Internet-based spelling checker dictionary system with automatic updating
First Claim
1. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
- a first computer comprising;
a first display mechanism;
a first input mechanism;
a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers; and
a first memory containing a spelling checking program for checking the spelling in computer text being processed by said first computer, and further containing a first database of words for use with said spelling checking program, such that said spelling checking program causes said first computer to compare a word in computer text with words in said first database, and enables a user to add said word to said first database by means of said first display mechanism and first input mechanism, and further causes said first computer to transmit said word through a communication mechanism to a second computer;
said second computer comprising;
a second port mechanism for exchanging information between said second computer and other computers; and
a second memory-containing a second database of words, and further containing a dictionary program which causes said second computer to receive said word transmitted from said first computer, and to compare said word with words in said second database, and enables said user to request the addition of said word to said second database by means of said first display mechanism and first input mechanism; and
said communication mechanism communicative with said first port mechanism and said second port mechanism, for exchanging information between said first computer and said second computer;
wherein said first database comprises a main dictionary and a supplemental dictionary, such that, following said comparison of said word in computer text with words in said main dictionary and said supplemental dictionary, if said word is not contained in said dictionaries, said spelling checking program causes said first computer to exhibit said word by means of said first display mechanism and enables said user to add said word to said supplemental dictionary by means of said first input mechanism, and to transmit said added word to said second computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dictionary system has a vendor computer and a plurality of client computers that communicate through the Internet. Each client computer has a word processor program with a spelling checker that utilizes a local main dictionary provided by the vendor and a local customized dictionary containing words added by the user. The vendor computer contains a dictionary of approved words, a database of misspelled words, and a database of requested words. When a user adds a new word to the local customized dictionary, an Internet request is sent to the vendor computer to add the new word to the dictionary of approved words. The user is notified by an Internet message from the vendor computer if the requested word is misspelled. The database of requested words from all users is reviewed periodically and utilized to update the approved dictionary. The updated dictionary is periodically released to the users as an upgrade to the local main dictionary. Users are compensated for the words that they contribute to the approved dictionary.
175 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
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a first computer comprising; a first display mechanism; a first input mechanism; a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers; and a first memory containing a spelling checking program for checking the spelling in computer text being processed by said first computer, and further containing a first database of words for use with said spelling checking program, such that said spelling checking program causes said first computer to compare a word in computer text with words in said first database, and enables a user to add said word to said first database by means of said first display mechanism and first input mechanism, and further causes said first computer to transmit said word through a communication mechanism to a second computer; said second computer comprising; a second port mechanism for exchanging information between said second computer and other computers; and a second memory-containing a second database of words, and further containing a dictionary program which causes said second computer to receive said word transmitted from said first computer, and to compare said word with words in said second database, and enables said user to request the addition of said word to said second database by means of said first display mechanism and first input mechanism; and said communication mechanism communicative with said first port mechanism and said second port mechanism, for exchanging information between said first computer and said second computer; wherein said first database comprises a main dictionary and a supplemental dictionary, such that, following said comparison of said word in computer text with words in said main dictionary and said supplemental dictionary, if said word is not contained in said dictionaries, said spelling checking program causes said first computer to exhibit said word by means of said first display mechanism and enables said user to add said word to said supplemental dictionary by means of said first input mechanism, and to transmit said added word to said second computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system having a first computer including a first memory containing a first database of words, said dictionary system also having a second computer including a second memory containing a second database of words, said second database having a first dictionary of approved words, a second dictionary of misspelled words, and a third dictionary of words requested for addition to said first dictionary and said dictionary system further having a communication mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and said second computer:
a method for checking the spelling of a word in computer text being processed by said first computer, said method comprising; adding said word to said first database; enabling a user of said first computer to request addition of said word to said second database; upon such request, transmitting said word through said communication mechanism to said second computer; receiving said word in said second computer; determining whether said word is already in said first dictionary; if said word is not in said first dictionary, determining whether said word is already in said second dictionary; and if said word is not in said second dictionary, adding said word to said third dictionary. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer readable storage medium containing encoded data for use in a dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system having a first computer including a first memory containing a first database of words, said dictionary system also having a second computer including a second memory containing a second database of words, and said dictionary system further having a communication mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and said second computer, said data comprising a program for causing said first computer to perform a method for checking the spelling of a word in computer text being processed by said first computer, said method including the step of adding said word to said first database, said second database further including a first dictionary of approved words, a second dictionary of misspelled words, and a third dictionary of words requested for addition to said first dictionary, said method further comprising, after said step of adding said word to said first database, the steps of:
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enabling a user of said first computer to request addition of said word to said second database; and upon such request, transmitting said word through said communication mechanism to said second computer; receiving said word in said second computer; determining whether said word is already in said first dictionary; if said word is not in said first dictionary, determining whether said word is already in said second dictionary; and if said word is not in said second dictionary, adding said word to said third dictionary. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
- a first computer, the first computer having a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers through a communication mechanism, wherein said first computer implements a spelling checking program, for checking the spelling of a word entered into said first computer, and a first database of words for use with said spelling checking program for checking the spelling of said word, and a user is enabled to enter said word into the first database such that when said word is entered into said first database said word is transmitted through the first port mechanism and the communication mechanism to a second computer system for further analysis regarding the spelling of said word;
wherein the first database includes a main dictionary and a supplemental dictionary, such that, when the first computer compares the word with the first database the first computer compares the word with words in the main dictionary and the supplemental dictionary, and if the word is not contained in the main or supplemental dictionaries the first computer informs the user and enables the user to add the word to the supplemental dictionary, and the first computer also enables the user to transmit the word to the second computer for further analysis regarding the spelling of said word.
- a first computer, the first computer having a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers through a communication mechanism, wherein said first computer implements a spelling checking program, for checking the spelling of a word entered into said first computer, and a first database of words for use with said spelling checking program for checking the spelling of said word, and a user is enabled to enter said word into the first database such that when said word is entered into said first database said word is transmitted through the first port mechanism and the communication mechanism to a second computer system for further analysis regarding the spelling of said word;
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25. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
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a first computer, the first computer having a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers through a communication mechanism, wherein said first computer implements a dictionary program and a database which enables said first computer to receive a word and an instruction from a second computer, and the dictionary program enables the first computer to add the word into the database if the instruction requests the addition of the word to the database; wherein the database includes a first dictionary of correctly spelled words and a second dictionary of misspelled words, such that, when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database the first computer determines if the word is contained in the first dictionary, and when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database and the word is not included in the first dictionary of correctly spelled words the first computer determines if the word is contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words, and if the first computer determines that the word is contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words the first computer transmits a message to the second computer indicating that the word is misspelled.
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26. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
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a first computer, the first computer having a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers through a communication mechanism, wherein said first computer implements a dictionary program and a database which enables said first computer to receive a word and an instruction from a second computer, and the dictionary program enables the first computer to add the word into the database if the instruction requests the addition of the word to the database; wherein the database includes a first dictionary of correctly spelled words and a second dictionary of misspelled words, such that, when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database the first computer determines if the word is contained in the first dictionary, and when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database and the word is not included in the first dictionary of correctly spelled words the first computer determines if the word is contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words, and the database further includes a third dictionary of words that are requested for addition to the first dictionary, such that, if the first computer determines that the word is not contained in the first dictionary of correctly spelled words and not contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words the first computer adds the word into the third dictionary.
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27. A dictionary system for spelling checkers and word processing applications, said dictionary system comprising:
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a first computer, the first computer having a first port mechanism for exchanging information between said first computer and other computers through a communication mechanism, wherein said first computer implements a dictionary program and a database which enables said first computer to receive a word and an instruction from a second computer, and the dictionary program enables the first computer to add the word into the database if the instruction requests the addition of the word to the database; wherein the database includes a first dictionary of correctly spelled words and a second dictionary of misspelled words, such that, when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database the first computer determines if the word is contained in the first dictionary, and when the dictionary program receives the word and the instruction from the second computer requesting the addition of the word into the database and the word is not included in the first dictionary of correctly spelled words the first computer determines if the word is contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words, and the database further includes a third dictionary of words that are requested for addition to the first dictionary, such that, if the first computer determines that the word is not contained in the first dictionary of correctly spelled words and not contained in the second dictionary of misspelled words the first computer transmits a message to the second computer, the message requesting permission to add the word into the third dictionary. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of updating a dictionary system, the dictionary system including a first computer having a first database of words, and a second computer having a second database of words, the first and second computers being in communication with each other through a communication mechanism, the method comprising:
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said second computer receiving from the first computer a word and information regarding spelling of said word; said second computer determining if said word is included in said second database; wherein the second database includes a first dictionary of approved words, a second dictionary of misspelled words, and a third dictionary of words requested for addition to said first dictionary, such that the process of said second computer determining if said word is included in said second database includes; determining if said word is in said first dictionary; and if said word is not in said first dictionary, said second computer transmitting to said first computer said word, including information regarding the spelling of said word. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification