Method and system for searching a multi-lingual database

• US 20050234898A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozakov, Lev, Kim, Moon Ju, Drissi, Youssef, Leon Rodriguez, Juan
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/319 Inverted lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3337 Translation of the query language, e.g. Chinese to English
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method of searching a database in which documents of different languages are included. The system includes a synonym or keyword dictionary which is bi-directional and allows for translation of keywords between a first language and other languages. The translated words keywords for the document are stored in an inverted index which is then used for searching, either in a selected language, a second language or in all languages, as determined by the user. This use of multiple searching and a translated synonym dictionary avoids the need for translation of the entire document and avoids inaccuracies which may result from translations.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A computerized method of searching documents written in a plurality of languages, the method comprising:

receiving a first query that includes at least one keyword in a first language;

generating a second query by translating the at least one keyword into a second language;

applying the first query against documents written in both the first language and the second language;

applying the second query against documents written in the second language;

generating a first set of results that includes each document written in the first language that matches the first query; and

generating a second set of results that includes each document written in the second language that matches at least one of the first query or the second query.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the generating a second query step uses a keyword dictionary that supports translation between the plurality of languages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the keyword dictionary includes a synonym listing that translates a keyword in any of the plurality of languages into a corresponding keyword in another of the plurality of languages.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the generating a second query step translates the at least one keyword using the Unicode system.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing at least one of the first and second sets of results for display to a user.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the applying the first query step includes:

applying the first query against an inverted index in the first language; and

applying the first query against an inverted index in the second language.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying keywords from each of the plurality of documents;

translating each identified keyword into each of the plurality of languages; and

creating an index in each of the plurality of languages.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising creating a single inverted index from the translated keywords.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the translating step uses a keyword dictionary that supports translation between the plurality of languages.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a native language of a user.

28. A system for searching documents written in a plurality of languages, the system comprising:

a system for receiving a first query that includes at least one keyword in a first language;

a system for generating a second query by translating the at least one keyword into a second language;

a system for applying the first query against documents written in both the first language and the second language;

a system for applying the second query against documents written in the second language;

a system for generating a first set of results that includes each document written in the first language that matches the first query; and

a system for generating a second set of results that includes each document written in the second language that matches at least one of the first query or the second query.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the system for generating a second query includes a keyword dictionary that supports translation between the plurality of languages.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising a system for providing at least one of the first and second sets of results for display to a user.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising a system for determining a native language of a user.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a system for identifying keywords from each of the plurality of documents;

a system for translating each identified keyword into each of the plurality of languages; and

a system for creating an index in each of the plurality of languages.

33. A document searching program stored on a computer-useable medium, wherein the documents are written in a plurality of languages, the program comprising:

a module for receiving a first query that includes at least one keyword in a first language;

a module for generating a second query by translating the at least one keyword into a second language;

a module for applying the first query against documents written in both the first language and the second language;

a module for applying the second query against documents written in the second language;

a module for generating a first set of results that includes each document written in the first language that matches the first query; and

a module for generating a second set of results that includes each document written in the second language that matches at least one of the first query or the second query.

34. The program of claim 33, wherein the module for generating a second query includes a keyword dictionary that supports translation between the plurality of languages.

35. The program of claim 33, further comprising a module for providing at least one of the first and second sets of results for display to a user.

36. The program of claim 33, further comprising a module for determining a native language of a user.

37. The program of claim 33, further comprising:

a module for identifying keywords from each of the plurality of documents;

a module for translating each identified keyword into each of the plurality of languages; and

a module for creating an index in each of the plurality of languages.