Fundamentals of Algorithms

(07B41CI707)
Project Report
On

Predicting Text entry in mobile phones

based on T9 input method

Group Members:

Shilpi Bansal(07103405)

Sankalp Saxena(07103406)

Kushal Bhatia(07103408)

Neha Agarwal(07103594)
Table of contents
1.Problem definition

2 .Literature Survey ………….…

3.Literature analysis ……………..

4.Data Flow Diagrams ………………

5Data structure Used …………..

6.Algorithms proposed ……………..

7.Complexity analysis ……………

8. Shortcomings ……………………

9. Future scope and improvements ………………..

10. Conclusion along with references .…………

Problem Definition

The rapid growth of Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging is

generating substantial commercial and research interest in fast and efficient
text input methods for mobile devices. This paper presents an empirical
study that compares two mobile phone text input techniques. The methods
are 'multi-press input with timeout', T9 method. The study shows that there
is a significant speed difference between the two text input methods.

World-wide growth of SMS use.

In this research paper, we address the different ways of inputting text into
mobile phones and the entry speed. Inputting text can be done in several
ways, these include, Multi Press Input Method, and the T9 input method. To
implement the above features we’ll be only using the numeric pad of a
normal QWERTY keyboard, which will act similar to the keypad of any
normal mobile phone. Keys for alphabets, digits, some special characters
will be provided. Also, the Next, Clear, Previous options will be provided.
In some cases time between different inputs will also be taken into
consideration.

A dictionary will also be made to implement the T9 Input Method.

We could have implemented the T9 method using various data structures .

Some of them were “trie” data structure or by using a doubly linked list.
These algorithms, usually better algorithms but which do the same thing are
being used effectively worldwide in mobile and cellular phones for text
entries. SMS, inputting names, any other textual data in such gadgets is
being entered these days using these methods only. But we have
implemented T9 through the use of 2-d arrays and certain
manipulations.
Literature Survey

This paper describes the T9 Text Input@ product (T9), which can be used
by small device designers to meet the text-entry needs of diverse populations
of users.

We have studied various research papers regarding this text prediction

method and have tried to implement it on our own by using 2- d Arrays and
applying certain manipulations to them for finding the result.

We have studied the following research papers for our project that are
registered with ACM

1.Predicting Text Entry Speed on Mobile Phones- Miika Silfverberg,

I. Scott MacKenzie, Panu Korhonen

2. An Evaluation of Mobile Phone Text Input Methods- Lee Butts and

Andy Crockburn

3. Bringing Text Input beyond the Desktop- Christina James and Michael
Longe

4. Mobile Phone Text Entry -Lee Butts Dr. Andy Cockburn

Literature analysis

Text entry on contemporary mobile phones is mainly based on the

12-key keypad (Figure 1).

Figure1:12-key pad

This paper describes a method for predicting potential expert user

text entry speedfor input methods that utilize the 12-key keypad.
Tegic Communications ("Tegic") developed a technique called
“T9” for text input to enable efficient generation of any desired
text using a keyboard with only a small number of keys.
Multiple letters are assigned to each key, so that the specific letter
intended by a single keystroke is ambiguous. The system is based
on a process known as "word level disambiguation", where the
system compares a sequence of ambiguous keystrokes to words in
a large database to determine the intended word.

The two text entry methods discussed in this project are—

Multi Press Input Method
This approach brings out the problem of segmentation. When a
character is placed in the same key as the previously entered
character (e.g., the word on), the system must determine whether
the new key pressed still "belongs to" the previous character or
represents a new character.
 Therefore, a mechanism is required to specify the start of a new
character.

T9 Input Method
To overcome the problem of ambiguity is to add linguistic
knowledge to the system. The T9 input method, uses a dictionary
as the basis for disambiguation. In this method each key is pressed
only once. For example, to enter "the", the user enters the key
sequence 8-4-3-0. The 0-key, for SPACE, delimits words and
terminates disambiguation of the preceding keys. T9 compares the
word possibilities to its linguistic database to "guess" the intended
word.

Multi way key Input:

1. If the user want to type “going”.
Sol: 4,666,444,66,4
2. If the user want to type “where”.
Sol: 9,44,33,777,33
T9 Input:
1. If the user want to type “going”.
Sol: 4,6,4,6,4
2. If the user want to type “where”.
Sol: 9,4,3,7,3
Movement Model (Flits' Law)

The core of this paper is the application of Fitts' law to the mobile phone
keypad. Fitts' law is a quantitative model for rapid, aimed movements. It can
be used to calculate the potential text entry speed of an expert user,
assuming that the text entry performance of an expert is highly over learned,
and thus is limited only by motor performance.

Fitts' law is expressed as

MT = a + b log2(A/W + 1)

where A is the length (amplitude) of a movement, and W is

target size (width),

Various studies have been carried out over the years, comparing the two
methods over speed and accuracy. The results are as follows---

Method Index Finger Thumb

Multi-press
- wait for timeout 22.5 20.8
- Timeout kill 27.2 24.5

T9 45.7 40.6
Figure 6. Results of model predictions (wpm)
Flow Chart

Interface Design:

Main Menu

1. Multi-Press Input Method

2. T9 Input Method

3 Exit
 User Interface

Multi-Press T9 Input
Input Method
Method

User will press User will enter the

many key top key and
input a automatically word
character. will input from

Display
function will
be called.

Exit.
 Flow Chart

START

Enter your Choice:

1. Multi-Way Key Input.
2. T9 Input.
3. Exit.

If
(choice
)

Multi Way T9 Input()

Key Input()

STOP
 T9 Input ()

Enter Key
and add
to buffer

If(key==0
)
Fals
True e

Print text in buffer

and space. Then If(key==(e
clear buffer text xit key))
Fals True
e
If
(key==’* Exit
’)
Fals
True
e

Add key to
Modify text in
buffer buffer to the next
possible sequence

Display buffer
contents
Data structure used.

We observed that the most time consuming process

in text prediction was of searching for words in the
dictionary, and adding new words to the buffer.
We have designed a 2-d array and stored the words
in them after reading them from an input file.
Complexity analysis
After running our code we found that the time
complexity comes out to be O(n).
On the other hand, the space complexity for bounded
space is O(nlogn)
Where n=no of words
Algorithms proposed
For T9 Input Method

1. fp= fopen(‘linguistic database’,’r’).

2. while(!=eof(fp))
a[i][j]->valueof each character
3. for h=0->19
{
TempArray[h]->null
}
4. For p=0->p<w.end.length-1
if(w.end[p][0].compareTo(show)==0)
{
TempArray[u]->w.end[p][1]
display(TempArray[u]+u)
u=u+1
}
5. If TempArray[0]!=null
Result->TempArray[0]
else
result->show
else

if(chars=="*")

Display TempArray[q]
z->true;
while(z==true)

q->q+1
if(TempArray[q]==null)
q->0
result=TempArray[q]
display TempArray[q]
z=false
 else

if(chars=="#")
last=""
result=""
str=new StringBuffer()
last+=result
result=""
z=false
String TempArray[]=null
6. display last
7. display result

For Multipress
1. if (chars!="*"&& chars!="#")
{
a=chars
2. read from file

3. for j=0->a
inline=infile.readLine()
u=inline.length()
if(result.length()==0)
{
result=" "
}
4. Display result.charAt(result.length()-1)+" " +inline.charAt(0+p)
5. Display p
6. if(result.charAt(result.length()-1)==inline.charAt(0+p))
{
p=p+1
if(p==u-1)
p=0
tt=inline.substring(p, p+1);
if (result.length()>0) result=result.substring(0,result.length()-1);

7. result+=tt
8. display p
}
9. else
 {
p=0
tt=inline.substring(0, 1)
result+=tt
}

}
else
{

10. if(chars.equals("#"))
{
if (result.length()>0)
{
11. result=result.substring(0,result.length()-1)
p=0
}
}
12. if(chars.equals("*"))
p=0

Screen shots
Shortcomings
Every good thing has some drawbacks so does our
project. The problem is that if the word doesn’t exist
in the dictionary then it shows the code entered by
the user in spite of adding the word to the dictionary.

Future scope and improvements-

There is a lot of scope for further development. We
can design certain T9 games such as scramble,
wordcross etc. we can design T9 navigation system
where we can find the things located in our mobile
by entering only the initials.eg.
745(SIL) = Silence ringer, 336(DEN) = Dentist appointment /
calendar, 322(FAC) = Facebook / Internet , 269(AMY) =
Winehouse / music download
Conclusion

This project of ours is a humble effort to implement the T9 method

using various data structures, and although various other better text
prediction methods exist ,but the understanding of the basic text
prediction method will give us an insight usually better algorithms
but which do the same thing are being used effectively worldwide
in mobile and cellular phones for text entries. SMS, inputting
names, any other textual data in such gadgets will really help us to
learn more about text mobility, and also in text input methods for
the physically impaired .
References:-
1. Dunlop, M. D. & Crossan, A. (2000), ‘Predictive text entry methods for
mobile phones', Personal Technologies pp. 134-143.
GSM Association (2000),

2. Miika Silfverberg, I. Scott MacKenzie, Panu Korhonen, Predicting Text

Entry Speed on Mobile Phones-April 2000

3. James, C. L. & Reischel, K. M. (2001), Text input formobile devices:

comparing model prediction to actual performance, in 'Proc of CHI2001',
ACM,New York, pp. 365-371.

4. - Lee Butts and Andy Crockburn, An Evaluation of Mobile Phone Text

Input Methods-

5. Bringing Text Input beyond the Desktop- Christina James and Michael
Longe

6.Mobile Phone Text Entry -Lee Butts Dr. Andy Cockburn..November

2001