Systems, methods and computer program products for automatically translating web pages

• US 6,119,078 A
• Filed: 10/13/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikura, Jun, Kobayakawa, Takashi, Tazoe, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDOUARD, PATRICK NESTOR
• Application Number:
  US08/949,257
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2-8, 704/9, 707/530, 707/536, 395/200.36, 709/206
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• 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 Web page in a first language can be translated into a second language by interpreting the URL used to request the Web page. A character string is located that is similar to at least a portion of the URL. A translating environment is linked to the located character string and automatically translates the Web page transmitted from the server. The translated Web page may be displayed in both the first and second languages.

Claims

1. A method of automatically translating a requested Web page from a first language to a second language, wherein the requested web page is stored within a server remotely located from a client requesting the Web page and wherein the requested Web page is configured to be displayed in a first language by the requesting client, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for the Web page from the client to the server via a communications network, wherein the Web page request comprises a universal resource locator that identifies a path to the Web page on the server, and wherein at least a portion of the universal resource locator is associated with a translating environment;

identifying a translating environment associated with the transmitted universal resource locator;

selecting the identified translating environment from a plurality of translating environments; and

translating the requested Web page from the first language to the second language using the selected translating environment prior to serving the requested Web page to the requesting client.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with the translating environment comprises at least one character string.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying on a client display screen the requested Web page in the second language.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of displaying on the client display screen the requested Web page in both the first and second languages.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the universal resource locator comprises the step of locating a stored character string similar to the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with a translating environment.

6. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of selecting the identified translating environment comprises the step of selecting a translating environment linked to the stored character string.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a second translating environment;

translating the requested Web page from the second language to a third language using the second translating environment; and

displaying the requested Web page on the client display screen in the third language.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of establishing a link between the transmitted universal resource locator and the selected third translating environment.

9. A data processing system for automatically translating a requested Web page from a first language to a second language, wherein the requested web page is stored within a server remotely located from a client requesting the Web page and wherein the Web page is configured to be displayed in a first language by the requesting client, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for the Web page from the client to the server via a communications network, wherein the Web page request comprises a universal resource locator that identifies a path to the Web page on the server, and wherein at least a portion of the universal resource locator is associated with a translating environment;

means for identifying a translating environment associated with the transmitted universal resource locator;

means for selecting the identified translating environment from a plurality of translating environments; and

means for translating the requested Web page from the first language to the second language using the selected translating environment prior to serving the requested Web page to the requesting client.

10. A data processing system according to claim 9 wherein the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with the translating environment comprises at least one character string.

11. A data processing system according to claim 9 further comprising means for displaying on a client display screen the requested Web page in the second language.

12. A data processing system according to claim 11 further comprising means for displaying on the client display screen the requested Web page in both the first and second languages.

13. A data processing system according to claim 9 wherein the means for identifying the universal resource locator comprises means for locating a stored character string similar to the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with a translating environment.

14. A data processing system according to claim 13 wherein the means for selecting the identified translating environment comprises means for selecting a translating environment linked to the stored character string.

15. A data processing system according to claim 9 further comprising:

means for selecting a second translating environment;

means, responsive to the selecting means, for translating the requested Web page from the second language to a third language using the second translating environment; and

means for displaying the requested Web page on the client display screen in the third language.

16. A data processing system according to claim 15 further comprising means for establishing a link between the transmitted universal resource locator and the selected third translating environment.

17. A computer program product for automatically translating a requested Web page from a first language to a second language, wherein the requested web page is stored within a server remotely located from a client requesting the Web page and wherein the Web page is configured to be displayed in a first language by the requesting client, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for transmitting a request for the Web page from the client to the server via a communications network, wherein the Web page request comprises a universal resource locator that identifies a path to the Web page on the server, and wherein at least a portion of the universal resource locator is associated with a translating environment;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for identifying a translating environment associated with the transmitted universal resource locator;

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for selecting the identified translating environment from a plurality of translating environments; and

computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for translating the requested Web page from the first language to the second language using the selected translating environment prior to serving the requested Web page to the requesting client.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with the translating environment comprises at least one character string.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for displaying on a client display screen the requested Web page in the second language.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17 further comprising computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for displaying on the client display screen the requested Web page in both the first and second languages.

21. A computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for identifying the universal resource locator comprises computer readable program code means for locating a stored character string similar to the at least one portion of the universal resource locator associated with a translating environment.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21 wherein the computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for selecting the identified translating environment comprises computer readable program code means for selecting a translating environment linked to the stored character string.

23. A computer program product according to claim 21 further comprising:

computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for selecting a second translating environment;

computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, responsive to the selecting means, for translating the requested Web page from the second language to a third language using the second translating environment; and

computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for displaying the requested Web page on the client display screen in the third language.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23 further comprising computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for establishing a link between the transmitted universal resource locator and the selected third translating environment.