Electronic word retrieval device for searching and displaying one of different forms of a word entered

• US 4,420,816 A
• Filed: 10/29/1979
• Issued: 12/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1978
• 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: Yoshida, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mills, John G.
• Application Number:
  US06/089,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 715/236
• 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 word information storage and retrieval apparatus comprises a plurality of character keys for entering first word information where a specific word is represented in a first form, a search circuit for searching second word information, and a display for indicating the first form and one or more modified forms of the word entered, and the second word information representing the same meaning and the same language as a first word with the modified forms. The second word information defines the modified forms of the specific word as well as in the first form. A combination of the first form and the modified forms is selected by sequential selection from the following categories: (noun) singular and plural; (pronoun) subjective, genitive, and objective (verb) present, past, and past particle; (adjective) positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree; and adjective and adverb.

Claims

1. A word information storage and retrieval apparatus comprising:

a plurality of character keys for entering first word information representing a desired word in original form;

search means responsive to said plurality of character keys for searching second word information representing said desired word in a variant form, said search means including;

an original form memory for containing original forms of a plurality of words;

at least one variant form memory for containing variant forms corresponding to said plurality of words;

a counter for producing an incremental count upon the initiation of searching;

a coincidence detector for sequentially comparing said desired word with the original forms of said plurality of words stored in said original form memory;

said coincidence detector comparing said desired word with the original form of a new one of said plurality of words with each increment of said counter, a detected coincidence stopping the incremental count of said counter to thereby allow said counter to produce a signal representative of the original form of the word corresponding to said desired word;

said signal generated by said counter being used to address and recall the variant form of said desired word from one of said at least one variant form memories; and

a display responsive to said variant form of said desired word for indicating said second word information.

2. The apparatus as specified in claim 1, which further comprises a control switch for controlling the searching means coincidence detector to thereby search the second word information.

3. The apparatus as specified in claim 1, which further comprises a driver for controlling the transfer of either the original form from the original form memory or a variant form form said at least one variant form memory to the display.

4. The apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein there are provided a plurality of variant form memories.

5. The word information storage and retrieval system of claim 1, further comprising:

search start means for actuating said search means upon initial actuation of said search start means, subsequent actuations of said search start means driving said search means to address and recall the variant forms of said desired word from different ones of said variant form memories.

6. The word information storage and retrieval system of claim 5, wherein said search start means is a search key.

7. A method of displaying word variants by using a word information storage and retrieval apparatus including input means for entering input information;

first storage means for storing a plurality of first information words;

second storage means for storing a plurality of second information words, each corresponding to an individual first information word;

coincidence detection means for comparing said input information with each of said plurality of first information words to determine the one of said plurality of first information words coinciding with said input information; and

means for displaying the one of said second information words corresponding to said one of said plurality of first information words coinciding to said input information, said method comprising the steps of;

entering input information corresponding to an original form of a desired word in a first language;

actuating said apparatus, said first information words corresponding to original forms of a plurality of words in said first language, said second information words corresponding to variant forms of a plurality of words in said first language;

said means for displaying a variant form of said word.