Providing definitions that are sensitive to the context of a text
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an electronic device comprising;
one or more persistent data storage devices storingmultiple definitions of a first term, wherein each of particular ones of the definitions is stored in association with information that specifies a manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterizes a usage of the first term in one or more contexts that are characterized according to one or more identified textual indications for each of one or more texts in which the first term appears, and one or more media files that each include textual content that includes the first term;
one or more display devices configured to display the textual content of a first of the media files;
one or more input devices configured to receive a user selection of the first term within a portion of textual content from the textual content of the first of the media files; and
one or more data processing devices programmed to respond to receipt of the user selection of the first term by performing operations comprising;
determining, for the portion of the textual content, a context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files, wherein the determining is based on at least one identified textual indication that is identified in the portion of the textual content by the one or more data processing devices,accessing, from the one or more persistent data storage devices, the information that specifies the manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterize the usage of the first term in the one or more contexts,comparing the accessed information with the determined context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files, andranking the definitions of the first term according to respective likelihoods that the definitions provide correct characterizations of the usage of the first term within the portion of the textual content, wherein the ranking is based on the comparing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and techniques for providing definitions to a user. The provision embodies the context of a text in which the defined term appears. In one aspect, a system includes an electronic device that includes one or more data processing devices programmed to respond to receipt of the user selection of the first term by performing operations. The operations include accessing, from the one or more persistent data storage devices, the characterizations of the contexts of the texts, comparing the accessed characterizations of the contexts of the texts with one or more characteristics of the context of the textual content of a media file, and ranking the definitions of the first term according to respective likelihoods that the definitions appropriately characterize the usage of the first term within the textual content of the media file.
28 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
an electronic device comprising; one or more persistent data storage devices storing multiple definitions of a first term, wherein each of particular ones of the definitions is stored in association with information that specifies a manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterizes a usage of the first term in one or more contexts that are characterized according to one or more identified textual indications for each of one or more texts in which the first term appears, and one or more media files that each include textual content that includes the first term; one or more display devices configured to display the textual content of a first of the media files; one or more input devices configured to receive a user selection of the first term within a portion of textual content from the textual content of the first of the media files; and
one or more data processing devices programmed to respond to receipt of the user selection of the first term by performing operations comprising;determining, for the portion of the textual content, a context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files, wherein the determining is based on at least one identified textual indication that is identified in the portion of the textual content by the one or more data processing devices, accessing, from the one or more persistent data storage devices, the information that specifies the manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterize the usage of the first term in the one or more contexts, comparing the accessed information with the determined context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files, and ranking the definitions of the first term according to respective likelihoods that the definitions provide correct characterizations of the usage of the first term within the portion of the textual content, wherein the ranking is based on the comparing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method performed by a system of one or more data processing devices, the method comprising:
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receiving, by the system, user selection of a first term found in textual content displayed by the system, wherein the term has multiple definitions and each of particular ones of the definitions is stored in association with information that specifies a manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterizes a usage of the first term in one or more contexts and wherein the contexts are characterized according to one or more identified textual indications for each of one or more texts in which the first term appears; determining, by the system, a context that identifies how a portion of the textual content is used within the textual content, wherein the portion of the textual content includes the first term, wherein the determining is based on at least one identified textual indication that is identified in the portion of the textual content by the system; accessing, by the system, information that specifies the manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterize the usage of the first term in the one or more contexts; comparing, by the system, the accessed information with the determined context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files; ranking, by the system, the different definitions of the selected term based at least in part on a result of the comparison; and displaying, by the system, one or more of the different definitions according to the ranking of the different definitions. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system of electronic devices, the system comprising:
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a plurality of electronic devices each comprising; one or more data processors programmed to receive user confirmations of a propriety or impropriety of different definitions for characterizing usage of a first term in a particular text and a communication interface configured to output messages characterizing the user confirmations and the particular text; and a dictionary data system comprising a communication interface configured to receive the messages output by the electronic devices in the plurality and one or more persistent data storage devices storing characterizations of the user confirmations received from the electronic devices in the plurality, the stored characterizations identifying the contexts of the particular texts, wherein at least some of the plurality of electronic devices comprise one or more persistent data storage devices storing multiple definitions of a first term, wherein each of particular ones of the definitions is stored in association with information that specifies a manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterizes a usage of the first term in one or more contexts that are characterized according to one or more identified textual indications for each of one or more texts in which the first term appears, and one or more media files that each include textual content that includes the first term; one or more display devices configured to display the textual content of a first of the media files; one or more input devices configured to receive a user selection of the first term within a portion of textual content from the textual content of the first of the media files; and one or more data processing devices programmed to respond to receipt of the user selection of the first term by performing operations comprising determining, for the portion of the textual content, a context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content, wherein the determining is based on at least one identified textual indication that is identified in the portion of the textual content by the one or more data processors, accessing, from the one or more persistent data storage devices, the information that specifies the manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterize the usage of the first term in the one or more contexts, comparing the accessed information with the determined context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of the first of the media files, and ranking the definitions of the first term according to respective likelihoods that the definitions provide correct characterizations of the usage of the first term within the portion of the textual content, wherein the ranking is based on the comparing. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method implemented by a system of one or more data processing devices, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the system and from a plurality of remote electronic devices, a plurality of messages characterizing user confirmations of the propriety or impropriety of different definitions for characterizing usages of a first term in different texts; storing information characterizing the definitions and the contexts of the texts in one or more persistent data storage devices, wherein each of particular ones of the definitions is stored in association with information that specifies a manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterizes a usage of the first term in one or more contexts that are characterized according to one or more identified textual indications for each of one or more texts in which the first term appears; analyzing, by the system, the information stored at the one or more persistent data storage devices to determine ranks that represent likelihoods that the different definitions correctly characterize usages of the first term, wherein the analyzing comprises determining, for a portion of the textual content that includes the first term, a context that identifies how the portion of the textual is used within the textual content, wherein the determining is based on at least one identified textual indication that is identified in the portion of the textual content by the one or more data processing devices, accessing, from the one or more persistent data storage devices, the information that specifies the manner in which the particular one of the definitions characterize the usage of the first term in the one or more contexts, comparing the accessed information with the determined context that identifies how the portion of the textual content is used within the textual content of a particular one of the different texts; and outputting the ranks from the system. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification