Systems and methods for identifying and suggesting emoticons

Abstract

Various embodiments provide a method that comprises receiving a set of segments from a text field, analyzing the set of segments to determine at least one of a target subtext or a target meaning associated with the set of segments, and identifying a set of candidate emoticons where each candidate emoticon in the set of candidate emoticons has an association between the candidate emoticon and at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning. The method may further comprise presenting the set of candidate emoticons for entry selection at a current position of an input cursor, receiving an entry selection for a set of selected emoticons from the set of candidate emoticons, and inserting the set of selected emoticons into the text field at the current position of the input cursor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving one or more segments selected relative to a current position of an input cursor in a text field;   analyzing the one or more segments to determine at least one of a subtext or a meaning associated with the one or more segments;   identifying one or more candidate emoticons for insertion into the text field based on an association between each candidate emoticon and at least one of the subtext or the meaning;   displaying the one or more candidate emoticons for entry selection; and   inserting one or more selected candidate emoticons into the text field.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each segment comprises at least one of a word, a sentence fragment, a sentence, a phrase, or a passage that precedes or follows the current position of the input cursor. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more segments comprises:
 performing semantic analysis of the one or more segments.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more candidate emoticons for insertion into the text field is further based on at least one of a user preference, user-related information, or recipient-related information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more candidate emoticons comprise at least one of a character emoticon, a graphical emoticon, a graphically-animated emoticon, or an emoticon accompanied by a sound. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each association comprises a statistical usage of the candidate emoticon with at least one of the subtext or the meaning. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 updating the statistical usage of the one or more candidate emoticons based on the entry selection for the one or more selected candidate emoticons.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the one or more candidate emoticons for entry selection comprises at least one of (i) presenting the one or more candidate emoticons at or near the current position of the input cursor in the text field or (ii) presenting the one or more candidate emoticons in an on-screen keyboard. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving the entry selection for the one or more candidate emoticons.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more selected candidate emoticons are inserted into the text field at the current position of the input cursor. 
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 one or more computer processors programmed to perform operations to:
 receive one or more segments selected relative to a current position of an input cursor in a text field; 
 analyze the one or more segments to determine at least one of a subtext or a meaning associated with the one or more segments; 
 identify one or more candidate emoticons for insertion into the text field based on an association between each candidate emoticon and at least one of the subtext or the meaning; 
 display the one or more candidate emoticons for entry selection; and 
 insert one or more selected candidate emoticons into the text field. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each segment comprises at least one of a word, a sentence fragment, a sentence, a phrase, or a passage that precedes or follows the current position of the input cursor. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein to analyze the one or more segments the one or more computer processors are further to:
 perform semantic analysis of the one or more segments.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein to identify the one or more candidate emoticons for insertion into the text field is further based on at least one of a user preference, user-related information, or recipient-related information. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each association comprises a statistical usage of the candidate emoticon with at least one of the subtext or the meaning. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations are further to:
 update the statistical usage of the one or more candidate emoticons based on the entry selection for the one or more selected candidate emoticons.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein to display the one or more candidate emoticons for entry selection the one or more computer processors are further to at least one of (i) present the one or more candidate emoticons at or near the current position of the input cursor in the text field or (ii) present the one or more candidate emoticons in an on-screen keyboard. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations are further to:
 receive the entry selection for the one or more candidate emoticons.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more selected candidate emoticons are inserted into the text field at the current position of the input cursor. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
 receive one or more segments selected relative to a current position of an input cursor in a text field;   analyze the one or more segments to determine at least one of a subtext or a meaning associated with the one or more segments;   identify one or more candidate emoticons for insertion into the text field based on an association between each candidate emoticon and at least one of the subtext or the meaning;   display the one or more candidate emoticons for entry selection; and   insert one or more selected candidate emoticons into the text field.