Method for providing computerized word-based referencing

• US 6,393,443 B1
• Filed: 08/03/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Answers Corporation (Answers.com Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atomica Corporation (Answers.com Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneiderman, Jeff, Neroslavskaya, Elena, Kranc, Moshe, Rubin, Moshe, Matitya, Moshe, Szmulewicz, Asher, Brief, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/127,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 704/2, 704/3, 704/4, 704/5, 707/532, 707/533, 707/535, 707/536
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation

Abstract

A method for providing computerized word-based referencing including the steps of indicating a target word on a display, thereby causing a computer to identify the target word on the display by employing at least one of a text drawing function and a character recognition function in order to automatically identify at least one entry for the target word in at least one computerized data base based on the target word and additionally based on at least one word appearing in a vicinity thereof on the display to eliminate ambiguity in meaning in the target word; and displaying the at least one entry for the target word from the at least one computerized database on the display.

Claims

1. A method for providing computerized word-based referencing comprising:

indicating a target word on a display, thereby causing a computer to identify said target word on said display by employing at least one of a text drawing function and a character recognition function in order to automatically identify at least one entry for the target word in at least one computerized data base based on the target word and additionally based on at least one word appearing in a vicinity thereof on the display to eliminate ambiguity in meaning in the target word; and

displaying the at least one entry for the target word from said at least one computerized database on said display.

2. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one computerized database is accessed via the Internet.

3. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the target word is at a first region of the display, and

said displaying comprises displaying at a second region of the display the at least one entry.

4. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said indicating comprises placing a pointer at the target word.

5. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said indicating includes performing a grammatical analysis of the target word based, at least in part, on the at least one word appearing in the vicinity thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one computerized data base comprises a plurality of databases.

7. A method according to claim 6 and wherein said plurality of databases comprises at least one of the following:

a computerized dictionary;

a computerized thesaurus; and

a graphical dictionary.

8. A method according to claim 6 and wherein said at least one entry is identified in one of said plurality of data bases.

9. A method according to claim 8 and wherein said one of said plurality of databases is accessed automatically.

10. A method according to claim 4 and wherein said one of said plurality of databases is accessed upon user request.

11. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the target word comprises a target phrase.

12. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said target word is in a first language and said at least one entry is in a second language.