Front end translation mechanism for received communication

• US 6,901,367 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terrace Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berstis, Viktors, Lisle, Linda Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US09/238,800
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 704/277, 704/2, 704/7, 704/200, 704/270.1
• US Class Current: 704/277
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for allowing recipient translation of information received by a data processing system configured with a user interface having in a human language which is different from the human language of the transmitted information. A desired human language for user interface with resident software applications on said data processing system is first selected. Then incoming communications to the data processing system which involves transmission of human language-based ad information are intercepted and analyzed to determine if it is in a different human language than the desired human language. When the human language of the incoming communication differs from the desired human language, the human language of the incoming communication is dynamically translated into the desired human language. Finally, the translated incoming communication is transmitted in the desired human language to an output device of the data processing system.

Claims

1. A method of providing received electronic communications at a data processing system in a human language desired by a recipient of said electronic communication, said method comprising:

intercepting an incoming communication at said data processing system, when said incoming communication is provided in a first human language, which is different from the desired human language; and

responsive to said intercepting step, dynamically translating said incoming communication into said desired human language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said dynamically translating includes forwarding said incoming communication to a language translation environment selected from among a local application on said data processing system and a networked application located externally to said data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the language of the incoming communication by conducting at least one of a plurality of language identifying steps from among:

scanning the communication for predefined language clues;

analyzing tags which accompany the textual data of said communication to create code pages;

deciphering the origination address of said communication; and

checking the headers of document files for clues.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the incoming communication in the first human language with a translated communication in said desired human language.

5. The method of claim 1, instantiated within a voice communication environment, wherein said translating step further includes the steps of:

first converting voice communication data into textual form utilizing a voice-to-text software application; and

responsive to a completion of said translating step, converting said translated text into voice data for output as audio signal utilizing a text-to-voice software application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said data processing system hosts an email environment, said incoming communication is an email routed to an inbox associated with an email address, said method further comprising mirroring a translated copy of said incoming communication in addition to an original copy in said first language within said inbox.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said intercepting step includes analyzing said incoming communication to determine if said first human language is not said desired human language.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the step of selecting a desired human language for user interface with resident software applications on said data processing system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a recipient that said incoming communication has been translated.

10. A data processing system-based electronic communication system comprising:

logic for intercepting an incoming communication to said data processing system, when said incoming communication is provided in a first human language, which is different from a desired human language; and

means, responsive to said intercepting, for dynamically translating said human language of said incoming communication into said desired human language.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said dynamically translating means includes forwarding said incoming communication to a language translation environment selected from among a local application on said data processing system and a networked application located externally to said data processing system.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a graphical user interface with a language selection feature that permits a user to select said desired human language utilized by said translation means from among a plurality of language choices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said graphical user interface includes means for user-selection of a toggling-on and off of said intercepting and subsequent translating features.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for identifying the first human language by conducting at least one of a series of language identifying steps from among

scanning the communication for predefined language clues;

analyzing tars which accompany the textual data of said communication to create code pages;

deciphering the origination address of said communication; and

checking the headers of document files for clues.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for providing the incoming communication in the first human language with a translated communication in said desired human language.

16. The system of claim 10, instantiated within a voice communication environment, further comprising:

means for first converting voice communication data into textual form utilizing a voice-to-text software application; and

means for converting translated text into voice data for output as audio signal utilizing a text-to-voice software application.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said data processing system hosts an email environment, said incoming communication is an email routed to an inbox associated with an email address, said system further comprising means for mirroring a translated copy of said incoming communication in addition to an original copy in said first language within said inbox.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said intercepting logic includes means for analyzing said incoming communication to determine if the first human language is not said desired human language.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for notifying a recipient that said incoming communication has been translated.

25. The program product of claim 19, further comprising instructions for providing the incoming communication in the first human language with a translated communication in said desired human language.

26. The program product of claim 19, instantiated within a voice communication environment wherein said program instructions for said translating step further includes program instructions for:

first converting voice communication data into textual form utilizing a voice-to-text software application; and

converting translated text into voice data for output as audio signal utilizing a text-to-voice software application.

27. The program product of claim 19, wherein said data processing system hosts an email environment, said incoming communication is an email routed to an inbox associated with an email address, said program instructions further comprising instructions for mirroring a translated copy of said incoming communication in addition to an original copy in said first language within said inbox.

20. A computer program product for recipient-side translation of communication received by a data processing system, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program instructions on said computer readable medium for;

intercepting an incoming communication at said data processing system, when said incoming communication is provided in a first human language, which is different from the desired human language; and

responsive to an interception, dynamically translating said first human language of said incoming communication into said desired human language.

21. The program product of claim 20, wherein said program instructions for said dynamically translating includes forwarding said incoming communication to a language translation environment selected from among a local application on said data processing system and a networked application located externally to said data processing system.

22. The program product of claim 20, further comprising program instructions for providing a graphical user interface with a language selection feature that permits a user to select said desired human language utilized by said translation means from among a plurality of language choices.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein said program instructions for providing said graphical user interface includes program instructions for user-selection of a toggling-on and off of said intercepting and subsequent translating features.

24. The program product of claim 20, wherein said program instructions for said translating step further includes program instructions for identifying the first human language by executing at least one of a series of language identifying program instructions from among:

scanning the communication for predefined language clues;

analyzing tags which accompany the textual data of said communication to create code pages;

deciphering the origination address of said communication; and

checking the headers of document files for clues.

28. The program product of claim 20, wherein said program instructions further includes program instructions for analyzing said incoming communication to determine if said first human language is not said desired human language.