Data processing system providing user interaction in multiple natural languages

• US 5,428,772 A
• Filed: 10/01/1991
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation, PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: Prime Computer, Inc. (DR Holdings, Inc. of Delaware)
• Inventors: Merz, Lauren
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US07/770,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419, 364/919.01, 395/500, 395/145, 395/700, 395/575, 395/600, 395/650
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A data processing system providing user interaction in multiple natural languages, including a processor for executing application programs and a memory for storing message files corresponding to the application program in at least one natural language and a link table for storing links between the application program and corresponding message files, wherein a link for an application program stores a natural language and a pointer to its message file, wherein the operating system for the processor establishes links when a message file is loaded into memory. The data processing system nests language information for nested application programs. A fall-back mechanism is used to provide a default language when a language desired by a user is not available or when nested languages are not available. The system may send and receive messages in multiple natural languages for multiple users using different application programs simultaneously in a manner transparent to the user and the application programmer with the assistance of the operating system involvement in establishing links, using default languages and nesting language information.

Claims

1. A data processing system providing interaction in multiple natural languages between a user and application programs, wherein an application program requests one of a plurality of messages specific to the application program to be output to the user, comprising:

a processor for executing the application programs;

a memory connected to the processor and for storing the application programs and data, the data in the memory including;

a plurality of message files, each message file being stored in a location in the memory and including the plurality of messages for one of the application programs in one natural language, different message files being provided for different application programs and different natural languages;

a link table for maintaining a plurality of links between the application program and the message files, wherein a link includes values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and the location in the memory of a message file associated with the application program and the natural language;

an indication of a current interaction language; and

an indication of a default language; and

the processor further including;

means, operative in response to a request from one of the application programs for a message specific to the application program to be output to the user, for selecting a natural language from the current interaction language and the default language; and

means, responsive to the selection of the natural language, for retrieving the requested message specific to the application program from the message file, including means for searching the link table to find the link indicative of the location in the memory of the message file referenced by the application program and the selected natural language, means for accessing the message file indicated by the link, and

means for obtaining the requested message specific to the application program from the message file.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means, external to the application programs, for outputting the message obtained from the message file to the user.

3. A data processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor may nest application programs, and further including:

means for storing language information for nested application programs; and

means responsive to an invoking of another application program by the application program for saving the stored current interaction language in the means for storing nested language information, and for setting the current interaction language to a desired interaction language.

4. A data processing system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the processor is controlled by an operating system which operates in response to instructions in the application program, and further including:

means for loading the message file for the desired interaction language for the invoked application program into the memory; and

in the operating system, means for establishing a link in the link table responsive to the means for loading a message file.

5. A data processing system as set forth in claim 4, further including means for selecting the desired interaction language from the current interaction language and a default interaction language.

6. A data processing system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said command to invoke another application program includes an intended interaction language; and

said means for selecting the desired interaction language further selects from the intended interaction language.

7. A data processing system as set forth in claim 6, further including:

means responsive to a termination of the invoked application program for setting the current interaction language to a previous interaction language from the means for storing nested language information; and

means for removing the previous interaction language from the means for storing nested language information.

8. A data processing system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a stack.

9. A data processing system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a linked list.

10. A data processing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for selecting a natural language is responsive to a command by a user to invoke an application program using a desired interaction language for setting the current interaction language to the desired interaction language if a message file containing messages in the desired interaction language is available and for setting the current interaction language to a default interaction language if the desired interaction language is not available.

11. A data processing system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the processor is controlled by an operating system which operates in response to instructions in the application program, and further including:

means for loading the message file for the selected natural language for the invoked application program into the memory; and

in the operating system, means for establishing a link in the link table responsive to the means for loading a message file.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the value indicative of an application program in the link table is a location of the application program in the memory.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for retrieving a message from the message file includes means, within the operating system and responsive to a current application program outputting an output value, for identifying the current application program, and for searching the link table for a link indicative of the current application program.

14. A data processing system providing interaction between a user and application programs in multiple natural languages, wherein an application program requests one of a plurality of messages specific to the application program to be output to the user, comprising:

a processor for executing an operating system and the application programs;

a nonvolatile storage device coupled to the processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor, for storing the application programs and data, the data in the memory including;

at least one message file associated with an application program, each message file having a location in the memory and containing messages specific to the application program in one natural language;

a link table for maintaining a plurality of links between a plurality of application programs and a plurality of message files, each link including values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and a pointer to the location in the memory of a message file;

the processor further including;

means for loading a message file for the application program from the nonvolatile storage device into the memory;

in the operating system, means, operative in response to the loading of a message file, for establishing a link in the link table between the application program, the pointer to the location in the memory of the message file, and the natural language of messages in the message file; and

in the operating system, means, operative in response to a request for a message by the application program, for accessing the link for the application program and the natural language, for locating the message file indicated by the link, for retrieving a message specific to the application program from the message file, and for outputting the message retrieved from the message file to the user.

15. A data processing system as set forth in claim 14, further including:

means responsive to a command for instructing the processor to execute the application program;

means for selecting an interaction language; and

wherein said means for loading a message file, responsive to the means for instructing, loads the corresponding message file for the selected interaction language.

16. A data processing system as set forth in claim 15, further including means for storing a default language and wherein the command for instructing the processor includes an intended interaction language, and the means for selecting an interaction language selects from the intended interaction language and the default interaction language.

17. A data processing system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the command for invoking the application program is issued by another application program, and further including:

means for storing a current interaction language;

means for storing nested language information; and

means responsive to the means for invoking the application program for setting the current interaction language to the selected interaction language and for saving a previous current interaction language in the means for storing nested language information.

18. A data processing system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the means for selecting the interaction language further selects from the previous current interaction language. further selects from the previous current interaction language.

19. A data processing system as set forth in claim 18, further comprising:

means responsive to a command by the application program to retrieve a message for selecting a natural language and for retrieving said message from the message file containing messages in the selected natural language.

20. A data processing system as set forth in claim 19, wherein said means for selecting a natural language selects from the current interaction language and the default language.

21. A data processing system as set forth in claim 20, further including:

means responsive to a termination of the application program for setting the current interaction language to the previous interaction language from the means for storing nested language information; and

means for removing the previous interaction language from the means for storing nested language information.

22. A data processing system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a stack.

23. A data processing system as set forth in claim 21 wherein the means for storing nested language information of a linked list.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the value indicative of an application program in the link table is a location of the application program in the memory.

25. A data processing system for providing interaction between a user and a plurality of nested application programs in a plurality of natural languages, comprising:

a processor for executing the nested application programs;

a memory for storing the nested application programs and data, the data including;

a nested language information table for maintaining a correspondence between at least one of the nested application programs and a natural language in which the at least one of the nested application programs is to interact with the user;

the processor including;

means, responsive to an execution by the processor of a first nested application program, for assigning a first value to a current interaction language identifier, the first value specifying a natural language in which the first nested application programs is to interact with the user;

means, responsive to the first nested application program invoking a second nested application program, for saving the value of the current interaction language identifier in the nested language information table, and for setting the value of the current interaction language identifier to a second value specifying a desired interaction language for the second nested application program; and

means for interacting between the first nested application program and the user in the natural language specified by the first value, responsive to the first nested application program being executed by the processor, and for interacting between the second nested application program and the user in the natural language specified by the second value, responsive to the second nested application program being executed by the processor.

26. A data processing system as set forth in claim 25, further including means for storing a default language, wherein the means for setting the value of the current interaction language identifier to a second value specifying a desired interaction language includes means for selecting the desired interaction language from the current interaction language and the default language.

27. A data processing system as set forth in claim 26, wherein:

said means for invoking a second nested application program includes an intended interaction language; and

said means for selecting the desired interaction language further selects from the intended interaction language.

28. A data processing system as set forth in claim 27, further including:

means responsive to a command by the application program to retrieve a message for selecting a natural language from the current interaction language and the default language and for retrieving said at least one message from the message file containing messages in the selected natural language.

29. A data processing system as set forth in claim 28, further including:

means responsive to a termination of said second nested application program for setting the current interaction language to the previous interaction language from the nested language information table; and

means for removing the previous interaction language from the nested language information table.

30. A data processing system as set forth in claim 29 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a stack.

31. A data processing system as set forth in claim 29 wherein the nested language information table is a linked list.

32. A computer-implemented method for providing user interaction in multiple natural languages, in a computer system having a processor for executing a plurality of application programs and a memory, coupled to the processor, for storing at least one message file, wherein a message file includes messages for one of the application programs and one natural language, different message files being provided for different application programs and different natural languages, the computer system further having a link table for maintaining a plurality of links between the application programs and the message files, wherein a link stores values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and a location of a message file associated with the application program and the natural language in the memory, the method comprising the processor, external to the application program, performing the steps of:

selecting a natural language responsive to a command to retrieve a message by the application program;

accessing the link table to find the location in the memory of the message file for the application program in the selected natural language;

finding the message file at the location indicated in the link table;

retrieving, said message from the message file containing messages in the selected natural language for the application program; and

outputting the retrieved message to the user.

33. A method as set forth in claim 32, further including the steps of:

storing a current interaction language; and

storing a default language, wherein said step of selecting a natural language includes selecting from the current interaction language and the default language.

34. A method as set forth in claim 32, further including the steps of:

storing a current interaction language;

storing nested language information; and

setting the current interaction language to a desired interaction language responsive to a command by the application program to invoke another application program, and

saving a previous current interaction language with the stored nested language information.

35. A method as set forth in claim 34 further including means for loading the message file for the current interaction language for the invoked application program into a memory;

and

establishing a link in the link table responsive to the step of for loading a message file.

36. A method as set forth in claim 35, further including the step of selecting the desired interaction language from the current interaction language and a default interaction language.

37. A method as set forth in claim 36 wherein the step of selecting the desired interaction language includes the step of loading the message file for the desired interaction language for the invoked application program into a memory;

and

further including the step of establishing a link in the link table after the step of loading the message file.

38. A method as set forth in claim 37, wherein:

said command to invoke another application program includes an intented interaction language; and

said step of selecting the desired interaction language further includes selecting from the intended interaction language.

39. A method as set forth in claim 38, further including the steps of:

setting the current interaction language responsive to a termination of the invoked application program to a previous interaction language from the stored nested language. information; and

removing the previous interaction language from the stored nested language information.

40. A method as set forth in claim 39 wherein the stored nested language information is stored in a stack.

41. A method as set forth in claim 39 wherein the nested language information is stored in a linked list.

42. A method as set forth in claim 41 or claim 40, further comprising:

storing a current interaction language; and

setting the current interaction language responsive to a command by a user to invoke an application program using a desired interaction language to the desired interaction language if a message file containing messages in the desired interaction language is available; and

setting the current interaction language to a default interaction language if the desired interaction language is not available.

43. A method as set forth in claim 42, further including the steps of:

loading the message file for the current interaction language for the invoked application program; and

establishing a link in the link table for the loaded message file and the current interaction language.

44. A computer-implemented method for providing user interaction in multiple natural languages, in a computer system having a processor for executing an application program and a memory for storing at least one message file corresponding to the application program, each message file containing messages in one natural language, the application program further having a link table for storing a plurality of links between a plurality of application programs and a plurality of message files, each link storing values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and a pointer to a location in the memory of a message file for the application program and the natural language the method comprising the processor performing, external to the application program, the steps of:

loading the message file for the application program from a storage device into the memory; and

establishing a link in the link table, operative in response to the loading of a message file, between the application program, the pointer to the message file, and the natural language of messages in the message file.

45. A method as set forth in claim 44, further including the steps of:

instructing a processor to execute the application program;

selecting an interaction language; and

wherein said step of loading a message file, instructing, includes loading the corresponding message file responsive to an instruction to the processor for the selected interaction language.

46. A method as set forth in claim 45, further including step of storing a default language and wherein the step of instructing the processor includes specifying an intended interaction language, and the means for selecting an interaction language selects from the intended interaction language and the default interaction language.

47. A method as set forth in claim 46, wherein the step of instructing the processor to execute the application program is issued by another application program, and further including the steps:

storing a current interaction language;

storing nested language information; and

setting the current interaction language to the selected interaction language; and

storing a previous current interaction language responsive to an invokation of the application program with stored nested language information.

48. A method as set forth in claim 47, wherein the step of selecting the interaction language includes further selecting from the previous current interaction language.

49. A method as set forth in claim 48, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a natural language responsive to a command by the application program to retrieve a message, and

retrieving said message from the message file containing messages in the selected natural language.

50. A method as set forth in claim 49, wherein said step of selecting a natural language includes selecting from the current interaction language and the default language.

51. A method as set forth in claim 50, further including the steps of:

setting the current interaction language to the previous interaction language from stored nested language information responsive to a termination of the application program; and

removing the previous interaction language from the stored nested language information.

52. A method as set forth in claim 51 wherein the stored nested language information is a stored stack.

53. A method as set forth in claim 51 wherein the nested language information is stored in a linked list.

54. A computer-implemented method for providing interaction between a user and a plurality of nested application programs in multiple natural languages, the method comprising a processor performing the steps of:

assigning a current interaction language;

saving nested language information for the nested application programs in a memory;

executing a first nested application program interactive with the user in the current interaction language;

setting the current interaction language to a desired interaction language responsive to a command by a first nested application program to invoke a second nested application program;

saving a previous current interaction language for the first application program with the stored nested language information in the memory; and

executing the second nested application program interactive with the user in the desired interaction language.

55. A method as set forth in claim 54, further including the step of storing a default language, and wherein the step of setting the current interaction language to a desired interaction language includes selecting the desired interaction language from the current interaction language and the default language.

56. A method as set forth in claim 55, wherein:

said command to invoke the second nested application program includes an intended interaction language; and

said step of selecting the desired interaction language further includes selecting from the intended interaction language.

57. A method as set forth in claim 56, further including:

selecting a natural language from the current interaction language and the default language responsive to a command by an application program to retrieve a message and

for retrieving said message from the message file containing messages in the selected natural language.

58. A method as set forth in claim 57, further including:

setting the current interaction language responsive to a termination of said second nested application program to the previous interaction language taken from the stored nested language information; and

removing the previous interaction language from the stored nested language information.

59. A method as set forth in claim 58 wherein the means for storing nested language information is stored in a stack.

60. A method as set forth in claim 58 wherein the nested language information is stored in a linked list.

61. A data processing system providing interaction in multiple natural languages between a user and application programs, wherein an application program requests one of a plurality of messages from the user, comprising:

a processor for executing the application programs;

a memory for storing the application programs and data, the data in the memory including;

a plurality of message files, each message file including messages for one application program and one natural language, different message files being provided for different application programs and different natural languages; and

a link table for storing a plurality of links between the application programs and the message files, wherein a link stores values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and a location of a message file associated with the application program and the natural language;

the processor including;

means, external to the application program, for retrieving a message from the message file, including means for searching the link table to find the link indicative of the location of the message file referenced by the application program and the selected natural language;

means, within the data processing system external to the application program, for determining whether the message and a user input match; and

means, operative in response to a determination that the message and the user input match, for providing the message to the application program.

62. A data processing system as set forth in claim 61, wherein each message file contains messages in only one natural language.

63. A data processing system as set forth in claim 61, wherein the processor may execute a plurality of nested application programs, and further including:

means for storing language information for the nested application programs; and

means, operative in response to the invoking of a second nested application program by a first nested application program, for saving a current interaction language in the means for storing nested language information, and for setting a new current interaction language to a desired interaction language.

64. A data processing system as set forth in claim 63, wherein the processor is controlled by an operating system which operates in response to instructions in the application program, and further including:

means for loading the message file for the desired interaction language and the second nested application program from a storage device into the memory; and

in the operating system, means for establishing a link in the link table responsive to the loading of a message file.

65. A data processing system as set forth in claim 64, further including means for selecting the desired interaction language from the current interaction language and a default interaction language.

66. A data processing system as set forth in claim 65, wherein:

said command to invoke the second nested application program includes specifying an intended interaction language; and

said means for selecting the desired interaction language further selects from the intended interaction language.

67. A data processing system as set forth in claim 66, further including:

means, operative in response to a termination of the second nested application program, for setting the current interaction language to a previous interaction language specified in the means for storing nested language information; and

means for removing the previous interaction language from the means for storing nested language information.

68. A data processing system as set forth in claim 67 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a stack.

69. A data processing system as set forth in claim 67 wherein the means for storing nested language information is a linked list.

70. A data processing system as set forth in claim 61, wherein said means for selecting a natural language is responsive to a command by a user to invoke an application program, using a desired interaction language for setting the current interaction language to the desired interaction language, if a message file containing messages in the desired interaction language is available, and for setting the current interaction language to a default interaction language, if the desired interaction language is not available.

71. A data processing system as set forth in claim 70, wherein the processor is controlled by an operating system which operates in response to instructions in an application program, and further including:

means for loading the message file for the selected natural language for the second nested application program from the storage device into the memory; and

in the operating system, means for establishing a link in the link table responsive to the loading of a message file.

72. A computer-implemented method for providing user interaction in multiple natural languages between a computer and a user, the computer having an application program, a selected natural language, and a memory for storing at least one message file, a message file containing messages for the application program and the selected natural language, different message files being provided for different application programs and different natural languages, the computer obtaining an input for the application program by performing the steps of:

locating the message file containing messages for the application program and the selected natural language;

accepting a user input;

comparing, external to the application program, the user input with the messages in the message file;

finding, external to the application program, a message in the message file that matches the user input; and

transferring the located message from the message file to the application program as the input for the application program.

73. A method as set forth in claim 72, wherein the computer comprises a link table for storing a plurality of links, each link comprising values indicative of an application program, a natural language, and a location in the memory of a message file for the application program and the natural language,

wherein said step of locating includes the step of searching the link table for the link for the application program and the selected natural language to obtain the value indicative of the location of the message file in the memory.

74. A method as set forth in claim 73, further including the steps of:

storing a current interaction language in the memory; and

storing a default language in the memory;

selecting between the current interaction language and the default language to obtain the selected natural language.

75. A method as set forth in claim 72, further including the steps of:

storing nested language information; and

setting the current interaction language to a desired interaction language in response to a command by the application program to invoke a second application program, and

saving a previous current interaction language with the stored nested language information.

76. A method as set forth in claim 75 further including

loading a message file containing messages for the second application program and the selected natural language, into the memory;

and

establishing a link in the link table in response to the loading of the message file.

77. A system for providing interaction in a plurality of natural languages between a plurality of users and a plurality of private application programs, the private application programs each supplying requests for messages, comprising:

a processor for executing the private application programs;

a memory, coupled to the processor, for storing the private application programs and data, the data in the memory including;

a plurality of message files, a message file including messages for one of the private application programs in one natural language;

a plurality of private link tables, a different private link table being provided for each user, each private link table including a plurality of links, wherein a link includes values indicative of a private application program, a natural language, and a location in the memory of the message file for the private application program and the natural language;

the processor further including;

means for selecting a natural language for each of the plurality of users on a per-user basis; and

means, external to the private application programs and responsive to a request for a message from a private application program invoked by a user, for finding the link in the private link table for the user, indicative of the requesting private application program and the selected natural language for the user, accessing the message file indicated by the found link, and obtaining a message from the message file.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein the processor further executes a plurality of shared application programs each supplying requests for messages,

the data in the memory further comprising:

a shared link table provided for all the plurality of users, the shared link table including a plurality of links between the shared application programs and message files in at least one natural language, each link including values indicative of a shared application program, a natural language, and a location in the memory of the message file for the shared application program and the natural language;

and the processor further comprising;

means, external to the private and shared application programs and responsive to a request for a message from one of the shared application programs, for finding the link in the shared link table indicative of the requesting shared application program and a selected natural language, accessing the message file indicated by the found link, and obtaining a message from the message file; and

means for transferring the obtained message from the message file to one of the shared application program and the user, responsive to the request for the message being for one of input and output, respectively.

79. The system of claim 77, further comprising:

a non-volatile storage device;

means, external to the private application programs, for loading a message file from the non-volatile storage device into the memory; and

means, operative in response to the loading of a message file, for establishing a link in the private link table indicative of a private application program and a selected natural language for a user.

80. The system of claim 77, further including:

in the memory, a nested language information table for maintaining a correspondence between at least one of the private application programs and a natural language in which the at least one of the private application programs is to interact with the user;

and the processor further including;

means for invoking a second private application program by a first private application program invoked by the user;

means, operative in response to invoking the second private application program, for saving a first selected language for the first private application program in the nested language information table; and

means for selecting a second natural language for interaction between the user and the second private application program.

81. The system of claim 80, further comprising means, in the processor, for resuming operation of the first private application program upon a completion of the second private application program, including means for retrieving the saved first selected language from the nested language information table.