Systems and methods for identifying and suggesting emoticons

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a set of segments from a text field, wherein the set of segments comprises one or more segments of interest selected relative to a current position of an input cursor in the 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;

identifying a set of candidate emoticons, wherein 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, and wherein the set of candidate emoticons comprises one or more candidate emoticons;

presenting the set of candidate emoticons for entry selection at the current position of the input cursor in a priority order based on a respective strength of the association between each emoticon in the set and at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning;

receiving an entry selection for a set of selected emoticons from the set of candidate emoticons, wherein the set of selected emoticons comprises one or more selected emoticons; and

inserting the set of selected emoticons into the text field at the current position of the input cursor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each association comprises a statistical usage of the candidate emoticon with at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the statistical usage is based on usage by a single user or by a plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising updating the statistical usage of the candidate emoticons based on the entry selection for the set of selected emoticons.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the set of segments comprises semantic analysis of the set of segments.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the set of emoticons for entry selection comprises displaying the emoticon, for entry selection, at or near the current position of the input cursor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the set of candidate emoticons for entry selection comprises displaying the set of candidate emoticons, for entry selection, on a physical input device or a virtual input device, wherein the physical input device and the displayed input interface are configured to execute the entry selection.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the virtual input device is displayed in close proximity to the text field.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each segment of interest 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.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the set of candidate emoticons is further based on at least a user preference, a user-related information, or a recipient-related information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the user-related information includes a user interest, a user ethnicity, a user religion, a user geographic location, a user age, a user relational status, and a user occupation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the recipient-related information includes a recipient's relation to a user, a recipient interest, a recipient ethnicity, a recipient religion, a recipient geographic location, a recipient age, a recipient relational status, and a recipient occupation.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a display module configured to display a text field and one or more segments entered into the text field;

an input module configured to receive segment input from a user and to enter the segment input into the text field at an input cursor;

a segment analysis module configured to:

receive a set of segments from the text field, wherein the set of segments comprises one or more segments of interest selected relative to a current position of the input cursor in the text field, and

use the processor to analyze the set of segments to determine at least one of a target subtext or a target meaning associated with the set of segments;

an emoticon search module configured to identify a set of candidate emoticons, wherein 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, and wherein the set of candidate emoticons comprises one or more candidate emoticons;

an emoticon suggestion module configured to present the set of candidate emoticons in a priority order based on a respective strength of the association between each emoticon in the set and at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning through the display module for entry selection at the current position of the input cursor; and

an emoticon selection module configured to:

receive from the input module an entry selection for a set of selected emoticons from the set of candidate emoticons, wherein the set of selected emoticons comprises one or more selected emoticons, and

insert the set of selected emoticons into the text field at the current position of the input cursor.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising an emoticon datastore comprising one or more emoticons capable of entry into the text field, and wherein the emoticon search module is further configured to identify the set of candidate emoticons on the emoticon datastore.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein each association comprises a statistical usage of the candidate emoticon with at least one of the target subtext or the target meaning.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the statistical usage is based on usage by a single user or by a plurality of users.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the emoticon selection module is further configured to update the statistical usage of the candidate emoticons based on the entry selection for the set of selected emoticons.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein analyzing the set of segments comprises semantic analysis of the set of segments.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein presenting the set of emoticons through the display module for entry selection comprises displaying the emoticon, for entry selection, at or near the current position of the input cursor.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein presenting the set of candidate emoticons through the display module for entry selection comprises displaying the set of candidate emoticons, for entry selection, through the input module.