Electronic dictionary apparatus and recording medium on which search control program is recorded

Abstract

When an additional search key of an input unit is operated by the user, if a current display on a display screen of a display unit is a list display of respective example sentences, a user input for refining example sentences is received, and example sentences are refined in accordance therewith. When the additional search key is operated by the user, if the current display is a display of explanatory information on the vocabulary entry, the display screen of the display unit is split into two, and a search of the explanatory information is carried out on one split screen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate a embodiment of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a structure of an electronic circuit of a portable device (electronic dictionary) relating to one embodiment of an electronic dictionary apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a key arrangement of an input unit of the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations in vocabulary entry search from an English-language dictionary in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations in multi-dictionary search from a state of displaying translations in vocabulary entry search (both of English language/Japanese language) in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations for refining candidates during displays of a search screen/a list of example sentences in example sentence search/formed sentence search in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations for refining candidates during displays of a search screen/a list of example sentences in multi-dictionary example sentence search/formed sentence search in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations of multi-dictionary Kanji search from a state in which a Kanji and explanatory information are displayed in a Kanji dictionary in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of transition of a display for explanation of operations for searching a vocabulary entry which is the same as a vocabulary entry designated by a cursor in a designated dictionary from the other plurality of dictionaries, from a state in which a list of vocabulary entries from one dictionary is displayed after multi-dictionary search or jump in the portable device (electronic dictionary).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of English-language dictionary search processing in a dictionary control program relating to one embodiment of a search control program in the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of Japanese-language dictionary search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of Kanji-Japanese dictionary search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of multi-example sentence search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of multi-ABC search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of multi-Kana search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of multi-dictionary Kanji search processing in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of jump processing which is executed when it is determined that a jump key is operated at step S20, S28, S37, S48, S56, S68, S82, S94, or S99 in the dictionary control program.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explanation of processing when it is determined that an additional search key is operated at step S18, S46, S80, or S92 in the dictionary control program.

Claims

1. An electronic dictionary apparatus comprising: a plurality of dictionary databases of different types;one operating key determined in advance;a display;an example sentence search section configured to search example sentences including search characters inputted by user operations from at least one of the plurality of dictionary databases, and to list-display searched respective example sentences on the display;an explanatory information search section configured to for search vocabulary entries corresponding to the search characters inputted by the user operations from one of the plurality of dictionary databases, and to display explanatory information on the vocabulary entry on the display in accordance with an operation of selecting a vocabulary entry by a user;refinement section configured to receive a user input for refining example sentences when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out during the list display of the searched respective example sentences, and to refine the list-displayed example sentences in accordance with the user input; andsplit control section configured to split a display screen of the display into two when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out during the display of the explanatory information on the vocabulary entry, and to make the explanatory information search section operate again on one split screen.

2. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the explanatory information search section further includes a spelling check section configured to execute spelling check on the search characters inputted by the user operations when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out at the time of searching vocabulary entries corresponding to the search characters inputted by the user operations from the plurality of dictionary databases.

3. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the split control section makes the explanatory information search section operate again on the split screen, the split control section makes the explanatory information search section search the vocabulary entries from at least two of the plurality of dictionary databases.

4. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refinement section receives an input of further adding characters to current search characters as the user input for refining the example sentences.

5. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refinement section receives an input of designating an order of a plurality of words structuring current search characters as the user input for refining the example sentences.

6. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a Kanji search section configured to search Kanji candidates corresponding to search characters inputted by user operations from a Kanji dictionary database which is one of the plurality of dictionary databases, to specify a Kanji which desired by the user in accordance with an operation of selecting one Kanji candidate by the user, and to display explanatory information on the specified Kanji on the display; anda Kanji vocabulary entry search section configured to search at least one of vocabulary entries including the specified Kanji at the forefronts and vocabulary entries including the specified Kanji at the tail ends from the plurality of dictionary databases to be list-displayed on the display when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out in a state in which explanatory information on a specified Kanji is displayed on the display by the Kanji search section.

7. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a multi-dictionary search section configured to search vocabulary entries by switching a dictionary database from which vocabulary entries including search characters inputted by user operations are searched in accordance with a user operation, and to list-display searched respective vocabulary entries from the dictionary database on the display; anda batch search section configured to search vocabulary entries which are the same as the selected vocabulary entry from the other plurality of dictionary databases, and to list-display the searched vocabulary entries from the plurality of dictionary databases collectively on the display when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out in a state in which the user has selected one vocabulary entry in list display of respective vocabulary entries from one dictionary database searched by the multi-dictionary search section.

8. The electronic dictionary apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the example sentence search section searches example sentences by switching a dictionary database from which example sentences including the search characters inputted by the user operations are searched in accordance with a user operation, and list-displays the searched respective example sentences from the dictionary database on the display; andthe refinement section receives a user input for refining the example sentences from the dictionary database when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out during the list display of the respective example sentences searched from the switched dictionary database, and refines the list-displayed example sentences in accordance with the user input.

9. A computer-readable recording medium containing search control programs for controlling a computer of an electronic dictionary apparatus comprising a plurality of dictionary databases of different types, one operating key determined in advance, and a display, the computer-readable recording medium containing search control programs for making the computer function as: an example sentence search section configured to search example sentences including search characters inputted by user operations from at least one of the plurality of dictionary databases, and to list-display searched respective example sentences on the display;an explanatory information search section configured to search vocabulary entries corresponding to the search characters inputted by the user operations from one of the plurality of dictionary databases, and to display explanatory information on the vocabulary entry on the display in accordance with an operation of selecting a vocabulary entry by a user;a refinement section configured to receive a user input for refining example sentences when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out during the list display of the searched respective example sentences, and to refine the list-displayed example sentences in accordance with the user input; anda split control section configured to split a display screen of the display into two when an operation by the one operating key determined in advance is carried out during the display of the explanatory information on the vocabulary entry, and to make the explanatory information search section operate again on one split screen.