Electronic word retrieval device for searching and displaying one of different forms of a word entered4420816Abstract A word information storage and retrieval apparatus comprises a plurality of character keys for entering first word information where a specific word is represented in a first form, a search circuit for searching second word information, and a display for indicating the first form and one or more modified forms of the word entered, and the second word information representing the same meaning and the same language as a first word with the modified forms. The second word information defines the modified forms of the specific word as well as in the first form. A combination of the first form and the modified forms is selected by sequential selection from the following categories: (noun) singular and plural; (pronoun) subjective, genitive, and objective (verb) present, past, and past particle; (adjective) positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree; and adjective and adverb. Claims What is claimed is: Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
TABLE 1
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kind of variant form
word original form
the 1st the 2nd
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noun singular plural
pronoun subjective genitive objective
verb present past past
particle
objective
positive degree
comparative superlative
degree degree
adjective adverb
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Turning back to FIG. 1, a number of the alphanumeric character keys of the key unit 2 are actuated to enter a specific word designated in the above-mentioned original form. The display 4 indicates the specific word in the original form. The variant form search key 3 is actuated whenever one of variant forms based on the original form entered is searched by a control circuit as stated below and simultaneously indicated in the display 4. The variant forms are represented in the same language as the original form. FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the control circuit contained within the portable electronic word retrieval device shown in FIG. 1. The control circuit comprises the afore mentioned key unit 2, the variant form search key 3, the display 4, an original-form storage 5, an original-form memory 6, the first variant-form memory 7, the n-th variant-form memory 8, an address counter 9, a coincidence detection circuit 10 and a driver 11. The original-form storage 5 contains in turn code information corresponding to alphanumeric character information entered by the actuation of the key unit 2. The original-form memory 6 preliminarily stores a plurality of words in the form of the code information representing the original form. The first variant-form memory 7 previously contains a plurality of words in the form of the code information designating the first variant form grammatically related to the original form. The n-th variant-form memory 8 also in advance stores plurality of words in the form of the code information representative of the n-th variant form (n is an integer more than one) grammatically related to the first variant form. The address counter 9 causes access of a plurality of addresses of the original-form memory 6, the first variant-form memory 7, and the n-th variant-form memory 8, where it is assumed that the contents stored in an address of these memories 6, 7, and 8, which are simultaneously subjected to access by the address counter 9, are respectively the original form, the first variant form, and the n-th variant form of the same specific word in the same langauge. The coincidence detection circuit 10 determines the coincidence between the code information developed from the original-form storage 5, which represents the intact alphanumeric character form introduced by the key unit 2, and the code information derived from the original-form memory 6, which also indicates the alphanumeric character form. When the coincidence is obtained, detection signals Si are developed from the coincidence detection circuit 10. The address counter 9 is reset in response to the actuation of the key unit 2. In the reset conditions of the address counter 9, if the variant-form search key 3 is actuated, the address counter 9 advances its counting operations by one, driving the memories 6 to 8 until the detection signals Si are applied to the address counter 9. The driver 11 controls an indication of the code information derived from the original-form storage 5, the first variant-form memory 7, and the n-th variant-form memory 8. The driver 11 selects a series of the code information to be indicated in the display 4 according to the key unit 2 and the variant-form search key 3. That is, when the key unit 2 is actuated for entering the alphanumeric character form information, the driver 11 transfers the code information from the original-form storage 5 to the display 4. After completion of the entry of the alphanumeric character form information, when the variant-form search key 3 is operated, the drivers 11 subsequently transmits the code information from each of the first variant-form memory 7 and the n-th variant-form memory 8 to the display 4 in synchronization with the actuation of the variant-form search key 3. The original-form memory 6, the first variant-form memory 7, and the n-th variant-form memory 8 contain the word information in the style of the code information as stated above. A kind of the code information represents a specific word as a whole. According to a second example of the invention, a kind of the code information stored in these memories 6, 7 and 8 may designate a specific character a plurality of which forms in combination a specific word. In this instance, a plurality of kinds of the code information are stored in these memories 6 to 8 in order to facilitate forming a plurality of words. It is necessary that the memory capacity of the memories 6 to 8 be enlarged to be adapted for the second example. However, the coincidence detection circuit 10 and the driver 11 can be simplified by the reduction of memory contained therein. In operation, the plurality of the alphanumeric character keys of the key unit 2 are operated to introduce the alphanumeric character form information corresponding to a specific word in the original form, e.g., "speak". The address counter 9 becomes reset on the completion of the enter of the alphanumeric character form information. Simultaneously with the entry of the alphanumeric character form information, the code information developed from the original-form storage 5 corresponding to the alphanumeric character form information is admitted to the display 4 through the driver 11. Therefore, the alphanumeric character form entered is indicated in the display 4, e.g., "speak." The variant-form search key 3 is operated to find out the variant form identified by the original form to be sought. One actuation of the variant-form search key 3 causes the address counter 9 to count up until a coincidence is obtained between the first code information from the original-form storage 5 and the second code information from the original-form memory 6, and the detection signals Si are generated from the coincidence detection circuit 10 to the address counter 9. The address counter 9 stops in response to the introduction of the detection signals Si and maintains its counted value at the time when the detection signals Si are to be generated. Since the first variant-form memory 7 and the n-th variant-form memory 8 are both driven according to the counting value set in the address counter 9, it occurs that two kinds of the code information respectively generated from the memories 7 and 8 are the first variant form, e.g., "spoke" and the n-th variant form, say, "spoken." Instantly, the code information developed from the first variant-form memory 7 is transferred to the display 4 through the driver 11 because the driver 11 is set up in response to the above-described actuation of the variant-form search key 3 so that it conducts the code information from the first variant-form memory 7 into the display 4. Simultaneously with the subsequent actuation of the variant-form search key 3, the n-th variant form defined by the code information developed from the n-th variant-form memory 8 is indicated in the display 4 with the help of the driver 11. It will be apparent that the variant form may be entered by the key unit 2 to find out the original form related to the variant form. In such a case, a plurality of the variant forms should be stored in the memory 6 whereas a plurality of the original forms corresponding thereto should be contained in one of the memories 7 and 8. While only certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.
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