Storage device that provides efficient, updatable national language support for a mobile device

• US 8,010,339 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tonkelowitz, Mark, Robbins, Daryn, Arora, Nathan Charu, Sansen, Chigusa Yasuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Wozniak; James S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): He; Jialong
• Application Number:
  US12/031,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 704 1- 10
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

Efficient, updatable national language support for a mobile device is provided. NLS file segments are provided in a wrapper in the Virtual NLS file. Segments may be organized by language family. The number of segments that need to be searched is also minimized. At any point, any of the pointers for the dynamically updatable query table can be shifted around to improve performance. Existing APIs may be used for obtaining locale information by causing the APIs to iterate through all the known NLS segments in a specified search order.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method of providing a virtual national language support file, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of national language support file segments, the plurality of national language support file segments including a national language support base segment providing first locale data and a plurality of locale file pointers, each of the plurality of local file pointers comprising a table containing a locale identification and a file offset pair for each of a plurality of locales contained in the virtual national language support file, the file offset comprising at least one of Unicode data and sortkey data, the table being sorted by the locale identification in an increasing order, the plurality of national language support file segments further including at least one national language support segment for providing second locale data; and

logically binding the plurality of national language support file segments in a wrapper.

2. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the national language support base segment is configured to be searched first.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the national language support base segment is organized to provide a majority of national language support data anticipated to be queried.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are configured to allow independent updates to locale data contained therein.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are dynamically updatable by a user.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are organized by language families.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments minimizes a number of segments that need to be searched.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments are searchable using a dynamically modifiable search order.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising searching the plurality of national language support file segments using a dynamically modifiable search order.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the dynamically modifiable search order comprises reorganizing the search of frequently used national language support file segments based on the locale identification.

11. A method for providing a virtual national language support file, comprising:

providing, by a mobile computing device, a plurality of national language support file segments, wherein the plurality of national language support file segments include a national language support base segment providing first locale data and a plurality of locale file pointers, each of the plurality of locale file pointers comprising a table containing a locale identification and a file offset pair for each of a plurality of locales contained in the virtual national language support file, the file offset comprising at least one of Unicode data and sortkey data, the table being sorted by the locale identification in an increasing order, the plurality of national language support file segments further including at least one national language support segment for providing second locale data;

logically binding, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of national language support file segments in a wrapper; and

searching, by the mobile computing device the plurality of national language support file segments using a dynamically modifiable search order, the dynamically modifiable search order comprising reorganizing the search of frequently used national language support file segments based on the locale identification.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising performing query searches using the national language support base segment first.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising configuring the national language support base segment to provide a majority of national language support data anticipated to be queried.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising performing independent updates to locale data contained in the plurality of national language support file segments.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising dynamically updating the plurality of national language support file segments.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising searching the plurality of national language support file segments in a manner that minimizes a number of segments that need to be searched.