Communication support apparatus and computer program product for supporting communication by performing translation between languages

• US 7,974,831 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Yuka, Kamatani, Satoshi, Chino, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Neway; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US11/368,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation

Abstract

A communication supporting apparatus includes a supplemental example storing unit that stores a source language interpretation which is an interpretation of a semantic content of a source language sentence to be translated, and a supplemental example sentence which is an example of a sentence for supporting the semantic content, in association with each other; an input accepting unit that accepts the source language sentence input by a user; an analyzing unit that analyzes the semantic content of the source language sentence and outputs the source language interpretation; a search unit that searches for the supplemental example sentence associated with the source language interpretation from the supplemental example storing unit; and a translation unit that translates the source language sentence and the supplemental example sentence into a target language.

Claims

1. A communication supporting apparatus, comprising:

a supplemental example storing unit that stores a source language interpretation which is an interpretation of a semantic content of a source language sentence to be translated, and a supplemental example sentence, in association with each other, the supplemental example sentence being an example of a sentence for supplementing an intention of a user that is not expressed in the source language sentence and being different from the source language sentence;

an input accepting unit that accepts the source language sentence input by a user;

an analyzing unit that analyzes the semantic content of the source language sentence and outputs the source language interpretation;

a search unit that searches for the supplemental example sentence associated with the source language interpretation from the supplemental example storing unit; and

a translation unit that translates the source language sentence and the supplemental example sentence into a target language;

a personal information storing unit that stores personal information of a user including information in which contents to be spoken are associated with a level of importance indicating a level of interest of the user to the contents to be spoken;

a dialog history storing unit that stores a history of dialog spoken by the user;

a recognizing unit that recognizes a state of use that is information showing a state in which the user has a dialog; and

a selecting unit that selects a supplemental example sentence based on at least one of the level of importance included in the personal information and the history of dialog,

wherein the supplemental example storing unit stores the state of use, the source language interpretation and the supplemental example sentences in association with each other;

the search unit searches for a supplemental example sentence, which is associated with the source language interpretation and the state of use, from the supplemental example storing unit; and

the translation unit translates the selected supplemental example sentence.

2. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a concept hierarchy storing unit that stores a hierarchy relation of a concept represented by the semantic content of a word; and

a replacing unit that replaces the concept included in the supplemental example sentence with the personal information corresponding to a subordinate concept of the concept included in the supplemental example sentence based on the hierarchy relation and the personal information,

wherein the translation unit translates the replaced supplemental example sentence and the source language sentence.

3. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state of use is input by the user through the input accepting unit.

4. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognizing unit obtains position information of a place where the user makes a dialog, and recognizes the state of use based on the obtained position information.

5. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognizing unit recognizes the state of use based on the contents spoken by the user.

6. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that displays a supplemental example sentence to the user, and accepts a selection of the supplemental example sentence by the user.

7. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that displays supplemental example sentences to the user in the order of the levels of higher importance, and causes the user to select a supplemental example sentence.

8. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the input accepting unit recognizes the speech of a source language spoken by the user and accepts the input of the source language sentence as a result of recognition of the speech, and

the communication supporting apparatus further comprises an output unit that outputs translations of the source language sentence and the supplemental example sentence in speech, respectively.

9. A communication supporting apparatus, comprising:

a supplemental example storing unit that stores a source language interpretation which is an interpretation of a semantic content of a source language sentence to be translated, and a supplemental example sentence which is an example of a sentence for supporting the semantic content, in association with each other;

an input accepting unit that accepts the source language sentence input by a user;

an analyzing unit that analyzes the semantic content of the source language sentence and outputs the source language interpretation;

a search unit that searches for the supplemental example sentence associated with the source language interpretation from the supplemental example storing unit;

a translation unit that translates the source language sentence and the supplemental example sentence into a target language;

a personal information storing unit that stores personal information of a user including information in which contents to be spoken are associated with a level of importance indicating a level of interest of the user to the contents to be spoken;

a dialog history storing unit that stores a history of dialog spoken by the user;

a recognizing unit that recognizes a state of use that is information showing a state in which the user has a dialog; and

a selecting unit that selects a supplemental example sentence based on at least one of the level of importance included in the personal information and the history of dialog,

wherein the supplemental example storing unit stores the state of use, the source language interpretation and the supplemental example sentences in association with each other;

the search unit searches for a supplemental example sentence, which is associated with the source language interpretation and the state of use, from the supplemental example storing unit; and

the translation unit translates the selected supplemental example sentence and the source language sentence.

10. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a concept hierarchy storing unit that stores a hierarchy relation of a concept represented by the semantic content of a word; and

a replacing unit that replaces the concept included in the supplemental example sentence with the personal information corresponding to a subordinate concept of the concept included in the supplemental example sentence based on the hierarchy relation and the personal information,

wherein the translation unit translates the replaced supplemental example sentence and the source language sentence.

11. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the state of use is input by the user through the input accepting unit.

12. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recognizing unit obtains position information of a place where the user makes a dialog, and recognizes the state of use based on the obtained position information.

13. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recognizing unit recognizes the state of use based on the contents spoken by the user.

14. The communication supporting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a display control unit that displays supplemental example sentences to the user in the order of the levels of higher importance, and causes the user to select a supplemental example sentence.