Means for displaying at least two different words and for providing independent pronunciations of these words

• US 4,328,562 A
• Filed: 01/18/1980
• Issued: 05/04/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Akira, Hashimoto, Shintaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Springborn, Harvey E.
• Application Number:
  US06/113,296
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 179/1 SM
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation

Abstract

A portable electronic dictionary and language interpreter comprises an input device for simultaneously entering at least two different words in a first language, a translator for causing retrieval for equivalents for the at least two different words, and a voice synthesizer for speaking the at least two different words in the first language in the form of synthesized sounds, respectively. The pronouncing of both or either of the at least two different words in the first language can be selectively repeated in response to an actuation of a repeat key switch. The translated word or words now indicated in a display can be replaced by the input word or words once indicated in the same display.

Claims

1. An electronic dictionary and language interpreter device wherein first words represented in a first language are entered to obtain second words represented in a second language, the second words being equivalent to the first words, comprising:

input means for entering at least two different input first words into said language interpreter device;

memory means for containing a plurality of the second words equivalent to the first words;

access means connected between the input means and the memory means and responsive to entry of the first words via said input means for addressing the memory means to retrieve the second words therefrom, the second words being equivalent to the two first words; and

voice synthesizer means connected to the access means and resposive to the first words entered via said input means for selectively providing an audible pronunciation of either the first one of the input first words or the second one of the input first words.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising storage means connected between the input means and the access means for storing the two different input first words therein:

and

means connected between the storage means and the access means for selectively permitting the two different input first words stored in the storage means to enter into the access means.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the memory means comprises a read-only memory (ROM).

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising speaker means connected to the voice synthesizer means.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the input means comprises an alphabetical keyboard.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising clear key means for completely cancelling either of the at least two different input first words entered into said device via said input means.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for controlling the voice synthesizer means to selectively individually pronounce the first one of the input first words has the second one of the input first words;

whereby the first one and the second one of the input first words may be audibly compared with each other.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said means for controlling said voice synthesizer means comprises repeat means for repeatedly activating the voice synthesizer means to cause repeated generation of the individual audible pronunciation of the first one of the input first words and the second one of the input first words.

9. The device according to claim 8, further comprising:

display means connected to the input means and responsive to the entry of the two different input first words entered via said input means for displaying both of the two different input first words,

the display means being further connected to the memory means for displaying the second words retrieved from said memory means.

10. The device according to claim 9, including means for changing the display of the second words appearing on said display means to a display of the input first words in response to the activation of said repeat means,

the display of the input first words appearing approximately simultaneously with the selective generation of the audible pronunciation of the first and second input first words.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein said repeat means comprises:

gate means connected between said access means and said memory means; and

key means on said language interpreter device and connected to said gate means for turning said gate means to a non-conductive condition in response to actuation thereof,

said access means no longer addressing said memory means when said gate means is in said non-conductive condition,

the means for changing said display means changing the display from the display of the second words to the display of the input first words when said access means no longer addresses said memory means.

12. The device according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying which one of the first or second input first words is being pronounced via said voice synthesizer means.