KR20060115775A - Method and apparatus for generating crossword game automatically - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and a device for automatically generating crossword games are provided to automatically generate diverse crossword games not restricted to a fixed form or frame without intervention of a user. A frame generator(320) generates a crossword frame by selecting word blocks from multiple wall blocks forming the crossword game based on an algorithm for finding a path in a maze or generating the maze, and setting the selected wall blocks as the word blocks. A frame adjuster(330) changes the word blocks into the wall blocks or changes the wall blocks into the word blocks according to a length of a word by examining the word blocks set in the frame generator. A word former(340) assigns the words stored in a word database(360) to the word blocks, and changes the word or wall blocks in case that the word to be assigned is not present. The word database stores the words, the information explaining the word, and rule information for assigning the word to the word blocks.

Description

Method and apparatus for generating crossword game automatically}

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a result of generating a maze with a recursive backtracker algorithm.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating a crossword frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is an exemplary view illustrating a process of examining whether word blocks overlap with each other according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exemplary view illustrating a process of calculating a density occupied by a word block among all blocks according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an exemplary diagram of changing a frame by applying a restriction when a word block is too long according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an exemplary diagram of selecting a word and changing a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram of a system for generating a crossword according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

310: user interface unit 320: frame generation unit

330: frame control unit 340: word composition unit

350: storage 360: word database

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically generating a crossword game, and more particularly, to automatically generating a crossword game without user intervention.

Crossword games are games used in many media, including newspapers, books, the Internet, and mobile phones. In particular, companies that provide content regularly generate and provide crosswords. However, there are two major tasks to construct a crossword. First, a process of generating a frame in which words are to be arranged in a crossword is required. Next, we need to place the words in the frame. If you do these two steps manually, it takes a lot of time to create a crossword game.

Conventionally, there has been an invention (application 10-2001-0043499) in which frame generation is performed manually and word composition is automatically performed. There is also a Crossword Compiler product that automates frame generation and manually constructs words. In addition, a method of automatically constructing a word in a crossword frame that has already been determined (US Patent 4299578) is presented. However, these methods do not completely prevent user intervention. In addition, even when automatically performed without the user's intervention, the crossword frame is already provided in a fixed form, there is a limit in configuring a variety of crossword games.

Therefore, there is a need for a method of generating various crossword games suitable for crosswords without the user intervening in crossword generation.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a result of generating a maze with a recursive backtracker algorithm. The white part of the crossword 10 is an area where no frame exists, and the colored part is an area where a frame exists. However, the white parts overlap and are not suitable for generating a crossword. Looking at the enlarged portion 20 of a part of the crossword 10, it can be seen that the white spaces in which words are to be arranged are arranged in succession. Therefore, if the recursive backtracking algorithm is applied as it is, the frame and word generation may appear in a continuous form. Therefore, there is a need for a method of automatically generating frames and forming words to fit crosswords.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for automatically generating a crossword game.

Another object of the present invention is to automatically generate various crossword games that are not limited to a certain frame or frame.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically generating a crossword game.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of automatically generating a crossword game includes setting a predetermined criterion required to generate a crossword, and constructing a word based on an algorithm for finding a path or generating a maze in a maze. Selecting a word block in which a letter to be located is selected from a plurality of wall blocks constituting a crossword, and setting the selected wall block as a word block to generate a crossword frame, and the predetermined reference to the word block. And allocating a word satisfying a value, wherein the criterion for selecting a word block in the generating step selects that the selected block does not exist in succession with two or more other word blocks consecutively vertically and horizontally. It is done.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to a block diagram or a flowchart illustrating a method and apparatus for automatically generating a crossword game according to embodiments of the present invention. At this point, it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and combinations of flowchart illustrations may be performed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions may be mounted on a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, those instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment may be described in flow chart block (s). It creates a means to perform the functions. These computer program instructions may be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular manner, and thus the computer usable or computer readable memory. It is also possible for the instructions stored in to produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block (s). Computer program instructions may also be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, such that a series of operating steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-implemented process to create a computer or other programmable data. Instructions for performing the processing equipment may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block (s).

In addition, each block may represent a portion of a module, segment, or code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing a specified logical function (s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, the two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the corresponding function.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating a crossword frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, a frame is generated using a recursive backtracking algorithm. The block in which the word is to be constructed is called a word block, and the other blocks are called wall blocks or walls. Initially all blocks are set to walls. Perform the algorithm of FIG. 2 at a specific location. An adjacent block is selected at the current position (S1002). The selection method may be sequentially selected clockwise or counterclockwise. Alternatively, the selection method may be randomly selected at random. Adjacent blocks select blocks that are walls of the surrounding blocks. This is because there is no need to take a process of converting a block that is already set as a word block into a word block. If there is an adjacent wall block (S1010), it is checked whether the word block overlaps with other word blocks (S1020). This is to avoid a case in which the word blocks are aggregated as shown in FIG. 1 and are not suitable for generating a crossword frame. A check as to whether overlapping with other word blocks will be described later. When not overlapping with other word blocks, information about a block before moving is input to a memory area such as a stack (S1022). If it is stored in the stack, if there is no adjacent wall block in step S1010, the word block stored in the stack can be output to find the adjacent wall block again. If a block is selected, the block moves to the corresponding block (S1024). Information about the moved block is added to the path information and stored (S1026). It is examined whether the density of the word block, which is the amount occupied by the word block in the entire crossword, exceeds a predetermined value (S1028). If it does not exceed, the frame generation process is continued to convert the word block into a word block. If it does, however, it ends because it has enough word blocks.

If there is no wall block among the adjacent blocks in step S1010, the block previously described in the stack is output (S1012). If there is a block to be output, the process of selecting a newly adjacent block by using the block as the current position (S1002) is performed recursively. On the other hand, if there is no block to output, it can't proceed any more, so it ends.

If the block selected in step S1020 is not suitable for generating a crossword by overlapping with another word block, it is checked again if another wall block exists at the current position (S1002).

The process described in FIG. 2 includes a process of finding a path or generating a maze in a maze, and applying the same to generating a frame for a crossword game. The algorithm for finding a path or generating a labyrinth in the maze is one example of the above-described recursive backtracking algorithm, and typically uses a method of selecting a next position from a current position. And if the next location does not exist, it finds a location that can branch again from the path that has been passed.

3 is an exemplary view illustrating a process of examining whether word blocks overlap with each other according to an embodiment of the present invention. In operation S1020 of FIG. 2, an operation of checking whether a selected block overlaps is performed. The best arrangement of word blocks is when they exist in a row, either vertically or horizontally. The portion 20 of the crossword of FIG. 1 is not suitable for crosswords since nine word blocks overlap four vertically (or three horizontally). Therefore, there is a need for a method of checking for overlapping word blocks. If the word block is a wall block 21 existing above the wall blocks 21 and 22 that are candidates for the word block in the block indicated by the current position in the crossword 31, the crossword 32 will be described. You can see that several word blocks overlap. In order to examine whether word blocks overlap, it is to check whether there is an area consisting of only word blocks in a 2x2 range around a wall block that is a candidate for word blocks. Looking at the 2x2 area of the crossword 33 consisting of only the word block centered on the wall block 21 is as follows 41, 42, 43. Therefore, when the wall block 21 is set as a word block, it is not suitable for crosswords. On the other hand, when the wall block 22 is a word block, it can be seen that there is no 2x2 region composed of only word blocks around the wall block 22 in the crossword 35. Therefore, the wall block 22 is selected as the word block.

4 is an exemplary view illustrating a process of calculating a density occupied by a word block among all blocks according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 is applied, a frame may be generated so that word blocks do not overlap horizontally or vertically. However, too many words in the crossword can reduce readability. Therefore, when the number of words occupies in the entire block reaches a preset ratio, the frame generation can be stopped. In Fig. 4, before the word block 45 of the crossword 35 selects the next wall block 46, the ratio (density) of the word blocks in the entire crossword is examined. As a result, 0.56 is 56%. If a crossword is generated, sufficient word blocks are secured when the ratio is set to 50%, so that frame generation is stopped.

Although FIG. 4 calculates the ratio of word blocks in the entire crossword frame, it is not limited thereto. When the width and length of the entire crossword frame are n and m columns, the ratio may be determined based on words existing in an area of about n / 2 and m / 2 based on the position where the current word block is generated or converted. Determining the area can be as small as three or four spaces and as a whole crossword frame. In the case of checking the ratio of some regions, if the ratio of the word block in the region exceeds a predetermined ratio, the word block may be generated by moving to another region.

5 is an exemplary diagram of changing a frame by applying a restriction when a word block is too long according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

When the consecutive word blocks in the crossword frame generated through the process of FIG. 2 exceed a predetermined length, a word that satisfies this may not exist. Therefore, when there is a contiguous word block longer than a predetermined word length, a process of converting the word block into a wall block is necessary. In the crossword frame 50 of FIG. 5, there are a total of six horizontal word blocks including the lowermost 51 and 52 blocks. However, since the allowable length in the crossword frame 50 is 5 spaces in total, horizontal word blocks including 51 and 52 blocks can be modified. As a result, 52 blocks can be replaced with wall blocks instead of word blocks. When the word block is newly replaced with the wall block, the density of the word block in the entire crossword frame may be lower than a predetermined ratio. In this case, the frame generation method described in FIG. 2 may be applied at random from the word blocks.

On the other hand, if it consists of only one word block may not be suitable for the crossword game, the block can also be reset in terms of the minimum length. In the case of only one word block, it is possible to check whether the surrounding wall block is changed to the word block and reapply and satisfy the criteria necessary to generate the crossword frame.

6 is an exemplary diagram of selecting a word and changing a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the crossword frame is generated through the process of FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 and the task of changing the continuation of the word block exceeding the maximum word length is completed, the task of assigning words to the word blocks is performed. As shown in FIG. 6, several words are assigned to the crossword frame 55. In the process of assigning a word, if there is a predetermined alphabet or letter among the consecutive word blocks, the word corresponding to the alphabet or letter is assigned. For example, if there are three consecutive word blocks, and the second letter is set to "s", the word length is 3 and the second letter is "s".

In the continuous word block 56 of the crossword frame 55, a total of five letters are allocated, and the first, third, and fifth letters are assigned the words "w", "n", and "r", respectively. can do. If there are no such words in the word database, you can change the placement of the word block. In the contiguous word blocks 56, the word block 61 at which "r" is located at the far right is changed to the wall block 62. You can then assign the word "wind". On the other hand, as the word block 61 is changed to the wall block 62, the word block 61 is changed from the word "rear" to the word "rea". If "rea" is in the word database, it is irrelevant, but if "rea" does not exist in the word database, the word is reallocated for this part. Since the first letter "r" is related to another contiguous block of words, the first letter is "r" and a word consisting of three spaces can be searched and assigned "roi" as shown in 58.

6 shows a process of changing a word block into a wall block when it is difficult to assign a word. Meanwhile, the wall block may be changed to a word block to add one or two letters. In this case, a process of preventing the changed word block from being connected with other consecutive word blocks is required. In addition, by applying the mechanism shown in FIG. 3, the word blocks may be prevented from overlapping horizontally and vertically.

7 is a block diagram of an apparatus for generating a crossword according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As used herein, the term 'unit', that is, 'module' or 'table' or the like, refers to a hardware component such as software, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The module performs some functions. However, modules are not meant to be limited to software or hardware. The module may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play one or more processors. Thus, as an example, a module may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines. , Segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided within the components and modules may be combined into a smaller number of components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules. In addition, the components and modules may be implemented to reproduce one or more CPUs in a device.

The apparatus 400 for generating a crossword includes a user interface 310, a frame generator 320, a frame controller 330, a word constructer 340, a storage 350, and a word database 360. It consists of. The crossword generation unit 400 may exist in the form of a program inherent in a general computer system, and includes a terminal device, a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a server, and the like on which the program is mounted.

The user interface unit 310 determines the size of the crossword frame, for example, how many spaces and heights, or what percentage (density) the word block occupies in the entire crossword frame. ), Set the difficulty level of the word and so on. The frame generator 320 generates horizontal and vertical frames to be used in the crossword. Like the recursive backtracking algorithm described above, a frame may be generated using algorithms applied to generating a maze or a path generated from the maze. It also checks that there is no overlapping or overlapping word blocks to suit the crossword during generation. If the number of generated word blocks satisfies a certain ratio within the entire crossword frame or a certain region, the word block may be generated by stopping the generation or moving to another region. The frame adjuster 330 changes the crossword frame generated to process the word length and the condition in the crossword frame generated by the frame generator 320. The changing operation includes changing a word block to a wall block when there is a contiguous word block exceeding the maximum word length described in FIG. 5.

The word constructing unit 340 selects words in the word database 350 and assigns them to the word block. Letters may be set to enter two or more vertically or horizontally consecutive word blocks. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is no word to be allocated to the generated crossword frame, a task of partially changing the word block constituting the frame is performed.

The storage unit 350 stores the generated crossword frame and words and descriptions assigned thereto to use the crossword game. In particular, crossword games can be transferred to other systems for use over the Internet, or wireless networks. In this case, the data stored in the storage 350 may be repeatedly transmitted to other systems to be available to the user.

In addition, when providing a service using a crossword game stored in the storage unit 350 by accessing the server may store information on the usage history of the connected user.

The word database 360 is a space in which words to be assigned to a crossword are arranged. The word database 360 may simply store only words, or may store various information about words in order to easily or systematically generate crosswords. For example, information about a category corresponding to the word, a difficulty level of the word or a description of the word, and information about whether the description of the word is text, audio, or an image may be stored together. Table 1 shows the information needed to construct a word database.

Record name Explanation number Serial Number length Word length category Categories that contain words difficulty Difficulty (0-9) word word description Explanation operation Action description (0-text, 1-audio, 2-image) priority Priority duplication Duplicate

The serial number is considered to be the only identifier assigned to that record in the database. The word length is information on how many letters or alphabets the word consists of. The category is information that can be referred to when providing a crossword game for each category. Used to provide crosswords by category, such as science, film, current affairs, etc. The difficulty is to properly control the difficulty of the crossword. If the difficulty level of the crossword is determined, the difficulty of the crossword may be provided by calculating an overall average of the difficulty levels of words to be assigned to the crossword. Description is a description of the word. The action description is applied when the description of the word is provided in various ways such as text, audio, and image. Priority is a criterion for determining which word to put first when placing words in a crossword.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalent concept are included in the scope of the present invention. Should be interpreted.

By implementing the present invention, various crossword games can be automatically provided without user intervention.

By implementing the present invention it is possible to reduce the cost required to create a crossword game, and can also provide a variety of services.

Claims (5)

Setting predetermined criteria necessary to generate a crossword; Based on an algorithm for finding a path in a maze or generating a maze, a word block in which a letter constituting a word is located is selected from a plurality of wall blocks constituting a crossword, and the selected wall block is set as a word block. Generating a crossword frame; And Assigning a word satisfying the predetermined criterion to the word block; The criterion for selecting a word block in the generating step is characterized in that the selected block is selected so that it does not exist in succession with two or more other word blocks consecutively in a horizontal and vertical manner. . The method of claim 1, Assigning the word, If there is no word to assign to the word block, the word block is set to a wall block to which no word is assigned, or the wall block connected to the word block is changed to a word block, or another word block connected to the word block. A method of automatically generating a crossword game, characterized by changing words. Based on an algorithm for finding a path in a maze or generating a maze, a word block in which a letter constituting a word is located is selected from a plurality of wall blocks constituting a crossword, and the selected wall block is set as a word block. A frame generation unit generating a crossword frame; A frame adjusting unit which examines the word block set by the frame generation unit and changes the word block into a wall block or changes the wall block into a word block according to the length of the word; A word constructing unit for assigning a word stored in a word database to the word block and changing a word block of the generated crossword frame to a wall block or a wall block to a word block when no word is allocated; And A word database for storing words, information describing the word, and information about predetermined criteria for allocating the word to the word block; The frame generation unit, in selecting the word block, characterized in that the selected block is selected so as not to exist in succession with the other two or more blocks consecutively and vertically, crossword game automatic generation device. The method of claim 3, wherein And a game provider configured to provide the generated crossword game through a storage medium or a network. Set up some criteria needed to generate a crossword, Based on an algorithm for finding a path in a maze or generating a maze, a word block in which a letter constituting a word is located is selected from a plurality of wall blocks constituting a crossword, and the selected wall block is set as a word block. Generating a crossword frame, wherein the criterion for selecting a word block when generating the crossword frame selects a word block such that the selected block does not exist in succession with two or more other word blocks consecutively horizontally and vertically; And a program for allocating a word satisfying the predetermined criterion to the word block.

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