location, for example.
[0120] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of linked electronic screen
overlays, as described above, where a given polysemous symbol may
be relatively centrally disposed on one or more locations of the
virtual keyboard of one or more of the plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays, and where the given polysemous symbol
may be relatively centrally disposed in the same one or more
locations on the virtual keyboards of all linked electronic screen
overlays that include the symbol. In this way, the key locations of
the given polysemous symbol may be held constant across the whole
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays.
[0121] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of polysemous symbols, as
described above, each of which may be included on the virtual
keyboards of a subset of a plurality of linked electronic screen
overlays, as described above, where the key locations of each of
the plurality of polysemous symbols may be held constant across the
whole plurality of linked electronic screen overlays.
[0122] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a first level electronic screen overlay or
CORE HOME overlay, which may include all of a plurality of
polysemous symbols, as described above.
[0123] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a first level electronic screen overlay or
CORE HOME overlay, which may include all of a plurality of
polysemous symbols, as described above, where at least one of these
polysemous symbols may include an embedded link to a second level
electronic screen overlay.
[0124] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a first level electronic screen overlay or
CORE HOME overlay, which may include a plurality of polysemous
symbols, as described above, and a plurality of symbols which, when
triggering or activation is detected, can trigger production of a
speech and/or text output of a corresponding previously stored
message. Each of these symbols that may be triggered or activated
to trigger production of a speech and/or text output of a
corresponding previously stored message and each corresponding
previously stored message may be integrated with a corresponding
entry in an interactive dictionary database.
[0125] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, each of which may be accessed by triggering a link that
is embeddedly connected or corresponded to a polysemous symbol
and/or key location on the first level electronic screen
overlay.
[0126] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each
second level electronic screen overlay can only be accessed by
triggering or selecting one of the plurality of polysemous symbols
on the first level electronic screen overlay.
[0127] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include a subset of
the plurality of polysemous symbols included on the first level
electronic screen overlay.
[0128] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include a subset of
one or more keys which may be blank and which do not include any
corresponding symbol which can be triggered by an operator (and
thus at least temporarily inactive).
[0129] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including at least one key location and/or symbol on
each of at least one of a plurality of second level electronic
screen overlays, as described above, that includes and/or
corresponds to an embedded link to the first level electronic
screen overlay to return the user to the first level electronic
screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay.
[0130] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include at least
one polysemous symbol that can be selected and thus triggered to
produce the speech and/or text output of a corresponding previously
stored message and that includes an embedded link to the first
level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, as described
above. As such, the user may be returned to the CORE HOME overlay
as a function of a continuous input system that eliminates the
extra keystrokes necessary to change screens. The at least one
sequence of two polysemous symbols, including the previously
selected polysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay
and a second polysemous symbol on the currently displayed second
level linked electronic screen overlay that can be selected as
described and thus triggered to produce the speech and/or text
output of a corresponding previously stored message, and the
corresponding previously stored message may be integrated with at
least one corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary
database.
[0131] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include at least
one non-polysemous symbol that can be triggered to produce the
speech and/or text output of a corresponding previously stored
message and includes an embedded link to the first level electronic
screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, as described above. The at
least one sequence of two symbols, including the previously
selected polysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay
and a non-polysemous symbol on the currently displayed second level
linked electronic screen overlays that can be selected as described
and thus triggered to produce the speech and/or text output of a
corresponding previously stored message and the corresponding
previously stored message may be integrated with at least one
corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary database.
[0132] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include at least
one polysemous symbol that includes an embedded link to a third
level electronic screen overlay.
[0133] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include at least
one non-polysemous symbol that includes an embedded link to a third
level electronic screen overlay. At least one embodiment of the
present invention includes an apparatus, method, computer readable
medium and/or article of manufacture including a plurality of third
level electronic screen overlays that may be accessed by triggering
a link that is embedded in a polysemous or non-polysemous symbol on
one of the plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays.
[0134] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each
third level electronic screen overlay can only be accessed by
triggering, via a processor receiving an indication of selection
thereof, one of the one or more polysemous or non-polysemous
symbols on one of the plurality of second level electronic screen
overlays. Given that a second level electronic screen overlay may
only be accessed by triggering one of the plurality of polysemous
symbols on the first level electronic screen overlay, there may be
only one sequence of symbols on sequentially linked electronic
screen overlays that can be used to access a specific third-level
electronic screen overlay.
[0135] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of third level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include a subset of
one or more of a plurality of polysemous symbols.
[0136] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of third level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include one or more
non-polysemous symbols.
[0137] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes at
least one symbol on each of a plurality of third level electronic
screen overlays, as described above, that includes an embedded link
to the first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay,
as described above.
[0138] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture including a plurality of third level electronic screen
overlays, as described above, each of which may include at least
one polysemous or non-polysemous symbol that can be triggered to
produce the speech and/or text output of a corresponding previously
stored message and includes an embedded link to the first level
electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, as described
above.
[0139] The at least one sequence of three symbols, including the
previously selected polysemous symbol on the initial electronic
screen overlay, the previously selected polysemous or
non-polysemous symbol on the previously displayed second level
linked electronic screen overlay, and a polysemous or
non-polysemous symbol on the currently displayed third level linked
electronic screen overlay that can be selected as described and
thus triggered to produce the speech and/or text output of a
corresponding previously stored message and the corresponding
previously stored message may be integrated with at least one
corresponding entry in an interactive dictionary database.
[0140] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, a unique name may be assigned to each of a plurality of
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays such that the name
assigned to each overlay reflects a sequence including one or more
polysemous symbols on the sequentially linked electronic screen
overlays that may be triggered in order to retrieve and display the
specific electronic screen overlay. In this way, an operator who is
reviewing the name of any of a plurality of linked electronic
screen overlays can immediately identify the corresponding sequence
including polysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic
screen overlays that may be triggered in order to retrieve and
display the specific electronic screen overlay. Note that the name
of the currently displayed electronic screen overlay may be
displayed in a message window of the electronic screen overlay when
one is working in an edit mode, for example. The name of a
corresponding next level linked electronic screen overlay may be
displayed on a list of editable parameters when an operator is
editing a selected key in an edit mode, for example.
[0141] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, a unique name may be assigned to each of a plurality of
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays, where the first
level linked electronic screen overlay may be assigned a default
name, "core home", for example.
[0142] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, a unique name may be assigned to each of a plurality of
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays, where each of a
plurality of second level linked electronic screen overlays may be
assigned a name that includes the name of the polysemous symbol
that may be triggered on the first level electronic screen overlay
to retrieve and display the specific second level linked electronic
screen overlay.
[0143] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, a unique name may be assigned to each of a plurality of
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays, where each of a
plurality of third level linked electronic screen overlays may be
assigned a name that includes the name of the polysemous symbol
that may be triggered on the first level electronic screen overlay
and the name of the polysemous or non-polysemous symbol that must
be triggered on a second-level electronic screen overlay to
retrieve and display the specific third level linked electronic
screen overlay.
[0144] FIGS. 5A-C show a series of three sequentially linked
electronic screen overlays for display on a touch sensitive display
112 of a portable multifunctional device 100 for example, from an
embodiment of the present invention with 84 locations on the
virtual keyboard on each of a plurality of linked electronic screen
overlays, which may be sequentially retrieved and displayed when an
operator is using the system in a communication mode. Each of the
plurality of previously stored messages in this embodiment, and
each of the corresponding polysemous symbol sequences may be
integrated with a corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700. Each key location on each electronic screen overlay
may include a relatively centrally disposed polysemous or
non-polysemous symbol. FIG. 5A is the first level electronic screen
overlay 500. FIG. 5B is a second level electronic screen overlay
501, which may be retrieved and displayed when an operator triggers
a key location or virtual key on the first level electronic screen
overlay 500 of FIG. 5A that includes a polysemous symbol that
functions as an initial symbol in a plurality of polysemous symbol
sequences. FIG. 5C is a third level electronic screen overlay 581,
which may be retrieved and displayed when an operator triggers a
sequence of two symbols, including selection of a key on the first
level electronic screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A that includes a
polysemous symbol that functions as an initial symbol in a
plurality of polysemous symbol sequences, and including selection
of a key on the second level electronic screen overlay 501 of FIG.
5B that includes a polysemous symbol that functions as an
intermediate symbol in a plurality of polysemous symbol
sequences.
[0145] FIG. 5A shows a first level or initial electronic screen
overlay 500, named the "CORE HOME" overlay for example with an 84
key location virtual keyboard and a plurality of polysemous symbols
associated with various virtual keys or key locations of the
virtual keyboard. On the first level electronic screen overlay 500
of FIG. 5A, the key 510 corresponding to the polysemous "I" symbol
512 may be triggered as the initial symbol in a plurality of
polysemous symbol sequences. When the "I" symbol 512 (associated
with key 510 located in Row 3, Column 1 of the virtual keyboard
first level electronic screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A) is triggered,
a second level electronic screen overlay 551 named the "I" overlay
for example, may be retrieved and displayed, and the operator may
trigger one of a plurality of keys corresponding to second
polysemous symbols to continue producing one of a plurality of
previously stored messages, such as "I," "me", "I am", or "I can."
Each of these previously stored messages and each corresponding
polysemous symbol sequence may be integrated with a corresponding
entry in the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0146] When the key 520 corresponding to the RAINBOW symbol 522
(associated with key 520 located in Row 5, Column 11 of the virtual
keyboard first level electronic screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A) is
triggered, a second level electronic screen overlay named the
"RAINBOW" overlay for example may be retrieved and displayed, and
the operator may trigger one of a plurality of second polysemous
symbols to continue producing one of a plurality of previously
stored messages, such as "color," "coloring," "pretty," "paint,"
"red," "blue," and "green." Each of these previously stored
messages and each corresponding polysemous symbol sequence may be
integrated with a corresponding in the interactive dictionary
database 700.
[0147] When the key 524 corresponding to the APPLE symbol 526 (Row
7, Column 5 of the virtual keyboard first level electronic screen
overlay 500 of FIG. 5A) is triggered, the second level electronic
screen overlay, named the "APPLE" overlay for example may be
retrieved and displayed, and the operator may trigger one of a
plurality of second polysemous symbols to continue producing one of
a plurality of previously stored messages, such as "eat," "ate,"
"bite," "hungry," "am I," or "anyone." When the APPLE symbol (Row
7, Column 5) is triggered and the second level electronic screen
overlay, named the "APPLE" overlay has been retrieved and
displayed, the operator may also trigger one of a subset of second
symbols that are non-polysemous to produce one of a plurality of
previously stored messages that may be a fringe vocabulary word,
"apple," "banana," or "burrito," for example. Each of these
previously stored messages and each corresponding polysemous symbol
sequence may be integrated with a corresponding in the interactive
dictionary database 700.
[0148] FIG. 5B shows a second level linked electronic screen
overlay 501 with an 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84
location virtual keyboard of the first level electronic screen
overlay 500 in FIG. 5A. This overlay 501, named the "APPLE" overlay
for example, may be retrieved and displayed when the APPLE symbol
526 on the first level linked electronic screen overlay 500 is
triggered while the operator is working in a communication mode.
Symbols on this overlay (some of which are the same as those in the
same key locations as FIG. 5A and some of which are embellished
symbols) may be selected as the second symbol in polysemous symbol
sequences that begin with the APPLE symbol 526, which is triggered
on the first level electronic screen overlay 500.
[0149] The I symbol 512 (Row 3, Column 1), VERB symbol 539,
embellished from symbol 538 of FIG. 5A (Row 3, Column 3), ADJECTIVE
symbol 543, embellished from symbol 542 of FIG. 5A (Row 3, Column
9), and MOUNTAIN symbol 545 (Row 5, Column 9) on the second level
linked electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may be triggered as
the terminal symbol in sequences of two polysemous symbols
beginning with the APPLE symbol 526. When a key corresponding to
one of these symbols is triggered, the corresponding previously
stored message (corresponding to the two symbol sequence) is
produced and the first level linked electronic overlay 500 is
retrieved and displayed once again. Each of these previously stored
messages and each corresponding sequence of two polysemous symbols
may be integrated with a corresponding entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700.
[0150] The (embellished) DOG symbol 553 on the second level linked
electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may be triggered as the
intermediate symbol in at least one sequence of three polysemous
symbols beginning with the APPLE 526 and DOG 553 symbols. When the
key corresponding to this (embellished) DOG symbol 553 is
triggered, the third level linked electronic screen overlay 581 of
FIG. 5C, named the "APPLE DOG" overlay for example, may be
retrieved and displayed. The (embellished) DOG symbol 553 on the
second level linked electronic overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may be used
as an intermediate symbol in polysemous symbol sequences for
producing different forms of the verb "bite." Each form of the verb
"bite" may correspond to a different previously stored message and
a different sequence of three polysemous symbols. Therefore, each
form of the verb "bite" may be integrated with a different entry in
the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0151] The (embellished) PHONE symbol 559 (Row 6, Column 7) on the
second level linked electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may be
triggered as the intermediate symbol in at least one sequence of
three polysemous symbols beginning with the APPLE 526 and PHONE 559
symbols. When this symbol is triggered, a third level linked
electronic screen overlay, named the "APPLE PHONE" overlay may be
retrieved and displayed. The PHONE symbol 559 on the second level
linked electronic overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may be used as an
intermediate symbol in polysemous symbol sequences for producing
different forms of the adjective "delicious." Each form of the
adjective "delicious" may correspond to a different previously
stored message and a different sequence of three polysemous
symbols. Therefore, each form of the adjective "delicious" may be
integrated with a different entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700.
[0152] The key 567 including the DAIRY symbol 569 (Row 1, Column 4)
and the key 571 including the FRUIT symbol 573 (Row 1, Column 5) on
the second level linked electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B
are non-polysemous symbols that are each associated with a
semantically related category of fringe words. The DAIRY symbol 569
on the second level linked electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B
may function as an intermediate symbol in one or more sequences of
symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays beginning
with the polysemous APPLE symbol 526 and the non-polysemous DAIRY
symbol 569. When the DAIRY symbol 569 is triggered, a third level
linked electronic screen overlay, named the "APPLE DAIRY" overlay
for example may be retrieved and displayed. This "APPLE DAIRY"
overlay may include one or more non-polysemous symbols
corresponding to previously stored messages that are members of the
category of "dairy" words. Examples of "dairy" words may include
"milk," "cheese," and "yogurt." Each "dairy" word may correspond to
a different previously stored message and a different sequence of
one polysemous and two non-polysemous symbols. Therefore, each
"dairy" word may be integrated with a different entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700. The FRUIT symbol 573 on the
second level linked electronic screen overlay 501 in FIG. 5B may
function as an intermediate symbol in one or more sequences of
symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays beginning
with the polysemous APPLE symbol 526 and the non-polysemous FRUIT
symbol 573. When the FRUIT symbol 573 is triggered, the third level
linked electronic overlay 600 of FIG. 6, named the "APPLE FRUIT"
overlay for example may be retrieved and displayed. This "APPLE
FRUIT" overlay may include one or more non-polysemous symbols
corresponding to previously stored messages that are members of the
category of "fruit" words.
[0153] FIG. 5C shows a third level linked electronic screen overlay
581 with an 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location
virtual keyboard of the first level electronic screen overlay in
FIG. 5A. This overlay, named the "APPLE DOG" overlay, may be
retrieved and displayed when the APPLE symbol 526 on the first
level linked electronic screen overlay 500 is triggered and then
the (embellished) DOG symbol 553 on the corresponding second level
linked electronic overlay 501 is triggered while an operator is
working in a communication mode. Symbols on this overlay 581 may be
selected as the third symbol in polysemous symbol sequences that
begin with the APPLE 526 and DOG 553 symbols. As discussed above,
each of these previously stored messages and polysemous symbol
sequences may be integrated with a corresponding entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700.
[0154] FIG. 5D shows a second level linked electronic screen
overlay 591 with an 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84
location virtual keyboard of the first level electronic screen
overlay in FIG. 5A. This is an example using a two symbol sequence
including a polysemous and non-polysemous symbol. This overlay,
named the "MONEY" overlay, may be retrieved and displayed when the
MONEY symbol 544 (Row 4, Column 7) on the first level linked
electronic screen overlay 500 is triggered or selected while an
operator is working in a communication mode. The key 531 including
the PENNY symbol 533, the key 535 including the NICKEL symbol 537,
the key including the DIME symbol 527, and the key including the
QUARTER symbol 529 on the second level linked electronic screen
overlay 591 in FIG. 5D are non-polysemous symbols that are each
associated with fringe vocabulary words that are members of the
semantically related category of "money" words. The words
associated with each of these non-polysemous symbols, namely
"penny," "nickel," "dime," and "quarter" can each be produced with
unique sequences of two keystrokes that include one polysemous
symbol and one non-polysemous symbol. Each "money" word may
correspond to a different previously stored message and a different
sequence of one polysemous and one non-polysemous symbol.
Therefore, each "money" word may be integrated with a different
entry in the interactive dictionary database 700. The polysemous
WANT symbol 511, the polysemous MOUNTAIN symbol 545, the polysemous
RAINBOW symbol 522, and the polysemous APPLE symbol 526 on the
second level linked electronic screen overlay 591 in FIG. 5D all
function as the intermediate symbol in at least one sequence of
three polysemous symbols. A corresponding third level linked
electronic overlay is retrieved and displayed when any of these
intermediate polysemous symbols is triggered or selected. The WANT
symbol 511, MOUNTAIN symbol 545, RAINBOW symbol 522, and APPLE
symbol 526 on the second level linked electronic screen overlay 591
in FIG. 5D are not embellished, meaning that they have the same
appearance as the corresponding WANT 511, MOUNTAIN 545, RAINBOW
522, and APPLE 526 symbols of the first level linked electronic
screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A. As described above, each of these
messages and polysemous symbol sequences may be integrated with an
entry in the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0155] FIG. 6 shows a third level linked electronic screen overlay
600 with an 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location
virtual keyboard of the first level electronic screen overlay 500
in FIG. 5A. This overlay 600, named the "APPLE FRUIT" overlay, may
be retrieved and displayed when the polysemous APPLE symbol 526 on
the first level linked electronic screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A is
triggered and then the non-polysemous FRUIT symbol 573 on the
corresponding second level linked electronic overlay 501 of FIG. 5B
is triggered while an operator is working in a communication mode.
Each of the locations on the virtual keyboard of the "APPLE FRUIT"
overlay of FIG. 6 may include a relatively centrally disposed
non-polysemous symbol corresponding to a previously stored message
that is a member of the category of "fruit" words. Since all of the
locations of the "APPLE FRUIT" overlay may correspond to members of
the category of "fruit" words, as many as 84 members of the "fruit"
category may be produced with unique sequences of only three
keystrokes each. Each "fruit" word may correspond to a different
previously stored message and a different sequence of one
polysemous and two non-polysemous symbols. Therefore, each "fruit"
word may be integrated with a different entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700.
[0156] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol
sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the
plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at
least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0157] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes storing an interactive dictionary database in a
memory, the interactive dictionary database including a plurality
of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences
including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality
of symbol sequences being stored in association with at least one
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and/or phrase; and providing, in the interactive dictionary
database, information useable to assign at least a subset of the
plurality of symbol sequences at least one of an active and an
inactive status. At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method,
computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the
present invention includes a memory configured to store an
interactive dictionary database, the interactive dictionary
database including a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the
plurality of symbol sequences including at least one polysemous
symbol and each of the plurality of symbol sequences being stored
in association with at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message,
letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase; and an integrated
input and display device configured to display at least portions of
the interactive dictionary database to a user upon receipt of user
input, including information useable to assign at least a subset of
the plurality of symbol sequences at least one of an active and an
inactive status.
[0158] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes storing an interactive dictionary database in a
memory, the interactive dictionary database including a plurality
of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol sequences
including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the plurality
of symbol sequences being stored in association with a rationale
and at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase, each of the respective the
rationales relating each of the respective symbols sequences to the
associated at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and/or phrase; and displaying, upon a
processor receiving an input from a user, at least portions of the
interactive dictionary database to the user, the at least portions
including at least one associated symbol sequence, rationale and at
least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0159] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes a memory configured to store an interactive
dictionary database, the interactive dictionary database including
a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol
sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the
plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at
least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase, each of the respective the
rationales relating each of the respective symbols sequences to the
associated at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and/or phrase; and an integrated input
and display device configured to display at least portions of the
interactive dictionary database to a user, the at least portions
including at least one associated symbol sequence, rationale and at
least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0160] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
an entry corresponding to each of a plurality of previously stored
messages, as described above, where the definition of each entry
includes at least the corresponding unique name of the final linked
electronic screen overlay in a sequence of linked electronic screen
overlays that may be accessed to produce the corresponding
previously stored message.
[0161] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
an entry corresponding to each of a plurality of previously stored
messages, as described above, where a definition of each entry
includes at least the corresponding sequence of polysemous symbols
that may be triggered to produce the corresponding previously
stored message.
[0162] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
an entry corresponding to each of a plurality of previously stored
messages, as described above, where the definition of each entry
further includes a rationale relating each of the respective
symbols sequences to the associated at least one word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase,
each of the respective the rationales are useable to explain how
the respective symbol sequence relates to the respective stored at
least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0163] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of the present invention, at least
portions of the interactive dictionary are displayable to a user,
and wherein the information is displayable to the user in a
selectable manner.
[0164] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of the present invention, the
interactive dictionary includes a plurality of symbol sequences
stored in association with a common at least one word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or
phrase.
[0165] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
an entry corresponding to each of a plurality of previously stored
messages, as described above, where each entry may correspond to at
least one adjustable binary setting, such as a binary setting that
can be used to assign the corresponding entry to an active or
inactive status, for example.
[0166] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of the present invention, when an
inactive status is assigned, a corresponding symbol sequence is
rendered unselectable by a user.
[0167] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database that includes
an entry corresponding to each of a plurality of previously stored
messages, as described above, where the terms of two or more
entries including the texts of two or more previously stored
messages are identical matches, and the corresponding definitions
of those two or more entries differ. There may be multiple symbol
sequences for producing a same stored message, and each of those
symbol sequences may be stored as a separate entry in the
interactive dictionary database. As such, the interactive
dictionary may include a plurality of symbol sequences stored in
association with a common at least one word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0168] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays.
[0169] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above. In at
least one embodiment, the dictionary database may be integrated
with the system of electronic screen overlays in such a way that
editing the dictionary results in corresponding changes in the use
of symbol sequences on electronic screen overlays to produce words,
etc. The integration of the database with the rest of the system
may be established by explaining that changes in the dictionary
database result in changes in the use of symbols on electronic
screen overlays, and that changes to symbols on electronic screen
overlays result in changes in the dictionary database 700.
[0170] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above, such that
adding a new entry to the interactive dictionary database results
in the addition of a new previously stored message that may be
produced by triggering a corresponding sequence of polysemous
symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays.
[0171] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
interactive dictionary database, as described above, which is fully
integrated with the contents of a plurality of linked electronic
screen overlays, as described above, such that deleting an existing
entry from the interactive dictionary database removes that
previously stored message from the plurality of linked electronic
screen overlays so that the corresponding sequence of polysemous
symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays cannot be
triggered to produce the message that has been deleted.
[0172] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above, such that
modifying an existing entry in the interactive dictionary database
results in a corresponding change in the corresponding plurality of
linked electronic screen overlays.
[0173] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above, such that
modifying features of a key on a sequentially linked electronic
screen overlay so that it can be triggered to produce a newly
stored message results in the addition of a corresponding entry to
the interactive dictionary database.
[0174] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention includes an interactive dictionary database, as described
above, which is fully integrated with the contents of a plurality
of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above, such that
deleting features of a key on a sequentially linked electronic
screen overlay that otherwise could be triggered to produce a
previously stored message results in deletion of the corresponding
entry from the interactive dictionary database.
[0175] At least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the manufacture of
the present invention includes an interactive dictionary database,
as described above, which is fully integrated with the contents of
a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, as described
above, such that modifying features of a key on a sequentially
linked electronic screen overlay that may be triggered to produce a
previously stored message results in a corresponding change in the
corresponding entry of the interactive dictionary database.
[0176] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, the interactive dictionary database is searchable.
[0177] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, the plurality of entries in the interactive dictionary
database may be browsed in order using known methods, a scrollable
list for example.
[0178] FIG. 7 shows a non-limiting example embodiment of several
entries of an interactive dictionary database 700 that may be
stored in memory 102 of the portable multifunction device 100 and
fully integrated with the contents of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays. Each row includes one entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700. The first column 705 includes
an alphabetized list of messages in the interactive dictionary
database 700. Each message includes text contents of a previously
stored at least one word, sentence, phoneme, plural word message,
letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase stored in memory
102. The second column 715 and the third column 725 include two
different parts of the definitions that correspond to each entry in
the interactive dictionary database 700. The first part of the
definition includes a polysemous symbol sequence including at least
one polysemous symbol in column 715 that may be triggered on
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays to produce the
corresponding message of column 705 (previously stored). The
interactive dictionary database 700 may further include a plurality
of symbol sequences stored in association with a common at least
one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and/or phrase.
[0179] The second part of the definition includes a rationale in
column 725 that explains an association between the corresponding
polysemous symbol sequence in column 715 and the corresponding
previously stored at least one word, sentence, phoneme, plural word
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase in column
705. In other words, the interactive dictionary 700 includes a
plurality of rationales, each respectively relating a respective
one of the plurality of symbol sequences to a respective associated
at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letters, number,
morpheme, command and/or phrase, wherein each of the respective the
rationales are useable to explain how the respective symbol
sequence relates to the respective stored at least one word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and/or phrase.
[0180] The fourth column 745 corresponds to a binary setting that
can be configured for each entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700. Specifically, this binary setting in column 745
useable to assign at least a subset of the plurality of polysemous
symbol sequences at least one of an active and an inactive status,
which may be adjusted to independently assign each entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700 to an active or inactive
status. In the example interactive dictionary database 700 of FIG.
7, the binary setting 747 corresponding to the stored message
"drop" 746 is assigned an inactive status. Several other entries
are assigned an active status (see column 745). As such, the
corresponding or associated symbol sequence of "ELEPHANT",
"UMBRELLA" and "MR. ACTION MAN" will be inactive and thus rendered
unselectable by a user.
[0181] The fifth column 755 corresponds to a frequency counter that
may be included in the interactive dictionary database 700,
corresponding to each of the entries in the interactive dictionary
database 700. The frequency counter corresponding to a given entry
in the interactive dictionary database 700 may increment each time
the corresponding message of column 705 has been input by a user,
via triggering the associated polysemous symbol sequence of column
715. Note that the values of frequency counters of column 755 are
illustrated with varied numbers because the different messages in
the interactive dictionary database 700 may be produced a different
numbers of times.
[0182] Note that two or more messages in the interactive dictionary
database 700 may correspond to identical messages, but correspond
to different polysemous symbol sequences and rationales, just as
there may be multiple definitions of a word in a written
dictionary. In the example of FIG. 7, messages 731 and 735 of
column 705 both correspond to the word "paint." However, these
entries correspond to different definitions. The message "paint"
731 corresponds to polysemous symbol sequence 732 and rationale
733, while the message "paint" 735 corresponds to polysemous symbol
sequence 736 and rationale 737. It should be further noted that the
active/inactive status of these two entries may be configured
independently; the entry corresponding to the message "paint" 731
is configured to an active status 734 while the entry "paint" 735
is configured to an inactive status 738.
[0183] An additional column 765 may be included in the interactive
dictionary database 700, corresponding to an optional threshold
argument for of the entries in the interactive dictionary database
700. The threshold argument 765 may include a threshold defining,
when reached, a point when an inactive entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 should probably be re-configured from an
inactive to an active status, or at least a point in time when
reconfiguring should be considered, as will be discussed later. The
threshold argument 748 corresponding to the stored message "drop"
746 indicates that the stored message "drop" 746 should probably be
re-configured from an inactive to an active status, or at least
this should be considered, when the frequency counter 768
corresponding to the stored message "lift" 766 has been produced
twenty-five times using the corresponding polysemous symbol
sequence 767.
[0184] In at least one embodiment, the information of the
interactive dictionary database 700, useable to assign at least a
subset of the plurality of symbol sequences at least one of an
active and an inactive status, is stored in the memory 102. The
information is stored in association with at least a plurality of
the symbol sequences as indicated above. The integrated input and
display device 112 may be configured to display the information to
the user in a selectable manner. When the processor 120 receives
input information relating to the at least one of an active and an
inactive status of a symbol sequence, it may further edit the
interactive dictionary database 700 stored in memory 102 to reflect
this change.
[0185] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to a method comprising: receiving an indication of
selection of an editing mode for editing a displayed one of a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, without editing any
of the plurality of electronic screen overlays linked to the
displayed electronic screen overlays; receiving an indication of
selection of a key location for editing on the displayed electronic
screen overlay, subsequent to the receiving the indication of
selection of the editing mode; receiving an indication of selection
of a parameter from a plurality of parameters associated with the
selected key location; and receiving an indication of a change in
the selected parameter. The parameters may include a symbol
associated with the selected key location and the change in the
selected parameter may include a change from the symbol to a
different or modified symbol. The method may further include
displaying the parameters associated with the selected key on a
list. The change in the selected parameter may result in a change
in at least one visual characteristic of the selected key on the
displayed electronic screen overlay; the different or modified
symbol may be displayed at the selected key location on the
displayed electronic screen overlay; and/or the different or
modified symbol may be displayed at a relative center of the
selected key location on the displayed electronic screen overlay.
The indication of selection of a parameter may include an
indication of a text entry, and the method may further comprise
associating the text entry with the selected key location. The
associating may include displaying the text entry at the selected
key location on the displayed electronic screen overlay. Further,
the indication of selection of a parameter may include an
indication of a text entry and the method may further comprise
displaying the selected symbol at a relative center of the selected
key location on the displayed electronic screen overlay and
displaying the text entry at least one of above and below the
selected symbol. Still further, the receiving of an indication of
selection of a parameter may include receiving an indication to
edit at least one of font, text, size and color of the text
entry.
[0186] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to a computer readable medium including program segments
for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer
device to implement any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the
method.
[0187] At least one embodiment of the present application is
directed to an apparatus, comprising: an integrated input and
display device, configured to display one of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays; and a processor, configured to receive
an indication of selection of an editing mode for editing a
displayed one of a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays,
without editing any of the plurality of electronic screen overlays
linked to the displayed electronic screen overlays, receive an
indication of selection of a key location for editing on the
displayed electronic screen overlay, subsequent to the receiving
the indication of selection of the editing mode, receive an
indication of selection of a parameter from a plurality of
parameters associated with the selected key location, and receive
an indication of a change in the selected parameter. The parameters
may include a symbol associated with the selected key location and
the change in the selected parameter may include a change from the
symbol to a different or modified symbol. The integrated input and
display device may be further configured to display the parameters
associated with the selected key on a list. The change in the
selected parameter may result in a change in at least one visual
characteristic of the selected key on the displayed electronic
screen overlay. The different or modified symbol may be displayed
at the selected key location on the displayed electronic screen
overlay and/or the different or modified symbol may be displayed at
a relative center of the selected key location on the displayed
electronic screen overlay. The indication of selection of a
parameter may include an indication of a text entry, and the
processor may be further configured to associate the text entry
with the selected key location. The associating may include
displaying the text entry at the selected key location on the
displayed electronic screen overlay. Further, the indication of
selection of a parameter may include an indication of a text entry
and the integrated input and display device may be further
configured to display the selected symbol at a relative center of
the selected key location on the displayed electronic screen
overlay and displaying the text entry at least one of above and
below the selected symbol. Finally, the receiving of an indication
of selection of a parameter may include receiving an indication to
edit at least one of font, text, size and color of the text
entry.
[0188] In at least one embodiment there is an apparatus, method,
computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture for an
operator to selectively display any one of a plurality of
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays, enter an edit mode
that is integrated with the interactive dictionary database, and
selectively modify parameters of a selected key on the currently
displayed electronic screen overlay. In at least one embodiment of
the system or method at least one of: [0189] a. An operator selects
one of a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays to display
on the integrated input and display device 112 and edit. This
overlay may be selected and displayed while working in a
communication mode for example, by beginning with the first level
linked electronic screen overlay and triggering a sequence of one
or more polysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen
overlays to reach the desired second or third level linked
electronic screen overlay, for example. For example, starting on
the first level linked electronic screen overlay, an activation may
be detected by the processor 120 receiving an indication of
selection on the integrated input and display device 112 or
alternative input device. The processor 120 may then determine the
XY position of the activation to identify a selected symbol within
the first level linked electronic screen overlay. This symbol may
then be marked in the database in memory 102 with a pointer to a
second level linked electronic screen overlay. The same process can
be used to link to a third level linked electronic screen overlay
from a symbol on a second level linked electronic screen overlay.
As such, the user can access any electronic screen overlay to
display or edit by triggering a sequence of polysemous symbols on
sequentially linked electronic screen overlays. [0190] b. While the
selected linked electronic screen overlay is displayed on
integrated input and display device 112 for example, the operator
may then enter an edit mode that allows him or her to edit the
currently displayed linked electronic screen overlay without
editing any of the plurality of other linked electronic screen
overlays that are not currently displayed. [0191] c. In the edit
mode, the operator may selectively trigger one key on the virtual
keyboard of the currently displayed linked electronic screen
overlay (as detected by processor 120 in the manner described
above) to edit the selected key. The selected key may be blank or
contain a centrally disposed polysemous or non-polysemous symbol
that may be triggered to produce a corresponding pre-stored message
and/or triggered to access an embedded link to display a next level
linked electronic screen overlay. Accordingly, while in the edit
mode, the operator may select any one of the plurality of virtual
keys on the currently displayed linked electronic screen overlay.
The processor 120 will then retrieve from the database in memory
102, the parameters associated with the selected key and display
them on a list on the screen of the integrated input and display
device 112. The list of displayed parameters may be a scrolling
list. [0192] d. The operator may selectively edit any of the
displayed parameters of the selected key. [0193] e. Editing
parameters of the selected key may result in corresponding changes
in visual characteristics of the selected key as it appears on the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay. [0194] f. Editing
parameters of the selected key may result in corresponding changes
in the response behavior that occurs when the selected key is
triggered in communication mode. [0195] g. Editing parameters of
the selected key may result in corresponding changes in one or more
entries in the interactive dictionary database 700 that include the
symbol of the selected key as part of their one or more
corresponding polysemous symbol sequences. [0196] h. After all
edits are completed, the operator may save any changes that have
been made. The operator may optionally return to a communication
mode or continue working in an edit mode to edit parameters of
other keys on the virtual keyboard of the currently displayed
electronic screen overlay.
[0197] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where the parameters of any key on the virtual keyboard of any of a
plurality of linked electronic screen overlays may be edited,
including keys that are blank, and keys that currently function as
part of one or more of a plurality of sequences of polysemous
symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays that may
be selected to produce one or more of a plurality of previously
stored messages.
[0198] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where the editable parameters include parameters related to visual
characteristics of the selected key which appear when the selected
key is displayed on the integrated input and display device
112.
[0199] The editable parameters related to visual characteristics of
the selected key may include the symbol that is centrally disposed
on the selected key. The operator may optionally select the symbol
that is centrally disposed on the selected key from a list of
available symbols. The symbol that is centrally disposed on the
selected key may act as either a polysemous or non-polysemous
symbol.
[0200] The editable parameters related to visual characteristics of
the selected key may include parameters related to a text label
that is displayed on the selected key. Parameters related to the
text label that is displayed on the selected key may include font,
size, color, or content of the text label, for example.
[0201] The editable parameters related to visual characteristics of
the selected key may include parameters related to the background
of the selected key, background color or brightness, for
example.
[0202] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where editing parameters related to visual characteristics of the
selected key may result in corresponding changes in visual
characteristics of the selected key as it appears on the currently
displayed electronic screen overlay.
[0203] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where editing parameters related to visual characteristics of the
selected key may result in corresponding changes in visual
characteristics of the symbol of the selected key as it appears in
the polysemous symbol sequence of one or more entries in the
interactive dictionary database 700.
[0204] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where the editable parameters include a binary parameter that may
be configured to allow the symbol of the selected key to function
as a non-terminal (initial or intermediate) symbol in one or more
polysemous symbol sequences or prevent the symbol of the selected
key from functioning as a non-terminal (initial or intermediate)
symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences.
[0205] In at least one embodiment of an apparatus, method, computer
readable medium and/or article of manufacture of the present
invention, configuring a binary parameter to allow the symbol of
the selected key to function as a non-terminal (initial or
intermediate) symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences may
direct processor 120 to enable a pointer associated with a next
level linked electronic screen overlay stored in a memory 102 so
that the next level linked electronic screen overlay may be
retrieved and displayed when the symbol of the selected key is
triggered in communication mode.
[0206] A pointer stored in memory 102 associated with the selected
key may direct processor 120 to automatically assign a unique name
to the next level overlay that corresponds to the symbol sequence
that may be used to retrieve and display the next level overlay on
the integrated input and display device 112 by populating an
overlay name field.
[0207] If a binary parameter is configured to allow the symbol of
the selected key to function as a non-terminal (initial or
intermediate) symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences,
the selected key may be used as a non-terminal (initial or
intermediate) symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences
associated with one or more entries in the interactive dictionary
database 700, which may be triggered to produce a corresponding
message of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message,
letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase.
[0208] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, as described above,
where the editable parameters include a binary parameter that may
be configured to allow the symbol of the selected key to function
as the terminal symbol in a polysemous symbol sequence or prevent
the symbol of the selected key from functioning as the terminal
symbol in a polysemous symbol sequence.
[0209] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture that only allows the selected key to be used as the
terminal symbol in a polysemous symbol sequence associated with an
entry in the interactive dictionary database 700, which may be
triggered to produce a corresponding message of at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase if a binary parameter is configured to allow the symbol
of the selected key to function as the terminal symbol in a
polysemous symbol sequence.
[0210] At least one embodiment of the present invention includes an
apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode to edit
parameters of a selected key on the virtual keyboard of the
currently displayed electronic screen overlay, and configure a
binary parameter to allow the symbol of the selected key to
function as the terminal symbol in a polysemous symbol sequence
corresponding to an entry in the interactive dictionary database
700, as described above, where additional parameters may be edited
to modify the corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700.
[0211] The additional parameters that may be edited to modify the
corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include a corresponding message of at least one word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase,
which may produced by triggering the corresponding polysemous
symbol sequence.
[0212] The additional parameters that may be edited to modify the
corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include a rationale relating the corresponding polysemous symbol
sequence to the corresponding message of at least one word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase, which may be useable to explain how the corresponding
polysemous symbol sequence relates to the corresponding message of
at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase.
[0213] The additional parameters that may be edited to modify the
corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include a binary parameter that may be used to assign the
corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 to
an active or inactive status.
[0214] The additional parameters that may be edited to modify the
corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include a threshold argument that may used to define a point when
the corresponding entry in the interactive dictionary database 700
should be re-configured from an inactive to an active status, or at
least a point in time when re-configuring should be considered.
[0215] The modifying the corresponding entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 may also include creating a new entry in
the interactive dictionary database 700 that is associated with the
corresponding polysemous symbol sequence.
[0216] The modifying the corresponding entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 may also include deleting the corresponding
entry from the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0217] FIGS. 8A-C shows an example of the Edit Mode that may be
used to edit parameters of any key on any of a plurality of linked
electronic screen overlays in at least one embodiment of the
present invention. In the example of FIG. 8, the currently
displayed overlay is a "WATCH" overlay 805, namely a second level
linked electronic screen overlay, which may be retrieved and
displayed after the polysemous WATCH symbol 505 is triggered on the
initial electronic screen overlay 500 of FIG. 5A. Any of the
displayed symbols available for selection on the WATCH overlay 805
may be triggered as the second symbol in a polysemous symbol
sequence beginning with the WATCH symbol 505. In the example of
FIG. 8, an operator has entered an edit mode by displaying WATCH
overlay 805, triggering Menu key 802 and then selecting an Edit
Overlay option from a corresponding drop-down menu, for example,
that may be used to selectively edit one or more parameters of any
selected key on the WATCH overlay 805. The name of the currently
displayed WATCH overlay 803 may appear in a banner or message bar
near the top of WATCH overlay as an indication that the system is
currently in an edit mode. While the system is in an edit mode, an
indicator may appear on any keys of the currently displayed overlay
that are blank and are not currently used as part of a polysemous
symbol sequence corresponding to an existing entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700, the word "blank" 810 displayed
on keys 811 and 812 for example. While in an edit mode, the
operator may optionally trigger any key of the currently displayed
electronic screen overlay to direct the processor 120 to retrieve
and display an editable parameters list 800 that may be used to
edit a plurality of parameters associated with the selected key.
When all desired editing operations are completed, the operator may
trigger a command to direct the processor to return to a
communication mode, by triggering Done key 804, for example.
[0218] In an embodiment, blank keys 811 and 812 may be edited in an
edit mode to add a new entry to the interactive dictionary database
and/or enable a link to a newly created third level electronic
screen overlay. In an embodiment, parameters of key 813 which
includes a polysemous symbol may be edited in an edit mode. In an
embodiment, parameters of key 814 which includes a non-polysemous
symbol may be edited in an edit mode. In an embodiment, parameters
of blank keys 811 and 812, parameters of key 813 including a
polysemous symbol and parameters of key 814 including a
non-polysemous symbol may all be edited using the same edit mode.
In an embodiment, parameters of any one of keys 811, 812, 813, and
814 may be edited by triggering any one of keys 811, 812, 813, and
814 in an edit mode to direct the processor 120 to retrieve and
display an editable parameters list 800 populated with editable
parameters corresponding to the selected key.
[0219] In the example embodiment of FIG. 8, an operator may direct
the processor 120 to store any changes made to parameters of the
selected key using editable parameters list 800 by triggering Save
key 806, for example. In the example embodiment of FIG. 8, an
operator may direct the processor 120 to cancel any changes made to
parameters of the selected key using editable parameters list 800
and return each of the plurality of parameters of the selected key
to their previous status by triggering Cancel key 807, for example.
In the example embodiment of FIG. 8, the plurality of editable
parameters on the editable parameters list 800 may fill more than
the allotted screen area, and the editable parameters list may be
scrollable using swipe gesture 808 of FIGS. 8A and 8B, for example.
FIGS. 8A-8C show a scrolling through editable parameters list 800
to display a plurality of editable parameters of a selected key
within the allotted screen area.
[0220] In the example embodiment of FIG. 8A-8C, the polysemous
MOUNTAIN symbol 545 of WATCH overlay 805, has been selected for
editing in an edit mode, and editable parameters list 800 includes
a scrollable list with a plurality of parameters that may be edited
to change corresponding parameters of the MOUNTAIN symbol 545 on
the WATCH overlay 805 and in one or more corresponding polysemous
symbol sequences.
[0221] The plurality of editable parameters listed in editable
parameters list 800 includes a plurality of parameters related to
visual characteristics of the selected MOUNTAIN symbol 545. Editing
any of these parameters may result in changes of the appearance of
the key corresponding to the selected MOUNTAIN symbol 545 on the
currently displayed WATCH overlay 805 but no other overlays and
changes in the appearance of the MOUNTAIN symbol in one or more
corresponding entries in the interactive dictionary database
700.
[0222] The editable parameters related to the visual
characteristics of the selected symbol may include the choice of
the symbol displayed on the key, which is shown in a corresponding
symbol field 815. Note that the symbol in symbol field 815
corresponds to the MOUNTAIN symbol 545 of the selected key. The
symbol displayed on the selected key may be edited using control
keys 816, 817, and 818 for example.
[0223] The editable parameters related to the visual
characteristics of the selected symbol may also include parameters
related to a text label that is displayed on the selected key,
including the text of a key label that may be entered in Key Label
field 820, a font parameter 821, a font size parameter 822, and a
text color parameter 823, for example. Binary Label On Top field
824 may be configured to display or not display the text of the
corresponding key label as defined in Key Label field 820, for
example. In the example of FIGS. 8A-C, the text label of the
selected MOUNTAIN key 545 corresponds to the text entered in Key
Label field 820.
[0224] The editable parameters related to the visual
characteristics of the selected symbol may also include features
related to the background of the selected key, such as Background
Color parameter 830 and Border Color parameter 831, for example. In
the example of FIGS. 8A-C, the background color of selected
MOUNTAIN key 545 is blue, and is consistent with the selected blue
background color of Background Color parameter 830.
[0225] In at least the example embodiment of FIGS. 8A-C, the
plurality of editable parameters listed in editable parameters list
800 includes a binary parameter to allow the MOUNTAIN symbol 545 of
the selected key to function as a non-terminal (intermediate)
symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences, Visit next
overlay parameter 835, for example. In the example of FIG. 8, Visit
next overlay parameter 835 is set to an off position, preventing
MOUNTAIN symbol 545 of the currently displayed WATCH overlay 805
from functioning as an intermediate symbol in one or more
polysemous symbol sequences. Overlay name field 836 may be
automatically populated with the unique name of a corresponding
third level electronic screen overlay that may be retrieved and
displayed by triggering the selected MOUNTAIN symbol 545 in a
communication mode after Visit next overlay parameter 835 is
re-configured to an on position.
[0226] In at least the example embodiment of FIGS. 8A-C, the
plurality of editable parameters listed in the editable parameters
list 800 includes a binary parameter to allow the MOUNTAIN symbol
545 of the selected key to function as the terminal symbol in a two
symbol sequence consisting of WATCH symbol 505 on initial
electronic screen overlay 500 and MOUNTAIN symbol 545 on second
level electronic screen overlay 805, Produce Message parameter 840
for example. In the example of FIG. 8, Produce Message parameter
840 is configured to the on position.
[0227] In at least the example embodiment of FIGS. 8A-C, the
plurality of editable parameters listed in the editable parameters
list 800 includes a plurality of editable parameters that may be
used to edit an entry in the interactive dictionary database 700
corresponding to a polysemous symbol sequence ending with the
selected MOUNTAIN symbol 545 on second level electronic screen
overlay 805. In an embodiment, the stored message of at least one
of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase of the corresponding entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 may be edited by changing the text in Key
Message field 845 of the editable parameters list 800. In an
embodiment, the rationale of the corresponding entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700 may be edited by changing the
text in Rationale field 850 of the editable parameters list 800. In
an embodiment, the editable parameters list 800 may include a
binary parameter used to configure the corresponding entry in the
interactive dictionary database to an active or inactive status,
Mask Message parameter 855, for example.
[0228] In the example embodiment of FIGS. 8A-C, the editable
parameters list 800 may include an editable threshold argument
corresponding to at least one existing entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 with an initially inactive status, that may
be used to define a point when the at least one corresponding entry
in the interactive dictionary database 700 should be re-configured
from an inactive to an active status, or at least a point in time
when re-configuration should be considered. For example, threshold
argument fields 860-861 may define a point in time when one or more
three-symbol sequences beginning with the initial WATCH symbol 505
and the intermediate MOUNTAIN symbol 545 should be re-configured to
an active status and Visit next overlay parameter 835 should be
re-configured to the on setting so that the one or more newly
active polysemous symbol sequences can be made available for
selection. In the example of FIGS. 8A-8C, threshold argument fields
860 and 861 indicate that this re-configuration will occur when the
frequency counter of an entry in interactive dictionary database
700 corresponding to word "go" is incremented to 25.
[0229] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for receiving an operator's request to store a new
entry in an interactive dictionary database 700 in a memory 102,
including at least a new polysemous symbol sequence in association
with at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and phrase, the interactive dictionary
database 700 including a plurality of existing entries, each of the
plurality of existing entries corresponding to at least an existing
polysemous symbol sequence and an existing stored message of at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase; searching the interactive dictionary
database 700, in response to receiving the request, for the at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with to the request; and
executing a differential response behavior depending on whether or
not an existing entry in the interactive dictionary database 700
corresponding to the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is found.
[0230] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for automatically searching the contents of an
interactive dictionary database 700 for one or more existing
entries that corresponds to the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with a requested new entry an operator attempts to store
in the interactive dictionary database 700, as described above,
where the requested new entry is stored in the interactive
dictionary database 700 with no additional steps if no matching
existing entries are found.
[0231] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for automatically searching the contents of an
interactive dictionary database 700 for one or more existing
entries that corresponds to the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with a requested new entry an operator attempts to store
in the interactive dictionary database 700, as described above,
where at least one matching existing entry is found, and the
processor 120 controls a display of feedback on the screen of the
integrated input and display device 112 to inform the operator that
at least one matching entry has been found.
[0232] The feedback to inform the operator that at least one
matching entry has been found may include a prompt to direct the
processor 102 to complete one of a plurality of potential
responses, including at least: [0233] a. Canceling the request to
store the new entry in the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0234] b. Completing the request to store the new entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700 even though there is already at
least one existing entry in the interactive dictionary database 700
that corresponds to the same at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase.
[0235] c. Retrieving from the database in memory 102, the
parameters associated with the key including the terminal symbol of
the polysemous symbol sequence of the requested new entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700 and displaying them on a list
on the screen of the integrated input and display device 112 so
that parameters of the requested new entry in the interactive
dictionary database can be selectively edited. [0236] d. Retrieving
and displaying on the screen of the integrated input and display
device 112 identifying information about the one or more existing
entries in the interactive dictionary database 700 that corresponds
to the same at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message,
letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase as the requested new
entry in the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0237] The displayed identifying information about the one or more
existing entries in the interactive dictionary database 700 that
corresponds to the same at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase as the
requested new entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include at least one corresponding polysemous symbol sequence.
[0238] The displayed identifying information about the one or more
existing entries in the interactive dictionary database 700 that
corresponds to the same at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase as the
requested new entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 may
include at least one corresponding rationale relating the
corresponding polysemous symbol sequence to the corresponding
message of at least one word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and phrase.
[0239] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there
is an apparatus, method, computer readable medium and/or article of
manufacture for an operator to enter an edit mode. In at least one
embodiment, the method includes receiving a request to store a
symbol sequence in an interactive dictionary database stored in a
memory, the symbol sequence including at least one polysemous
symbol and being associated with at least one of at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase, the interactive dictionary database including a
plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol
sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the
plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase; searching the interactive dictionary
database, upon receiving the request, for the at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase associated with the request; storing the requested
symbol sequence and associated at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase in
the interactive dictionary database upon determining that the
interactive dictionary database does not include an existing symbol
sequence associated with the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with the request; and providing to the user, upon
determining that the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary database
in association with an existing symbol sequence, information
permitting entry of the requested symbol sequence as an additional
sequence. The method may further include storing, upon receiving
entry of the additional symbol sequence, the requested symbol
sequence in the interactive dictionary database in association with
the at least one of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request; and/or displaying the associated symbol sequence
in association with the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request, in response to determining that at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase associated with the request is stored in the interactive
dictionary database; and/or displaying the additional symbol
sequence in association with associated symbol sequence and the at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase associated with the request, in
response to receiving an indication of input of the additional
symbol sequence.
[0240] A computer readable medium is disclosed, including program
segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the
computer device to implement the method of an embodiment of the
invention.
[0241] Further, an apparatus is disclosed, comprising: a processor
configured to receive a request to store a symbol sequence in an
interactive dictionary stored in a memory, the symbol sequence
including at least one polysemous symbol and being associated with
at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase, the interactive dictionary including
a plurality of symbol sequences, each of the plurality of symbol
sequences including at least one polysemous symbol and each of the
plurality of symbol sequences being stored in association with at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase; search the interactive dictionary
database, upon receiving the request, for the at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase associated with the request; store the requested symbol
sequence and associated at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase in the
interactive dictionary database upon determining that the
interactive dictionary database does not include an existing symbol
sequence associated with the at least one of a word, sentence,
phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase
associated with the request; and control a display to provide to
the user, upon determining that the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request is stored in the interactive
dictionary database in association with an existing symbol
sequence, information permitting entry of the requested symbol
sequence as an additional symbol sequence. The apparatus may
further include the display, wherein the display is an integrated
input and display device to display the information permitting
entry of the requested symbol sequence as an additional symbol
sequence; and/or the memory, to store, upon the processor receiving
input of the additional symbol sequence, the additional symbol
sequence in the interactive dictionary database in association with
the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,
number, morpheme, command and phrase associated with the request.
The apparatus may further include the display to display the
associated symbol sequence in association with the at least one of
a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase associated with the request, in response to
determining that the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request is stored in the interactive dictionary database;
and display the additional symbol sequence in association with
associated symbol sequence and the at least one of a word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase associated with the request, in response to receiving an
indication of entry of the additional symbol sequence. Further, the
apparatus may include the memory, configured to store, upon the
processor receiving an indication of input of the symbol sequence,
the symbol sequence in the interactive dictionary database in
association with the at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase associated
with the request.
[0242] FIG. 9 shows an example embodiment wherein a popup message
900 that is presented to an operator working in Edit Mode when the
operator attempts to store a new message to a key that matches the
previously stored message of one or more existing entries in the
interactive dictionary database 700. When an operator attempts to
store any new message in the interactive dictionary database 700 in
memory 102, in correspondence to any key, an embodiment of the
system first automatically searches the interactive dictionary
database 700 for any matching entries. If one or more matching
entries is found, the popup message 900 of FIG. 9 is presented.
[0243] The operator may optionally trigger Cancel key 905 to direct
the processor 102 to cancel the request to store the new entry in
the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0244] The operator may optionally trigger Continue Saving key 910
to direct the processor 102 to complete the request to store the
new entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 even though
there is already at least one existing entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 that corresponds to the same at least one
of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,
command and phrase.
[0245] The operator may optionally trigger Edit Message key 915 a
key to direct the processor 102 to retrieve from the database in
memory 102, the parameters associated with the key including the
terminal symbol of the polysemous symbol sequence of the requested
new entry in the interactive dictionary database 700 and display
them using parameter editing list 800 of FIG. 8 for example so that
parameters of the requested new entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700 can be selectively edited.
[0246] The operator may also optionally trigger Show Where Used key
920 to direct the processor 102 to retrieve and display identifying
information about the one or more existing entries in the
interactive dictionary database 700 that corresponds to the same at
least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,
morpheme, command and phrase as the requested new entry in the
interactive dictionary database 700 using the Word Finder tool of
electronic screen overlay 1000 in FIG. 10 for example.
[0247] FIG. 10 shows a non-limiting example of an electronic screen
overlay 1000 that contains a Word Finder tool that may be used for
searching for an existing entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700 that matches a search term entered by an operator.
This tool includes at least a search term field 1005 that may
include the text of a search term such as "paint" for example, one
or more results fields 1010 that may include a display of search
results, a FIND key 1015 to trigger a search command, and a Cancel
key 1020 to close the electronic screen overlay 1000 used for
searching the interactive dictionary database 700.
[0248] After receiving an indication that the Show Where Used key
920 of FIG. 9 has been triggered, the processor may retrieve and
display the Word Finder overlay 1000 of FIG. 10 on integrated input
and display device 112. The processor 102 may automatically
populate the search term field 1005 with the at least one of a
word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command
and phrase of the requested new entry in the interactive dictionary
database 700 and then automatically trigger a search command to
execute a search of the interactive dictionary database 700 for any
existing entries associated with the same one or more word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase as the requested new entry. If one or more matching existing
entries are found in the interactive dictionary database 700, the
corresponding definitions of the one or more matching existing
entries may be displayed in one or more results fields 1010. Each
definition may include at least a polysemous symbol sequence (such
as sequence 732 consisting of polysemous symbols 522, 1025, and
1030 for example; and/or sequence 736, consisting of polysemous
symbol 522 and nonpolysemous symbols 1045 and 1050 for example)
that can be triggered to produce the same one or more word,
sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and
phrase as the requested new entry. In this example of FIG. 10,
there are two different matching existing entries associated with
the word of the requested new entry, "paint", namely there are two
different symbol sequences that, when selected, will output the
word "paint". Further, the respective definitions may also include
a respective rationale 732, 736 relating each of the plurality of
symbol sequences to their associated at least one of words,
sentences, phonemes, messages, letters, numbers, morphemes,
commands and phrases, each of the respective the rationales being
useable to explain how the respective symbol sequence relates to
the respective stored at least one word, sentence, phoneme,
message, letter, number, morpheme, command and/or phrase.
[0249] In the example of FIG. 10, the processor 102 has
automatically triggered a search for existing entries in the
interactive dictionary database 700 that are associated with the
message "paint" of the requested new entry in the interactive
dictionary database 700 and has found two existing entries
associated with the message "paint." A corresponding polysemous
symbol sequence (732 and 736) and rationale (733 and 737) are
displayed in a results field for each matching existing in results
fields 1010.
[0250] The patent claims filed with the application are formulation
proposals without prejudice for obtaining more extensive patent
protection. The applicant reserves the right to claim even further
combinations of features previously disclosed only in the
description and/or drawings.
[0251] The example embodiment or each example embodiment should not
be understood as a restriction of the invention. Rather, numerous
variations and modifications are possible in the context of the
present disclosure, in particular those variants and combinations
which can be inferred by the person skilled in the art with regard
to achieving the object for example by combination or modification
of individual features or elements or method steps that are
described in connection with the general or specific part of the
description and are contained in the claims and/or the drawings,
and, by way of combinable features, lead to a new subject matter or
to new method steps or sequences of method steps, including insofar
as they concern production, testing and operating methods.
[0252] References back that are used in dependent claims indicate
the further embodiment of the subject matter of the main claim by
way of the features of the respective dependent claim; they should
not be understood as dispensing with obtaining independent
protection of the subject matter for the combinations of features
in the referred-back dependent claims. Furthermore, with regard to
interpreting the claims, where a feature is concretized in more
specific detail in a subordinate claim, it should be assumed that
such a restriction is not present in the respective preceding
claims.
[0253] Since the subject matter of the dependent claims in relation
to the prior art on the priority date may form separate and
independent inventions, the applicant reserves the right to make
them the subject matter of independent claims or divisional
declarations. They may furthermore also contain independent
inventions which have a configuration that is independent of the
subject matters of the preceding dependent claims.
[0254] Further, elements and/or features of different example
embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for
each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended
claims.
[0255] Still further, any one of the above-described and other
example features of the present invention may be embodied in the
form of an apparatus, method, system, computer program, tangible
computer readable medium and tangible computer program product. For
example, of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in the form
of an apparatus or device, including, but not limited to, any of
the structure for performing the methodology illustrated in the
drawings.
[0256] Even further, any of the aforementioned methods may be
embodied in the form of a program. The program may be stored on a
tangible computer readable medium and is adapted to perform any one
of the aforementioned methods when run on a computer device (a
device including a processor 120). Thus, the tangible storage
medium or tangible computer readable medium, is adapted to store
information and is adapted to interact with a data processing
facility or computer device to execute the program of any of the
above mentioned embodiments and/or to perform the method of any of
the above mentioned embodiments.
[0257] The tangible computer readable medium or tangible storage
medium may be a built-in medium installed inside a computer device
main body or a removable tangible medium arranged so that it can be
separated from the computer device main body. Examples of the
built-in tangible medium include, but are not limited to,
rewriteable non-volatile memories, such as ROMs and flash memories,
and hard disks. Examples of the removable tangible medium include,
but are not limited to, optical storage media such as CD-ROMs and
DVDs; magneto-optical storage media, such as MOs; magnetism storage
media, including but not limited to floppy disks (trademark),
cassette tapes, and removable hard disks; media with a built-in
rewriteable non-volatile memory, including but not limited to
memory cards; and media with a built-in ROM, including but not
limited to ROM cassettes; etc. Furthermore, various information
regarding stored images, for example, property information, may be
stored in any other form, or it may be provided in other ways.
[0258] Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious
that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not
to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the
present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious
to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *