DICTIONARY DEVICE, DICTIONARY SEARCH METHOD, DICTIONARY SYSTEM, AND SERVER DEVICE

• US 20140180680A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: NAKAMURA, Kazuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/51 Translation evaluation

Abstract

On a text display screen displayed on a touch panel color display unit, after a plurality of desired words are specified by a touch operation and it is detected that the touched points are moved downward, an example sentence including each of the specified words is searched for in dictionary data corresponding to the character type of each of the words, and displayed. When it is detected that the touched points are moved upward, a phrase including each of the specified words is searched for in the dictionary data corresponding to the character type of each of the words, and displayed.

Claims

1. A dictionary device comprising:

a display unit;

a dictionary storage unit storing dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase

a sentence display control unit configured to display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

a specified position detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of specified positions on the display unit displaying the sentence by a user'"'"'s operation;

a movement state determining unit configured to determine a movement state of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the display unit are detected by the specified position detecting unit; and

a search unit configured to search the dictionary data for an example sentence including the words included in the sentence or a phrase including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the movement state of the specified positions determined by the movement state determining unit.

2. The dictionary device according to claim 1, wherein the movement state determining unit includes a proximity determining unit configured to determine whether the specified positions are moved closer to each other along with the movements of the specified positions, and

when it is determined by the proximity determining unit that the specified positions are moved closer to each other, the search unit searches for an example sentence or a phrase including the adjoined words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions.

3. The dictionary device according to claim 1, wherein the movement state determining unit includes a cross determining unit configured to determine whether the specified positions are crossed with each other along with the movements of the specified positions, and

when it is determined by the cross determining unit that the specified positions are crossed with each other, the search unit searches for an example sentence or a phrase including the words in a reversed order, the words being included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions.

4. The dictionary device according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches for an example sentence including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions when it is determined by the movement state determining unit that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in a first direction, and the search unit searches for a phrase including the words when it is determined by the movement state determining unit that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in a second direction.

5. The dictionary device according to claim 1, wherein the dictionary storage unit stores dictionary data in which a direction word is associated with an example sentence or a phrase which includes a plurality of words including the direction word,

the movement state determining unit includes an opposite movement determining unit configured to determine whether the specified positions are simultaneously moved in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, along with the movements of the specified positions, and

when it is determined by the opposite movement determining unit that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, the search unit searches the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase in which a first word included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified position determined to be moved in the first direction is included as a direction word, and a second word included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified position determined to be moved in the second direction is further included.

6. The dictionary device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a touch panel, and

the specified position detecting unit detects, through the touch panel, a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user'"'"'s operation on the display unit.

7. A dictionary search method for controlling a computer of an electronic device including a display unit and a memory which stores dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase including a plurality of words, the dictionary search method comprising:

displaying a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

detecting a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user'"'"'s operation on the display unit on which the sentence including the words is displayed;

determining a movement state of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the display unit are detected; and

searching the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the determined movement state of the specified positions.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a dictionary program for controlling a computer of an electronic device including a display unit and a memory which stores dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase including a plurality of words,

the dictionary program causing the computer to function as:

a sentence display control unit configured to display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

a specified position detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of specified positions on the display unit displaying the sentence by a user'"'"'s operation;

a movement state determining unit configured to determine a movement state of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the display unit are detected by the specified position detecting unit; and

a search unit configured to search the dictionary data for an example sentence including the words included in the sentence or a phrase including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the movement state of the specified positions determined by the movement state determining unit.

9. A dictionary system comprising:

a server device and a terminal device which include a communication function performed through a network,

wherein the server device includes;

a dictionary storage unit storing dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase including a plurality of words;

a specified information receiving unit configured to receive information of a plurality of specified positions and information of a plurality of words specified correspondingly to the specified positions, both pieces of information being sent by a specified information sending unit in the terminal device;

a movement state determining unit configured to determine a movement state of the specified positions, after the information of the specified positions and the information of the words specified correspondingly to the specified positions are received by the specified information receiving unit;

a search unit configured to search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including the words received by the specified information receiving unit, in accordance with the movement state of the specified positions determined by the movement state determining unit; and

a search result sending unit configured to send, to the terminal device, the example sentence or the phrase searched for by the search unit, and

the terminal device includes;

a display unit;

a sentence display control unit configured to display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

a specified position detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user'"'"'s operation on the display unit on which the sentence including the words is displayed by the sentence display control unit;

the specified information sending unit configured to send, to the server device, the information of the specified positions detected by the specified position detecting unit and the information of the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions;

a search result receiving unit configured to receive the example sentence or the phrase sent by the search result sending unit of the server device in response to the information of the specified positions and the information of the words corresponding to the specified positions sent by the specified information sending unit; and

a search result display control unit configured to display, on the display unit, the example sentence or the phrase received by the search result receiving unit.

10. The server device of the dictionary system according to claim 9.

11. The terminal device of the dictionary system according to claim 9.

12. A dictionary device configured to communicate, through a network, with a server device including a dictionary storage unit storing dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase, the dictionary device comprising:

a display unit;

a sentence display control unit configured to display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

a specified position detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user'"'"'s operation on the display unit on which the sentence including the words is displayed by the sentence display control unit;

a movement state determining unit configured to determine a movement state of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the display unit are detected by the specified position detecting unit;

a dictionary search request unit configured to request the server device to search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, by using a search method corresponding to the movement state of the specified positions determined by the movement state determining unit; and

a received result display unit configured to receive a search result for the search request from the server device, and display the search result.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a dictionary program for controlling a computer of a terminal device including a display unit and configured to communicate, through a network, with a server device including a dictionary storage unit storing dictionary data of an example sentence or a phrase,

the dictionary program causing the computer to function as:

a sentence display control unit configured to display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display unit;

a specified position detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user'"'"'s operation on the display unit on which the sentence including the words is displayed by the sentence display control unit;

a movement state determining unit configured to determine a movement state of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the display unit are detected by the specified position detecting unit;

a dictionary search request unit configured to request the server device to search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, by using a search method corresponding to the movement state of the specified positions determined by the movement state determining unit; and

a received result display unit configured to receive a search result for the search request from the server device, and display the search result on the display unit.