Blinking annotation callouts highlighting cross language search results

• US 20060129915A1
• Filed: 09/27/2003
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Original Assignee: QNATURALLY SYSTEMS INC.
• Inventors: Chan, Ning-Ping
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/265
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3337 Translation of the query language, e.g. Chinese to English
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for translingually searching a piece of information from an electronic document, a website or the Internet. The system first dialectally standardizes the primary query in the input language entered by the user and then translates the standardized query into an optimized search string in the target document language. Using the translated query, the system performs a search and highlights each matching object with an annotation callout or bubble to assist the user to navigate through the search results.

Claims

1. A system for searching a piece of information contained in an electronic searchable document comprising a processor, a first memory that stores at least one program used by said processor to perform operations required for the search and a second memory which is available to said at least one program for operation, the system further comprising:

a means for dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by the user;

a means for translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

a means for performing a search on the query; and

a means for highlighting each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for setting languages,

said language setting means comprising any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said query in the second language, and/or other reading aid information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated entry,

wherein said search means performs a search on said optimized query.

9. The system of claim 8, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized query in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated entry and providing one or more equivalents of said optimized entry,

wherein said search means performs a Boolean search on a query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents.

12. In an electronic cross-language search system for searching a piece of information contained in an electronic searchable document comprising a processor, a first memory that stores at least one program used by said processor to perform operations required for the search and a second memory which is available to said at least one program for operation, a method performed by said at least one program comprising the steps of:

dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by the user;

translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

performing a search on the translated query; and

highlighting each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

accepting the user'"'"'s language settings, said language settings comprising selecting an option from any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said query in the second language, and/or other reading aid information.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

optimizing said translated entry,

wherein said search step is performed on said optimized entry.

20. The method of claim 19, said annotation message comprises said standardized query in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized query in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

optimizing said translated entry; and

providing one or more equivalents of said optimized entry,

wherein said search step is performed on a Boolean query consisting of said optimized entry and said one or more equivalents.

23. A computer usable medium containing instructions in computer readable form for carrying out a process for cross-language search with each matching object in the search result highlighted with a blinking annotation callout, said process comprising the steps of:

dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by the user;

translating the standardized query into a query in a second language;

performing a search on the translated query; and

highlighting each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

24. The computer usable medium of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

accepting the user'"'"'s language settings,

said language settings comprising selecting an option from any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

25. The computer usable medium of claim 23, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

26. The computer usable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

27. The computer usable medium of claim 23, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

28. The computer usable medium of claim 27, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said translated query in the second language.

29. The computer usable medium of claim 23, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

30. The computer usable medium of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

optimizing said translated entry as a query,

wherein said search step is performed on said optimized query.

31. The computer usable medium of claim 30, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

32. The computer usable medium of claim 30, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

33. The computer usable medium of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

optimizing said translated query; and

providing one or more equivalents of said optimized query,

wherein said search step is performed on a Boolean query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents.

34. In an Internet based electronic cross-language search system for searching a piece of information contained in a website hosted by a backend server which comprises at least one processor, a first memory that stores at least one program used by said at least one processor to perform operations required for the search and a second memory which is available to said at least one program for operation, a method performed by said at least one program comprising the steps of:

dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by the user over the Internet;

translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

performing a search on the translated query; and

sending a signal to highlight each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

accepting the user'"'"'s language settings,

said language settings comprising selecting an option from any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said translated query in the second language, the former and the latter being placed in different lines.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

optimizing said translated query,

wherein said search step is performed on said optimized query.

42. The method of claim 41, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

44. The method of claim 34, further comprising the steps of:

optimizing said translated query; and

providing one or more equivalents of said optimized query,

wherein said search step is performed on a Boolean query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents.

45. An Internet based electronic cross-language search system for searching a piece of information contained in a website hosted by a backend server that comprises at least one processor, a first memory that stores at least one program used by said at least processor to perform operations required for the search and a second memory which is available to said at least one program for operation, said backend server being communicatively coupled to a remote user'"'"'s computer over the Internet, the system further comprising:

a means for dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by the user,

a means for translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

a means for performing a search on the translated query; and

a means for sending a signal to highlight each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

a means for setting languages,

said language setting means comprising any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

48. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

a means for prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said translated query in the second language, and/or other reading aid information.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

52. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated query,

wherein said search means performs a search on said optimized query.

53. The system of claim 52, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

55. The system of claim 45, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated query and providing one or more equivalents of said optimized query,

wherein said search means performs a Boolean search on a query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents of said optimized query.

56. In a global network comprising a server and at least one client computer communicatively coupled to the server, said server comprising a dialectical treatment module, a translation module, a search engine and a display module, which in combination performs a process, the process comprising the steps of:

dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by a remote user via said at least one client computer,

translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

performing a search on the translated query; and

sending a signal to said at least one client computer to highlight each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

57. The process of claim 56, further comprising the step of:

accepting the users language settings,

said setting commands comprising selecting an option from any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

58. The process of claim 56, wherein said dialectal standardization step comprising the step of:

applying a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

59. The process of claim 56, further comprising:

prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

60. The process of claim 56, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

61. The process of claim 60, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said translated query in the second language, and/or other reading aid information.

62. The process of claim 56, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

63. The process of claim 56, further comprising the step of:

optimizing said translated query,

wherein said search step is performed on said optimized query.

64. The process of claim 63, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

65. The process of claim 63, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

66. The process of claim 56, further comprising the steps of:

optimizing said translated query; and

providing one or more equivalents of said optimized query,

wherein said search step is performed on a Boolean query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents.

67. A system for searching the information on the Internet comprising a server and at least one client computer communicatively coupled to said server, wherein said server comprises at least one processor, a first memory that stores at least one program used by said at least processor to perform operations required for the search and a second memory which is available to said at least one program for operation, the system further comprising:

a means for dialectally standardizing a primary entry in a first language entered by a remote user via a graphical user interface on the screen of said at least one client computer;

a means for translating the standardized entry into a query in a second language;

a means for performing a search on the translated query; and

a means for sending a signal to highlight each matching object by associating a visual cue with said each matching object, said visual cue being adaptive to contain an annotation message.

68. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

a means for setting languages,

said language setting means comprising any of;

a dropdown list; and

a set of hyperlinked icons, each of which being representative of an option.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein said dialectal standardization means applies a set of statistical, logic, linguistic, and/or grammatical rules to said primary entry.

70. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

a means for prompting the user to enter a different entry in the event that said dialectal standardization means fails to standardize said primary entry.

71. The system of claim 67, wherein each visual cue comprises a tail that points at or connects to the matching object.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said translated query in the second language, and/or other reading aid information.

73. The system of claim 67, wherein said visual cue is blinking.

74. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated query,

wherein said search means performs a search on said optimized query.

75. The system of claim 74, said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language and said optimized query in the second language.

76. The system of claim 74, wherein said annotation message comprises said standardized entry in the first language, said optimized query in the second language, and one or more equivalents of said optimized query in the second language, each of said equivalents being hyperlinked, clicking on which triggering a new search on the clicked equivalent.

77. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

a means for optimizing said translated query and providing one or more equivalents of said optimized query,

wherein said search means performs a Boolean search on a query consisting of said optimized query and said one or more equivalents.