System for multilingual communication of computer-specified aural or visual control messages in an operator-designated language

• US 4,365,315 A
• Filed: 09/08/1980
• Issued: 12/21/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kearney & Trecker Corp. (Maxcor, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kearney & Trecker Corp. (Maxcor, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jamnik, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, James D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Jr., Archie E.
• Application Number:
  US06/185,240
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/419, 364/146, 364/147, 340/517, 340/691, 340/692, 340/735, 340/384 R, 340/384 E, 340/825.06, 340/825.15, 340/825.22, 340/825.23, 340/825.25, 179/1 SM
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35453 Voice announcement, oral, speech input
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35504 Multilingual communication, messages in different languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Multilingual computer-specified control messages are communicated to an operator in an operator-selected language by the combination of a message writer and a language changer. The language changer contains a set of message storage tables, each containing a set of control messages written in a particular language, and a set of message address tables, each message address table referencing a computer-generated message code indicative of a specific condition to a respective one of the control messages in an associated message location table. In accordance with an operator command indicative of a desired control message language, the language changer supplies the message writer with the corresponding message storage table and message address table. When the message writer is supplied with a computer-generated message code, it employs the message address table to translate the message code into a control message address and then transmits the control message located in the corresponding message storage table at the address obtained from the message address table to a visual display or to a voice synthesizer for communication to the operator.

Claims

1. A control system for communicating messages from a computer controlled system to an operator in an operator selected language which messages are indicative of the operation of said computer controlled system comprising;

data receiving means coupled to said computer controlled system for receiving message codes from said computer controlled system indicative of the particular message to be communicated to an operator to apprise the operator of a particular state of operation of the computer controlled system;

selector means responsive to operator commands for generating a language code indicative of an operator selected language in which messages indicative of computer controlled system operation are to be communicated to said operator;

language changer means coupled to said selector means for storing a plurality of message address tables, each containing a plurality of message codes and addresses for cross referencing a particular message code to a corresponding address identifying the storage location of a corresponding message written in a particular language and said language changer means extracting a one of said message address tables in accordance with said selector means language code for cross referencing message codes to the storage addresses of those messages written in the operator designated language;

message writer means coupled to said data receiving means and to said language changer means for storing a plurality of message storage tables, each containing a set of messages written in a particular language which are each stored at a unique address and for extracting from a particular one of said message storage tables the message stored at the address determined from said extracted one of said message address tables in accordance with the message code received from said computer controlled system; and

communication means for communicating said extracted message to said operator.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said language changer means comprises;

a memory for storing said plurality of message address tables; and

a processing unit responsive to the language code generated by said selector means in accordance with said operator designated language for extracting said one of said message address tables from said memory.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said language changer means comprises:

a memory for storing said plurality of message storage tables; and

processing means for extracting from said one of said message storage tables, the message stored at the address determined from said extracted one of said message address tables in accordance with said message code received from said computer controlled system.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said communication means visually communicates said messages to said operator.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said communications means includes a voice synthesizer for aurally communicating said messages to the operator.

6. A method for communicating a message from a computer controlled system to an operator in an operator designated language comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of message address tables each cross referencing a particular message code generated by the computer controlled system in response to a particular computer controlled system condition to the address of a stored message in an operator designated language which is indicative of this condition;

providing a plurality of message storage tables each containing a set of messages each in a particular language and each stored at a unique address;

extracting a selected one of said message address tables whose addresses represent the storage locations of messages in a language designated by an operator;

extracting a message from a particular one of said message storage tables which is located at the address determined from said selected message address table in accordance with the message code from said computer controlled system; and

communicating said extracted message to the operator.