System and method for determining and controlling the impact of text

• US 20020199166A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Fogel, Yanon Volcani
• Original Assignee: David Fogel, Yanon Volcani
• Inventors: Fogel, David, Volcani, Yanon
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text

Abstract

A computer program that indicates lexical impact of various words in a text and provides various statistics relating to lexical impact of the text. Also, a ranked thesaurus for listing alternative words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, related), along with an indication of their relative lexical impact (item 141). The thesaurus may alternatively rank words according to ranking system.

Claims

1. A computer program comprising:

a vocabulary database comprising machine readable data corresponding to a plurality of vocabulary words and a lexical impact value respectively corresponding to each vocabulary word;

comparison instructions comprising machine readable instructions for comparing a plurality of text words of a piece of text to the vocabulary database to determine a lexical impact value each text word that corresponds to a vocabulary word; and

output instructions comprising machine readable instructions for outputting the lexical impact value of the text words that correspond to vocabulary words as output data.

2. The computer program of claim 1 wherein the lexical impact value comprises a plurality of constituent sub-values, with each constituent sub-value corresponding to lexical impact with respect to a different type of emotional response.

3. The computer program of claim 1 wherein the lexical impact values are expressed as numerical terms.

4. The computer program of claim 3 further comprising statistical instructions comprising machine readable instructions for compiling at least one statistical measurement based on the lexical impact values of the text words as determined by the comparison instructions.

5. The computer program of claim 4 wherein the at least one statistical measurement is an average lexical impact value.

6. The computer program of claim 1 further comprising word processing instructions comprising machine readable instructions for:

allowing input and revision of the text comprised of the text words by an author; and

maintaining and storing the text in machine readable form as the text is being written by the author.

7. The computer program of claim 1 further comprising display instructions comprising machine readable instructions for receiving the output data and for generating a display, perceivable by the author, indicative of the lexical impact values of the text words.

8. The computer program of claim 7 wherein the display instructions generate a visual display.

9. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the visual display comprises a portion of the text along with a visual indication of lexical impact value of at least some text words, with the visual indication of lexical impact value being disposed in proximity to its corresponding text word.

10. The computer program of claim 9 wherein the visual indication of lexical impact values is accomplished by variation in the color of the text words.

11. The computer program of claim 9 wherein the visual indication of lexical impact values is accomplished by displaying numbers indicating lexical impact values respectively within the vicinity of corresponding text words.

12. The computer program of claim 9 wherein the visual indication of lexical impact values is accomplished by graphics accompanying the displayed text.

14. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the ranking spectrum corresponds to lexical impact.

15. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the ranking spectrum corresponds to reading level.

16. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the words of the thesaurus groupings of the thesaurus database comprise at least one of the following:

synonyms, antonyms, and related words.

17. The computer program of claim 13 further comprising search-and-flag instructions comprising machine readable instructions for automatically inputting all of the words of a portion of text to the input instructions as look-up words and flagging selected words of the portion of text based on a predetermined ranking condition and on the rankings received back from the output instructions.

18. The computer program of claim 17 further comprising replacement instructions for selecting proposed replacement words for flagged words based on the predetermined ranking condition and on the rankings received back from the output instructions.

20. The computer program of claim 19 further comprising search-and-flag instructions comprising machine readable instructions for automatically inputting all of the words of a portion of text to the input instructions as look-up words and flagging selected words of the portion of text based on a predetermined lexical impact condition and on the lexical impacts received back from the output instructions.

13. A computer program comprising:

a thesaurus database comprising machine readable data corresponding to thesaurus groupings and rankings for each of each thesaurus grouping, with respect to a ranking spectrum;

input instructions comprising machine readable instructions for receiving a requested look-up word;

retrieval instructions comprising machine readable instructions for retrieving a thesaurus grouping corresponding to the look-up word; and

output instructions comprising machine readable instructions for outputting the thesaurus grouping and its respective corresponding rankings.

19. A computer program comprising:

a thesaurus database comprising machine readable data corresponding to thesaurus groupings and rankings of each word of each thesaurus grouping with respect to at least one type of lexical impact;

input instructions comprising machine readable instructions for receiving a requested look-up word;

retrieval instructions comprising machine readable instructions for retrieving a thesaurus grouping corresponding to the look-up word; and

output instructions comprising machine readable instructions for outputting the thesaurus grouping and its respective corresponding lexical impacts.