System amd method for linking streams of multimedia data for reference material for display

• US 5,822,720 A
• Filed: 07/08/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1994
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Sentius International, LLC (Sentius Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sentius Corporation
• Inventors: Bookman, Marc, Yamanaka, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/676,890
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2, 704/3, 704/7, 704/10, 707/2, 707/104, 707/501, 707/513, 707/515, 707/516, 707/530, 707/532, 345/145, 345/146, 345/157, 345/163, 345/901
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

A system for indexing displayed elements that is useful for accessing and understanding new or difficult materials, in which a user highlights unknown words or characters or other displayed elements encountered while viewing displayed materials. In a language learning application, the system displays the meaning of a word in context; and the user may include the word in a personal vocabulary to build a database of words and phrases. In a Japanese language application, one or more Japanese language books are read on an electronic display. Readings (`yomi`) for all words are readily viewable for any selected word or phrase, as well as an English reference to the selected word or phrase. Extensive notes are provided for difficult phrases and words not normally found in a dictionary. A unique indexing scheme allows word-by-word access to any of several external multi-media references.

Claims

1. A system for linking source material to reference material for display comprising:

a source material image including a plurality of discrete pieces having links to external reference materials comprising any of textual, audio, video, and picture information, said source material image stored in an electronic database;

means for determining an address on said electronic database for the beginning position of said source material image;

means for cutting said source material image into said discrete pieces;

means for determining an address on said electronic database for a start point and an end point of said discrete pieces of said image based upon said beginning position of said source material image;

means for recording said start and said end point addresses in a look-up table;

means for selecting a discrete portion of said source material image;

means for determining the address on said electronic database of said selected discrete portion;

means for converting said address of said selected discrete portion to an offset value from said beginning position address of said source material image;

means for comparing said offset value with said recorded start and end point addresses of said discrete pieces in said look-up table;

means for selecting an external reference that corresponds to said look-up table start and end point addresses; and

means for reproducing said external reference.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a linking engine for linking said source material to said reference information on any of a word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase basis.

3. The system of claim 2, said linking engine further comprising:

word cut means for dividing said source material into discrete pieces;

linking means for establishing at least one link between each of said discrete pieces and said reference information;

compiler means for assembling an integrated source image from said discrete pieces;

indexing means for linking said assembled discrete pieces to said reference information.

4. The system of claim 3, said linking engine further comprising:

means for building an index to link each of said source material pieces to said reference information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said index links said source material pieces to said reference information based upon the value of the offset of the starting and ending position addresses of said source material pieces from the beginning position address of said integrated source image.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said offset locates said reference information to a corresponding source material piece based upon offset occurrence within a range defined by the value of the offsets of the starting and ending point addresses of said source material pieces from said beginning position address of said integrated source image.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for manipulating said stored source material and reference information with at least two user keys.

8. A method for linking source material to reference material for display, comprising:

determining the beginning position address of a source material image stored in an electronic database, said source material image including a plurality of discrete pieces having links to external reference materials comprising any of textual, audio, video, and picture information;

cutting said source material image into said discrete pieces;

determining a starting point address and an ending point address of said discrete pieces of said image based upon said beginning position address of said source material image;

recording said starting and said ending addresses in a look-up table;

selecting a discrete portion of said source material image;

determining the address of said selected discrete portion;

converting said address of said selected discrete portion to an offset value from said beginning position address of said source material image;

comparing said offset value with said recorded start and end point addresses of said discrete pieces in said look-up table;

selecting an external reference that corresponds to said look-up table start and end point addresses; and

reproducing said external reference.

9. In a language learning method, a method for linking source material to reference material for display, comprising the steps of:

reading a foreign language source material image including a plurality of discrete pieces having links to external reference materials comprising any of textual, audio, video, and picture information with an electronic viewer;

accessing reference materials on selected portions of said source material image;

determining the beginning position address of said source material image;

cutting said source material image into said discrete pieces;

determining a start point address and an end point address of said discrete pieces of said image based upon said beginning position address of said source material image;

recording said start and said end point addresses in a look-up table;

selecting a discrete portion of said source material image;

determining the address of said selected discrete portion;

converting said address of said selected discrete portion to an offset value from said beginning position address of said source material image;

comparing said offset value with said recorded start and end point addresses of said discrete pieces in said look-up table;

selecting an external reference that corresponds to said look-up table start and end point addresses; and

reproducing said external reference.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

linking said source material to said reference information with a linking engine on any of a word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase basis.

11. The method of claim 10, said linking step further comprising the steps of:

dividing said source material into discrete pieces;

establishing at least one link between each of said discrete pieces and said reference information;

assembling an integrated source image from said discrete pieces; and

linking said assembled discrete pieces to said reference information.

12. The method of claim 11, said linking step further comprising the step of:

building an index to link each of said source material pieces to said reference information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said index links said source material pieces to said reference information based upon the offset between the starting position address for said source material pieces and the beginning position address of said integrated source image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said offset locates said reference information to a corresponding source material piece based upon offset occurrence within a range defined by the value of the offsets of the starting and ending position addresses of said source material pieces from said beginning position address of said integrated source image.

15. In a language learning system, a system for linking source material to reference material for display, comprising:

a text image including a plurality of discrete pieces having links to external reference materials comprising any of textual, audio, video, and picture information;

means for determining the beginning position address of said text image;

means for cutting said text image into said discrete pieces;

means for determining a starting point address and an ending point address of said discrete pieces of said image based upon said beginning position address of said source material image;

means for recording said starting and said ending point addresses in a look-up table;

means for selecting a discrete portion of said text image;

means for determining the address of said selected discrete portion;

means for converting said address of said selected discrete portion to an offset value from said beginning position address of said source material image;

means for comparing said offset value with said recorded start and end point addresses of said discrete pieces in said look-up table;

means for selecting an external reference that corresponds to said look-up table start and end point addresses; and

means for displaying said external reference.

16. In a language learning method, a method for linking source material to reference material for display, comprising the steps of:

determining the beginning position address of a text image, said text image including a plurality of discrete pieces having links to external reference materials comprising any of textual, audio, video, and picture information;

cutting said source material image into said discrete pieces;

determining a starting point address and an ending point address of said discrete pieces of said image based upon said beginning position address of said text image;

recording said starting and said ending point addresses in a look-up table;

selecting a discrete portion of said text image;

determining the address of said selected discrete portion;

converting said address of said selected discrete portion to an offset value from said beginning position of said text image;

comparing said offset value with said recorded start and end point addresses of said discrete pieces in said look-up table;

selecting an external reference that corresponds to said look-up table start and end point address; and

displaying said external reference.