Method, system and computer program product for automatically capturing language translation and sorting information in a text class

• US 6,411,948 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Hetherington, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/211,809
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 400/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

During composition of an ideograph which is entered into a text string in a data processing system by phonetic spelling on a typically data processing system keyboard, the keystrokes entered by the user are automatically captured and stored in a second field of a multi-field data packet into which the text string is being entered. The captured keystrokes thus provide a phonetic representation of the text string for users unfamiliar with the character set of the text string language. Intermediate representations, such as hiragana or katakana representations of a Japanese Kanji character, may also be automatically captured and stored in a third field within the multi-field data packet for other purposes. By switching the field displayed for the multi-field data packet containing the text string, a user may utilize the alternative representations to determine the correct meaning and pronunciation for the text string.

Claims

1. A method of capturing pronunciation information associated with a text string, comprising:

capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string;

storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet;

receiving the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string, wherein as each character is received, comparing the received character and any previously received characters to a phonetic spelling of each ideograph within a dictionary; and

responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of at least one ideograph within the dictionary, presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string further comprises:

capturing characters entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet further comprises:

storing the text string in a multi-field data packet including a plurality of fields each receiving a different representation of a single datum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string further comprises:

storing, in the second field, latin alphabet characters corresponding to a phonetic spelling of an ideograph stored in the first field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an intermediate representation of the text string in a third field within the multi-field data packet, wherein the intermediate representation employs characters other than those captured from the keystrokes and those entered into the text string.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a plurality of characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph entered into the text string further comprises:

receiving a plurality of latin alphabet characters phonetically spelling a Kanji symbol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters further comprises:

presenting the user with a choice of all Kanji symbols having a phonetic spelling matching a plurality of received latin alphabet characters.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

as each character is received, comparing the received character or the received character and at least one previously received character to a phonetic spelling of a character within a syllabary; and

responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of a syllabary character within the syllabary, entering the syllabary character in a third field within the multi-field data packet.

9. A system for capturing pronunciation information associated with a text string, comprising:

means for capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string;

means for storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet;

means for receiving the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string, including means responsive to receiving each character, for comparing the received character and any previously received characters to a phonetic spelling of each ideograph within a dictionary; and

means, responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of at least one ideograph within the dictionary, for presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string further comprises:

means for capturing characters entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet further comprises:

means for storing the text string in a multi-field data packet including a plurality of fields each receiving a different representation of a single datum.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for storing the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string further comprises:

means for storing, in the second field, latin alphabet characters corresponding to a phonetic spelling of an ideograph stored in the first field.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for storing an intermediate representation of the text string in a third field within the multi-field data packet, wherein the intermediate representation employs characters other than those captured from the keystrokes and those entered into the text string.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for receiving a plurality of characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph entered into the text string further comprises:

means for receiving a plurality of latin alphabet characters phonetically spelling a Kanji symbol.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters further comprises:

means for presenting the user with a choice of all Kanji symbols having a phonetic spelling matching a plurality of received latin alphabet characters.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means, responsive to receiving a character, for comparing the received character or the received character and at least one previously received character to a phonetic spelling of a character within a syllabary; and

means, responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of a syllabary character within the syllabary, for entering the syllabary character in a third field within the multi-field data packet.

17. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for capturing pronunciation information associated with a text string, comprising:

instructions for capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string;

instructions for storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet;

instructions for receiving the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string, including instructions responsive to receiving each character, for comparing the received character and any previously received characters to a phonetic spelling of each ideograph within a dictionary; and

instructions, responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of at least one ideograph within the dictionary, for presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for capturing characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user during composition of the text string further comprises:

instructions for capturing characters entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for storing the text string in a first field of a multi-field data packet further comprises:

instructions for storing the text string in a multi-field data packet including a plurality of fields each receiving a different representation of a single datum.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for storing the captured characters in a second field of the multi-field data packet as a phonetic representation of the text string further comprises:

instructions for storing, in the second field, latin alphabet characters corresponding to a phonetic spelling of an ideograph stored in the first field.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions for storing an intermediate representation of the text string in a third field within the multi-field data packet, wherein the intermediate representation employs characters other than those captured from the keystrokes and those entered into the text string.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for receiving a plurality of characters corresponding to keystrokes entered by a user to phonetically spell an ideograph entered into the text string further comprises:

instructions for receiving a plurality of latin alphabet characters phonetically spelling a Kanji symbol.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for presenting the user with a choice of all ideographs having a phonetic spelling matching the received characters further comprises:

instructions for presenting the user with a choice of all Kanji symbols having a phonetic spelling matching a plurality of received latin alphabet characters.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions, responsive to receiving a character, for comparing the received character or the received character and at least one previously received character to a phonetic spelling of a character within a syllabary; and

instructions, responsive to determining a match between received characters and a phonetic spelling of a syllabary character within the syllabary, for entering the syllabary character in a third