Automatic Natural Language Translation During Information Transfer

• US 20090031238A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Berstis, Viktors, Dunsmoir, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• 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

Information elements such as text, tables, graphics, and hyperlinks, are intercepted during their transfer from a computer source to a computer destination, such as during a cut-and-paste operation. It is determined if each intercepted information element is expressed in a natural language which matches a user-specified natural language intended for the destination, and if not, one or more natural language handling actions such as translation or isolation of the information elements is performed in order to match the desired destination language. Translated information elements are delivered to the destination, and isolated elements are placed in a data store for later review and/or exchange with other elements.

Claims

1. A computer memory comprising:

a computer readable memory suitable for storage of computer programs; and

one or more computer programs encoded by said memory and configured to perform;

receiving a user command to enable automatic cutting-and-pasting in a destination first, source second sequence, with user enablement of automatic natural language translation;

subsequent to receiving said command and enablement, receiving a user selection of one or more insertion points in the contents of a destination computer resource via a destination user interface, said computer resource consisting of an electronic document;

subsequent to receiving said user-selected insertion points, receiving a user selection of one or more information elements via a source user interface;

intercepting transfer of said information elements to said destination computer resource;

determining which intercepted information elements are expressed in a natural language not matching a user-specified natural language;

responsive to finding no existing natural language handling rule for an information element to be transferred;

invoking a rule management user interface; and

allowing via said rule management user interface a user to define an action to be taken selected from the list of invoking a natural language translation process, allowing transfer without modification, and isolating said information element;

performing one or more natural language handling actions on said intercepted information elements which do not match said user specified natural language as defined by one or more natural language handling rules; and

transferring information elements to said destination which have been translated to said user specified natural language as a result of said handling actions.

2. The memory as set forth in claim 1 wherein said handling actions comprise isolating certain information elements according to said handling rules, thereby blocking their transfer to said destination.

3. The memory as set forth in claim 1 wherein said handling actions comprise determining an original natural language in which each intercepted information elements is expressed, and subsequently invoking a computer translation process to translate each item from said original natural language to said user-specified natural language.

4. A computer disk comprising:

a computer readable disk suitable for storage of computer programs; and

one or more computer programs encoded by said disk and configured to perform;

receiving a user command to enable automatic cutting-and-pasting in a destination first, source second sequence, with user enablement of automatic natural language translation;

subsequent to receiving said command and enablement, receiving a user selection of one or more insertion points in the contents of a destination computer resource via a destination user interface, said computer resource consisting of an electronic document;

subsequent to receiving said user-selected insertion points, receiving a user selection of one or more information elements via a source user interface;

intercepting transfer of said information elements to said destination computer resource;

determining which intercepted information elements are expressed in a natural language not matching a user-specified natural language;

responsive to finding no existing natural language handling rule for an information element to be transferred;

invoking a rule management user interface; and

allowing via said rule management user interface a user to define an action to be taken selected from the list of invoking a natural language translation process, allowing transfer without modification, and isolating said information element;

performing one or more natural language handling actions on said intercepted information elements which do not match said user specified natural language as defined by one or more natural language handling rules; and

transferring information elements to said destination which have been translated to said user specified natural language as a result of said handling actions.

5. The disk as set forth in claim 4 wherein said handling actions comprise isolating certain information elements according to said handling rules, thereby blocking their transfer to said destination.

6. The memory as set forth in claim 4 wherein said handling actions comprise determining an original natural language in which each intercepted information elements is expressed, and subsequently invoking a computer translation process to translate each item from said original natural language to said user-specified natural language.

7. A system comprising:

a first user interface portion of a computer configured to;

receive a user command to enable automatic cutting-and-pasting in a destination first, source second sequence, with user enablement of automatic natural language translation; and

subsequent to receiving said command and enablement, receive a user selection of one or more insertion points in the contents of a destination computer resource, said computer resource consisting of an electronic document;

a second user interface portion of said computer configured to, subsequent to receiving said user-selected insertion points, receive a user selection of one or more information elements; and

a processor configures to;

intercept transfer of said information elements to said destination computer resource;

determine which intercepted information elements are expressed in a natural language not matching a user-specified natural language;

responsive to finding no existing natural language handling rule for an information element to be transferred;

invoke a rule management user interface; and

allow via said rule management user interface a user to define an action to be taken selected from the list of invoking a natural language translation process, allowing transfer without modification, and isolating said information element;

perform one or more natural language handling actions on said intercepted information elements which do not match said user specified natural language as defined by one or more natural language handling rules; and

transfer information elements to said destination which have been translated to said user specified natural language as a result of said handling actions.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said handling actions comprise isolating certain information elements according to said handling rules, thereby blocking their transfer to said destination.

9. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said handling actions comprise determining an original natural language in which each intercepted information elements is expressed, and subsequently invoking a computer translation process to translate each item from said original natural language to said user-specified natural language.