Spelling verification system with immediate operator alerts to non-matches between inputted words and words stored in plural dictionary memories

• US 4,689,768 A
• Filed: 01/16/1986
• Issued: 08/25/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IBM Information Products Corp. (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heard, Roderick S., Tremoulet, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Jr., Archie E.
• Application Number:
  US06/820,905
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/300, 364/419, 400/61, 400/63, 400/3, 400/74, 400/704
• US Class Current: 715/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation

Abstract

Spelling errors are detected through the comparison of the keyed word with previously stored words of known spelling. The operator is immediately alerted upon the detection of a lack of comparison between the keyed word and the words available in the storage for operator consideration. When the operator is notified through an alerting device of a "no match", the operator may then modify the spelling of the word if it is incorrect or accept the word if it is correct but not found in the dictionary storage. Words previously not located in the dictionary storage are then stored in a random access memory for subsequent use and the word most recently verified as correct and stored in the random access memory may be maintained at the top of a stack while the most infrequently used words will eventually be removed from the random access memory as the memory fills and overflows.

Claims

1. A spelling check method for checking the accuracy of the spelling of operator selected words entered in a text string of words through a keyboard of a text processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

providing a string of data signals representing characters forming each operator selected word in a series of complete words;

providing a delimiter data signal to end said string of data signals to define each complete operator selected word;

providing a stored dictionary of data codes representing a first group of preselected and not changeable words;

providing memory means for storing groups of data codes representing a second group of words selected by an operator and not within said first group of words;

comparing said string of data signals with said groups of data codes representing said first group of words to determine the existence of a match with any of said first group of words and with any groups of data codes stored in said memory means to determine the existence of a match with any of said groups of data codes representing said second group of words immediately upon the receipt of said delimiter data signal from said keyboard;

alerting an operator to a condition of no match prior to the comparing of the next complete word, if no match exists in said first or second group of words upon determination of a no match;

storing said string of data signals representing the unmatched complete word in said memory means, in response to receipt of at least an operator supplied data signal indicating acceptance of the spelling of said unmatched complete word;

arranging the words in said memory means in an order from the most recently matched or accepted word to the leastmost recently matched word;

and removing from said memory means a string of data signals representing the leastmost recently matched word in said memory means, when said memory means is incapable of accepting said unmatched complete word, due to said memory means being filled to capacity, upon operator acceptance of said unmatched complete word prior to storing said string of data signals representing said unmatched complete word.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said operator supplied data signal comprises a word delimiter code following the next subsequent delimited word following said unmatched word.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said word delimiter code comprises a space code.

4. A spelling check method for checking the accuracy of the spelling of operator selected words entered in a text string of words through a keyboard of a typewriter having as a display only the images formed on the printed page comprising steps of:

providing a string of data signals representing characters forming each operator selected word in a series of complete words;

providing a delimiter data signal to end said string of data signals to define each complete operator selected word;

providing a stored library of data codes representing a first group of preselected and not changeable words;

providing memory means for storing groups of data codes representing a second group of words selected by an operator and not in said first group of words;

comparing said string of data signals with said groups of data codes representing said first group of words to determine the existence of a match with any of said first group of words immediately upon the receipt of said delimiter data signal from said keyboard and with any groups of data codes stored in said memory means to determine the existence of a match with any of said groups of data codes representing said second group of words;

alerting an operator to a condition of no match prior to the comparing of the next complete word if no match exists in said first or second group of words upon determination of a no match;

storing said string of data signals, representing the unmatched complete word, in said memory means, upon receipt of an operator supplied data signal indicating acceptance of the spelling of said unmatched complete word;

arranging the words in said memory means in an order from the most recently matched or accepted word to the leastmost recently matched or accepted word;

and removing from said memory means a string of data signals representing the least most recently matched word stored in said memory means when said memory means is incapable of accepting said unmatched complete word due to said memory means being filled to capacity, upon operator acceptance, prior to storing said string of data signals representing said unmatched complete word.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said data strings representing words in said memory are searched in the sequence of the most recently matched to the leastmost recently matched.

6. A typewriter comprising a spelling verification means for comparing previously selected words with entered words typed on said typewriter comprising:

means for accumulating entered codes representing said entered words;

means for delimiting said codes to terminate said words;

means for comparing said entered words with said previously selected words, on an interactive basis as said entered words are entered into said typewriter, to determine if a match or no match condition exists for each of said entered words and for providing an indication of any no-match condition;

means for altering said operator of a no match condition as soon as said means for comparing determines a no match condition after receipt of a delimiter from said keyboard as said entered words are typed on said keyboard, said means for altering being responsive to said means for comparing;

means for storing codes representing operator selected words for comparison with said entered words, said means for storing being accessible by said means for comparing;

means for controlling said means for storing to cause said means for storing to accept an entered word, said means for controlling responsive to an operator controlled signal;

means for ordering access of said codes in said means for storing, such that said means for comparing, upon accessing the contents of said means for storing, will compare said entered words with said operator selected words in the sequence of the most recently matched or operator selected word therein to the leastmost recently matched or operator selected word therein;

and means for removing said leastmost recently matched or operator selected word when said means for storing codes is incapable of accepting additional operator selected words due to said means for storing being filled to capacity.

7. A typewriter comprising a spelling verification means for comparing previously selected words with entered words typed on said typewriter comprising:

means for accumulating entered codes representing said entered words typed on said typewriter;

means for comparing said entered codes upon the assembly and receipt of a delimited character string as the characters are keyed from the keyboard, with codes previously selected and stored for comparison on an interactive basis, as said entered codes are entered into said typewriter,

and if identity does not exist, the immediate altering of the operator as to such condition,

means for alerting an operator of said typewriter to a condition of lack of identity between said entered word and said words previously selected and stored, as soon as said means for comparing determines said condition of lack of identity, as said entered words are typed on said typewriter,

means to store said entered codes representing each word typed until such time as at least one subsequent delimited word has been typed on said typewriter,

and memory means for storing said entered words for which identity does not exist, said memory means receiving said entered codes from said means to store upon the keying of an operator controlled signal, and for including said stored words in code form with said codes previously selected and stored for comparison, as correctly spelled words.

8. The typewriter of claim 7 wherein said means to store said codes comprises a storage for plural words until a line ending command has been typed.

9. The typewriter of claim 7 for typing words onto a record sheet in lines of typing, comprising indicator means for indicating the occurrence of a lack of identity condition within a particular line of typing.

10. The typewriter of claim 7 comprising means for storing in said memory means said entered codes in a predetermined sequence.

11. A text processing apparatus having spelling verification means for interactively comparing each complete word typed on said apparatus with previously selected words including:

first storage means for storing groups of data codes representing a first group of preselected and not changeable words;

second storage means for receiving and storing groups of data codes representing a second group of words selected by an operator during use and not in said first group of words;

producing means for producing a string of data codes representing each complete word typed on said text processing apparatus upon completion of the inputting of the word;

comparing means for comparing said string of data codes representing each complete word immediately after it is typed with said codes representing said first group of words in said first storage means and said second group of codes representing said second group of words in said second storage means;

alerting means for alerting an operator if no match exists between each complete word and said first group of words and said second group of words and prior to the comparing of the next complete word by said comparing means;

and means for storing the data signals representing the unmatched complete word in said second storage means in response to a signal produced after said alerting means is activated.

12. The text processing apparatus according to claim 11 including means for arranging the locations of the groups of data codes stored in said second storage means so that the leastmost recently matched word in said second storage means is removed when said second storage means is incapable of accepting the most recent unmatched complete word.

13. The text processing apparatus according to claim 12 including means for shifting the location of a word in said second storage means when it is matched with the complete word by said comparing means.

14. The text processing apparatus of claim 11 including removing means for removing the leastmost recently matched word in said second storage means when said second storage means is incapable of accepting the most recent unmatched complete word.

15. A method for interactively verifying the spelling of each complete word typed on a typewriter by an operator with previously selected word including:

producing a string of data signals representing each complete word;

comparing the string of data signals with a first group of data codes stored in a first storage means and representing a first group of words, the first group of data codes being preselected and not changeable and,

with any second group of data codes stored in a second storage means and representing a second group of words that are selected by an operator of the typewriter and are not in the first group of words in the first storage means, said comparing beginning immediately upon completion of said word;

alerting the operator of the typewriter when the complete word does not match any word in the first group of words in the first storage means or any word in the second group of words in the second storage means and prior to the comparing of the next complete word;

and storing the string of data signals in the second storage means upon generation of a signal after the operator is alerted.

16. The method according to claim 15 including arranging the location of each word in the second storage means so that the leastmost recently matched word in the second storage means is removed when the second storage means is incapable of accepting the most recent unmatched complete word.

17. The method according to claim 16 including shifting the location of a word in the second storage means each time that it is matched with a complete word during comparison of each complete word.

18. The method according to claim 15 including removing the leastmost recently matched word in the second storage means when the second storage means is incapable of accepting the most recent unmatched complete word.

19. A spelling check method comprising the steps of:

providing a string of data signals representing characters forming a word;

providing a stored library of selected groups of data codes representing a first group of preselected and not changeable words;

providing a memory for receiving and storing groups of data codes representing a second group of words not within said first group of words and selectively supplied to said memory;

comparing said string of data signals with said groups of data codes representing said first group of words to determine the existence of a match with any of said first group of words, and, comparing said string of data signals with any groups of data codes stored in said memory to determine the existence of a match with any of said groups of data codes representing said second group of words;

alerting an operator to a condition of no match immediately if no match exists in said first or second group of words;

and storing said string of data signals in said memory representing the last complete word only when the last complete word is not in said first or second group of words upon further providing of data signals representing characters forming the next word.

20. The spelling check method of claim 19 wherein said storing said string of data signals in said memory is accomplished upon the providing of a second data signal which ends said words following said complete word.

21. The spelling check method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

deleting a group of data codes representing one of said second group of words from said memory;

whereby one of said second group of words is removed from said memory to provide room for said last complete word.

22. The spelling check method of claim 19 wherein said operating an alarm comprises illuminating and optical attention-getting device.