(19)
(11) EP 2 030 659 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
05.05.2010 Bulletin 2010/18

(43) Date of publication A2:
04.03.2009 Bulletin 2009/10

(21) Application number: 08252707.8

(22) Date of filing: 15.08.2008
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A63F 3/04(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA MK RS

(30) Priority: 31.08.2007 JP 2007225362

(71) Applicant: Seiko Instruments Inc.
Chiba-shi, Chiba 261-8507 (JP)

(72) Inventor:
  • Takazawa, Kazuhisa
    Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261-8507 (JP)

(74) Representative: Cloughley, Peter Andrew et al
Miller Sturt Kenyon 9 John Street
London WC1N 2ES
London WC1N 2ES (GB)

   


(54) Word search device, method, and program


(57) Provided is a word search device which has a simple structure suitable when provided to a small-size device such as an electronic dictionary and searches for the answer to a cryptic crossword. The word search device includes: a character input device (20) for inputting a clue to the cryptic crossword and the number of characters of an answer word; a word list storage unit (41) for storing a word list containing a plurality of words; a word search unit (12) for searching the word list storage unit (41) for a word that has the number of characters of the answer word contained in a character string composing the clue; a conditional word comparison unit (14) for comparing the word retrieved in the word search unit (12) with the character string composing the clue to judge whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied; and a display device (30) for displaying the word judged to satisfy the predetermined condition based on classification according to the predetermined condition.







Search report