Method of using a created international language as an intermediate pathway in translation between two national languages

• US 4,864,503 A
• Filed: 02/05/1987
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intek International Food Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Toltran, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tolin, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Eddie P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US07/010,989
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/419, 434/157
• US Class Current: 704/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/268 Morphological analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation

Abstract

A method of using a created international language as an intermediate pathway in translation between two national languages, wherein the first language is translated into the created international language, the latter serving as a bridge, which is then translated into the second language. In the present method there are interpretive steps rather than a strict word for word translation, without interpretation, which has proven falacious in the past.

Claims

1. A universal machine method implemented on a data processing device utilizing a data base for performing interpretations between any one of a plurality of first national source languages and into any one of a plurality of second national target languages comprising:

a first step of storing a source text in said any one first national language in an electronic storage means as a first text file;

said first step including a first substep that parses said source text into individual sentences, with each sentence in its own separate subfile;

a second step of interpreting said sentences into a created internationally universal language which serves as an intermediate pathway, as the word making up said sentences are translated into the created internationally universal language, they are entered into individual files consisting of the word plus a grammatical syntax tag, such tag consisting of a designation of the word'"'"'s grammatical posture, i.e., noun, pronoun, verb, adverb . . . etc., and

a third step of interpreting said tagged words from said created internationally universal language into any one of said second natural national target languages;

said interpretation steps being totally reversible within said intermediate pathway of said universal international language, there being no requirement of reworking of said intermediate pathway language to accommodate changes in source or target languages.

2. A machine method of performing reversible interpretations according to claim 1 wherein the selection of the grammatical tag is based upon the syntax relationship of the tagged word with the words positioned before or after the tag word and, an artificial intelligence is provided in said data base and capable of being consulted to utilize data source means for determination of said grammatical tag based on usage within said sentences.

3. A machine method of performing reversible interpretations according to claim 2 wherein the interpretation into said target language is subjected to a plurality of secondary programs in said data base to analyze and adjust said words within said sentences based on their grammatical tags.

4. A method of performing reversible interpretations according to claim 3 wherein said interpreted and adjusted sentences are subjected to declination of adjectives according to construction rules of the target language and based upon prepositions encountered in the phrase being subjected to examination and the position of the following noun, based on context recognition in said data storage.

5. A method of performing reversible interpretations according to claim 4 wherein said interpreted sentences, as previously adjusted, are subjected to an adverb and verb program, said adverbs, if any, being shifted around verbs according to the common preference in the target language, said verbs being conjugated in accordance with the unique conjugations of the target language morphology, the created internationally universal language having saved time and memory space by regularizing the verbs in initial translation, thereby eliminating the requirement for an unusually high number of irregular verbs in the first national language being matched to an excess number of irregular verbs in the target national language.

6. A method of performing reversible interpretations according to claim 5 wherein the interpretations of the words in each sentence into the target national language are collected and then recomposed line by line into a document in the target national language;

and the grammatical tags are then removed.

7. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 1 wherein said created internationally universal intermediate pathway language is chosen from a list consisting of at least:

Esperanto, Inter Lingua, Modified Esperanto, Volupuk, or any alphabetic, numeric, alphanumeric, symbolic or combination thereof that is related to a compressed vocabulary and syntax but with a simplified and regular grammar.

8. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 1 wherein all irregular verbs in the first national language are transformed into regular verb endings within said created internationally universal language.

9. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 8 wherein all created internationally universal language words are translated into the target language except for verbs.

10. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 9 wherein the remaining words, namely verbs, are translated into the target natural language with artificial endings which makes them regular.

11. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 1 wherein each said text subfile is provided with a flag adapted to assist in keeping track of which subfile is being worked on and said flags of the subfiles are checked to determine whether there are further sentences to be worked upon.

12. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 11 wherein if all sentences have been worked upon and translated the translated sentences in the target language are collected and the source text is recomposed into sentences in the target second national language.

13. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 12 wherein the national target language translation is displayed on-screen to permit final manual editing prior to printing.

14. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 13 wherein a printed copy of the translation may be provided after said final editing, if any.

15. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 1 wherein the selection of the grammatical tag is based upon the relationship of the tagged word with the words before or after, and artificial intelligence is provided and consulted to utilize data source means for determination of said grammatical tag based on usage.

16. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 10 wherein the translation into said target natural language is subjected to a plurality of secondary programs in said data base to analyze and adjust said words within the sentences based on their grammatical tags.

17. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 16 wherein said translated and adjusted sentences are subjected to declination of adjectives according to construction rules of the target language and based upon prepositions encountered in the phrase being subjected to examination and the position of the following noun, based on context recognition in said data base storage.

18. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 17 wherein said translated sentences, as previously adjusted, are subjected to an adverb and verb program, said adverbs, if any, are shifted around verbs according to the common preference in the target language, said verbs being conjugated in accordance with unique conjugations of the target language, the created internationally universal language having saved time and memory space by regularizing the verbs in initial translation, thereby eliminating the requirement for an unusually high number of irregular verbs in the first national language being matched to an excess number of irregular verbs in the target national language.

19. A machine method of performing translations according to claim 18 wherein the translations of each sentence into the target language is collected in a single file and then recomposed line by line into a document in the target national language.

20. A device for reversible translation of one national language into a second national language, including a keyboard for input of source text in said one national language, a computer to accept said input, interpretive dictionary data base means including data on said one national language and data on said second national language as well as data on a created internationally universal intermediate pathway language, means for directing said source text input into a single file, means for parsing each sentence of said text into independent files and applying a syntax identifier to each said sentence, means for translating said one national language into said intermediate pathway of said created internationally universal language and translating from said internationally universal language into said second national language, means for collecting the translated sentences in the second national language in a single file and subsequently recomposing said last mentioned translated sentences, if needed, into a completely translated document, and means for providing output of at least visually displayed copies of said translated text.

21. A device of the type contemplated in claim 20 wherein said computer includes syntax data means for recomposing said translated text to accommodate irregular verbs, proper placement of adverbs and pronouns in accordance with accepted grammatical practice in the second national language.

22. A device of the type contemplated in claim 20 wherein said copy of the initial source language text as well as the translated target language text may be printed into a hard copy.

23. A universal language interpretive data processing device including means for accepting a string of words in normal succession in a first natural language, means for separating individual words that have but one meaning and immediately interpreting such words into an internationally universal manmade intermediate language, separating the remaining words and subjecting them individually to syntax means for carrying out a relational examination relative to their disposition and association with other words in said string to establish each of their categories, i.e., noun, verb, adjective, adverb . . . etc., and then to interpret them in proper context to said intermediate language, reversible operational means for then carrying out the interpretation from said intermediate language to one of several natural target languages, said operation being totally reversible, whereby said device is capable of carrying out an interpretation from any one of said several target languages to said first natural language as well as to or from any of the other target languages without reworking of said intermediate internationally universal language pathway to accommodate changes in source or target languages of said interpretive device.

24. A universal machine method adapted to be implemented on a data processing device utilizing a data base for performing reversible translations of selected input text between any one of a plurality of first national source languages into any one of a plurality of second national target languages, including:

a first step of storing a first source text in any one of a plurality of national languages in a storage means as a first source text file;

a second step of translating said first source national text file into a created internationally universal intermediate language which serves as a totally reversible intermediate pathway, and storing said translation into said internationally universal intermediate language in a second text file; and

a reversible third step of translating said second text file from said created internationally universal language into any one of said plurality of second national target languages,

said reversible translations capable of being carried out without reworking said intermediate pathway of said created internationally universal language with each new source or target language,

thus the translation is totally reversible and can go from language A to language B, as well as from language B to A with equal facility.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the first source text is parsed into sentences with a file being assigned to each sentence, there being no limitation as to the length or complexity of any sentence so parsed, whereby complete fluidity in translation is accomplished.

26. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the translation process is reversible between any number of said plurality of languages with equal facility.

27. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein a data base is provided with which data base said intermediate internationally universal language works readily to determine from the context and position of words within the source text the grammatical identification of each word in said text for further use in translation into any one of said plurality of national target languages.

28. A universal method of performing reversible interpretations between any one of a plurality of first national source languages and into any one of a plurality of second national target languages including:

a first step of storing a source text in said any one first national language in a storage means as first text file;

said first step including a first substep that parses said source text into individual sentences, with each sentence in its own separate subfile;

a second step of interpreting said sentences into a created internationally universal language which serves as an intermediate pathway, as the words making up said sentences are translated into the created internationally universal language, they are entered into individual files consisting of the word plus a grammatical tag, such tag consisting of a designation of the word'"'"'s grammatical posture, i.e., noun, pronoun, verb, adverb . . . etc.,

the selection and designation of said grammatical tag being based upon the syntax relationship of the tagged words with the words positioned before or after the tagged word, and artificial intelligence is provided and capable of being consulted to utilize data source means for determination of said grammatical tag based on usage within said parsed sentences,

a third step of interpreting said tagged words from said created internationally universal language into any one of said second national target languages;

said interpretation into said any one of said target languages is subjected to a plurality of secondary programs to analyze and adjust said words within said target language sentences based on their grammatical tags;

said interpreted and adjusted sentences being further subjected to declination of adjectives according to construction rules of the said any one target national language and based upon prepositions encountered in the phrase or sentence being subjected to examination and the position of the following noun, based on context recognition in data storage;

said interpretation steps including said analyzing and adjusting being totally reversible within said intermediate pathway of said internationally universal language, there being no requirement of reworking said intermediate pathway to accommodate any changes in source national language as well as target national languages.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein said interpreted phrases or sentences, as previously analyzed and adjusted, being still further subjected to an adverb and verb program, said adverbs, if any, being shifted around verbs according to the common preference in the target language, said verbs being conjugated in accordance with the unique conjugations of the target language morphology, the created internationally universal language having saved time and computer memory space by regularizing the verbs in initial translation, thereby eliminating the requirement for an unusually high number of irregular verbs in said first national source language being matched to an excess number of irregular verbs in the target national language.