System for parallel foreign language communication over a computer network

• US 5,966,685 A
• Filed: 11/08/1996
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jensen, Philip, Flanagan, Mary A., Trevor, Alexander B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/745,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2, 704/3, 704/4, 704/5, 704/6, 704/7, 704/8, 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 379/88.22, 707/536
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/45 Example-based machine translation; Alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation

Abstract

A system is disclosed which allows for an electronic discussion group user to communicate with another user who speaks a different language. Machine translators and other software are incorporated to translate messages, thereby creating parallel discussion groups in different languages.

Claims

1. A system for electronic communication between users of different languages, comprising:

a first electronic discussion group structure adapted to display messages in a first language;

a second discussion group structure adapted to display messages in a second language;

means for posting a message on said first discussion group structure, said message in said first language;

means for submitting said message to a first batch process adapted to translate said message into said second language;

means for posting said message into said second discussion group in said second language;

means for posting a reply to said message on to said second discussion group structure, said reply in said second language;

means for submitting said reply to a second batch process adapted to translate said reply to said first language; and

means for posting said reply in said first language onto said first discussion group structure.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for translating said message includes a data filter which preprocesses said message in said first language and post-processes said message in said second language.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said discussion group languages are comprised of an English version, a French version, and a German version.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said means for translating is adapted to translate English to French, French to English, English to German, and German to English.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second discussion groups are accessible by setting a language preference.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the step of preprocessing the inputted text for the purpose of identifying and marking words which are best left untranslated.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising the step of:

post-processing the inputted text for the purpose of rearrangement of the untranslated word into the target language.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of setting a language preference to access said first, second, or third discussion structure.

6. A method for electronic communication between users of different languages over a network electronic bulletin board system comprising the steps of:

(a) developing a plurality of parallel discussion groups for the storage and display of electronic information;

(b) receiving an input message from a user at one of said discussion groups;

(c) submitting the input message to a batch process adapted to translate the input message from its original language text to a target language text;

(e) collecting the translated input message from the batch process and posting said translated input message to a second discussion group adapted to display said target language.

9. A method of providing translated messages in a plurality of electronic discussion structures running on at least one computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

posting a first message from a first user onto a first electronic discussion structure, said first message appearing in a first language;

providing a machine translator in electronic communication with said network, said machine translator capable of receiving and batch processing a plurality of messages;

translating said first message, with said machine translator, into a second language;

posting said first message onto a second electronic discussion structure, said second message appearing in said second language;

posting a response to said first message onto said second electronic discussion structure, said response appearing in said second language;

translating said response into said first language;

posting said response in said first language onto said first electronic discussion structure;

posting a third message onto a third electronic discussion structure, said third message appearing in a third language;

translating said third message into said first language;

posting said third message in said first language onto said first electronic discussion structure;

translating said third message into said second language; and

posting said third message in said second language onto said second electronic discussion structure.

11. A method for electronic communication between users of different languages over a network electronic bulletin board system comprising the steps of:

selecting a first one of a plurality of languages;

transmitting a message in a second one of said plurality of languages to said electronic bulletin board system;

translating said message at said electronic bulletin board system from said second one of said plurality of languages to said first one of said plurality of languages, said translation performed by a machine translator capable of receiving and batch processing, a plurality of messages; and

displaying said translated message to a user selecting said first one of said plurality of languages.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a third one of said plurality of languages;

translating said message at said electronic bulletin board system from said second one of said plurality of languages to said third one of said plurality of languages, said translation performed by said machine translator capable of receiving and batch processing a plurality of messages; and

displaying said translated message to a user selecting said third one of said plurality of languages.