Method and device for selecting a word to be defined in mobile communication terminal having an electronic dictionary

Abstract

A method and device for selecting a word to be defined in a mobile communication terminal having an electronic dictionary function. The method includes selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a first input, displaying the selected word in a search window, searching for the displayed word in response to a request to search for the displayed word, displaying information resulting from the search, and terminating display of the information and displaying the text document.

1 . A method for selecting a word to be defined using an electronic dictionary function in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:
 selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a first input;   displaying the selected word in a search window;   searching for the displayed word in response to a request to search for the displayed word;   displaying information resulting from the search; and   terminating display of the information and displaying the text document.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a user input comprises designating a word including a word to search for as a block in the displayed text document. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein designating a word including a word to search for as a block in the displayed text document comprises controlling movement of a preset selection box within the text document. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the selected word in a search window comprises generating and activating the search window. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising extracting a word to search for after activating the search window. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein extracting a word to search for comprises deleting a character in the displayed word in response to a second input. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein extracting a word to search for comprises moving a cursor in the search window in response to a second input and deleting a character in the displayed word at a position corresponding to the cursor position in response to a third input. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein displaying the selected word in a search window comprises displaying, after the search window is activated, the word according to key input of a user, and
 wherein searching for the displayed word comprises searching for a meaning of the input word in an electronic dictionary data storage unit according to user request.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein terminating display of the information and displaying the text document comprises returning to a text document mode after the mobile communication terminal uses an electronic dictionary function. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein designating a word including a word to search for as a block in the displayed text document comprises dividing words included in the text document into a word that can be searched for using an electronic dictionary and a word that cannot be searched for using the electronic dictionary. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein extracting a word to search for comprises adding a character to the displayed word in response to a second input. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein extracting a word to search for comprises moving a cursor in the search window in response to a second input and adding a character to the displayed word at a position corresponding to the cursor position in response to a third input. 
   
   
       13 . A method for selecting a word to be defined using an electronic dictionary function in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:
 selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a first input;   displaying the selected word in a search window;   searching for the displayed word in response to a request to search for the displayed word; and   displaying information resulting from the search.   
   
   
       14 . A mobile communication terminal with an electronic dictionary function, comprising:
 a display unit to display a text document;   a search window processor to display a word selected from the displayed text document in a search window in response to a first input;   an electronic dictionary data storage unit to store a lexical meaning of the word;   an electronic dictionary data processor to search for the word displayed in the search window in the electronic dictionary data storage unit; and   a controller to output the lexical meaning of the word found in the electronic dictionary data storage unit to the display unit.   
   
   
       15 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the search window processor designates the word selected from the displayed text document as a block using a selection box, and moves the selection box according to a second input. 
   
   
       16 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the search window processor designates the word selected from the displayed text document as a block using a selection box and deletes a character of the word displayed in the search window, thereby extracting a word to search for. 
   
   
       17 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the search window processor designates the word selected from the displayed text document as a block using a selection box and moves the selection box or deletes a character of the word displayed in the search window according to a second input, thereby extracting a word to search for. 
   
   
       18 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the electronic dictionary data storage unit stores the lexical meaning of the word in a database. 
   
   
       19 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , further comprising an input unit comprising at least one of a key pad and a touch screen. 
   
   
       20 . The mobile communication terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the search window processor generates a word to search for in the search window.