DYNAMIC SCREENTIP LANGUAGE TRANSLATION

• US 20100318743A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barnes, Paul, Mowatt, David, Doyle, Robert Patrick, McQuaid, Andre Michael, Whelan, John Patrick, Lane, John Gerard, Fitzpatrick, Colin, Farrell, Terry, McHugh, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

When a user interface cursor hovers over a user interface item, a determination is made as to whether the user interface item has an associated screentip. If the user interface item has an associated screentip, text associated with the screentip is identified, a translated text string is located for the text string, and the translated text string is displayed in the screentip. If the user interface item does not have an associated screentip, a determination is made as to whether the user interface item contains a text string. If so, a determination is made as to whether a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text in the user interface item. If so, the translated text string is displayed in a screentip for the user interface item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically translating a text string associated with a user interface item, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

detecting a user interface cursor hovering over a user interface item;

in response to detecting the user interface cursor hovering over the user interface item, determining whether the user interface item has an associated screentip; and

in response to determining that the user interface item has an associated screentip, identifying a text string associated with the screentip, locating a translated text string for the identified text string, and displaying the translated text string in the screentip.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the user interface item does not have an associated screentip, determining whether the user interface item contains a text string;

in response to determining that the user interface item contains a text string, determining whether a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item; and

in response to determining that a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item, displaying the translated text string in a screentip for the user interface item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein locating a translated text string for the identified text string comprises:

generating a hash value for the identified text string;

utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the identified text string in a first file; and

utilizing the unique identifier to locate the translated text string in a second file.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether multiple unique identifiers were located for the hash value in the first file; and

in response to determining that multiple unique identifiers were located for the hash value, utilizing metadata stored in the first file to select one of the multiple unique identifiers for use in locating the translated text string in the second file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising identifying an application that generated the identified text string and loading a second file corresponding to the identified application and a target language for translation of the identified text string.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the identified text string is a compound text string and wherein locating a translated text string for the identified text string comprises:

searching a cache for the compound text string;

in response to locating the compound text string in the cache, retrieving two or more component text strings of the compound text string from the cache and, for each of the component text strings, generating a hash value for the component text string, utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the component text string in the first file, and utilizing the unique identifier to locate a translated text string for the component text string in the second file; and

concatenating the translated text strings for the component text strings to form a translated compound string.

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

setting a timer having a first duration;

determining at an expiration of the timer whether a translation of a text string should be performed;

determining whether modality has been detected; and

in response to detecting modality, reducing the duration of the timer.

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

determining whether the modality has ceased; and

in response to determining that the modality has ceased, restoring the duration of the timer to the first duration.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

detect a user interface cursor hovering over a user interface item;

in response to detecting the user interface cursor hovering over the user interface item, to determine whether the user interface item has an associated screentip;

in response to determining that the user interface item has an associated screentip, to identify a text string associated with the screentip, to locate a translated text string for the identified text string, and to display the translated text string in the screentip;

in response to determining that the user interface item does not have an associated screentip, to determine whether the user interface item contains a text string;

in response to determining that the user interface item contains a text string, to determine whether a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item; and

in response to determining that a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item, to display the translated text string in a screentip for the user interface item.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises a first file and a second file, and wherein locating a translated text string for the identified text string comprises:

generating a hash value for the identified text string;

utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the identified text string in the first file; and

utilizing the unique identifier to locate the translated text string in the second file.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

determine whether multiple unique identifiers were located for the hash value in the first file; and

in response to determining that multiple unique identifiers were located for the hash value, to utilize metadata stored in the first file and runtime metadata to select one of the multiple unique identifiers for use in locating the translated text string in the second file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first file comprises a source language index file and wherein the unique identifiers for the user interface item are stored together in the first file.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second file comprises a target language string file and wherein the unique identifiers for the user interface item are stored together in the second file.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to identify an application that generated the identified text string and to load a second file into a memory of the computer corresponding to the identified application and a target language for translation of the identified text string.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the identified text string is a compound text string and wherein locating a translated text string for the identified text string comprises:

searching a cache for the compound text string;

in response to locating the compound text string in the cache, retrieving two or more component text strings of the compound text string from the cache and, for each of the component text strings, generating a hash value for the component text string, utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the component text string in the first file, and utilizing the unique identifier to locate a translated text string for the component text string in the second file; and

concatenating the translated text strings for the component text strings to form a translated compound string.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

set a timer having a first duration;

determine at an expiration of the timer whether a translation of a text string should be performed;

determine whether modality has been detected; and

in response to detecting modality, to reduce the duration of the timer.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

determine whether the modality has ceased; and

in response to determining that the modality has ceased, to restore the duration of the timer to the first duration.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to:

detect a user interface cursor hovering over a user interface item;

in response to detecting the user interface cursor hovering over the user interface item, to determine whether the user interface item has an associated screentip;

in response to determining that the user interface item has an associated screentip (204A), to identify a text string associated with the screentip, to locate a translated text string for the identified text string by generating a hash value for the identified text string, utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the identified text string in a first file, and utilizing the unique identifier to locate the translated text string in a second file, and to display the translated text string in the screentip;

in response to determining that the user interface item does not have an associated screentip, to determine whether the user interface item contains a text string;

in response to determining that the user interface item contains a text string, to determine whether a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item by generating a hash value for the text string, utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the text string in the first file, and utilizing the unique identifier to locate the translated text string in the second file; and

in response to determining that a translated text string is available that corresponds to the text string contained in the user interface item, to display the translated text string in a screentip for the user interface item.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the identified text string is a compound text string and wherein locating a translated text string for the identified text string comprises:

searching a cache for the compound text string;

in response to locating the compound text string in the cache, retrieving two or more component text strings of the compound text string from the cache and, for each of the component text strings, generating a hash value for the component text string, utilizing the hash value to locate a unique identifier corresponding to the component text string in the first file, and utilizing the unique identifier to locate a translated text string for the component text string in the second file; and

concatenating the translated text strings for the component text strings to form a translated compound string.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, will cause the computer to:

set a timer having a first duration;

determine at an expiration of the timer whether a translation of a text string should be performed;

determine whether modality has been detected;

in response to detecting modality, to reduce the duration of the timer;

determine whether the modality has ceased; and

in response to determining that the modality has ceased, to restore the duration of the timer to the first duration.