Crossword puzzle generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967248-B2
Application number	US-201916439206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems that facilitate generating and presenting a crossword puzzle. Methods include obtaining, from a content source, a plurality of data items. Using the plurality of data items, a dictionary of clue-word pairs are generated. A crossword layout is generated using a random crossword layout generator. The generated crossword layout is input to a model that outputs a likelihood that the input crossword layout results in a valid crossword. If the likelihood that the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle satisfies a first threshold, a plurality of words in a set of clue-word pairs from among the plurality of clue-word pairs is inserted into the crossword layout. If the plurality of words inserted into the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle, the crossword puzzle is provided to a user on a user device using the set of clue-word pairs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:
obtaining, by a data processing apparatus and from a content source, a plurality of data items;
generating, by the data processing apparatus and using the plurality of data items, a dictionary comprising a plurality of clue-word pairs;
generating a crossword layout using a random crossword layout generator;
inputting the crossword layout into a model that outputs a likelihood that an input crossword layout results in a valid crossword, wherein the model is trained using a set of training data of historical crossword layouts that have resulted in valid and invalid crossword puzzles;
in response to inputting the crossword layout into the model, obtaining, from the model, a likelihood that the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle;
determining that the likelihood that the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle satisfies a first threshold;
in response to determining that the likelihood satisfies the first threshold:
inserting, into the crossword layout, a plurality of words in a set of clue-word pairs from among the plurality of clue-word pairs;
determining that the plurality of words inserted into the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle; and

providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of data items is a plurality of news data items, wherein each news data item in the plurality of news data items relates to a news event.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating, by the data processing apparatus, an interest profile based on a threshold number of users with an interest in a category of news events; and
wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, includes providing the crossword puzzle to a user with a user profile that matches the interest profile.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:
assigning a score to each clue-word pair in the dictionary based on the interest profile;
determining a total score for the crossword puzzle based on the score assigned based on the interest profile to each clue-word pair in the set of clue-word pairs; and
wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, further includes providing the crossword puzzle to a user only if the total score satisfies a second threshold.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the user profile is based on categories of news data items that the user has accessed.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, further comprises:
providing a hint to the user for each clue-word pair used in the crossword puzzle, wherein the hint is a resource that the user can select to access the news data item on which the clue-word pair is based.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the user an interface where the user can select a crossword puzzle from among one or more crossword puzzles.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:
storing a completion state for each of the one or more crossword puzzles; and
providing, on the interface, the completion state for each of the one or more crossword puzzles.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a user's selection of a crossword puzzle from among the one or more crossword puzzles; and
providing the selected crossword puzzle to the user using the stored completion state for the crossword puzzle.

10. A system, comprising:
one or more memory devices storing instructions; and
one or more data processing apparatus that are configured to interact with the one or more memory devices, and upon execution of the instructions, perform operations including:
obtaining, from a content source, a plurality of data items;
generating, using the plurality of data items, a dictionary comprising a plurality of clue-word pairs;
generating a crossword layout using a random crossword layout generator;
inputting the crossword layout into a model that outputs a likelihood that an input crossword layout results in a valid crossword, wherein the model is trained using a set of training data of historical crossword layouts that have resulted in valid and invalid crossword puzzles;
in response to inputting the crossword layout into the model, obtaining, from the model, a likelihood that the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle;
determining that the likelihood that the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle satisfies a first threshold;
in response to determining that the likelihood satisfies the first threshold:
inserting, into the crossword layout, a plurality of words in a set of clue-word pairs from among the plurality of clue-word pairs;
determining that the plurality of words inserted into the crossword layout results in a valid crossword puzzle; and
providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of data items is a plurality of news data items, wherein each news data item in the plurality of news data items relates to a news event.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more data processing apparatus are configured to perform operations further comprising:
generating an interest profile based on a threshold number of users with an interest in a category of news events; and
wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, includes providing the crossword puzzle to a user with a user profile that matches the interest profile.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more data processing apparatus are configured to perform operations further comprising:
assigning a score to each clue-word pair in the dictionary based on the interest profile;
determining a total score for the crossword puzzle based on the score assigned based on the interest profile to each clue-word pair in the set of clue-word pairs; and
wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, further includes providing the crossword puzzle to a user only if the total score satisfies a second threshold.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the user profile is based on categories of news data items that the user has accessed.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, further comprises:
providing a hint to the user for each clue-word pair used in the crossword puzzle, wherein the hint is a resource that the user can select to access the news data item on which the clue-word pair is based.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein providing the crossword puzzle using the set of clue-word pairs to a user on a user device, further comprises:
providing the user an interface where the user can select a crossword puzzle from among one or more crossword puzzles.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more data processing apparatus are configured to perform operations further comprising:
storing a completion state for each of the one or more crossword puzzles; and
providing, on the interface, the completion state for each of the one or more crossword puzzl

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Lelkes Adam
• Keogh Colin
• Gaughan Iii Regis Mchugh
• Tempero Katrina
• Yu Cong
• Tran Vinh Quoc
• Sultan Ziad Raymond

Classifications

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F3/0423 Primary

  Word games, e.g. scrabble (electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819) · CPC title

• A63F3/0421 Primary

  Electric word or number games · CPC title

• A63F2003/00996

  Board games available as video games · CPC title

• A63F2003/0428

  Crosswords · CPC title