WORD TRANSLATION DEVICE, TRANSLATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20090106018A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Liu, Shaoming
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• 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

A word translation device stores a first-language word search TRIE structure (100), a second-language word search TRIE structure (200), a first-language word information record (110), a second-language word information record (210) in a bilingual dictionary. The first-language word search TRIE structure (100) is provided for searching for words of the first language. The second-language word search TRIE structure (200) is provided for searching for words of the second language. The first-language word information record (110) includes first translation information for identifying a translation of each of the words stored in the first-language word search TRIE structure (100). The second-language word information record (210) includes second translation information for identifying a translation of each of the words stored in the second-language word search TRIE structure (200). By referring to the first and second word information records (110) and (210), word translation between the first and second languages can be performed with high precision at high speeds.

Claims

1. A word translation device that performs word translation among a plurality of languages, comprising:

a storage unit that stores at least a first word search structure, a second word search structure, a first word and translation information record, and a second word information and translation record in a dictionary, the first word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a first language, the second word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a second language, the first word and translation information record including word-associated information and translation information as to words stored in the first word search structure, the second word and translation information record including word-associated information and translation information as to words stored in the second word search structure.

2. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word search structures include word and translation information record identification information for identifying word and translation information records.

3. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word and translation information records include word identification information for identifying the words stored in the first and second word search structures, respectively.

4. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word and translation information records include associated information as to the words stored in the first and second word search structures, respectively.

5. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first word and translation information record includes translation identification information for identifying the translation information stored in the second word and translation information record; and

the second word and translation information record includes translation identification information for identifying the translation information stored in the first word and translation information record.

6. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word and translation information records include identification information for identifying synonyms for each translation.

7. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word and translation information records include identification information for identifying the kind of a language in which a translation is made.

8. The word translation device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second word and translation information records include records that store one piece of word-associated information and one piece of translation information as to each part of speech, when a subject word has a plurality of part of speech.

9. The word translation device according to claim 8, wherein the record of each part of speech is associated with the one piece of word-associated information by a pointer.

10. The word translation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit that inputs a word;

a referring unit that refers the input word to the words stored in the first word search structure;

an extracting unit that extracts a translation from the translations stored in the second word search structure, based on the first word and translation information record associated with the word; and

an output unit that outputs the extracted translation.

11. The word translation device according to claim 10, wherein the extracting unit extracts the second word and translation information record, based on the first word and translation information record associated with the word referred by the referring unit.

12. The word translation device according to claim 10, wherein:

the translation information of the first word and translation information record includes link information for identifying a translation stored in the second word search structure or a second word and translation information record; and

the extracting unit extracts the translation or the second word and translation information record, based on the link information.

25. A machine translation system comprising:

a translating unit that inputs a sentence and translates the sentence; and

the word translation device according to claim 1, which inputs a word that is not translated by the translating unit, and translates the word.

26. The machine translation system according to claim 25, wherein the translating unit includes at least one of a translation memory engine, a pattern-based translation engine, and a chunk-based example translation engine.

27. The machine translation system according to claim 26, further comprising

a distinction output unit that distinguishes a translation of the word that is not translated by the translating unit from other translations, and outputs the translation.

13. A word translation device that performs word translation among a plurality of languages, comprising:

a storage unit that stores, in a dictionary, word search structures of N languages (N being an integer of 2 or larger), and word information records of the N languages that are associated with the respective word search structures of the N languages,

the word information record of one language among the word information records of the N languages including translation information for identifying translations of the one language among the languages.

14. A word translation device that performs word translation among a plurality of languages, comprising:

a storage unit that stores word search dictionary data provided for each of the languages, and link information that is provided for each word stored in the word search dictionary data provided for each of the languages and indicates relationship between a word in one language and a translation of the word in another language.

15. The word translation device according to claim 14, wherein the link information includes identification information for identifying the word of the one language, identification information for identifying the another language, a pointer that points at link information as to the translation in the another language, and a pointer that points at link information as to a synonym for the word of the one language.

16. The word translation device according to claim 14, wherein:

the link information includes parent link information and child link information;

the parent link information includes a pointer that points at the child link information as to the synonym for the word of the one language; and

the child link information includes the identification information for identifying the another language, a pointer that points at the corresponding parent link information, a pointer that points at the child link information as to the translation in the another language, and a pointer that points at the child link information as to another synonym.

17. The word translation device according to claim 14, wherein the link information is provided for each part of speech, when the word has a plurality of part of speech.

18. The word translation device according to any claim 14, wherein the word search dictionary data includes a word search structure that is provided for each of the languages and is to be used for searching for words, and a word information record that is provided for each of the languages and stores information as to the words.

19. The word translation device according to claim 18, wherein the word information record includes the link information.

20. The word translation device according to claim 18, wherein the word search structure includes a word TRIE structure or a hash function structure.

21. The word translation device according to claim 14, wherein:

the word search dictionary data includes list information as to the first character of each word of a corresponding language, and list information as to the word;

the first character list information includes information as to the first character, the number of words starting with the first character, a pointer that points at a location in list information as to the words starting with the first character; and

the word list information includes a pointer that points at link information as to the word.

22. The word translation device according to claim 14, further comprising:

an input unit that inputs a word of the one language;

a referring unit that refers the input word of the one language to the word search dictionary data as to the one language; and

an extracting unit that extracts a translation in the another language from the word search dictionary data as to the another language, based on the link information as to the referred word of the one language.

23. The word translation device according to claim 22, wherein the extracting unit extracts a word information record of the another language, based on the link information as to the word information record of the one language referred by the referring unit.

24. The word translation device according to claim 22, wherein the extracting unit extracts the translation from the word search structure of the another language, based on the link information as to the word information record of the one language referred by the referring unit.

28. A word translation method for translating words among a plurality of languages, comprising:

storing a first word search structure, a second word search structure, a first word information record, and a second word information record in a dictionary, the first word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a first language, the second word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a second language, the first word information record including first translation information for identifying translations of words stored in the first word search structure, the second word information record including second translation information for identifying translations of words stored in the second word search structure.

29. The word translation method according to claim 28, further comprising:

inputting a word;

referring the input word to the words stored in the first word search structure;

extracting a translation from the second word search structure, based on the first word information record of the referred word; and

outputting the extracted translation.

31. The translation method according to claim 29, further comprising:

inputting a word of one language;

referring the input word of the one language to the word search dictionary data provided for the one language; and

extracting a translation in another language from the word search dictionary data provided for the another language, based on the link information as to the referred word of the one language.

32. The translation method according to claim 31, wherein:

the word search dictionary data includes a word information record that is provided for each of the languages and stores a word search structure and information as to words;

the word information record includes the link information; and

extracting the translation includes extracting the word information record of the another language, based on the link information of the word information record of the one language.

30. A translation method for translating words among a plurality of languages, comprising:

storing word search dictionary data and link information in a storage unit, the word search dictionary data being provided for each of the languages, the link information being provided for each word stored in the word search dictionary data provided for each of the languages and indicating relationship between a word of one language and a translation of the word in another language.

33. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for word translation, the process comprising:

storing a first word search structure, a second word search structure, a first word information record, and a second word information record in a dictionary, the first word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a first language, the second word search structure being provided for searching for a word of a second language, the first word information record including first translation information for identifying translations of words stored in the first word search structure, the second word information record including second translation information for identifying translations of words stored in the second word search structure.

34. The computer readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the program is to be executed to further carry out:

inputting a word;

referring the input word to the words stored in the first word search structure;

extracting a translation from the second word search structure, based on the first word information record of the referred word; and

outputting the extracted translation.

35. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for translation, the process comprising:

storing word search dictionary data and link information in a storage unit, the word search dictionary data being provided for each of the languages, the link information being provided for each word stored in the word search dictionary data provided for each of the languages and indicating relationship between a word of one language and a translation of the word in another language.

36. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for translation, the process comprising:

inputting a word of one language;

referring the input word of the one language to the word search dictionary data provided for the one language; and

extracting a translation in another language from the word search dictionary data provided for the another language, based on the link information as to the referred word of the one language.

37. The computer readable medium according to claim 36, wherein:

the word search dictionary data includes a word information record that is provided for each of the languages and stores a word search structure and information as to words;

the word information record includes the link information; and

extracting the translation includes extracting the word information record of the another language, based on the link information of the word information record of the one language.