Translation requesting method, translation requesting terminal and computer readable recording medium

• US 7,801,720 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Onda, Masanori, Ashikaga, Hideaki, Kato, Masahiro, Ikegami, Hiroaki, Satake, Masanori, Kimura, Shunichi, Yoshimura, Hiroki, Itonori, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): He; Jialong
• Application Number:
  US11/213,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10, 707/4, 707/100, 715/205, 715/209, 715/210, 715/234, 715/255, 715/256, 715/751
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation
• 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 translation requesting device has a first replacing unit, a translating unit and a second replacing unit. The first replacing unit replaces an original phrase to a substitute phrase. The translating unit translates the substitute phrase. The second replacing unit replaces the original phrase to a translation phrase based on the translated substitute phrase. The substitute phrase is decided to maintain semantic properties of the original phrase.

Claims

1. A translation system for translating a document comprising:

a first replacing unit that replaces an original phrase having a predetermined attribute with a substitute phrase;

a memory that stores a translation of the substitute phrase generated by the first replacing unit;

a first translating unit that translates the original phrase;

a transmitting unit that transmits a document including the original phrase substituted by the substitute phrase;

a second translating unit that translates the document including the original phrase substituted by the substitute phrase;

a receiving unit that receives from the second translating unit a document translated by the second translating unit;

an extracting unit that extracts from the memory the translation of the substitute phrase in the document translated by the second translating unit; and

a second replacing unit that replaces the translated substitute phrase with the translation of the original phrase generated by the first translating unit,

wherein;

the substitute phrase is chosen to maintain semantic properties of the original phrase; and

the translation of the substitute phrase stored in the memory is visually different from the substitute phrase.

2. A non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for requesting translation of a document, the instructions comprising:

replacing an original phrase having a predetermined attribute with a substitute phrase;

storing a translation of the substitute phrase generated by the replacing step in a memory;

translating the original phrase;

transmitting a document including the original phrase substituted by a substitute phrase;

translating the document including the original phrase substituted by the substitute phrase;

receiving the translated document including the original phrase substituted by the substitute phrase;

extracting from the memory the translation of the substitute phrase in the received translated document; and

replacing the translated substitute phrase with a translation of the original phrase after the original phrase has been translated,

wherein;

the substitute phrase is chosen to maintain semantic properties of the original phrase; and

the translation of the substitute phrase stored in the memory is visually different from the substitute phrase.

3. A translation requesting method comprising:

replacing, on the condition that a minimal semantic unit phrase having a predetermined property is contained in an original text, the minimal semantic unit phrase with a substitute phrase having the predetermined property;

storing a translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase and a translation of the substitute phrase in association with each other in a storage device;

sending the original text that has undergone the replacing process via a communications interface to a translation server having translation functionality;

extracting from the storage device the translation of the substitute phrase in the translated text; and

replacing, on the condition that a translation text of the original text which is sent in the sending process is received from the translation server, the translation of the substitute phrase in the translation text with the translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase stored in the storage device generated by the sending step, wherein the translation of the substitute phrase stored in the storage device is visually different from the substitute phrase.

4. A translation requesting terminal comprising:

a communications interface for communicating with a translation server via a network;

a replacement rule database storing in advance a minimal semantic unit phrase having a specific property and a substitute phrase having the specific property in association with each other;

a first replacing means for replacing the minimal semantic unit phrase in an original text with the substitute phrase stored in association with the minimal semantic unit phrase in the replacement rule database;

a translation requesting means for sending the original text, which has been subjected to replacement by the first replacing means, to the translation server via the communications interface;

a replacement table updating means for storing in a replacement table a translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase and a translation of the substitute phrase in association with each other;

a searching means for searching for the translation of the substitute phrase in the translated text; and

a second replacing means for replacing, on the condition that a translation text of the original text sent by the translation requesting means is received from the translation server, the translation of the substitute phrase in the translation text with the translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase which is stored in the replacement table in association with the translation of the substitute phrase, wherein the translation of the substitute phrase stored in the replacement table updating means is visually different from the substitute phrase.

5. The translation requesting terminal according to claim 4, wherein the replacement table updating means deletes from the replacement table the translation of the substitute phrase replaced by the second replacing means and the translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase stored in association with the translation of the substitute phrase.

6. The translation requesting terminal according to claim 4, wherein the replacement rule base stores a plurality of substitute phrases in association with the minimal semantic unit phrase, and the first replacing means randomly selects one of the plurality of substitute phrases and replaces the minimal semantic unit phrase with the selected substitute phrase.

7. The translation requesting terminal according to claim 4, wherein:

the replacement rule base stores a plurality of minimal semantic unit phrases; and

the translation requesting terminal further comprises a minimal semantic unit phrase selecting means for letting a user select the specific property of minimal semantic unit phrases to be replaced by the first replacing means.

8. A non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function, the instructions comprising:

replacing, on the condition that a minimal semantic unit phrase having a predetermined property is contained in an original text, the minimal semantic unit phrase with a substitute phrase having the predetermined property;

storing a translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase and a translation of the substitute phrase in association with each other in a storing means;

sending the original text that has undergone the replacing process via a communications interface to a translation server having translation functionality;

searching for the translation of the substitute phrase in the translated text; and

replacing, on the condition that a translation text of the original text which is sent in the sending process is received from the translation server, the translation of the substitute phrase in the translation text with the translation of the minimal semantic unit phrase stored in the storing means, wherein the translation of the substitute phrase stored in the storing means is visually different from the substitute phrase.