GB2180973A

GB2180973A - Information retrieval

Info

Publication number: GB2180973A
Application number: GB08619529A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshinobu Inoue
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 1985-08-12
Filing date: 1986-08-11
Publication date: 1987-04-08
Also published as: JPS6237742A; GB2180973B; HK91890A; GB8619529D0; CN86105000A

Abstract

An information retrieval device has respective search keys for selecting respective portions of a word in turn. In a Chinese-English electronic dictionary, a forward search key 2 is used to cause a display 7 to cycle through the "pinyin zimu" characters in turn until the required one is reached, then a forward search key 3 causes it to cycle through the Chinese characters corresponding to the latter similarly, then a forward search key 4 causes it to cycle through the Chinese words beginning with the character thus selected. A backward search key 5 is usable at each stage. A translate key 6 causes display of the English equivalent. Translation in the reverse direction is also possible. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Information retrieval device Background of the invention The present invention relates to an information retrieval device such as an electronic dictionary, elec tronictranslation device, or electronic encyclopedia, and more particularly, to a device that outputs information corresponding to entry words designated by the user.

Conventionally, in order to input any ideographic character used in the Japanese or Chinese languages, a number of selection means such as numer ical key are provided. The numerous in put keys required by such a conventional information retrieval device complicates by operations and requires an excessively large device.

Summary of the invention The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel information retrieval device capable of retrieving the desired characters of an entry word by performing through two search processes. This allows for a reduced number of input keys in the information retrieval device, thereby resulting in a simplified operating procedure and a smaller configuration for the device itself.

In brief, the information retrieval device embodied in the present invention is provided with search keys for retrieving the first character of the entry word and another search key for retrieving the other characters comprising the desired entry word. Following this operation, the device can then retrieve the entry word.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will be better understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given byway of illustration only, and thus are not limitative ofthe present invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of the external configuration of one of the preferred embodiments of the information retrieval device related to the present invention; Figures2through 5are examples ofdisplayed characters related to the preferred embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6is a simplified block diagram denoting the hardware component of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a flowchart describing the operating procedure related to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Description ofthepreferredembodiments Figure lisa plain view ofthe external configura- tion of an electronic Chinese/English and English/ Chinese dictionary with an additional computing function. A mode select switch 1 allows selection of various modes, including "power off," "calculator mode," aswell asthe dictionary modes, "Englishi Chinese" and "Chinese/English." In this preferred embodiment, the case of the Chinese/English dictionary is specifically described, but the scope and spirit ofthe present invention are not limited to these languages as it can also be applied to other langu ages. In particular, the preferred embodiment ex plains the "pinyin zimu", Chinese phonetic alpha bets.It should be noted, however, that the preferred embodiment may also be applied to the "zhuyin zimu",Taiwanesephoneticsystem.Aforward search key2 is used first to select the "pinyin zimu" forthe desired character " t " (denoting "elec- tricity") for example. This character is written as "dian" in the "pinyin zimu" system. Iftheforward search key 2 is depressed either continuously or re peatedly, "pinyin zimus" are displayed sequentially at the extreme left of a display 7. A forwa rd search key 3 is used to select the first Chinese character.

When the forward search key 3 is depressed either continuously or repeatedly, the Chinese characters starting with the "pinyin zimus" retrieved by the forward search key 2 appear sequentially at the extreme left of the display 7, covering two positions needed to display a "pinyin zimu." A character-input and entry word search key 4 is used to select the other Chinese characters. When the forward search key 4 is depressed, the system retrieves the Chinese word beginning with single Chinese character selected either by the search key 2 and 3 or by the reversing key to be described later. The designated Chinese word then appears on the display7.If the forward search key 4 is either continuously or repeatedly depressed,all of the Chinese words beginning with the chosen Chinese character are retrieved from a memory (notshown) and shown on the display7in succession. A backward search key 5 serves to reverse the order of retrieval of the first "pinyin zimu" aftertheforward search key 2 has been depressed and until the otherforward search key3 isdep ressed. The backwa rd sea rch key 5 a Iso functions to reverse the order of retrieval of Chinese characters aftertheforward search key 3 has been depressed and until the forward search key4 is depressed. In addition, it can reverse the order of retrieval ofthe designated Chinese word after the forward search key4 has been depressed.After the desired Chinese word has been selected, a translation key 6 is depressed to display the corresponding English word on the display 7.

Figures 2 through 5 show various displays that mayappearduring retrieval processes. Figure2depicts the various displays thatappearwhen theforward search key 2 is pressed to select "pinyin zimu." If the forward search key 2 is depressed once when eitherthe power is ON orthe Chinese/English mode is in the ready condition, " pinyin zimu " "a" is shown on the display7 as shown in Figure 2(a). When the forward search key 2 is depressed again, as shown in Figure 2(b), another "pinyin zimu a" appears on the display 7. Figure 2(c) shows the display when the "pinyin zimu" "n" has been selected by eitherthe forward search key 2 o r th e backward search key 5 underthe conditions present in Figure 2(b).Thus, when the forward search key 2 is depressed, "pinyin zimus" are displayed in order: "a", "a", "n". Conversely, when the backward search key 5 is dep ressed,these letters are displayed in the reverse order of above.

Figure 3 depicts the Chinese characters displayed by depression oftheforward search key 3. lfthefor- ward search key 3 is depressed when first "pinyin zimu" "n" shown in Figure 2 (c) has been selected, the Chinese character " beginning with the "pinyin zimu" "n" is displayed as shown in Figure 3(a). If the forward search key 3 is depressed again, as shown in Figure 3(b), the Chinese character " pp" beginning with the "pinyin zimu "n" is displayed.

Figure 3(c) shows the display when the Chinese character "has been selected by either the forward search key3 or the backward search key 5 underthe conditions present in Figure 3(b). With each depres sion of the forward search key 3, another Chinese character beginning with the "pinyin zimu" "n" is displayed. Conversely, with each depression of the backward search key 5, those Chinese characters are displayed in reverse order.

Figure 4shows the words displayed by depression of the forward search key 4 for character-input and entry word search operations. If the forward search key4 is depressed when the Chinese character has been selected through the operations described above, as shown in Figure 4(a), a Chinese word " ta " is displayed.When eithertheforward search key4orthe backward search keyS isdep ressed again, another Chinese word "is dis- played, as shown in Figure 4(b). In this way, the for ward search key 4 enables Chinese words beginning with a previously selected Chinese characterto appearon the display 7 in the orderthey have been recorded in memory. Those same Chinese words may be displayed in reverse order with the backward search key 5.

Figure 5 shows the display that results when the translation key 6 is depressed after selection of the Chineseword w n according tothe procedure described above. The English word "woman" translated from the Chinese word " ,( " appears on the display 7.

Figure 6 depicts the hardware component ofthe electronic Chinese/English and English/Chinese dictionary and accompanying computation system. A ROM 11 stores the Chinese and English words corresponding to each other as well as a variety of data related to the character-generator and the Chinese "pinyin zimu." A ROM l2comprisesamemoryXi storingthenumberof"pinyinzimu,"amemoryX2 storing the number of Chinese words for responding to thefirst character, a memory X3 storing the number of Chinese words, and a display memory F1.

In response to the depression of any key 1 through 6 on a key-input panel 14,the CPU 13 controls retrieval ofthe Chinese characters and words and English words translated from these, and then it displays the retrieved information on the display 7.

Figure7 describes the procedure for retrieving information related to the electronic Chinese/english and English/Chinese dictionary with calculator reflected in the present invention. The procedure in block 1 retrieves the first "pinyin zimu". Xl denotes the variable associated with the first "pinyin zimu," with which each "pinyin zimu" has the relationship described by function fl (X1). Parameter F1 is providedforthedisplayofthese "pinyinzimus". Ex amples of what appears on the display 7 for block 1 are shown in Figures 2(a) through (c). The procedure in block 2 displays those Chinese characters beg inn- ing with the "pinyin zimus" retrieved by the procedures in block 1.X2 denotes the variable associated with variable Xl, where those Chinese characters beginning with the "pinyin zimus" are retrieved in accordance with the function f2 (X2). Examples of what appears on the display 7 for block 2 are shown in Figures 3(a) through (c). The procedure in block3 displays those Chinese words beginning with the Chinese characters retrieved by the procedure in block2. X3 denotes the variable associated with vari ableX2,wherethedesiredChinesewordsarere- trieved in accordance with the function f3 (X3) and then displayed according to parameter F1.

Finally, the retrieved Chinese word is translated into the correspond English word by depression of thetranslation key 6. The English word appearson the display 7. Examples of what appears on the display 7 are shown in Figures 4(a) and (b) and Figure 5.

While only certain embodiments ofthe present invention have been described, it will be apparentto thoseskilled intheartthatvariouschangesand modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention

Claims

as claimed. CLAIMS

1. An information retrieval device comprising; search key for retrieving the first character of an entry word; search key for retrieving subsequent characters corresponding to said first character; and means for retrieving an entry word composed of the said characters retrieved by operation said search keys.

2. The information retrieval device defined in claim 1, in which Chinese characters are accessed from a memory of said device.

3. The information retrieval device defined in claim 1 further comprising; CPU means for controlling said device in response to operations of said search keys; memory meansforstoring Chinese characters; and access memory for accessing said Chinese characters in response to a command from said CPU means.

4. An electronic information retrieval system which provides a plural-stage word searching procedure, the first stage involving selective retrieval of a first word portion and a subsequent stage involving selective retrieval of a furtherword portion which can associate with the firstword portion.

5. An electronic information retrieval system comprising: a display means; an electronic memory means storing word and word portion data; means for driving the display in accordance with data from said electronic memory means; manuallyoperableselection means; and control means for operating the system to provide a plural-stage word searching procedure in which the selection means is operable in a first stage to select one of a plurality of word portions which can be displayed successively by said display means, and then in a subsequentstageto select one of a set of word portions which are associable with the pre- viously selected word portion and which can also be displayed successively by said display means.

6. A system according to claim 5 which is adaptedforthe retrieval ofwords ofan ideographic language, wherein the word portions displayed in the first stage are phonetic symbols, and wherein in said subsequent stage ideographic character of which the phonetic equivalents begin with the selected phonetic symbol can be successively displayed and one of said characters selected by operation of said selection means.

7. A system according to claim 6wherein the control means is arranged to provide an additional state in which words comprising the selected charac terand one or more further characters associable with the selected character can be successively displayed, and the required word selected by operation oftheselection means.

8. An information retrieval device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.