Abstract:
An abbreviated text entering system is described which provides a plurality of files each of which includes a full text word and a corresponding abbreviated word. In each of the files the abbreviated word is formed using a different rule, and at least one file is provided for words of five or more characters, a different file is provided for words including one of a plurality of predefined prefixes, a further file is provided for words including one or more predefined suffixes, and another file is provided for words which include one of a plurality of predefined prefixes and one of a plurality of predefined suffixes. Entered text is compared with the abbreviated word forms, and on a match, that full text word corresponding to the matched abbreviated text is stored in lieu of the entered text.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At a time when computer products offer cost-effective solutions to most spheres of our business and life, nothing has been invented to use them to improve efficiency of inputting alphabetic information entered in every computer system. 
     At the present time, only one typing method is available, namely character-by-character input. The Computerscript method allows reduction of input time by up to 60%. 
     It can be used as a new computerized shorthand system to eliminate manual writing and transcribing and, more importantly, as a new typing standard. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention involves a method of entering alphabetic information and operating a digital computer to produce a readable text from an abbreviated form to full word form. All words of the English language are broken down into five categories or word structures: 
     (1) Four character words; 
     (2) Five and over five character words; 
     (3) Prefix words; 
     (4) Suffix words; 
     (5) Prefix/Suffix words. 
     Respectively, the dictionary file consists of five major files according to the categories described above. Each file has a number of records and every record consists of an abbreviated and full word. Also, there is a phrase file which stores 100 of the most frequently used phrases. 
     The input process begins by entering alphabetic information through standard computer keyboards into the main memory. 
     During the next phase, the computer determines the category of the word entered and a corresponding file is then searched for the abbreviation keyed in. Once the correspondence has been established, the computer prints out the full word. The process repeats until all text is output. 
     The following rules are used to input information. 
     (1) Three first characters for 4 character words. 
     (2) Two first and two last characters for 5 and over 5 character words. 
     (3) A special character for the suffix and first 3 characters for the words with a suffix. 
     (4) A special character for the prefix and next 3 characters for the words with a prefix. 
     (5) A special character for the prefix, a special character for the suffix plus 3 characters between them for words containing both a prefix and suffix. 
     A principal feature of this invention is a new input language associated with a standard computer keyboard which enhances the internal operation of the digital computer. The existing language associated with current keyboards is a full character-by-character input which means, for example, entering a 13 character word requires 13 strokes. However, Computerscript allows only 4 or 5 strokes. 
     An important invention aspect of the enhancement of a digital programmable computer system is fulfilled by reducing computer memory size since making fewer strokes results in fewer memory locations required to store information being entered and decreasing the access time of a specific word in the computer data dictionary by searching for the word according to the methods claimed as opposed to sequential or alphabetical approaches. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the overall system of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a QWERTY keyboard used to enter alphabetic information according to the rules of the invention. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams for implementing the steps in the method of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is an overall flow diagram of the steps for accessing a particular file. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     General Description 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a programmable digital computer system. Included are hardware and computer programs, the latter stored in program memory, for entering abbreviated information, retrieving full words and printing of readable text. 
     The alphabetic information keyed in is textual data arranged into records and blocks. Referring to FIG. 2, a standard computer keyboard is used to enter alphabetic information according to rules described herein. In the computer industry, such a keyboard is frequently called a &#34;qwerty keyboard.&#34; The data base dictionary of full English words is stored in files on disk storage which is comprised of about 7000 words and 100 phrases most often used in business correspondence. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are overall flow diagrams of a method of operation according to the present invention. Depending on the length and composition of the abbreviation, the computer accesses a particular file (FIG. 5) within a file. Using internal pointers, it searches for a match between an abbreviation entered and the one stored in the file. When the match is found, the full word is output to a file containing readable text. 
     File Structure 
     The data base dictionary consists of five major files containing: 
     A file storing 4 character words; 
     A file storing 5 and over 5 character words; 
     A file storing words with pre-defined prefixes; 
     A file storing words with pre-defined suffixes; 
     A file storing words with pre-defined suffixes and prefixes. 
     The files consist of records having the following format: ##STR1## 
     Information Input 
     The information is entered using the following rules: 
     (1) Three first characters for 4 character words; 
     (2) Two first and two last characters for 5 and over 5 character words (to be referred to as 2+2 rule); 
     (3) A special character for the suffix and 3 characters for the words with a suffix; 
     (4) A special character for the prefix and 3 characters for the words with a prefix; 
     (5) A special character for the prefix and a special character for the suffix plus 3 characters between them for the words containing a prefix and suffix. 
     Words of 1, 2 and 3 character length are entered unabbreviated. 
     The information should appear on the screen in abbreviated form while being entered. 
     Syntax of input is a conventional English language syntax. For example, a sentence, &#34;The ball is round,&#34; should be abbreviated &#34;bal is rond.&#34; The system software should allow the user to establish his/her own abbreviations by assigning two character abbreviations to each &#34;Buzz&#34; word. Times, dates, geographical terms and names should be entered unchanged. 
     Geographical terms and names should start with a capital letter. 
     If a word to be entered starts with a capital letter, it should be printed out with a starting capital letter. 
     If a word consists of all capital characters, it should be printed out with all capital characters. 
     Plurals Input 
     Regular words (words without prefixes and suffixes), are treated according to the category they fall under. For instance, the word &#34;aircrafts,&#34; the 2+2 rule is applied and abbreviated as &#34;aits.&#34; Another example would be the word &#34;areas.&#34; It is a 4 character plural which becomes a 5 character word and the 2+2 rule is applied and abbreviated as &#34;aras.&#34; 
     For prefix plurals, the prefix rule is used and &#34;s&#34; is added to the abbreviation. For example, the word &#34;concerns&#34; is abbreviated &#34;Ncers.&#34; 
     For suffix plurals, the suffix rule is used and &#34;s&#34; is added to the abbreviation. For example, the word &#34;corporations&#34; is abbreviated as &#34;corHs.&#34; Also, it seems to be acceptable that the user would apply the 2+2 rule and the word &#34;corporations&#34; could be abbreviated as &#34;cons.&#34; 
     For prefix/suffix plurals, the prefix/suffix rule is used and &#34;s&#34; is added to the abbreviation. For instance, the word &#34;conditions&#34; is abbreviated as &#34;NditHs.&#34; 
     Phrase Input 
     The user should be enabled to enter pre-defined phrases in abbreviated form and the software will be able to print out the full phrase. For example, a phrase, &#34;I do not believe&#34; would be abbreviated as &#34;I d b.&#34; When the software reads two or more one character abbreviations separated by blanks, it is an indication that a phrase has been entered. 
     Information Output 
     The information output should allow a user a choice of output device, i.e., file, display, printer. 
     The system should retain the format of the input. If information is entered in the format of a letter, the output should be in a format of a letter. 
     When the system finds more than one full word corresponding to one abbreviation, it should display all of them, put the cursor under the first word in the line and allow the user to pick out the necessary word. 
     
                       ComputerScript Summary______________________________________1.  4 Char Rule           Suffix Table    3 First Chars: Ball - Bal                     able - B2.  5 Char Rule           al - A    2 First + 2 Last:     ance - C    Aircraft = Aift       ate - T3.  Prefix Rule           ed - D    Prefix Char + 3       ence - E    next Chars            er - R    Conclusion = Nclu     es - S4.  Suffix Rule           ent - N    3 first Chars + suffix                     ing - G    Char                  ive - V    Development = DevM    ly - L5.  Prefix/Suffix Rule    ment - M    Prefix Char + 3 next  or - O    Chars + suffix Char   ry - Y    Consolidation = NsolH tion - H    Prefix Table          ty - T    com - M               Plurals    con - N         1.    4 Char word plurals become    de - D                5 Char word and 2 + 2    in - I                is applied.    pro - O         2.    5 Char plurals - 2 + 2    re - E                is applied.    ex - X          3.    Prefix plurals - prefix    un - U                Char + 3 next Char + S.               4.    Suffix plurals are abbreviated                     by 2 + 2 rule.               5.    Prefix/suffix plurals -                     prefix Char + 3 next                     Char + S.______________________________________ NOTE: 1. Time and dates to be entered as is. 2. Names, geographical terms to be entered as is. 3. Prefix and Suffix characters are entered as capital characters. 
    
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________     Pre-Defined Suffixes______________________________________     able - B     al - A     ance - C     ate - T     ed - D     ence - E     er - R     es - S     ent - N     ing - G     ive - V     ly - L     ment - M     or - O     ry - Y     tion - H     ty - T______________________________________ 
    
     
                       TABLE 2______________________________________     Pre-Defined Prefixes______________________________________     com - M     con - N     de - D     in - I     pro - O     re - E     ex - X     un - U______________________________________ 
    
     
                       TABLE 3______________________________________List of Pre-defined Phrases______________________________________about the--a t    was not--w nall of them--a o t             we are--w aare not--a n      we are not--w r nas good as--a g a we can--w cas low as--a l a  we do not--w d nas many as--a m a we do not believe--w d bas you--a y       we have--w has well as--a w a we have been--w h bat all--a a       we have not--w h nat any time--a a t             we must--w mat once--a o      we shall not--w s ndoes not--d n     we shall be--w s bfor the--f t      we should--w sfor us--f u       we will--w wfrom the--f t     we will not--w w nfrom your--f y    what to do--w t dhave been able--h b a             when the--w the is--h i        which is--w ihe had--h h       will be able--w b ahe was not--h w n with you--w yhe will--h w      with us--w uI do not--I d n   would be able--w b aI do not believe--I d b             you are--y aI do not know--I d k             you do not--y d nI do not see--I d s             you do not know--y d kI have--I h       you have--y hif you are--i y a you know--y kif you will--i y w             your letter--y lin reply--i r     you may--y min which--i w     you would--y winto the--i t     it must be--i m bis not--i n       I was not--I w nit may be--i m b  more than--m tit is not--i i n  must be--there is--t i     of it--o ithere is not--t i n             of its--o ithey do not--t d n             of them--o tthey do not know--t d k             of which--o wthey had--t h     on our--o uthrough the--t t  on the--o tto draw--t d      on your--o yto get--t g       over the--o tto keep--t k      should be--s bto mean--t m      should be able--s b ato place--t p     that is--t ito ship--t s      that they--t tto which--t w     there are--t a______________________________________