An electronic typewriter with a spelling check function

Abstract: An electronic typewriter or a word processor with a spelling check function for speedier typing comprises a keyboard, a dictionary memory, a spelling checker, alarm means for issuing an alarm when the input word is determined to be incorrectly spelled, proper noun determination means for determining whether the input word is a proper noun and skip means for not activating the alarm means when the input word is determined to be a proper noun. The input word is determined to be a proper noun when the first letter is an upper case letter and the input word is not a first word in a sentence, or when the input word is composed of upper case letters and the preceding words are not composed of upper case letters.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a word processor with a spelling check function, especially one for avoiding an unnecessary alarm caused during spelling checking of a proper noun. Prior Art Recent word processors and electronic typewriters are provided with a spelling check function which can check the spelling of an input word. Those word processors or typewriters include a dictionary memory storing many correctly spelled words. When a word is input from a keyboard, the spelling of the input word is automatically checked by comparing it with all words in the dictionary memory. In case of an electronic typewriter or in case of a typewriter mode of a word processor in which each input character is printed on a paper individually, when a word partition key, such as a space key, comma key, period key, carriage return key, etc., is operated, the preceding group of characters are considered a word and spelling checking automatically begins for the word. When the word is judged to be mis-spelled, an alarm is issued to the operator. An example is given in EP-A-0 097 818. Generally, such word processors or typewriters have a user dictionary for mainly storing proper nouns. In the user dictionary, in many cases, personal names, company names, place names, etc. that frequently appear in documents are entered (or registered) in the dictionary by the operator to make the spelling checking operation smoother and speedier. In the spelling checking process, the input word is compared not only with words in the standard dictionary provided but also with words in the user dictionary to check whether the word is mis-spelled. The words in the user dictionary are first entered usually during the course of spelling checking operation when the input word is judged mis-spelled. But the above prior art word processors or typewriters have a shortcoming. Frequently appearing proper nouns are stored in the user dictionary by the operator and are not judged to be mis-spelled because they are passed by the spelling checker. But a rarely appearing proper noun word cannot be entered in the user dictionary before it appears in a document. When there are many such rare proper nouns in a document, the inputting operation is frequently interrupted by an alarm from the spelling checker. This interferes with quick typing. Entering the rare proper nouns in the dictionary does not solve the problem because such registration takes time and each of the many words appears only once in one typing job. JP-A-60,22227 discloses an apparatus for converting a sentence comprising letters of only upper and only lower case into a sentence with the correct mix of upper and lower cases. Words not at the beginning of a sentence are checked against a dictionary of proper nouns to determine whether or not they should be capitalised. The article "Computer Programs for Detecting and Correcting Spelling Errors" from communications of the ACM V.23 December 1980 discusses techniques useable in batch spell checking programs and suggests that words ("tokens") consisting solely of upper case characters should not be checked. An aim of the invention is to speed up the typing of a document which includes many rare proper nouns. Another aim is to adequately avoid alarm or interruption of the typing operation by the spelling checking of a proper noun word to allow faster typing. In contrast to the above prior art, in the invention, as claimed, an alarm is skipped when the typewriter or word processor detects, according to preselected criteria, a word which is to be treated as a proper noun, although the word is nevertheless spell-checked. The invention is defined according to claim 1. The invention may be best understood by referring to the following description of the preferred embodiment and the drawing given by way of example and in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the basis 20 structure of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic typewriter in a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the typewriter; Fig. 4 is an electric block diagram of the typewriter; and Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the spelling check processing executed by the control section of the typewriter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to the drawings. This embodiment is an electronic typewriter 1 with a spelling check function and the spelling check function is designed to avoid the mis-spelling judgment and alarming against words to be treated as proper nouns. As shown in Fig. 2, a keyboard 3 is provided on the front part of a body frame 2 of an electric typewriter 1. A print mechanism PM is installed behind the keyboard 3 and within the body frame 2. The keyboard 3 comprises various keys as follows: character keys including alphabet keys 10, numeral keys 11 and symbol keys 12; a space key 13; a back space key 14; a return key 15; a shift key 16; a code key 17; a left margin set key 18; a right margin set key 19; a tab set key 20; a tab clear key 21; a tab key 22; a paper-up key 23; a paper-down key 24; a repeat key 25; a cursor movement key 26 for moving a cursor on a LCD display 71; and a correction key 27. The functions of the above-mentioned keys and other keys are similar to those of familiar typewriters. In the upper side of the keyboard 3, the liquid crystal display (LCD) 71 for displaying characters input by means of the above-mentioned keys 10, 11, 12 and 13 is installed. In the print mechanism PM, a platen 30 is provided laterally across the body frame 2. The platen 30 is driven by a platen drive motor 50 or manually by a platen knob 31 to feed a paper 45. As shown in Fig. 3, a carriage 32 is supported by two guide shafts 34 and 35 which are provided parallel to a platen shaft 33 so that the carriage 32 moves along the platen 30. The carriage 32 is equipped with a type wheel motor 54 for driving a type wheel 37. The type wheel 37 is included in a wheel cassette 38 and is removably attached to the shaft of the wheel motor 54. One of type 39 of the type wheel 37 is set at the print position opposite a print hammer 40. The print hammer 40 is located at the top of the carriage 32, and strikes the type 39 in the print position to print it on the paper 45. A ribbon cassette 42 containing a print ribbon 41 is set on a holder 43. The front end of the holder 43 is attached to the guide shaft 35 to be rotatable with respect to the carriage 32. The print ribbon 41 is fed from the feed spool of the ribbon cassette 42 and is taken up by the take-up spool which is driven by a ribbon feed motor 52. In a cavity at the rear part of the holder 43, a correction ribbon 44 having a feed spool and a take-up spool is installed. To reposition the holder 43 between a print position, a pause position and a correction position, a cam mechanism (not shown) is provided on the carriage 32. A position into which the print ribbon 41 is inserted between the selected type 39 and the platen 30 (ref: Fig. 3) is called the print position. A position to which the print ribbon 41 is returned from the print position is called the pause position. The correction position designates a position into which the corrector ribbon 44 is inserted between the selected type 39 and the platen 30. A correction ribbon mechanism is not shown in the drawings but is provided on the carriage 32. The correction ribbon 44 is fed by a preset length from the feed spool to the take-up spool when the holder 43 is moved into the correction position. Namely, the print mechanism PM includes: the platen 30 and the platen drive mechanism; the carriage 32 and the carriage drive mechanism; the type wheel 37 and the type wheel drive mechanism; the print ribbon 41 and the ribbon feed mechanism; the cam mechanism for moving both the print ribbon 41 and the correction ribbon 44 into the print position, and its drive mechanism; and the print hammer 40 and the hammer drive mechanism. Every drive mechanism is connected to the control section C. The control system of the electronic typewriter 1 is hereinunder described with reference to Fig. 4. The driver section of the print mechanism PM consists of a platen motor 50, a platen motor driver 60, a carriage motor 51, a carriage motor driver 61, a ribbon feed motor 52, a ribbon feed motor driver 62, a ribbon lift motor 53, a ribbon lift motor driver 63, a type wheel motor 54, a type wheel motor driver 64, a print hammer solenoid 55, and a print hammer solenoid driver 65. Each driver of the print mechanism PM is connected to the control section C. A display section D includes a display CPU 70, the LCD display 71 for displaying 20x2 characters, and a display controller 73 for controlling the LCD display 71. The controller 73 has a display RAM and a character generator including dot pattern information for each character. The display CPU 70 receives command data and character data output from a main CPU 76 via an interface 75. Then, the display CPU 70 forms display data according to the character generator, and outputs the data to the display controller 73. The display controller 73 outputs a display signal, responsive to the display data, to the LCD display 71. The control section C consists of the main CPU 76, and ROM 80 and RAM 90 which are connected with the CPU 76. Moreover, the keyboard 3, the drivers 60 through 65 in the print mechanism PM, and the interface 75 are all connected to the main CPU 76 by means of a data bus. A program memory 81 of the ROM 80 stores many control programs including one for controlling motors 50 through 54, the print hammer solenoid 55, and the display section D in response to various code data input from the character keys 10, 11, 12, space key 13, and other function keys of the keyboard 3. The program memory 81 also stores a spelling check program, a correct word suggestion program, a character erasing program and so on. The spelling check program will be described later. The correct word suggestion program searches for one or more suggestion words from a dictionary memory 81 when the input word is judged mis-spelled by the spelling check program. Each suggestion word is composed of the same letters with the mis-spelled word except one, which is replaced with a likely different letter. The dictionary memory 82 is provided in the ROM 80 and contains spelling information of, for example, 70,000 words in alphabetical order for use in the spelling check program. The RAM 90 includes memory regions as follows: a current position memory for storing the current position of the carriage 32; a type position memory for storing the current position of a type wheel 37; a word data memory 93 for storing the lastly input word for use in the spelling check program; a print data memory 94 for storing the printed characters in accordance with the printing order when the typewriter is used in a normal typewriter mode or in a line by line print mode; a partition data memory 95 for storing word partition code data such as a space, a period, a comma, a colon, a semi-colon, a carriage return, etc. for the definition of a word; a line buffer for storing one or two lines of input characters (in order to display them on the LCD display 71) ; a text memory for storing the input text in an electronic file; a cursor counter and a pointer for controlling the position of the cursor on the LCD display 71; and other miscellaneous temporary memories. In the typewriter mode, the main CPU 76 works as follows. Responsive to a character code input from the keyboard 3, the CPU 76 controls the print mechanism PM to print the character on the paper. The CPU 76 stores the printed character in the print data memory in the RAM 90 in accordance with the print position. Then the CPU 76 stores the current positions of the carriage motor 51 and the type wheel motor 54 in the current position memory and in the type position memory in the RAM 90. In a memory mode, in which input data is not printed out on the paper but stored in the text memory, the main CPU 76, responsive to a character code data input from the keyboard 3, stores the character code data in the line buffer and in the text memory in the RAM 90. At the same time, the CPU 76 outputs the character code data to the CPU 70 of the display section D, which displays the character on the display 71 and controls the cursor position on the display 71. When the operated key is a function key for driving the motors of the print mechanism PM, the input function code data is processed by the control program in the CPU 76, and necessary signals are output to drivers 60 through 65. For erasing a printed character in response to the correction key 27 in the typewriter mode, the CPU 76 reads the character erasing program from the program memory 81 of the ROM 80 and works according to the program. First the CPU 76 outputs a signal to the ribbon lift motor driver 63 to drive the ribbon lift motor 53 moving the holder 43 to the erasing position. Then the CPU 76 reads out the character data from the print data memory 94 corresponding to the current carriage position specified in the current position memory in the RAM 90. The CPU 76 outputs a signal to the type wheel motor driver 64 to drive the type wheel motor 54 to place the corresponding type 39 of the type wheel 37 at the print position. Then the CPU 76 outputs a signal to the hammer solenoid driver 65 to drive the hammer solenoid 55 to hit the type 39 by the print hammer 40 in order to erase the desired character via the correction ribbon. In this case, when the erased character is one of the currently inputting word, the data corresponding to the erased character is removed from the print data memory 94. In a spelling check mode, in which the spelling of every input word is checked, the main CPU 76 reads the spelling check program from the program memory 81 responsive to word partition code data (explained later). The CPU 76 searches in the dictionary memory 82 for the same word as that stored in the word data memory 93. When the same word is not found in the dictionary memory, the input word in the word data memory 93 is assumed mis-spelled and the CPU issues alarm, e.g. beeps a buzzer, and starts the correct word suggestion program. By the correct word suggestion program, one or more of suggestion words are displayed on the LCD display 71 by the above mentioned process. The spelling check processing executed in the control section C is explained according to a flowchart of Fig. 5. When the typewriter is turned on, this control program is started. First at step S1, various initialization processings are executed. After the initialization, at S2, it is determined whether any key is operated. When no key is operated, this step S2 is repeated until any key is operated, when the processing goes to S3. At S3, it is determined whether the code data input by the key operation is one of the word partition codes such as: a space, a carriage return, a period, a comma, a colon, a semi-colon, etc. These word partition codes are stored in the partition data memory 95 of the RAM 90. When the input code data is one of the word partition code data, the processing goes to S5 for spelling checking and otherwise to S4 for the other processings. At S4, processings according to character keys 10, 11, 12 or to various function keys is executed. When a character key is operated, the corresponding character is printed on the paper 45 and the code data of the character is stored in the word data memory 93 and in the print data memory 94. Until the word partition key is operated, the processings of steps S2, S3 and S4 are repeated. When a word partition key is operated, spelling check processing is executed at S5, in which the data in the word data memory 93 is compared with every word data stored in the dictionary memory 82. After the comparison, it is determined at S6 whether the input word is correctly spelled, i.e., whether there is an identical word in the dictionary memory 82. When the input word is judged correctly spelled, the processing goes to S12 and otherwise to S7. S7 to S10 are steps for determining whether the input word is to be treated as a proper noun. First at S7, it is determined whether all the letters composing the input word are upper case letters based on the code data in the word data memory 93. When the answer is YES at S7, the processing goes to S8 and otherwise to S9. When the input word is composed of upper case letters only, it is then determined at S8 whether the entire text is in upper case letters. The code data of every letter in the text is checked in the print data memory 94 toward the beginning of the text. When the entire text is determined to be in upper case letters at S8, the input word is not assumed to be treated as a proper noun and the processing goes to S11. When the whole text is not in upper case letters, it is assumed that the input word which is in upper case letters is to be treated as a proper noun and the processing goes to S12. At S9, it is determined whether the first letter of the input word is an upper case letter by checking each letter composing the input word stored in the word data memory 93. If the answer is YES, the input word may be a word to be treated as a proper noun and the processing goes to S10 but otherwise goes to S11. It is then determined at S10 whether the input word is the first word of a sentence. When the input word data is stored at the beginning of the print data memory 94, or when a period "." code data exists between the input word data and the preceding word data in the print data memory 94, the input word is determined to be the first word of a sentence. When the answer is YES at S10, the input word is not assumed to be treated as a proper noun and the processing goes to S11 and otherwise goes to S12. Namely, as a whole, when the input word is not assumed to be treated as a proper noun through the determinations of S7 to S10, the processing goes to S11; and when the input word is assumed to be treated as a proper noun, it goes to S12. At S11, where the input word is judged mis-spelled at S5 and is assumed not to be treated as a proper noun by the processings of S7 through S10, an alarm is issued, e.g., an alarm message is displayed on the LCD display, a buzzer is beeped or an alarm lamp is lighted. After the alarm processing, processing according to the word partition key as described above is executed at S12 and the processing returns to S2 to repeat the above processings for the next key input. When an alarm is issued at S11, one or more correct words picked from the dictionary memory 82 with respect to the doubted input word are suggested by the control section C on the display 71. Further the typewriter has a special correction function by which the mis-spelled input word printed on the paper is erased by the correction mechanism (not shown) when the operator hits a correction key 27 on the keyboard 3 responsive to the alarm. It is further possible to print one of the suggested correct word in place of the erased incorrect word responsive to the operators selection. As described, according to the invention, the operator can type a text at high speed because proper nouns which are usually not in the dictionary memory do not elicit alway, an alarm. Obviously numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, while the determination of a possible proper noun is executed after the spelling of the input word is checked in the above embodiment, the spelling checking may be executed after the input word is determined not to be a possible proper noun. The above embodiment is explained for a daisy wheel typewriter, but a typewriter with a thermal printer or a type ball printer may employ the invention. Further this invention can be applied in a word processor with a spelling check function. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described therein.

Claims: An electronic typewriter or word processor with a spelling check function comprising: input means (M1) for inputting a word; a dictionary memory (M2) which stores spelling information of a plurality of words; spelling check means (M3) for determining whether an input word is correctly spelled on the basis of the spelling information of the dictionary memory; and alarm means (M4) for issuing an alarm when the input word is determined to be incorrectly spelled; characterised by: determination means (M5) for determining by considering the case of the letters of the word, according to preselected criteria, whether the input word is to be treated as a proper noun; and skip means (M6) for preventing activation of the alarm means when the determination means (M5) determines that the input word is to be treated as a proper noun. An electronic typewriter or word processor according to claim 1 wherein the determination means (M5) determines than an input word is to be treated as a proper noun when only the first letter of the input word is an upper case letter (S9) and the input word is not the first word of a sentence (S10). An electronic typewriter or word processor according to claim 1 or 2 wherein, the determination means (M5) determines that an input word is to be treated as a proper noun when every letter composing the input word is an upper case letter (S7) and all words preceding the input word are not in upper case letters (S8). An electronic typewriter or word processor according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein said input means comprises a keyboard.

Inventors: KUMAZAWA HAJIME BROTHER KOGYO, SAKAI TOSHIYUKI BROTHER KOGYO, SASAKI RYOICHI BROTHER KOGYO K, KUMAZAWA, HAJIME BROTHER KOGYO K.K., SAKAI, TOSHIYUKI BROTHER KOGYO K.K., SASAKI, RYOICHI BROTHER KOGYO K.K.
Applicants: BROTHER IND LTD, BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06F17, G06F3