Localization of prompts

• US 20070073544A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fong, David, Millett, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Localized prompt statements. For each prompt statement to be executed, identifying a resource string that corresponds to a variable associated with the prompt statement permits retrieval of one or more localized media files. For example, the media files may provide for playing spoken prompts in a localized language. Executing the prompt statement includes rendering the retrieved media files. In one aspect, the localized prompt statements contain both text and numeric values wherein a spoken prompt is grammatically correct for the numeric value contained in the prompt.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for executing a prompt statement, the prompt statement having a NAME variable associated therewith, the method comprising:

determining that the prompt statement specifies a resource string;

identifying a resource string for the prompt statement that corresponds to the NAME variable;

retrieving a media file that corresponds to the identified resource string; and

rendering the retrieved media file in response to the prompt statement.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the media file is a localized audio recording representative of the resource string.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the resource string in a text-to-speech format if no media file is retrieved that corresponds to the resource string.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string comprises a text string of a localized language.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the text string is translated into a non-English language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string further comprises a personal information manager variable.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

rendering the media file that corresponds to the resource string and rendering the personal information manager variable in an order specified by the resource string.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising rendering the personal information manager variable in a speech-to-text format.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the personal information manager variable is a KEY variable, the method further comprising:

identifying a grammar variable that corresponds to the KEY variable;

concatenating the grammar variable to the NAME variable.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the grammar variable modifies one or more plural forms contained in the resource string associated with the NAME variable.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the resource string is grammatically correct for the language of the text.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the media file and the text-to-speech format have the same gender.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string provides personal information manager information.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the personal information manager information is information selected from the group consisting of email messages, voicemail messages, calendar appointments, and personal contact details.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-executable method of claim 1.

16. A computer-implemented method for executing a prompt statement having a NAME variable and a KEY variable associated therewith, said method comprising:

determining that the prompt statement specifies a resource string;

identifying a grammar variable that corresponds to the KEY variable;

concatenating the grammar variable to the NAME variable; and

identifying a resource string for the prompt statement that corresponds to the NAME variable.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising

retrieving one or more media files that correspond to the resource string;

and

rendering the retrieved media files in response to the prompt statement.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the resource string is grammatically correct for numeric value of the KEY variable and the language of the text.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the media file is a localized audio recording representative of the resource string.

20. One or more computer-readable media having computer executable instructions for executing a prompt statement, said prompt statement having a NAME variable and a personal information manager (PIM) variable associated therewith, said instructions comprising:

identifying a resource string that corresponds to the NAME variable;

retrieving a localized media file that corresponds to the resource string;

retrieving PIM information that corresponds to the PIM variable; and

rendering the localized media file and the PIM information in an order specified by the resource string.