Electronically operated machine for learning foreign language vocabulary

Claim 2

An electronic dictionary comprising: word memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each stored word comprising a train of first code information including code information for the letters of the word and determining information which indicates whether the initial letter of the word is capitol or small; processing means for converting the first code information for a desired word on the basis of the determining information of said word to a train of second code information which is longer than the first code information, wherein the second code information is character information for each letter and indicative of whether that letter is capital or small; pattern generating means for generating a character pattern on the basis of the second code information processed by said processing means; and display means for displaying the character pattern generated by said pattern generating means.

Claim 3

An electronic dictionary as set forth in claim 1, wherein said word memory means comprises a read-only memory.

Claim 4

An electronic dictionary as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of character keys for entering character information to said dictionary to select the desired word stored in said word memory means and at least one retrieving key for retrieving the desired word stored in said word memory means in accordance with the character information entered by operation of said character keys.

Claim 5

An electronic dictionary as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the letters stored in said word memory means comprises code information representing a small letter and wherein the initial letter of a stored word further comprises the determining information which indicates whether the initial letter is capital or small.

Claim 6

An electronic dictionary comprising: memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language, which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each word comprising a train of first code information representing its letters as N bit code information and one bit of determining information which indicates whether the initial letter of the word is capital or small; processing means for converting the code information for each of the letters of a desired word based on the determining information of the word to (N+1) bits of second code information, the second code information obtained by said conversion being character information for each letter and indicative of whether that letter is capital or small; pattern generating means for generating a character pattern based on the second code information processed by said processing means; and display means for displaying the character pattern generated by said pattern generating means.

Claim 7

An electronic dictionary comprising: memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language, which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each word comprising a train of first code information representing its letters as N bit code information and one bit of determining information which indicates whether the initial letter of the word is capital or small; processing means for converting the code information for each of the letters of a desired word based on the determining information of the word to (N+1) bits of second code information, the second code information obtained by said conversion being character information for each letter and indicative of whether that letter is capital or small; pattern generating means for generating a character pattern based on the second code information processed by said processing means; and display means for displaying the character pattern generated by said pattern generating means.

Claim 8

An electronic dictionary comprising: memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language, which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each stored word comprising a train of first code information including the code information for the letters of the word, and a determining information which indicates whether the initial letter of said word is capital or small; processing means for converting the first code information for a desired word into a train of second code information by adding a predetermined code information to the first code information; pattern generating means for generating a character pattern based on the second code information processed by said processing means; and display means for displaying the character pattern generated by said pattern generating means.

Claim 9

An electronic dictionary comprising: memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language, which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each stored word comprising a train of first code information including the code information for the letters of the word, and a determining information which indicates whether the initial letter of said word is capital or small; processing means for converting the first code information for a desired word into a train of second code information by adding a predetermined code information to the first code information; pattern generating means for generating a character pattern based on the second code information processed by said processing means; and display means for displaying the character pattern generated by said pattern generating means.

Claim 10

An electronic dictionary comprising: word memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each stored word comprising a code information train representing said letters by first code information including the letters of the word and a determining information indicating whether the initial letter of said word is capital or small; input means for entering character information to be an index mark for retrieval of a desired word stored in said memory means; means for retrieving one of said words stored in said memory means based on character information entered by said input means; and display control means for converting the first code information for a desired word which has been retrieved from the memory means into a train of second code information which is longer than the first code information, wherein the second code information is character information for each letter and indicative of whether that letter is capital or small, and for controlling the display of character patterns based on the second code information.

Claim 11

An electronic dictionary comprising: word memory means for storing a plurality of words of a given language which words are defined by a plurality of letters, each stored word comprising a code information train representing said letters by first code information including the letters of the word and a determining information indicating whether the initial letter of said word is capital or small; input means for entering character information to be an index mark for retrieval of a desired word stored in said memory means; means for retrieving one of said words stored in said memory means based on character information entered by said input means; and display control means for converting the first code information for a desired word which has been retrieved from the memory means into a train of second code information which is longer than the first code information, wherein the second code information is character information for each letter and indicative of whether that letter is capital or small, and for controlling the display of character patterns based on the second code information.