Display of results of cross language search

• US 20060111893A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Franz, Martin, Florian, Radu, Ward, Robert Todd, McCarley, Jeffrey Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• 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

An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions displaying search results. A query is received in a first language. A snippet in the document containing the word is selected in response to identifying a document in a second language in which the document contains a word matching a query word in the query. This snippet is translated into the first language.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for displaying search results, the method comprising:

receiving a query in a first language;

responsive to identifying a document in a second language in which the document contains a word, matching a query word in the query; and

selecting a snippet in the document containing the word.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

translating the snippet in to the first language.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the snippet after the snippet has been selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes:

selecting boundaries for the snippet to optimize a readability of the snippet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the boundaries are selected such that phrases remain unbroken.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the boundaries are selected such that clauses remain unbroken.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting step includes:

selecting the boundaries for the snippet to optimize an ability of a translation system to translate the snippet from the first second language to the first language.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a set of snippets from the document to increase a representation of the document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of snippets are selected to cover a maximum number of document language words that can be considered translations of the query words.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of snippets are selected to maximize translation scores of document language words.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of snippets are selected using a chunker model.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a set of snippets from the document based on a translation of the set of snippets in which each snippet in the set of snippets includes words matching at least one query word in the query.

13. A method in a data processing system for displaying search result, the method comprising:

displaying graphical object, wherein the graphical object represents a document from the search result; and

displaying a graphical indicator in a location within the graphical object, wherein the graphical indicator indicates that a query word matching a word in the document and wherein the location indicates position of the word within the document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical object is a matching bar.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical indicator is a highlight.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying a document passage from the area in the document corresponding to the word in response to a presence of a pointer over the indicator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the query word is in a language and wherein the displaying step includes:

translating the document passage in to the language of the query word to form a translated passage in response to a presence of the pointer over the indicator; and

displaying the translated passage.

18. A data processing system for displaying search results, the method comprising:

receiving means for receiving a query in a first language;

matching means, responsive to identifying a document in a second language in which the document contains a word, for matching a query word in the query; and

selecting means for selecting a snippet in the document containing the word.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

translating means for translating the snippet in to the first language.

20. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

presenting means for presenting the snippet after the snippet has been selected.

21. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the selecting means includes:

means for selecting boundaries for the snippet to optimize a readability of the snippet.

22. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the boundaries are selected such that phrases remain unbroken.

23. The data processing system of claim 21, wherein the boundaries are selected such that clauses remain unbroken.

24. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the selecting step includes:

means for selecting the boundaries for the snippet to optimize an ability of a translation system to translate the snippet from the first second language to the first language.

25. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the selecting means is a first selecting means further comprising:

second selecting means for selecting a set of snippets from the document to increase a representation of the document.

26. A data processing system for displaying search result, the method comprising:

first displaying means for displaying graphical object, wherein the graphical object represents a document from the search result; and

second displaying means for displaying a graphical indicator in a location within the graphical object, wherein the graphical indicator indicates that a query word matching a word in the document and wherein the location indicates position of the word within the document.

27. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the graphical object is a matching bar.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the graphical indicator is a highlight.

29. The data processing system of claim 26 further comprising:

third displaying means for displaying a document passage from the area in the document corresponding to the word in response to a presence of a pointer over the indicator.

30. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the query word is in a language and wherein the displaying step includes:

translating means for translating the document passage in to the language of the query word to form a translated passage in response to a presence of the pointer over the indicator; and

displaying means for displaying the translated passage.

31. A computer program product in a data processing system for displaying search results, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a query in a first language;

second instructions, responsive to identifying a document in a second language in which the document contains a word, for matching a query word in the query; and

third instructions for selecting a snippet in the document containing the word.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

fourth instructions for translating the snippet in to the first language.

33. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

fourth instructions for presenting the snippet after the snippet has been selected.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the selecting step includes:

sub instructions for selecting boundaries for the snippet to optimize a readability of the snippet.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the boundaries are selected such that phrases remain unbroken.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the boundaries are selected such that clauses remain unbroken.

37. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the third instructions includes:

sub instructions for selecting the boundaries for the snippet to optimize an ability of a translation system to translate the snippet from the first second language to the first language.

38. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

fifth instructions for selecting a set of snippets from the document to increase a representation of the document.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the set of snippets are selected to cover a maximum number of document language words that can be considered translations of the query words.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the set of snippets are selected to maximize translation scores of document language words.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the set of snippets are selected using a chunker model.

42. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising:

fifth instructions for selecting a set of snippets from the document based on a translation of the set of snippets in which each snippet in the set of snippets includes words matching at least one query word in the query.

43. A computer program product in a data processing system for displaying search result, the method comprising:

first sub instructions for displaying graphical object, wherein the graphical object represents a document from the search result; and

second sub instructions for displaying a graphical indicator in a location within the graphical object, wherein the graphical indicator indicates that a query word matching a word in the document and wherein the location indicates position of the word within the document.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the graphical object is a matching bar.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the graphical indicator is a highlight.

46. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of instructions to receive a query in a first language;

identify a document in a second language in which the document contains a word, select a snippet in the document containing the word in response to matching a query word in the query; and

translate the snippet in to the first language.

47. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of instructions to displaying graphical object, wherein the graphical object represents a document from the search result; and

display a graphical indicator in a location within the graphical object, wherein the graphical indicator indicates that a query word matching a word in the document and wherein the location indicates position of the word within the document.