Localization of prompts

• US 7,672,852 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fong, David T., Millett, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Huyen X.
• Application Number:
  US11/238,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/3, 704 7- 10, 704/277, 704/4, 704/270, 704/272, 455/456.3, 702/123, 707/203, 707/205
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Localized prompt statements. For each prompt statement to be executed, identifying a resource string that corresponds to a variable associated with the prompt statement permits retrieval of one or more localized media files. For example, the media files may provide for playing spoken prompts in a localized language. Executing the prompt statement includes rendering the retrieved media files. In one aspect, the localized prompt statements contain both text and numeric values wherein a spoken prompt is grammatically correct for the numeric value contained in the prompt.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for executing, by a processor of a computing device, a prompt statement, the prompt statement having a NAME variable associated therewith, the method comprising:

determining that the prompt statement specifies a resource string, wherein the resource string includes a personal information manager variable, and wherein the personal information manager variable is a KEY variable;

identifying a grammar variable that corresponds to the KEY variable;

concatenating the grammar variable to the NAME variable;

identifying, by the processor, a resource string for the prompt statement that corresponds to the NAME variable;

retrieving a media file that corresponds to the identified resource string; and

rendering the retrieved media file that corresponds to the resource string in response to the prompt statement and rendering, in a speech-to-text format, the personal information manager variable, said rendering occurring in an order specified by the resource string.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the media file is a localized audio recording representative of the resource string.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the resource string in a text-to-speech format if no media file is retrieved that corresponds to the resource string.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string comprises a text string of a localized language.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the text string is translated into a non-English language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the grammar variable modifies one or more plural forms contained in the resource string associated with the NAME variable.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string is grammatically correct for the language of the text.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the personal information manager information is information selected from the group consisting of email messages, voicemail messages, calendar appointments, and personal contact details.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the media file and the text-to-speech format have the same gender.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource string provides personal information manager information.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable storage media have stored thereon the computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-executable method of claim 1.

12. A computer-implemented method for executing, by a processor of a computing device, a prompt statement having a NAME variable and a KEY variable associated therewith, said method comprising:

determining that the prompt statement specifies a resource string;

identifying, by the processor a grammar variable that corresponds to the KEY variable;

concatenating the grammar variable to the NAME variable; and

identifying a resource string for the prompt statement that corresponds to the NAME variable.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving one or more media files that correspond to the resource string; and

rendering the retrieved media files in response to the prompt statement.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the resource string is grammatically correct for numeric value of the KEY variable and the language of the text.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the media file is a localized audio recording representative of the resource string.