Electronic interpreter utilizing linked sets of sentences

• US 5,854,997 A
• Filed: 09/07/1995
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Tetsuya, Kaneko, Yoshiyuki, Yamaguchi, Muneaki, Sukeda, Hiroko, Tsukada, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/524,836
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 395/752, 395/753, 395/754, 361/681, 361/682, 361/683, 361/686, 364/710.11, 364/710.14, 345/1, 345/171, 345/173, 704/2, 704/3, 704/4, 704/7, 707/536
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/45 Example-based machine translation; Alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/47 Machine-assisted translation, e.g. using translation memory

Abstract

An electronic interpreter for interpreting sentences between a first person and a second person. The electronic interpreter includes a memory for storing sentence data in a data structure having a plurality of sets of sentences including translations of the sentences, wherein each sentence of each set of sentences is linked to another of the sets of sentences, and a data processing unit. The data processing unit retrieves a set of sentences from the memory in response to a keyword input from the first person using an input device, displays the set of sentences on a display, selects a sentence from the set of sentences in response to an input from the first person using the input device, displays a translation of the selected sentence on the display along with another set of sentences linked to the selected sentence, selects a sentence from the another set of sentences in response to an input from the second person using the input device, displays a translation of said selected sentence on the display along with another set of sentences linked to the selected sentence, and repeats all of the previous operations continually until a keyword has been input from the first person using the input device.

Claims

1. An electronic interpreter for interpreting sentences between a first person and a second person, comprising:

a memory for storing sentence data in a data structure having a plurality of sets of sentences including translations of said sentences, wherein each sentence of each set of sentences is linked to another of said sets of sentences; and

a data processing unit for;

(a) retrieving a set of sentences from said memory in response to a keyword input from said first person using an input device,

(b) displaying said retrieved set of sentences on a display,

(c) selecting a sentence from said displayed set of sentences in response to an input from said first person using said input device,

(d) displaying a translation of said selected sentence on said display along with another set of sentences linked to the selected sentence,

(e) selecting another sentence from said another set of sentences in response to an input from said second person using said input device,

(f) displaying a translation of said another selected sentence on said display along with yet another set of sentences linked to said another selected sentence, and

(g) repeating steps (c)-(f) until a keyword has been input from said first person using said input device.

2. An electronic interpreter according to claim 1, wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display;

and

wherein said input device comprises a touch sensing panel bonded to said liquid crystal display.

3. An electronic interpreter according to claim 1, wherein said input device comprises:

means for entering, from either of said first and second persons, hand-written characters or illustrations and displaying said hand-written characters or illustrations on said display.

4. An electronic interpreter according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sets of sentences includes a plurality of sets of first sentences and a plurality of sets of second sentences, and

wherein said set of sentences retrieved from said memory in response to a key word input from said first person is a set of first sentences, said another set of sentences is a set of second sentences and said another set of sentences is a set of first sentences.

5. An electronic interpreter according to claim 4, wherein said sets of first sentences are written in a first language and said sets of second sentences are written in a second language.

6. An electronic interpreter according to claim 5, wherein said sets of second sentences are sets of answer sentences in response to said first sentences to which said sets of second sentences are linked.

7. An electronic interpreter according to claim 5, wherein said display includes at least two display areas;

wherein said set of first sentences is displayed in a first display area and said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed in a second display area; and

wherein said set of second sentences is displayed in said second display area and said translation of a selected second sentence is displayed in said first display area.

8. An electronic interpreter according to claim 7, wherein said electronic interpreter is constructed in the form of a book which can be folded and closed when not used and unfolded and opened when used;

and

wherein said first display area is provided on the inside surface of one side of said book and said second display area is provided on the inside surface of the other side of said book.

9. An electronic interpreter according to claim 5, wherein, when said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed, an audio output corresponding to said translation is output by an output device;

and

wherein, when said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed, an audio output corresponding to said translation is output by said output device.

10. An electronic interpreter according to claim 5, wherein said first and second languages are different languages.

11. An electronic interpreter according to claim 5, wherein said first and second languages are the same language.

12. An electronic interpreter according to claim 4, wherein said sets of second sentences are sets of answer sentences in response to said first sentences to which said sets of second sentences are linked.

13. An electronic interpreter according to claim 4, wherein said display includes at least two display areas;

wherein said set of first sentences is displayed in a first display area and said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed in a second display area; and

wherein said set of second sentences is displayed in said second display area and said translation of a selected second sentence is displayed in said first display area.

14. An electronic interpreter according to claim 13, wherein said electronic interpreter is constructed in the form of a book which can be folded and closed when not used and unfolded and opened when used;

and

wherein said first display area is provided on the inside surface of one side of said book and said second display area is provided on the inside surface of the other side of said book.

15. An electronic interpreter according to claim 4, wherein, when said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed, an audio output corresponding to said translation is output by an output device;

and

wherein, when said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed, an audio output corresponding to said translation is output by said output device.

16. A method of interpreting sentences between a first person and a second person, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing sentence data in a data structure having a plurality of sets of sentences including translations of said sentences, wherein each sentence of each set of sentences is linked to another of said sets of sentences;

(b) retrieving a set of sentences from said memory in response to a keyword input from said first person;

(c) displaying said set of sentences on a display;

(d) selecting a sentence from said set of sentences in response to an input from said first person;

(e) displaying a translation of said selected sentence on said display along with another set of sentences linked to the selected sentence;

(f) selecting a sentence from said another set of sentences in response to an input from said second person;

(g) displaying a translation of said selected sentence on said display along with a another set of sentences linked to said selected sentence; and

(h) repeating steps (d)-(g) until a keyword has been input from said first person.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display;

and

wherein inputs from said first and second persons is provided by a touch sensing panel bonded to said liquid crystal display.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said input device comprises:

means for entering, from either of said first and second persons, hand-written characters or illustrations and displaying said hand-written characters or illustrations on said display.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of sets of sentences includes a plurality of sets of first sentences and a plurality of sets of second sentences, and

wherein said set of sentences retrieved from said memory in response to a key word input from said first person is a set of first sentences, said another set of sentences is a set of second sentences and said another set of sentences is a set of first sentences.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said sets of second sentences are sets of answer sentences to first sentences to which said sets of second sentences are linked.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein said display includes at least two display areas;

wherein said set of first sentences is displayed in a first display area and said translation of said selected first sentence is displayed in a second display area; and

wherein said set of second sentences is displayed in said second display area and said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed in said first display area.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said steps are performed by an electronic interpreter which is constructed in the form of a book which can be folded and closed when not used and unfolded and opened when used;

and

wherein said first display area is provided on the inside surface of one side of said book and said second display area is provided on the inside surface of the other side of said book.

23. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

when said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed, outputting an audio output corresponding to said translation by an output device; and

when said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed, outputting an audio output corresponding to said translation by said output device.

24. A method according to claim 16, wherein said sets of first sentences are written in a first language and said sets of second sentences are written in a second language.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said sets of second sentences are sets of answer sentences to first sentences to which said sets of second sentences are linked.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein said display includes at least two display areas;

wherein said set of first sentences is displayed in a first display area and said translation of said selected first sentence is displayed in a second display area; and

wherein said set of second sentences is displayed in said second display area and said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed in said first display area.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said steps are performed by an electronic interpreter which is constructed in the form of a book which can be folded and closed when not used and unfolded and opened when used;

and

wherein said first display area is provided on the inside surface of one side of said book and said second display area is provided on the inside surface of the other side of said book.

28. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

when said translation of a selected first sentence is displayed, outputting an audio output corresponding to said translation by an output device; and

when said translation of said selected second sentence is displayed, outputting an audio output corresponding to said translation by said output device.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein said first and second languages are different languages.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein said first and second languages are the same language.