Electronic dictionary having means for linking two or more different groups of vocabulary entries in a closed loop
First Claim
1. An electronic dictionary comprising:
- (a) a dictionary memory having a multiplicity of data memory locations identified by respective addresses wherein;
each of said data memory locations comprises a vocabulary memory location and a corresponding address memory location;
said vocabulary memory locations store different vocabulary entries, said vocabulary entries including plural groups of related vocabulary entries and at least one of said related vocabulary entries of each of said groups constituting a corresponding at least one linking vocabulary entry for the corresponding group, each of said linking vocabulary entries being related to a corresponding other of said groups; and
wherein, for each of said groups;
each of said corresponding address memory locations for said related vocabulary entries not constituting said at least one linking vocabulary entry of the group stores data designating the address number of the vocabulary memory location at which is stored a predetermined different vocabulary entry of the group which is next to be retrieved; and
the corresponding at least one address memory location for said at least one linking vocabulary entry of the group stores linking data for use in retrieving a predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups;
(b) input means for designating one of said different vocabulary entries;
(c) search means responsive to said input means for locating the vocabulary memory location at which the vocabulary entry designated by said input means is stored;
(d) retrieval means responsive to said search means for (i) first retrieving the data stored in the corresponding address memory location for said vocabulary memory location located by said search means; and
(ii) second retrieving, if said first or subsequently retrieved data is address-number data, the vocabulary entry stored in the vocabulary memory location designated by the retrieved address-number data; and
further retrieving the data stored in the corresponding address memory location for the retreived vocabulary entry;
(e) group-linking means responsive to said retrieval means for linking, if said first or subsequently retrieved data is linking data, the currently retrieved group of vocabulary entries with a different group by (i) designating, based on the retrieved linking data, the address number of the vocabulary memory location for said predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups which is associated with the retrieved linking data; and
(ii) causing said retrieval means to retrieve said predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups; and
(f) display means for displaying each vocabulary entry retrieved by said retrieval means.
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Abstract
An electronic dictionary comprising a dictionary memory having multiple memory locations each of which comprises a vocabulary-data memory location and an address-number memory location corresponding to each other. The vocabulary-data memory locations store vocabulary data representative of different vocabulary entries including plural groups of entries, each group consisting of the entries of the same nature which include at least one special entry. The vocabulary entries of each group are retrieved in a predetermined order. Each of the address-number memory locations corresponding to the entries of each group except the special entry stores address-number data representative of an address of the vocabulary data which is retrieved next, whereby the entries of each group are successively retrieved. Special data is stored in the address-number memory location corresponding to the vocabulary-data memory location which stores the special entry. If the special data is retrieved upon retrieval of the special entry, the currently retrieved group of entries is linked with another group by a control device which designates the address of an entry of this another group based on the special data, and retrieves the vocabulary data stored in the vocabulary-data memory location at the designated address.
66 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An electronic dictionary comprising:
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(a) a dictionary memory having a multiplicity of data memory locations identified by respective addresses wherein; each of said data memory locations comprises a vocabulary memory location and a corresponding address memory location; said vocabulary memory locations store different vocabulary entries, said vocabulary entries including plural groups of related vocabulary entries and at least one of said related vocabulary entries of each of said groups constituting a corresponding at least one linking vocabulary entry for the corresponding group, each of said linking vocabulary entries being related to a corresponding other of said groups; and
wherein, for each of said groups;each of said corresponding address memory locations for said related vocabulary entries not constituting said at least one linking vocabulary entry of the group stores data designating the address number of the vocabulary memory location at which is stored a predetermined different vocabulary entry of the group which is next to be retrieved; and the corresponding at least one address memory location for said at least one linking vocabulary entry of the group stores linking data for use in retrieving a predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups; (b) input means for designating one of said different vocabulary entries; (c) search means responsive to said input means for locating the vocabulary memory location at which the vocabulary entry designated by said input means is stored; (d) retrieval means responsive to said search means for (i) first retrieving the data stored in the corresponding address memory location for said vocabulary memory location located by said search means; and
(ii) second retrieving, if said first or subsequently retrieved data is address-number data, the vocabulary entry stored in the vocabulary memory location designated by the retrieved address-number data; and
further retrieving the data stored in the corresponding address memory location for the retreived vocabulary entry;(e) group-linking means responsive to said retrieval means for linking, if said first or subsequently retrieved data is linking data, the currently retrieved group of vocabulary entries with a different group by (i) designating, based on the retrieved linking data, the address number of the vocabulary memory location for said predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups which is associated with the retrieved linking data; and
(ii) causing said retrieval means to retrieve said predetermined vocabulary entry from said corresponding other of said groups; and(f) display means for displaying each vocabulary entry retrieved by said retrieval means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification