System capable of accomplishing flexible keyboard layout

Abstract

A system of implementing flexible keyboard layout for inputting text into an electronic device, where a user's input is mapped to a character set based on a keyboard layout, and an input sequence is formed. The user may customize different keyboard layouts and switch among these different layouts arbitrarily. Also, an auto error-correction may be achieved, and smart words selection may be achieved based on context. With the system of the invention, the design cost of the portable device manufactures may be reduced significantly.

1 . A system for inputting into an electronic device through a keyboard, comprising:
 an input module for detecting a user input;   a layout mapping module connected to the input module, wherein the layout mapping module stores layout parameters of a plurality of keyboards, wherein layout parameters comprise a plurality of character sets, and wherein the layout mapping module maps the user input to at least one corresponding character set corresponding to different action of a user input on a current keyboard layout;   a candidate word module connected to the layout mapping module, wherein the candidate word module generates an input sequence based on said plurality of character sets, to generate candidate words based on said input sequence; and   an output module connected to the candidate word module for outputting the candidate words.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said layout mapping module further maps user inputs to an ambiguous input character set, a precise input character, or both. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein said layout mapping module is further maps the input to an error-correction character set. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said layout parameters further comprising:
 position and size of each key of a keyboard layout; or   one or more characters belonging to each key and corresponding positions for displaying each characters on the key; or both.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the layout mapping module further defines layout parameters of different keyboards and switch the keyboard layout on display to another keyboard layout upon a user input to switch keyboard layouts. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the candidate word module further sequences candidate words based on an eventual priority derived from a weighted sum of a number of factors affecting the priority, wherein said factors comprises a rule of contextual association, a word frequency, and a length of a candidate word. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the rule of contextual association in the candidate word module contains common phrase collocation for a word, or syntax criteria, or both. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the candidate word module generates a substitute format of the candidate word according to the rule of contextual association and adding the substitute format into a candidate word list. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a dictionary module, wherein the dictionary module stores candidate words and the candidate word module searches for candidate words in the dictionary. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , said candidate word module searches for candidate words in the dictionary by excluding impossible word paths in the dictionary. 
     
     
         11 . A method for inputting into an electronic device through a keyboard, comprising:
 detecting a user input;   mapping the user input to at least one corresponding character set according to layout parameters of a keyboard layout on display, wherein layout parameters comprises the character set corresponding to different actions of a user input;   generating an input sequence based on a plurality of said corresponding character sets;   generating candidate words based on said input sequence, and sequence the possible candidate words;   outputting the candidate words.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the user input is mapped to an ambiguous input character set, a precise input character, or both. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the user input is mapped to an error-correction character set. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said layout parameters further comprises position and size of each key of a keyboard layout;
 one or more characters belonging to each key and corresponding positions for displaying each characters on the key; or both.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: switching the layout parameters of the keyboard layout on display to layout parameters of another keyboard layout upon a user input to switch keyboard layouts. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: sequencing the possible candidate words based on an eventual priority derived from a weighted sum of a number of factors affecting the priority, wherein said factors comprises a rule of contextual association, a word frequency, and a length of a candidate word. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the rule of contextual association in the candidate word module contains common phrase collocation for a word, or syntax criteria, or both. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 generating a substitute format of the candidate words according to the rule of contextual association; and   adding the substitute format into a candidate word list.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein further comprising:
 searching for candidate words in a dictionary by excluding impossible word paths in the dictionary.