Method and system for translingual translation of query and search and retrieval of multilingual information on the web

• US 20040006560A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Original Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Inventors: Zhenghui, Xiong, Zhuo, Liu, Ma, Xiwen, Chan, Ning-Ping
• Application Number:
  US10/449,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation

Abstract

A method for translating a query input by the user in the source language into the target language and searching and retrieving web documents in the target language and translating said web documents into the source language.

In this invention, the user first inputs a query in a source language through a unit such as the keyboard. This query is then processed by the server at the backend to extract content word from the input query. The next step takes place at the dialectal controller, which is present on the server and performs the function of dialectally standardizing the content word/words so extracted. During this process the user may be prompted for some more so as to refine the search by the user or in case dialectal standardization could not be performed using the initial input query. This is followed by the process of pre-search translation, which comprises of translating the dialectally standardized word into a target language through a translator. This process of translation is followed by inputting the translated word into a search engine in the target language. Such an input yields search results in the target language corresponding to the translated word. The results so obtained are then displayed in the form of site names (URL) which satisfy the search criteria. All the results thus obtained in the target language are then displayed on the user screen. According to the user'"'"'s needs such results may then be translated back either in whole or in part into the source language.

Claims

1. A method for translating a query input by a user for search and retrieval of multilingual web documents, comprising:

inputting a query in the first language through an input device;

processing said query to extract a content key word from the query;

performing dialectal standardization of said key word extracted from the query;

translating said dialectally standardized key word into the second language through a translator;

inputting said translated key word in the second language into a search engine in the second language;

obtaining said search results in the form of site names (URLs) satisfying search criteria; and

displaying the search results in the second language.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said inputting of a query in the first language includes entering of a word in the form of a query by the user.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user may be prompted for another query if the dialectal controller was unable to extract keyword from the initial query input by the user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first language is English.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second language is Chinese.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user may selectively choose to translate all or portions of the search results obtained in the second language into the first language.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

inputting said search results obtained in the second language into a translator;

translating the search results into the first language; and

displaying said search results in the first language.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the user may also select the translations to be machine translations with reading aids or well translated sites.

9. A method for translation of web documents, said method comprising:

translating of search results from a first language to a second language by a server, said server maintaining a collection of well-translated sites for the purpose of search and retrieval of multilingual web documents.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said server maintains a collection of well-translated sites and constantly updates said collection of sites with new information.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said well-translated sites are translations made in accordance with user needs.

12. A system for translating a query for search and retrieval of multilingual web documents, said system comprising:

a query input device for inputting a query in the first language;

a dialectal controller for dialectally standardizing the content word/key word extracted from the query input by the user;

a translator for translating the dialectally standardized word into the second language;

a search engine for searching the site names (URLs) satisfying search criteria;

a first input unit for inputting the translated word into said search engine for performing a search in the second language;

a display screen unit for displaying the search results found in the second language; and

a second input unit for inputting the search results into a translator for translation of the search results into the first language.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said inputting of a query in the first language includes entering a word in the form of a query by the user.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the user may be prompted for another query if the dialectal controller was unable to extract keyword from the initial query input by the user.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said first language is English.

16. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said second language is Chinese.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein the user may selectively choose to translate all or portions of the search results obtained in the second language into the first language.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the user may also specify the translations to be machine translations with reading aids or well translated sites.

19. A system for translation of web documents comprising:

a server for translation of search results from a first language to a second language, said server maintaining a collection of well-translated sites for the purpose of search and retrieval of multilingual web documents.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein said server maintains a collection of well-translated sites and constantly updates said collection of sites with new information.

21. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein said well-translated sites are translations made in accordance with user needs.

22. A method for translating a query input by a user in a first language into a second language and searching and retrieving web documents in the second language, comprising:

processing a query input in a first language to extract content or keyword and dialectally standardizing the extracted keyword;

translating said standardized keyword into a second language; and

searching and obtaining search results in said second language.

23. A method for translating a query input by a user in a first language into a second language and searching and retrieving web documents in the second language, and translating said web documents into the first language, comprising:

processing a query input in a first language to extract content or keyword and dialectally standardizing the extracted keyword;

translating said standardized keyword into a second language;

searching and obtaining search results in said second language; and

translating said search results into said first language.