Apple wants to patent enhanced autocorrect and automated language selection

posted by Peter K. / Feb 06, 2014, 9:40 AM

Apple wants to patent enhanced autocorrect and automated language selection

The USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) revealed that Apple has filed a patent application for a "transient panel enabling message correction capabilities prior to data submission" back in 2012. This adds enhanced functionality to the autocorrect feature, which is present on iOS devices. Simply put, it will give you a second chance to fix the mistakes in your text message after you have "instructed the device to send the message". The enhanced tool will give you a corrected preview of your text message. If you are satisfied with its current state of the spelling, you can press "Send" again and the text will depart for its recipient.

In order "to avoid impeding the flow of communication" the enhanced autocorrect feature will display the edited preview of the text for limited time only, the patent application states. During the short preview, users will have the option to "Fix Errors", "Ignore"/"Reject", or "Accept" the changes that the tool has made.

The improved autocorrect tool will allow users to preview their message and avoid any serious word mismatches, which usually result in hilariously autocorrected text messages.

Another patent application, filed by Apple in 2012, concerns "Language Changing". This feature allows the system to automatically change the keyboard input language based on several factors, such as "language information associated with the recipients, and language information extracted from a previously received message". The tool will use cloud-based software to identify the contextual language and switch between the different keyboard languages. Of course, the user can opt to keep the default keyboard language and override any language changes.

Patent images

source: USPTO (1), (2) via AppleInsider

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17 Comments

1. donphone

Posts: 64; Member since: Oct 20, 2013

Victory for the inept and lazy...

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 9:44 AM 1

11. Ashoaib

Posts: 3276; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

Apple wants to patent the use of mobile phone while sitting on a toilet seat... well you can still read a news paper though

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 12:40 PM 2

2. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

The first patent filing shouldn't even be granted. The second one however should.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 9:46 AM 1

5. tech2

Posts: 3487; Member since: Oct 26, 2012

Doesn't BB10 work on similar concept by letting you type two languages at once ?

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 9:59 AM 1

8. PapaSmurf

Re-read the second patent's description.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 11:27 AM 1

6. Augustine

Posts: 1043; Member since: Sep 28, 2013

No, it shouldn't. Firefox and Chrome can already do it.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 10:38 AM 2

12. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

for text messages?

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 1:03 PM 1

13. Augustine

Wow, because where it's used make all the difference! What's next, patenting animated icons of beach-balls or squares with rounded edges? Wait...

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 1:59 PM 3

3. wolfsaviorzx unregistered

More Apple Patent Trolling. Apple's days are numbered, only their cult members still buy their overpriced iToys.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 9:47 AM 6

9. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

Unfortunately that is all they need because the cult has millions of followers. As long as they keep selling to said cultists, they'll stay in business long enough to screw up the industry and slow several decades of innovation.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 11:41 AM 3

4. BREvenson

Posts: 240; Member since: May 17, 2012

You know their input technology is messed up when they need to patent a function for users to spend more time correcting the mistakes that they (or the phone) made. When I make a mistake, I click to delete the word and try again. When you're swiping, this is much less of an inconvenience than when you have to type each letter. The second patent is more understandable; that's a technology that isn't desperately needed at this time, but it does have its uses when you're up and abroad.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 9:55 AM 3

7. Augustine

Automatic detection of the language being typed can already be found in Firefox and Chrome. Mere patent trolling.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 10:39 AM 2

10. ibap

Posts: 867; Member since: Sep 09, 2009

So they've figured out that people can recognize iPhone users by the errors in their messages that they can't be bothered to fix, or it's too hard to navigate to fix, or they just can't recognize that they are errors? They wouldn't of course, give you actual arrow keys (as in SwiftKey) that would let you navigate to fix what you typed? Oh, wait, that's been done before, can't patent and sue over it. Quick, have they patented having a period at the end of a sentence?

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 12:01 PM 3

14. Killertech2099

Posts: 148; Member since: Sep 28, 2013

Too bad i use swiftkey, apple please with all these patents is it really necessary? The first one shouldn't at all however the second makes more sense

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 2:41 PM 2

15. Augustine

It would, if didn't already exist.

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 2:50 PM 2

16. networkdood

Posts: 6330; Member since: Mar 31, 2010

There are websites dedicated to showing you just how poor APPLE's autocorrect is...www.damnyouautocorrect.com......for example - how pathetic this company is and even more patethic the people who cheer on multi billion dollar companies....

posted on Feb 06, 2014, 4:42 PM 2

17. Taters

Posts: 6474; Member since: Jan 28, 2013

Still have no idea how people cannot see through Apple's bulls**t. Are they that stupid? Anyways, Samsung should do it to give Apple a taste of it. Patent the square or rectangular shape of a microchip and then sue Apple because all of their chips and ram etc are square or rectangular. This would force them to make round microchips or something or risk being total hypocrites. That would be hilarious. Sometimes technology just moves a certain way. Companies that finds these trends and just patent what they can first needs to die and die horribly.