Importance

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Abstract

A reduced keyboard disambiguating system (50) having a keyboard (54) with a reduced number of keys. A plurality of letters and symbols are assigned to a set of data keys (56) so that keystrokes entered by a user are ambiguous. Due to the ambiguity in each keystroke, an entered keystroke sequence could match a number of words with the same number of letters. The disambiguating system includes a memory (104) having a number of vocabulary modules (110). The vocabulary modules contain a library of objects that are each associated with a keystroke sequence. Each object is also associated with a frequency of use. Objects within the vocabulary modules that match the entered keystroke sequence are identified by the disambiguating system. Objects associated with a keystroke sequence that match the entered keystroke sequence are displayed to the user in a selection list (76). The objects are listed in the selection list according to their frequency of use. An unambiguous select key (60) is pressed by a user to delimit the end of a keystroke sequence. The first entry in the selection list is automatically selected by the disambiguating system as the default interpretation of the ambiguous keystroke sequence. The user accepts the selected interpretation by starting to enter another ambiguous keystroke sequence. Alternatively, the user may press the select key a number of times to select other entries in the selection list. For words that are not in the vocabulary modules, a two-stroke or multiple-stroke method are used to unambiguously specify each letter. The disambiguating system simultaneously interprets all entered keystroke sequences as a word, as a two-stroke sequence, and as a multiple-stroke sequence. The multiple interpretations are automatically and simultaneously provided to the user in the selection list.

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First Claim