Storage Device That Provides Efficient, Updatable National Language Support For A Mobile Device

• US 20090210216A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tonkelowitz, Mark, Robbins, Daryn, Arora, Nathan Charu, Sansen, Chigusa Yasuda
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

Efficient, updatable national language support for a mobile device is provided. NLS file segments are provided in a wrapper in the Virtual NLS file. Segments may be organized by language family. The number of segments that need to be searched is also minimized. At any point, any of the pointers for the dynamically updatable query table can be shifted around to improve performance. Existing APIs may be used for obtaining locale information by causing the APIs to iterate through all the known NLS segments in a specified search order.

Claims

1. A virtual national language support file, comprising:

a wrapper for providing logical binding to predetermined content; and

a plurality of national language support file segments logically bound by the wrapper, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments include a national language support base segment providing first locale data and at least one national language support segment for providing second locale data.

2. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the first and second locale data includes first and second file headers, first and second locale data, first and second pointers, and first and second file folders.

3. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the national language support base segment is configured to be searched first.

4. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the national language support base segment is organized to provide a majority of national language support data anticipated to be queried.

5. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are configured to allow independent updates to locale data contained therein.

6. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are dynamically updatable by a user.

7. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are organized by language families.

8. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments minimizes a number of segments that need to be searched.

9. The virtual national language support file of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are searchable using a dynamically modifiable search order.

10. A method for providing a virtual national language support file, comprising:

providing a plurality of national language support file segments, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments include a national language support base segment providing first locale data and at least one national language support segment for providing second locale data; and

logically binding the plurality of national language support file segments in a wrapper.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprises performing query searches using the national language support base segment first.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising configuring the national language support base segment to provide a majority of national language support data anticipated to be queried.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising performing independent updates to locale data contained in the plurality of national language support file segments.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising dynamically updating the plurality of national language support file segments.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising searching the plurality of national language support file segments in a manner that minimizes a number of segments that need to be searched.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising searching the plurality of national language support file segments using a dynamically modifiable search order.

17. A method for dynamically updating a virtual national language support file, comprising:

loading new national language support data on a device;

determining whether a user initiates an update to the virtual national language support file;

mapping new national language support data as a new primary language when a user initiates an update to the virtual national language support file; and

otherwise, determining whether application programming interfaces reflect locale data usage common to the new national language support data and searching for new national language support data matching the locale data usage.

18. The method of claim 17, where the searching comprises searching through all national language support segments in the virtual national language support file starting with a system reordered segment search.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising searching through all the national language support segments in a manner that minimizes a number of segments that need to be searched.

20. The method of claim 17, where the searching comprises searching through all national language support segments in the virtual national language support file starting with the base segment.