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Method for detecting plagiarism

  • US 6,976,170 B1
  • Filed: 10/15/2001
  • Issued: 12/13/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting plagiarism comprising:

  • a) handing in a document to be reviewed which includes steps of(1) receiving checker ID and checker password from an individual submitting the document to be checked,(2) verifying checker ID and password,(3) setting a current directory based on the checker password,(4) submitting a document from the individual submitting the document to be checked to the checker,(5) reading in the document submitted by the individual to the checker,(6) storing each sentence in the document in an array of string variables,(7) converting each sentence in the document submitted by the individual into a numerical value according to the formula V=

    in




    (ai)2


    where V is a numerical value assigned to each sentence in the submitted document, n is the number of characters in the sentence in the document submitted for which V is being determined, and ai is the ASCII value of the ith character in the sentence in the document submitted for which V is being determined, including(A) setting the numerical value of each sentence in the document submitted to 0,(B) squaring the ASCII value of each character in each sentence in the submitted document,(C) adding the values of the squared ASCII values together for each sentence in the submitted document to determine the numerical value to be assigned to each sentence in the submitted document;

    b) creating an archive for the checker based on the checker ID;

    c) creating a file for the individual submitting the document in the checker archive based on the checker ID including(1) writing each sentence on an available line of the file created for the individual in the checker archive, and(2) writing the numerical value of each sentence on a next available line in the file created for the individual in the checker archive;

    d) validating the file from the individual to the checker including(1) reading the checker ID,(2) setting a current directory based on the checker ID,(3) reading in all files from the current directory,(4) displaying a list of all individuals that have submitted documents to the checker,(5) selecting an individual from the list of all individuals to view a document that has been submitted by that selected individual, and(6) displaying the document submitted by the selected individual in a rich text box; and

    e) checking the displayed document for plagiarism by(1) inputting the checker ID,(2) setting current directory based on the checker ID,(3) selecting an archive to compare the file submitted by the individual against,(4) reading in each document from the selected archive,(5) setting a numerical value for each sentence in the selected archive according to the formula V=

    in




    (ai)2


    where V is a numerical value assigned to each sentence in the archive, n is the number of characters in the sentence in the archive for which V is being determined, and ai is the ASCII value of the ith character in the sentence in the archive for which V is being determined,(6) reading in and storing the numerical values for each sentence in the document being checked,(7) sorting the numerical values of all sentences in the document being checked using a comb-type sort,(8) checking for essentially identical sentences by scrolling through the sorted list,(9) comparing the numerical value of each sentence in the document being checked to a numerical value for each sentence in the selected archive,(10) if the compared numerical value for a sentence in the document being checked is essentially the same as the numerical value for a sentence in a sentence in the selected archive, making a record that two sentences matched and continuing to check each sentence in the document being checked against sentences in the selected archive, and(11) reporting the number of records made during the checking of the submitted document.

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