Patent Publication Number: US-2022215774-A1

Title: System and method for electronic text display

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application in a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/498,056, filed Oct. 11, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Ser. No. 63/091,081, filed Oct. 13, 2020, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to electronic text displays and methods or systems for electronic text displays which facilitate learning vocabulary in context and while reading without the need for secondary resources. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Between reading and the cognitive capabilities of a person, there is a clear relationship that allows you to develop creativity and imagery of thinking. High-quality literature allows you to diversify speech with new words and expressions, which are almost impossible to meet in everyday life. Reading provides the fastest build-up of the intellectual base of a person, as well as a reduction of emotional stress and increase in inner harmony. Therefore, reading is one of the most important fundamental skills, which is an integral part of the educational process, especially if it concerns the study of foreign languages. 
     Those individuals learning foreign languages in the world can be divided into two groups of people. 
     The first group is local or international students who constantly experience difficulties in obtaining education when it involves reading literature in a language other than their native language. 
     The second group is not students but those who have set themselves with the task of learning one or more foreign languages, and the main problem they face is the inability to start reading books in a foreign language from the very beginning of their studies. 
     One problem unites these two groups—a low level of vocabulary, which turns the reading process into a battle with the learning material. 
     International students are particularly uncomfortable, as practicing reading is the most effective way for them to learn to speak fluently, but the lack of reading skills puts them in an unprivileged position compared to native speakers. This situation practically destroys any attempts for social integration, since it often leads to irritation and complexity in students of non-native speakers of the language, and as a result, the learning process suffers. It does not matter how well the curriculum is adapted to international students, as the practice of reading greatly limits it. It is very difficult to imagine the study of foreign languages without the possibility of reading outstanding representatives of these languages in the original language. Therefore, many teachers are unable to provide successful reading programs because non-native students simply cannot complete them. 
     For an international student to fully comprehend the educational process, there are only two practices of reading in a foreign language—intensive and extensive reading. 
     Intensive reading is a type of class reading and implies a detailed reading of short fragments of text to obtain specific information. Intensive reading is important for understanding every word in the text, understanding sentence structure, semantics, and also for focusing on grammar. 
     Extensive reading is extracurricular reading and is used to gain a general understanding of the subject and involves reading long texts for pleasure using a relatively small vocabulary. With extensive reading, it is important to understand not each word separately, but to be able to comprehend the general meaning of the words in context. 
     Both types of reading cause fear in non-native students, since vocabulary in both cases is a fundamental circumstance to read and speak a foreign language fluently, and reading is the only effective method for acquiring vocabulary. Therefore, international students are constantly faced with such a contradiction in education, and at the same time, there are no serious tools that will allow them to read freely in a foreign language in educational programs. 
     Even though, at the moment, there are a large number of software tools that make it possible to facilitate the process of reading foreign literature, the methods that are used in these tools are not comfortable for achieving a large vocabulary in a short time. In all these applications, the reader must perform a number of tedious actions while reading books such as: copying or writing unfamiliar terms, actively working with the dictionary, or working with flash cards to study a set of words. The next time the reader encounters an unfamiliar word in the text, he is again forced to turn to the dictionary, and as a result, the reading process turns into an irritable routine that one desires to avoid. 
     Also, the student does not have the opportunity to choose to read foreign literature according to his level of training or desire, since all the assistants presented to date for reading foreign literature do not give the opportunity to choose literature, but only use books prepared in advance. And it is important to note that none of the existing tools can be considered as a professional means for learning a foreign language through reading, since they are very limited in their capabilities, and therefore, no university recognizes them as a full-fledged tool that can get rid of the discomfort of many international students in mastering foreign literature. 
     Therefore, at the moment, there is no universal means for reading any foreign literature that would allow one to work comfortably with the text and would contribute to an active increase in vocabulary. As a result, there is a need for an electronic display tool that would allow becoming part of the educational process not only for international students, but also would help other groups of people to gain comfortable access to any foreign literature without needing to access any secondary resources, such as, but not limited to, a dictionary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is aimed at significantly facilitating the process of learning foreign languages through reading and increases the level of understanding of text material several times in comparison with other existing practices. 
     This invention allows for one to combine intensive and extensive reading, and as a result, the level of vocabulary of the user increases several times after reading at least one book. 
     This invention allows one to avoid unnecessary and time-consuming actions with regard to the text, as it automatically translates within the text any words, phrases, grammatical constructions, idioms, etc. 
     It is sufficient for the user to add an unfamiliar text term to the database only once, and its meaning will constantly and automatically be provided every time this term is encountered in the text. 
     This invention allows one to study all unfamiliar text terms in the context of the sentence, without being distracted by working with additional dictionaries, thereby increasing the efficiency of perception of unfamiliar information. The user can not only intensively analyze complex grammatical constructions, but also enjoy reading literature in an unfamiliar language. 
     The present invention illustrates an example of a complete solution which allows one to study all unfamiliar text terms in the context of a sentence, as well as automatically systematize the data obtained during the reading process without being distracted by additional dictionaries, thereby increasing the efficiency of perception of unfamiliar information. The present invention is built on the original user interface and logical rules that are part of the original software. The user is able to not only intensively analyze complex grammatical constructions, but also enjoy reading literature in an unfamiliar language. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is illustrated by the following diagrams. 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate how to manage unknown terms and meanings of those terms to the user database via the multifunctional module of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2A-2E  illustrate the interactive features of the meanings bars which appear above unknown terms in the text, as well as examples of the logical rules on the basis of which meanings and unknown terms appear in the display. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The list of elements depicted in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  is as follows: 
     The digital device  101  is a computer or mobile device with a display. 
     The text  102  is any kind of electronic text that can be displayed by the digital device  101 . 
     The term(s)  103 ( 1 ),  103 ( 2 ) comprise any word, phrase, or sentence in the text that is selected by a user via the pointer  107  (see  103 ( 1 )) or which is displayed (as a copy of the term) in the multifunctional module  121  (see  103 ( 2 )). 
     The meanings bar  104  is an interactive panel with text or other symbols that appears above any term chosen by the user within the text. The main task of the meanings bar  104  is to provide explanatory information, including but not limited to definitions, for the unfamiliar terms in the text in either the native or a non-native language. The explanatory information provided in the meanings bar  104  is managed by the user via the multifunctional module  121 . 
     The pointer  107  may comprise a human finger, an electronic pen, a stylus, a mouse cursor, or other device utilized by the user for selecting objects or interacting with objects on the screen of the digital device  101 . The screen may be, for example, a touch screen, a laser-sensing screen, a part of a gesture reader system, or a part of a virtual reality system. 
     The user  108  is a person who is utilizing the display to learn and/or read. 
     The “View” button  109  is a button that allows the user to display (or hide) the meanings bars  104  in the text  102 . 
     The multifunctional module  121  is a module which is displayed in the form of a pop-up window, page, or other element of the screen of the digital device  101 . The multifunctional module  121  appears when the API  141  responds in reply to the user selecting a term. 
     The multifunctional button  122  is a multifunctional button located inside the multifunctional module  121 , which can change its display depending on the scenario and the user&#39;s desire with regard to the term being managed. 
     The toolbar  123  and the toolbar buttons  123 ( 1 )- 123 ( 6 ) comprise a special panel inside the multifunctional module  121 , which allows a user to add additional information to the meanings bar  104  corresponding to the term being managed. 
     The meanings  124  comprise explanatory information, including but not limited to definitions and examples of use, for the term being managed in the multifunctional module  121  in the user&#39;s native language or in a non-native language. 
     The checkmarks  125 ( 1 ),  125 ( 2 ) comprise checkboxes inside the multifunctional module  121 , which allow a user to manage data by selecting or unselecting data provided from a database and related to the term. 
     The term suggestions  126 ,  126 ( 1 )- 126 ( 2 ) are terms provided within the multifunctional module  121  that are closely related, by morphological or other features, to the term being managed. 
     The API  141  is an application programming interface, which is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. The API provides a connection between the software of the display and the databases issuing the meanings  124  for a term  103 ( 1 ),  103 ( 2 ). Databases are provided by various companies that are engaged in the creation of their own databases in the field of formation of, e.g., electronic dictionary entries. The API  141  supplies various kinds of data such as but not limited to: meanings of terms in a native or non-native language, definitions for terms in a native or non-native language, suggested terms (i.e., terms that are closely related by morphological features to the term selected in the text), examples of the use of a term in context, and other information related to the term. 
     The user database  143  is a database that is generated by the user  108  inside the specialized software  145  and which can be stored both on the digital device  101  and in cloud storage  142 . 
     The toolbar module  144  is a module in the form of a pop-up window, page, or other element of the screen of a digital device  101 , which is called when the user is interacting with the toolbar buttons  123 ( 1 )- 123 ( 6 ). 
     The software  145  is a specialized software through which the user database  143  and the text  102  are inextricably linked by a set of rules. 
     In order to understand how this invention works, it is necessary to describe the general method of approaching the existing task that has developed in the world. A user learning a foreign language needs to obtain meanings for unfamiliar terms that he encounters when reading literature in a language that is not native to him. The generally accepted practice in the world uses a method in which the user selects unfamiliar terms in any readable text, after which a request is made to an API, which in turn provides meanings for unfamiliar terms in the form of a small, pop-up window with low informativeness and limited functionality. In such a case, the user has two choices for learning unfamiliar terms: 
     (1) Add the suggested meanings to a database and continue to study them in various ways, likely interrupting the reading mode, since it is impossible to do this directly in the text; or 
     (2) Without interrupting the reading mode, selecting each unfamiliar term in the text to retrieve its meaning. 
     Both of the above methods are ineffective. 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate the method of the present invention for adding the unfamiliar term  103 ( 1 ) selected in the text  102 , as well as any additional suggested terms  126  to the user database  143 . 
     The present invention offers an original approach that allows the user to learn any unfamiliar terms that occur in the electronic text without having to leave the electronic text area and without needing to access additional resources. 
     When the user  108 , using the pointer  107 , selects the term  103 ( 1 ), a request is made to retrieve all possible meanings for the term  103 ( 1 ) to the external API  141 . After the response from the API  141  is received, the multifunctional module  121  appears on the display. Simultaneously with the appearance of the multifunctional module  121 , the meanings bar  104  appears above the term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102  of the display. The multifunctional module  121  appears on the display each time the user  108  selects any term in the text  102 . Using the pointer  107  the user can select an unlimited number of terms in the text at the same time. In such a case, all the selected terms are combined into one term to send a request to the external API  141 . 
     The multifunctional module  121  displays a copy  103 ( 2 ) of the selected term  103 ( 1 ), and below the copy  103 ( 2 ), it displays the meanings  124  for the term, the suggested terms  126 , the toolbar  123 , and the multifunctional button  122 . All data provided by the multifunctional module  121  is intended to be selectable such that the user may manage the information from the multifunctional module  121  as displayed in the meanings bar  104 . The meanings bar  104  itself also has interactive functionality, as described further below. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates receiving a response from API  141 , where each selected term, with its meanings  124 , is provided and automatically marked with the checkmarks  125 ( 1 ) and  125 ( 2 ) within the multifunctional module  121 . The multifunctional button  122  will display “LEARN” as the initial option for selection (i.e., “learn” button). This means that the term  103 ( 2 ) is ready to be learned. If the user presses the “LEARN” button  122 ( 1 ), the software  145  will add the term  103 ( 2 ), with its selected meanings  124 , to the user database  143 . If the user unchecks the term&#39;s checkmark  125 ( 1 ), all meanings checkmarks  125 ( 2 ) will be automatically unchecked. In addition, the display of the multifunctional button  122  will automatically change to display, “MARK THE TERM FOR LEARNING”  122 ( 3 ) (i.e., “re-learn” button). This notifies the user that the term  103 ( 2 ), with its meanings  124 , cannot be added to the user database  143  until it is marked with a checkmark  125 ( 1 ). Also, when the user unchecks the term&#39;s checkmark  125 ( 1 ), the meanings bar  104  above the term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102  will also disappear. Thus, only those terms  103 ( 2 ) that are marked with the term checkmark  125 ( 1 ) are added to the user database  143  after tapping the “LEARN” button  122 ( 1 ). 
     The term  103 ( 2 ) can have multiple meanings  124 . If the user unchecks all meanings checkmarks  125 ( 2 ), this will also automatically uncheck the term checkmark  125 ( 1 ), which, similarly, will also change the label on the multifunctional button  122  to “MARK THE TERM FOR LEARNING”  122 ( 3 ). If the user ignores this message, the term  103 ( 2 ), with its meanings  124 , will not be added to the user database  143 . If the user unchecks all meanings checkboxes  125 ( 2 ), the meanings bar  104  above the term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102  will, similarly, also disappear. 
     Each copy  103 ( 2 ) of the term  103 ( 1 ) selected in the text  102 , may have a different number of suggested terms  126  depending on its significance in a particular foreign language. The suggested terms  126  comprise separate ribbon buttons that the user can interact with to provide meanings within the multifunctional module  121 . The suggested terms  126  may scroll left or right if they do not fit in the display of the multifunctional module  121 . 
       FIG. 1B  illustrates the selection of one of the suggested terms  126 ( 1 ) using the pointer  107  in order to obtain the meanings  124  for the suggested term  126 ( 1 ). Prior to this, the term  126 ( 1 ) was among the suggested terms  126 , as seen in  FIG. 1A , but after it is selected, the original term  103 ( 2 ) and the suggested term  126 ( 1 ) are switched. As shown, the suggested term  126 ( 1 ) is not automatically or initially marked with a checkmark  125 ( 1 ); therefore, it cannot be added to the database  143  for study.  FIG. 1B  shows that among all the terms  103 ( 2 ),  126 ( 1 ),  126 ( 2 ), which are in the multifunctional module  121 , only one term  103 ( 2 ) will be sent to the database  143 , when the user taps the “LEARN” button  122 ( 1 ), since only it is marked with the checkmark  125 ( 1 ). 
     After tapping the “LEARN” button  122 ( 1 ), the multifunctional module  121  may disappear, collapse, or go into another state that does not interfere with the reading of the text, but, over the selected term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102 , the meanings bar  104  remains, since this term was added to the database  143 . At this point, if the user once again taps the selected term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102 , the multifunctional module  121  will reappear but the multifunctional button  122  will display the option to “MARK AS LEARNED”  122 ( 2 ) (i.e., “learned” button), since the term is already in the database  143 . 
     If the user taps on the “MARK AS LEARNED” button  122 ( 2 ), the term  103 ( 1 ) is marked in the database  143  as learned, and, above the selected term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102 , the meanings bar  104  will no longer appear. If the user re-selects the already learned term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102 , the multifunctional module  121  will reappear but the multifunctional button  122  will once again display the option to “LEARN”  122 ( 1 ) the term. If the user taps this button, the meanings bar  104  will reappear above the selected term in the text. If any term has already been added to the database  143  once, the meanings bar  104  will reappear above it. Thus, the user has constant control over the terms that are added to the database  143 , and the meanings bars  104  displayed above those terms, and the user can learn these terms without leaving the text. The user may also control the display of all meanings bars  104  using the view button  109 . Tapping the view button  109  allows for all meanings bars  104  to be displayed or not displayed within the text. 
     In  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the multifunctional module  121  also contains a toolbar  123 , consisting of several elements:
         the “Tags” button  123 ( 1 ) allows the user to add tags to the selected term in the text.   the “Links” button  123 ( 2 ) allows the user to link different terms with one another.   the “Notes” button  123 ( 3 ) allows the user to add notes to the selected term in the text.   the “Pictures” button  123 ( 4 ) allows the user to add pictures to the selected term in the text.   the “Video” button  123 ( 5 ) allows the user to add video to the selected term in the text.   the “Audio” button  123 ( 6 ) allows the user to add audio to the selected term in the text.       

     Each time a user  108  interacts with any of the buttons on the toolbar  123 , the toolbar module  144  is accessed, via which the user can add additional information to the selected term. As this information is added via the multifunctional module  122 , it will also appear inside the meanings bar  104 , located above the term  103 ( 1 ) in the text  102 . 
     The list of elements depicted in  FIGS. 2A-2E  is as follows: 
     The digital device  101  is a computer or mobile device with a display. 
     The meanings bar  104 ,  104 ( 1 ),  104 ( 2 ),  104 ( 3 ) is an interactive panel with text or other symbols that can appear above any term in the text and the main task of which is to provide explanatory information for unfamiliar terms in the text in the native or non-native language, definitions for terms in the native or non-native language and other kinds of information related to the term, which is managed by the user via the multifunctional module  121 . 
     The pointer  107  comprises a human finger, an electronic pen, a stylus, a mouse cursor, or other device utilized by the user for selecting objects or interacting with objects on the display screen of the digital device  101 . 
     The user  108  is a person who utilizes the display to learn and/or read. 
     The term(s)  201 ( 1 ),  201 ( 2 ),  201 ( 3 ) comprise any word, phrase, or sentence in the text that is selected by the user using the pointer  107  or that which is displayed as a copy in the multifunctional module  121 . Specifically, the term  201 ( 1 ) is a single word term, the term  201 ( 2 ) is also a single word term but is referenced only in connection with the term  201 ( 1 ) to form a multi-word term (i.e., a phrase), and the term  201 ( 3 ) is a full sentence term (i.e., a term which comprises an entire sentence). 
     Text  211  is any kind of electronic text that can be displayed by the digital device  101 . 
     A solid line  221  is a line used to underline single-word terms in the text. 
     A dotted line  222  is a line used to underline consecutive or non-consecutive multi-word terms, including full sentences, in the text. 
     The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ),  231 ( 2 ),  231 ( 3 ) comprises a display mode that is provided when the user interacts with a meanings bar  104  using the pointer  107 . The extended meanings bar mode allows for quick access to additional information relating to the term. The extended meanings bar mode comprises an array of independent bars  232  which comprise individual interactive panels carrying additional information. 
     The meanings bar  104 , which is shown in  FIG. 2A , is not just text that shows the meanings above the unknown term  201 ( 1 ) in the text  211 . Instead, the meanings bar  104  comprises an interactive element of the display having different content display modes. The meanings bar may thus work as a button through which the user requests the display of the extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ).  FIG. 2B  shows what the extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) display looks like after the user taps or otherwise interacts with the meanings bar  104  shown in  FIG. 2A . The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) replaces the meanings bar  104  and may appear in various areas of the digital display  101  depending on the location of the unknown terms in the text and other meanings bars. The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) is the concentration of all the information that the user  108  might add to the unfamiliar term  201 ( 1 ) by using the multifunctional module  121 , as discussed above and as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
     The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) comprises separate independent bars  232 . Each of these independent bars can be interacted with using the pointer  107  for even more information. The independent bars  232  do not have a clear structure for displaying information, as they are completely dependent on the data managed by the user via the multifunctional module  121 . The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) can be edited using the multifunctional module  121  to restructure the information displayed. Editing the meanings bar  104  may comprise a complete or partial change in information, adding new information, deleting information, changing the order of the meanings of terms within the bar, or changing the meaning of the meanings themselves. The meanings bar  104  will modify its external shape and internal structure depending on its display location in the text and the display location of other meanings bars. If the meanings bar  104  cannot display all the information for the selected term  201 ( 1 ) due to the technical capabilities of the digital device  101 , then the information inside the meanings bar  104  may shrink, scroll horizontally or vertically in different directions, and the meanings bar  104  itself may take on different shapes or colors, decrease or increase in size, or split or merge with other meanings bars in the text depending on the parameters of the text  211 , such as: text width, letter size, line spacing, term size, number of terms, and location of terms. The extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) can provide combined information about several terms at once, e.g., if the term selected in the text has several meanings because it is part of a multi-word construction, as described below. 
       FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E  illustrate a continuous logical relationship of underlines, which comprise a solid line  221  and/or a dotted line  222  below selected terms. The meanings bar(s)  104  is located above the selected terms in this example.  FIGS. 2A-2E  also show different ways to display the meanings bar  104  depending on the complexity of the terms in the text. Underlines comprising a solid line  221  and/or a dotted line  222  allow the user to visually navigate when studying unfamiliar terms in the text. Each type of underline has its own logical rules that are used by the software to compile data within the meanings bars  104 . 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates, for example, the term  201 ( 1 ), which is selected in the text  211  and added to the database  143  as a single word term, “read.” Therefore, a meanings bar  104  will appear above the term  201 ( 1 ) and, in this case, it will be underlined by a solid line  221 . That is, underlining with a solid line only one term  201 ( 1 ) makes it clear to the user that the meanings bar  104  applies only to the single word term  201 ( 1 ). As shown in  FIG. 2B , if the pointer  107  is used to select the meanings bar  104 , the user will access the extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 1 ) for the single word term  201 ( 1 ). 
       FIG. 2C  illustrates, for example, the selection of a multi-word term, “read over,” consisting of two single word terms  201 ( 1 ) and  201 ( 2 ), which are selected as a group within the text  211  and added to the user database  143 . As shown in this example, the two terms  201 ( 1 ) and  201 ( 2 ) may be separated by other terms but represent a single construct and not individual terms. Multiple terms that are part of a single construct may be next to each other or in different parts of the same sentence. Since the term, “read over,” consists of more than one word such a case will have a dotted underline  222  below each of the related terms. The dotted underline  222 , in conjunction with the meanings bar  104 , thus visually combines these two terms into one multi-word term consisting of two terms  201 ( 1 ) and  201 ( 2 ). Because the terms  201 ( 1 ) and  201 ( 2 ) represent a single entity, each term will display the same single meanings bar  104 . If the pointer  107  is used to select the meanings bar  104  above the word “read,” the display will show the extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 2 ) for information on the term, “read over.” Similarly, if the user selects the meanings bar  104  above the word “over”, the display will show the same information and extended meanings bar mode. 
       FIG. 2D  illustrates, for example, the term  201 ( 1 ), which is selected in the text  211  and which is underlined by a solid line  221 , similar to that shown in  FIG. 2A , since it was added to the user database  143  as a single word. The single word term  201 ( 1 ) is also underlined by the dotted line  222 , which makes it clear that it also forms a separate multi-word term in conjunction with another non-consecutive term  201 ( 2 ), which is also underlined with the dotted line  222 . As a result of such term selection,  FIG. 2D  exemplifies a display where the diagrams of  FIGS. 2A and 2C  are essentially combined. In this case, above the term, “read over,” which consists of two terms  201 ( 1 ) and  201 ( 2 ), will show two different meanings bar  104  in the text. Specifically, above the term, “read”  201 ( 1 ), is a meanings bar  104  consisting of two segments  104 ( 1 ) and  104 ( 2 ), since the term  201 ( 1 ) is both a stand-alone term, “read,” and a part of the multi-word term, “read over.” Above the term, “over”  201 ( 2 ), only the meanings bar  104 ( 2 ) for the term, “read over,” is displayed, since the term  201 ( 2 ) is not added to the user database as a single word “over.” If the user selects the meanings bar  104  for the term, “read”  201 ( 1 ), which consists of two segments  104 ( 1 ) and  104 ( 2 ), the display will show two separate extended meanings bar modes  231 ( 1 ) and  231 ( 2 ), which will display information for two terms at once, both for the single term, “read,” and for the combined term, “read over.” If the user instead selects the meanings bar  104 ( 2 ) above the term, “over,”  201 ( 2 ), the display will show only the extended meanings bar mode  231 ( 2 ), corresponding to the meanings information only for the term, “read over.” 
       FIG. 2E  illustrates, for example, the full sentence term  201 ( 3 ), which is added to the user database  143  in the form of an entire sentence, “You have to read this book over tomorrow.” Since the full sentence term  201 ( 3 ) is a multi-word construction (i.e., the term comprises two or more words in order), it is underlined with a dotted line. The full sentence term  201 ( 3 ) has its own meanings bar  104 ( 1 ) located above it, which, when selected, switches to display a combination of three extended meanings bar modes  231 ( 1 ),  231 ( 2 ) and  231 ( 3 ), which will display information for three terms at once, since they are all part of the same entity: “You have to read this book over tomorrow,” “read,” and “read over.” All three extended meanings bars are displayed because the full sentence term  201 ( 3 ) contains the terms, “read”  201 ( 1 ) and “read over”  201 ( 2 ), which have also been added to the user database  143 . Above the term, “read”  201 ( 1 ), there is displayed its own meanings bar  104 , which, as mentioned, is divided into two segments  104 ( 2 ) and  104 ( 3 ). If selecting this meanings bar, the display instead switches to show the three extended meanings bar modes  231 ( 1 )- 231 ( 3 ), which will display information for three terms at once: “read,” “read over,” and for the full sentence. The term, “over”  201 ( 2 ), in such a scenario, becomes underlined by a double dotted line  222 , since it comprises a single entity with the term, “read”  201 ( 1 ), as well as a separate single entity with the full sentence term  201 ( 3 ). If selecting the meanings bar  104 ( 3 ) above the term, “over”  201 ( 2 ), the display switches instead to a combination of two extended meaning bar modes  231 ( 2 ) and  231 ( 3 ), which will display information for two terms at once, for the multi-word term, “read over”, and for the full sentence. 
     The description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 
     Moreover, the words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.