| United States Patent | 5,249,965 |
| Yianilos | Oct. 5, 1993 |
| Inventors: | Yianilos; Peter N. (Princeton, NJ). |
| Assignee: | Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. (Mt. Holly, NJ). |
| Appl. No.: | 926,050 |
| Filed: | Aug. 6, 1992 |
| Intl. Cl.: | A63F 9/00; |
| U.S. Cl.: | 434/177; 273/153.R; |
| Field of Search: | 364/419, 709, 710.03; 273/272, 153 R; 434/167, 169, 177, 172, 175, 168 |
| 4,369,973 | Jan., 1983 | D'Aurora et al. | 273/153 R |
| 5,149,097 | Sept., 1992 | Tonello et al. |
Primary Examiner: Apley; Richard J.
Assistant Examiner: Richman; Glenn E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McAulay Fisher Nissen Goldberg & Kiel
An improvement in a electronic crossword puzzle solving machine to provide alternate words for a word that is input on the keyboard. A first actuation of a function key labeled "Second-Guess" initiates a search in which all words in memory having the same number of letters as the input word but differing with respect to only one of those letters is displayed. A second actuation of the "Second-Guess" key results in a search and display of all words differing from the input word with respect to two of the letters. Each successive actuation of the "Second-Guess" key increases the number of letters by which the alternate words found differ from the input word.