Pop-up edictionary

• US 20030160830A1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lee M. Degross
• Original Assignee: Lee M. Degross
• Inventors: DeGross, Lee M.
• Application Number:
  US10/081,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries

Abstract

A digital pop-up space or spaces that appears when a cursor is placed over a difficult or hard-to-understand word or phrase on a computer screen (34).

The pop-up space contains dictionary elements and other relevent elements that help the reader understand the difficult word (42).

The dictionary elements include but are not limited to definitions, synonyms, antonyms, quotations, and etymologies.

The pop-up edictionary can contain images and moving images of all kinds (54). These elements represent options that may be used and organized to best assist the readers of a text.

The sources of the pop-up edictionary elements can either be from published works or from extemporaneous origins or mixed together in combination.

There can be pop-up edictionaries within pop-up edictionaries.

If there are multiple definitions presented, the intended meaning will be distinctly indicated (42).

Finally, the language or dialect in a pop-up edictionary can be different from the language in the main text.

Claims

1. A means for conveniently providing dictionary elements and other relevent elements of a word or phrase for computer users, comprising:

(a) said computer

(b) text displayed on the computer'"'"'s screen

(c) a cursor present on the computer'"'"'s screen

whereby said dictionary elements and said other relevant elements for said word or phrase are presented in pop up digital spaces when said cursor is placed over said word or phrase in said text

2. wherein said dictionary elements include but are not limited to definitions, pronunciation keys, syllable breaks, parts of speech entries, synonyms, antonyms, homographs, usages, variants, idioms, quotations, and etymologies

3. wherein said pop up digital spaces can contain various relevent images and moving images that help said computer users such as photographs, illustrations, paintings, charts, diagrams, films, videos, digital video works, animation, claymation, stop action, et cetera

4. wherein said pop up digital spaces can be menu driven and utilize the drag and selection methods of said cursor to select various choices in the menus

5. wherein if said definitions contain more than one meaning of said word or phrase, the intended contextual meaning of said word or phrase will be highlighted or otherwise distinguished

6. wherein the sources of said dictionary elements and said images or moving images elements can either be from published or professional works, or from extemporaneous origins, or from a combination thereof

7. wherein said dictionary elements and said images or moving images elements are to be used judiciously and not always all at once

8. wherein said pop up digital spaces can themselves contain said pop up digital spaces and so on, creating pop up edictionaries within said pop up edictionaries

9. wherein a language or dialect used in said pop up digital spaces can be different from the language used in said text

10. wherein said language or dialect used in said pop up digital spaces and the language used in said text can be any and all the languages in the world.