The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2000
Craig Alexander Will, Long Barn, CA (US);
Cognitive Research & Design Corp., Mi Wuk Village, CA (US);
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for entering words with a menu and thumbwheel. A menu and thumbwheel is an effective user interface for certain specialized miniature information appliances, including personal digital assistants, two-way pagers, and handheld wireless Web access devices. However, entering text can be rather tedious. In the present invention, the average entry speed is increased by using menus in which each item contains more than one letter. The user enters the first few letters of a word ambiguously, with the system retrieving from a dictionary those words consistent with the letters and displaying them as part of the menu. When the user sees the desired word, that word is selected. The system can also learn which words a particular user is likely to enter, further speeding up entry. The approach is applicable to the entry of words to compose natural language text as well as the entry of names, electronic mail, and Web addresses for use with electronic mail, directory lookup, and Web browsing.