Machine translation of chat room sessions and other collaborative work using session-specific dictionaries

• US 20040133417A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Azuma, Shigeo
• Application Number:
  US10/726,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133417A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation

Abstract

A machine translation method for specific words and a translation system using the method. A dictionary management unit for managing a dictionary file referred to in a translation creates a temporary dictionary. The temporary dictionary, which is a virtual dictionary file used in a translation process executed during a session, is created when the session begins. A translation processing unit translates a text by referring to the temporary dictionary and other dictionary files. In this process, the temporary dictionary is referred to in preference to a basic dictionary, a user dictionary, and other resident dictionary files.

Claims

1. A translation server for translating an entered text and providing a translated text, comprising:

a translation processing unit for executing a text translation process; and

a dictionary storage unit for storing a general dictionary file referred to in the text translation process and a virtual dictionary file created for a session and temporarily used in the text translation process during the session.

2. The translation server according to claim 1, wherein the virtual dictionary file stored in the dictionary storage unit is created when the session begins and erased when the session ends.

3. A collaboration server for supporting a collaborative session with a plurality of terminals exchanging data via a network, comprising:

a session management unit for managing a session of collaborative work with the plurality of terminals;

a translation processing unit for translating a text in a first language entered during the session with a first terminal into a second language used in a second terminal participating in the session; and

a dictionary management unit for creating and managing a session-specific dictionary file used by the translation processing unit during the session.

4. The collaboration server according to claim 3, wherein the dictionary management unit creates the session-specific dictionary when the session starts and erases the session-specific dictionary file when the session ends.

5. The collaboration server according to claim 3, wherein the dictionary management unit creates a session-specific dictionary file for each terminal participating in the session.

6. The collaboration server according to claim 3, wherein if the session is a chat session, the dictionary management unit creates a session-specific dictionary file corresponding to a user when the user enters the chat and erases the session-specific dictionary file when the user exits the chat.

7. An information processor, comprising:

input means for entering a text described in a first language;

translation processing means for translating the text into a second language to create a translation text;

dictionary storage means for storing a general dictionary file referred to in the translation process executed by the translation processing means;

virtual dictionary storage means for storing a virtual dictionary file used in the translation process executed by the translation processing means during a session; and

output means for outputting the translation text created by the translation processing means.

8. The information processor according to claim 7, wherein the virtual dictionary file stored in the virtual dictionary storage means is created with specificity to the session.

9. The information processor according to claim 7, wherein the virtual dictionary file stored in the virtual dictionary storage means is created at the start of the session and erased at the end of the session.

10. A machine translation method for translating a text described in a first language into a second language with a computer, comprising the steps of:

creating, in a memory, when a session starts, a dictionary file used in a translation process executed during the session, the dictionary file being specific to the session;

registering a word and its usage in the dictionary file specific to the session; and

translating text entered during the session referring to the dictionary file specific to the session.

11. The machine translation method according to claim 10, wherein the step of translating gives higher priority to the dictionary file specific to the session than to a general dictionary file.

12. The machine translation method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of erasing the dictionary file specific to the session when the session ends.

13. A computer program product for causing a computer to perform method steps for translating a text described in a first language into a second language, said method steps comprising:

creating, in a memory, when a session begins, a dictionary file specific to the session, used in a translation process executed during the session;

registering a word and its usage in the dictionary file specific to the session; and

translating text entered during the session, referring to the dictionary file specific to the session created when the session starts.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the method steps further comprise the step of erasing the dictionary file specific to the session when the session ends.

15. A computer program product for causing a computer to execute method steps for translating a text described in a first language into a second language, said method steps comprising:

creating, in a memory, when a session begins, a dictionary file specific to the session used in a translation process executed during the session;

registering a word and its usage in the dictionary file specific to the session;

referring to the dictionary file that is specific to the session with higher priority than a general dictionary file when translating text entered during the session; and

erasing the dictionary file specific to the session when the session ends.

16. A computer program product for causing a computer to execute method steps for supporting collaborative work with a plurality of terminals exchanging data via the network, said method steps comprising:

reflecting work conducted by a first terminal on an output of a second terminal during a session;

translating a text entered in the first terminal using a first language into a second language used in the second terminal; and

creating and managing a dictionary file used in the step of translating, wherein the dictionary file is specific to the session.

17. The program product according to claim 16, wherein the dictionary file specific to the session is created at the beginning of the session and erased at the end of the session.

18. A computer program product for causing a computer connected to a network to execute method steps for providing a chat system, said method steps comprising:

translating a text entered in a first terminal participating in a chat into a language used in a second terminal participating in the chat;

copying, by a third terminal that enters the chat, a session-specific dictionary file used in translating the text; and

erasing the session-specific dictionary file from the third terminal when the third terminal leaves the chat.