Proof: 
This is the Only  Practical  Easier-to-Use  Dictionary

This paper will demonstrate that the invention “Dictionary Index,” U.S. Patent No. 4,813,710 provides the only practical way to make a printed-book dictionary much easier to use.  To demonstrate this, this paper will show that this dictionary index is more convenient to use, and locates words closer, and costs less than any previous dictionary index – by a wide margin.

Next and secondly, this paper will prove that this invention has a qualitatively different approach never known before in the United States or any other country – and prove that by making use of this patent as a legal decision.

To understand this paper you will first need to know how this invention works.  The best way to do that is to look at video on this invention.  This Website includes a fun 3-minute video that quickly will tell you most of what you need to know.  This Website also includes a 16 minute video that provides more details including showing how this invention works on a dictionary with thumb indexing.

While at the back of this Website article is an enclosure of a printed page that shows how this invention works, you will likely learn faster and with less confusion by watching the 3-minute video.  This one page on how this works is included mainly so that you can have something on paper in front of you, after you have turned the video off.  After the 16-minute video on the home page, there is also other written material how this works.

Your now knowing how this invention works, please choose any letter in this invention’s chart and notice that across from that letter there are twenty-six different #2 letter mark locations within the dictionary pages.  For instance, the L in this chart can be used to help find words such as aluminum, blue, flower, plow and ultimate – all of which words have L as the second letter. 

One letter in this invention’s chart refers to twenty-six different locations within the pages.  In all previous dictionary index inventions, one letter in the chart referred to only one mark or place within the pages.  That makes this invention twenty-six times as efficient.  This greater efficiency allows this invention to have only one chart, and not up to 26 different charts.

A drawing of a previous invention having many charts

A good example of the previous approach of one chart letter referring to only one place on the page edges is shown in an enclosure at the back of this paper, where a drawing is shown from Rosewater U.S. Patent Number 356,334.  That patent had many chart categories. 

For instance, this Rosewater patent shows separate lists on its book covers, with “Aa, Al, Ar” referring only to words starting with #1 letter A.  All previous dictionary index inventions used basically twenty-six lists, “multi-lists,” based on the unquestioned assumption that a different list is needed for each first letter.

How did previous inventors get stuck in their “multi-list” viewpoint?

How did previous inventors arrive at their “one chart letter, one place in the pages” approach?  The answer is that they were all caught up in a false assumption.  They presumed that if words starting with first letter A had twice as many pages in the dictionary as words starting with first letter L – – supposedly therefore #1 letter A deserved twice as many categories as first letter L.  If #1 letter A was to have 14 categories within its pages, then #1 letter L got 7 categories. 

Every other first letter got a proportionate number of categories – the more pages, the more categories.  That resulted in twenty-six different lists within the overall chart.  Within any given list a chart letter referred to only one location on the page edges.  Let us look at the three basic advantages of this index over previous indexes.

Convenience

It is more convenient to deal with and have to familiarize oneself with only one list in the present invention.  Previous inventions gave the inconvenience of having to search around within those 26 lists to find the list the person was going to use at the moment.  Previous inventions also gave the inconvenience of having to familiarize oneself with a varying number of categories within each of those 26 lists. 

Also, as you can imagine from the Rosewater patent, if there were 5 or 10 columns of lists, the farther the chosen list got away from the page edges,  the harder it was visually to align that farther away category to the place on the page edges.

Closer locating of words

This present invention can have 26 multiplied by 26, or 676 places marked within the pages for #2 letters.  Each letter in that chart of 26 letters used 26 times across the page edges equals 676 places.  For any of the more than 30 previous dictionary inventions just in the United States to have 500 different places marked within the pages – would require 500 different categories in the chart. 

To reduce expense and possibly size of too large a chart, previous inventions often reduced the number of categories in the chart.  For its list, #1 letter A might be given 12 categories, and #1 letter L 6 categories, and so on for other first letters.  A previous invention might have a total of only 150 or 200 different categories. 

Having only 5 categories for some #1 letters, and not this invention’s 26 categories for each #1 letter,  might bring a person  4, 5, or 10 pages away from where his word was to be found.  The present invention having more categories per #1 letter works better, in more closely locating words with fewer page turns.

Lower Cost

The twenty-six times efficiency of this invention also reduces the cost to install it on a dictionary.  For one thing, the chart costs much less.  The only change within the dictionary pages is having an inexpensive small amount of added ink on those page edges, for those long and short black printed marks.  The narrow chart on the inside back cover and the printed marks on page edges cost little.

The multi-lists of previous inventions cost much more.  For instance, extending the back cover enough to provide enough space for that larger chart cost more.  With five or more columns in its chart, a multi-list invention might use a hinge to fold that projecting chart behind the book when in transport, which hinge would have its own cost.  Without a hinge a multi-list book’s back cover could project out fairly far and be damage-prone and unwieldy.

Some multi-list inventions had the added expense of special handling required for each page.  In those variations there might be hundreds of tabs sticking out from the page edges, or hundreds of cut-outs set into the page edges address-book style, or hundreds of thumb indexes provided per dictionary.  Such handling makes for large expense. 

That special handling still has the problem of 26 different lists to become familiar with.  Within any of those variations, a “chart letter” may be printed directly onto the tab or cut-out or thumb-index surface, where a separate chart may not be needed. 

Regardless, there are still about 26 different lists of categories, and as before one chart letter refers to only one place at which to open the dictionary.  Here is still the “one-to-one equation” of one chart letter being used only once, and not referring to up to 26 different locations on the page edges.

Above is presented ALL past alternatives: either a chart letter category is printed off to the side on an inside book cover, or a chart letter is printed directly on a tab or thumb index.  It stands to reason that there are only two choices: the category letter is either off or on the place on the page referred to. 

All past dictionary indexes cost too much because in effect they had to start over for each piece of the index, with one chart letter plus one page location prepared afresh for each piece.  The present invention being able to set up one letter category and use it 26 times does not start over for each piece.  The present invention costs much less than any previous invention to install on a dictionary.

This completes the first part of this paper.  It is respectfully submitted that it is objectively demonstrated fact that this index is much more practical than any previous index.  This index is more convenient to use, locates words closer, and costs less than any previous index by a wide margin.  With this index finally we have a practical easier-to-use dictionary.

Second Part of Paper

Patent as legal proof that this invention is a new idea.

By issuing a patent, the authorities have legally concluded that the ideas in its “claims” were never known before.  A “claim” is the statement of an idea where the inventor says “Having invented this new idea, I claim legal monopoly use of this idea.”

Before this invention, it was never known before to use the efficiency of having one chart letter referring across to more than one printed mark (or up to 26 printed marks) for #2 letters.  This patent’s foundation claim #1 is very broad and approximately states: “At least one of the chart letters refers across to more than one printed mark for #2 letters, within the pages of different #1 letters.”

By allowing this claim, the United States Patent Office has concluded that this knowledge for dictionary indexes was never known before – in the United States or anywhere else. 

The minimal knowledge of this new approach for dictionary indexes in claim #1 was never known before.  There were well over 30 dictionary index patents just in the United States, and many more dictionary index patents in other countries.  The United States Patent Office conducted a patent search in the United States and also in other countries’ patents, before arriving at their conclusion that this efficiency was never known before.

Towards maybe also getting international patents, I also paid the European Patent Office to do its separate and later “International Search Report,” which is often a much more extensive search in other countries’ patents.  That International Search Report accorded this invention three of its Category “A,” namely the most positive results possible for any search that its idea was not known before.  The International Bureau published this search in its Publication Number WO 90/09895.  I could have been granted patents in other countries, but I did not have about $14,000 for that expense.

The actual claim number one

Below will be provided claim number one in its entirety.  Two terms in this claim should be defined so that you know what they mean.

I needed a term that would refer to printed marks and such on the page edges for #2 letters.  In the patent I did not refer to “printed mark for #2 letter,” because that would not refer to other possible variations such as tabs on page edges. 

If I had specified only “#2 letter marks,” that would have allowed someone else to use my idea, if he used tabs or whatever else on the page edges.  I needed some term that would refer to all and whatever form of identification on page edges for #2 letters.  The term that I used is “second means.”   

A second means is defined to mean whatever means is used to denote a #2 letter, and can  refer to a printed mark, tab, etc.  A second means is to be found on a page edge and is coordinated across to a #2 letter in the chart.

A “preselected #1 letter category” is defined to be all the pages of any chosen #1 letter.  In claim number one at least one chart letter refers across to more than one second means, within the pages of different #1 letters.

For instance, I was not referring to more than one second means on two adjacent pages within the pages of the same #1 letter. These more than one second means were to help find words in the pages of separate and different first letters.  Having the term “preselected #1 letter category” imparts the idea that we are dealing with the pages of more than one first letter.

While the first five paragraphs of claim number one have general background and will be presented later, it is the second-to-last paragraph that especially details what is found in this invention that was never known before.  Below is the second-to-last paragraph of this claim:

            “wherein there is more than one said second means
                structurally coordinated with at least one of said
                #2 letters in said chart, the more than one said
                second means structurally coordinated with a
                single #2 letter in said chart appearing in separate
                     preselected #1 letter categories;”

In less exact language that approximately says that there is more than one #2 letter mark coordinated with at least one #2 letter in the chart, with those #2 letter marks (coordinated across to a single chart #2 letter) appearing in the pages of different #1 letters.

For this claim to have been allowed means that this most minimal presentation of this more efficient approach was never known before.  This is the root beginning and most simple expression of what is new here.  This claim language establishes a qualitatively different approach.

Below is claim number one in its entirety:

I claim:

1. A dictionary index comprising: a book comprising a  plurality of pages, said pages having exposed top, bottom and length edges, the contents of said book comprising an alphabetical listing of words; the pages of said book being divided into a plurality of #1 letter categories, with the pages comprising each #1 letter category of said categories being further divided into a plurality of #2 letter categories, and with the pages comprising each of said #2 letter categories being further divided into a plurality of #3 letter categories; a chart comprising a column of #2 letters in alphabetical order imprinted on a substrate, said #2 letters being chosen from the set of letters comprising said #2 letter categories with said substrate being affixed to said book such that said chart is visible when said book is closed and such that said chart is visually alignable to the length edges of the pages of said book; first means for designating a set of pages composing a #1 letter category, said means being associated with said book being adapted to allow a user to open said book to a page of a preselected #1 letter category; second means to designate #2 letters, corresponding to at least some of the #2 letter categories, said second means being located on or near said length page edges and being visible when said book is closed, at least some of said second means being structurally coordinated with a #2 letter in said chart such that each said second means so coordinated is located generally across from its corresponding #2 letter in said chart; and such that said second means is located on a page within the pages of a preselected #1 letter category wherein the #2 letter category corresponding to the second means is to be found; wherein there is more than one said second means structurally coordinated with at least one of said #2 letters in said chart, the more than one said second means structurally coordinated with a single #2 letter in said chart appearing in separate preselected #1 letter categories; whereby when the book is opened to the first page of a preselected #1 letter category, said index indicates where to open said book to find a #2 letter category within the pages comprising the preselected #1 letter category, said index having fewer #2 letters in said chart than the number of second means designating said #2 letters.

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You can find and verify this claim number one by looking it up on the Internet.  This is explained step by step at the very end of this paper, under the heading “How to get a copy of this patent or just its Claim One on the Internet.” 

It can be mentioned in passing that there is no way to “get around” this claim and use this invention despite this patent.  If the claim had said there must be 26 letters in the chart, and that there must be 26 marks on the page edges across from each of the chart letters, that would require 26 x 26 marks on the page edges or 676 marks.  By leaving out just one of those marks such a claim could be gotten around, because that index with 675 marks would NOT be doing what that claim said.  As it is, this claim is so broad and basic, that there is no way to use this invention without doing at least what this claim says.

No need to read whole patent

This patent has 47 claims.  Within those 47 claims, another claim presents the economy that a single chart letter can be used to refer to the second letter of words AND the first letter of words.  That is evident in the 3-minute video, where there is only one chart to refer to first and second letters.  Some of the later claims present a variation that allows a person with the second turn of the pages to arrive not only at the second letter of the word, but often also at the third letter of the word.  That chart would be two letters wide. 

You can look at an enclosure at the back within this Website article that shows page number one of this patent, which refers to there being 47 claims.  The “Abstract” there also refers to finding the third letter in the same second turn of the pages.

This patent of 35 pages is so fully developed in its variations that it can be rather exhausting to read it all.  There is no need to read all the patent, because claim one by itself establishes that this is the only practical index.  Claim number one shows that this is the first dictionary index to use a single chart letter more than once, including 26 times.

Other special aspects of this patent

There are other aspects of this patent that are unusual in their strength.  It was clear to the U.S. Patent Office that this dictionary index was a breakthrough in its field.  Only about one out of 50 patents that are finally granted were never rejected by the Patent Office in the first action.  Usually in the Patent Office's first action, the patent application is rejected, with the Patent Office showing previous patents that supposedly had the same idea.

After that usual first rejection the applicant has to demonstrate and argue that his idea is new even compared to those previous patents.  The applicant has to demonstrate that his idea is supposedly not basically the same idea.  If in later actions before the Patent Office, if the applicant can not demonstrate that, his application receives a final rejection and is not granted.

Being qualitatively different, this patent never had that rather standard first rejection.  The Patent Office never doubted the inventive strength of this patent.  It was that obvious that this different dictionary index was a breakthrough in its field.  With every previous inventor in all countries having about 26 separate charts, this invention having only one chart is quite a substantial difference. 

The Patent Office usually does not allow more than twenty claims in one patent.  The Patent Office does not want minor changes of wordings saying about the same thing, on and on into maybe 30 claims trying to claim minor added changes.  It was unusual that this patent was allowed forty-seven claims. 

This patent with a broadly different foundation approach was developed into that many important and substantially different and useful variations.  It was my goal largely to complete the development of this new idea within one patent, so that year after year other inventors would not need to spell out other useful variations on this basic idea.

It was easy for the Patent Office to search to see if this idea was known before, because all the dictionary index inventions are located in specific “Index” categories.  A “Primary Examiner” of extreme senior status granted this patent, his having within his specialty the subject of dictionary indexes.  His legal conclusion that this idea was never known before is especially to be respected.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that this invention was never known before.  It is easier to use, locates words closer, and costs significantly less than any previous index.  Being twenty-six times more efficient than any previous index, it is the only practical way to have a dictionary index.

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How to get a copy of this patent or just its Claim One on the Internet.

You can get a copy of this patent or basically just Claim One on the Internet at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website with the address  http://www.USPTO.gov    After getting that home page,  click on “Searchable Databases” in the left hand column.  After getting that next page, click at its top where it says  “Patent Full-Text Database with Full-Page Images.”  You will then arrive at USPTO Web Patent Databases, which has its own address of http://www.USPTO.gov/patft/index.html   .  The “patft” within that stands for “patent full text database.”  You may choose at the very start to go to this latter address.

On that page in the left hand column under “Full-Text Database,” click on “Patent Number Search,”  which will bring you to a page where you type into the box there this U.S. patent number: 4,813,710.   That will bring you to another page where you click down the page where it states this patent number and its title “Dictionary Index.”  After clicking on  “Dictionary Index,” you will get the full patent.

Within the patent, at the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3 you will find Claim Number One.  If doing the above only gave you  the text of this patent, and if you also want the drawings, at the bottom of page 35 of 35, click on “Images.”  You can also phone to the Sunnyvale Patent Library  at telephone (408)730-7290.  They can answer questions or for $5.90 total mail you a copy of the whole patent.