Multilanguage UI with localized resources

• US 20020116172A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vargas, Garrett R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A multi-language user-interface (MUI) for use in a mobile electronic device accesses language-dependent information. The MUI system includes a display, an operating system, a localized data store, and an application. The MUI system is used in displaying information in a selected language on the mobile electronic device. The needed language-dependent information may be localized or include a portion that is localized. When the application needs to display localized language-dependent information (e.g., resource strings, settings stored in a registry, or file names), this information is obtained from the localized data store, which also contains language-dependent for all of the languages supported by the mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for accessing language-dependent data in a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

processing a request from an application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with a first language from a localized data store, the localized data store containing localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages and a registry;

providing requested localized language-dependent information from the localized data store to the application; and

displaying the localized language-dependent information by the mobile electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a second request to access a first resource, the first resource containing non-localized information associated with the first language, the first resource being one of a plurality of resources, each resource of the plurality of resources containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first resource comprises a dynamically linked library.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a language setting of the mobile electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized data store is organized hierarchically with a plurality of levels.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein processing the request further comprises accessing a level of the localized data store to retrieve the requested localized language-dependent information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising accessing another level hierarchically below the level if the requested localized language-dependent information is not found in the level.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized data store comprises a look-up table.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized language-dependent information is a file name formatted in the first language.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the localized data store is accessible by an application to load a localized file name into the localized data store.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

processing a request from an application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with a first language from a localized data store, the localized data store containing localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages;

providing requested localized language-dependent information from the localized data store to the application; and

displaying the localized language-dependent information by the mobile electronic device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising processing a second request to access a first resource, the first resource containing non-localized information associated with the first language, the first resource being one of a plurality of resources, each resource of the plurality of resources containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the first resource comprises a dynamically linked library.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising determining a language setting of the mobile electronic device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the localized data store is organized hierarchically with a plurality of levels.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein processing the request further comprises accessing a level of the localized data store to retrieve the requested localized language-dependent information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising accessing another level hierarchically below the level if the requested localized language-dependent information is not found in the level.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the localized data store comprises a look-up table.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the localized language-dependent information comprises a file name formatted in the first language.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the localized data store is accessible by an application to load a localized file name into the localized data store.

21. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

localized data store means for containing localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages;

means for processing a request from an application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with a first language from the localized data store means;

means for displaying information; and

means for providing requested localized language-dependent information from the localized data store means to the application to be displayed.

22. The mobile electronic device of claim 21, further comprising:

first resource means for containing non-localized information associated with the first language, the first resource means being one of a plurality of resources means, each resource means of the plurality of resource means containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language; and

means for processing a second request to access the first resource means.

23. The mobile electronic device of claim 21, further comprising means for determining a language setting of the mobile electronic device.

24. The mobile electronic device of claim 21 wherein the localized data store means is organized hierarchically with a plurality of levels.

25. The mobile electronic device of claim 24 wherein the means for processing the second request further comprises means for accessing a level of the localized data store to retrieve the requested localized language-dependent information.

26. The mobile electronic device of claim 25 wherein the means for accessing is configured to access another level that is hierarchically below the level if the requested localized language-dependent information is not found in the level.

27. The mobile electronic device of claim 21 wherein the localized data store means comprises a registry.

28. The mobile electronic device of claim 21 wherein the localized data store means comprises a look-up table.

29. The mobile electronic device of claim 21 wherein the localized language-dependent information comprises a file name formatted in the first language.

30. The mobile electronic device of claim 29 wherein the localized data store means is accessible by an application to load a localized file name into the localized data store means.

31. A system for accessing language-dependent data in a mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display unit;

a localized data store configured to contain localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages and a registry;

an application; and

an operating system coupled to the display, the localized data store, and the application, wherein the operating system is configured to process a request from the application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with a first language from the localized data store, provide requested localized language-dependent information from the localized data store to the application, and cause the display unit to display the localized language-dependent information.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a first resource, the first resource containing non-localized information associated with the first language, the first resource being one of a plurality of resources, each resource of the plurality of resources containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language, wherein the operating system configured to process a second request from the application to access the first resource.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the first resource comprises a dynamically linked library.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the operating system is further configured to determine a language setting of the mobile electronic device.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the localized data store is organized hierarchically with a plurality of levels.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the localized information is associated with a base key of the registry.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the localized information is associated with a sub key of the base key.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein the localized data store comprises a look-up table.

39. The system of claim 31 wherein the localized language-dependent information comprises a file name formatted in the first language.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the localized data store is accessible by the application to load a localized file name into the localized data store.

41. A computer-readable medium in a mobile electronic device having a display unit, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a registry configured to contain localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages;

a file system configured to contain non-localized information associated with a plurality of resources, each resource of the plurality of resources containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language;

an application; and

an operating system coupled to the display unit, the registry, the application and the file system, wherein the operating system is configured to (a) process a request from the application to access the file system for non-localized language-dependent information associated with a first language, (b) provide from the file system requested non-localized language-dependent information associated with the first language to the application, (c) process a request from the application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with the first language from the registry, (d) provide requested localized language-dependent information from the registry to the application, and (e) cause the display unit to display the requested localized and non-localized language-dependent information.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the localized language-dependent information is stored in a sub key of a base key of the registry.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein a user can modify the base key to contain modified localized language-dependent information, the operating system being configured to provide the modified localized language-dependent information instead of the localized language-dependent information stored in the sub key.

44. A system for accessing language-dependent data in a mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display unit;

a registry configured to contain localized language-dependent information for a plurality of languages;

a file system configured to contain non-localized information associated with a plurality of resources, each resource of the plurality of resources containing non-localized information associated with a uniquely identified language;

an application; and

operating means, coupled to the display unit, the registry, the application and the file system, for (a) processing a request from the application to access the file system for non-localized language-dependent information associated with a first language, (b) providing from the file system requested non-localized language-dependent information associated with the first language to the application, (c) processing a request from the application to retrieve localized language-dependent information associated with the first language from the registry, (d) providing requested localized language-dependent information from the registry to the application, and (e) causing the display unit to display the requested localized and non-localized language-dependent information.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the localized language-dependent information is stored in a sub key of a base key of the registry.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein a user can modify the base key to contain modified localized language-dependent information, the operating means being configured to provide the modified localized language-dependent information instead of the localized language-dependent information stored in the sub key.

47. A system for accessing language-dependent data in a mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display unit;

a filename data store configured to contain localized filenames in a plurality of languages;

an application; and

an operating system coupled to the display unit, the filename data store, and the application, wherein the operating system is configured to (a) process a request from the application to access the filename data store for a localized filename associated with a first language, (b) provide the requested localized filename from the filename data store to the application, and (c) cause the display unit to display the requested localized filename.