System and method for multi-lingual translation

• US 8,296,126 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Vuong, Thanh Vinh
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US10/785,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,163 Days
• Field of Search: 704/3, 704/4, 704/9, 704/8, 704/5, 704/277, 704/2, 704/10, 704/1, 709/203, 709/217, 709/206, 716/6, 715/264, 715/236, 715/230, 715/224, 707/3, 340/7.31
• US Class Current: 704/5
• 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

The present invention relates to the translation of a portion of text to be communicated in a text-based communication in a communications network. A communications device for composing the text-based communication queries a translation service with a portion of text in a first language to obtain a replacement for the portion in a second language. A user may trigger a replacement query by composing the portion using at least one trigger symbol monitored by the communications device. Replacement may be confirmed with the user and at least one alternative replacement sought in response to the confirmation. The communications network may comprise a wireless network and the communications device a wireless mobile communications device.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications device, a method comprising:

during composition of a text-based communication, determining a portion of inputted text of the text-based communication to be translated by monitoring the text-based communication for the presence of a trigger symbol inputted into the text during composition of the text, the trigger symbol indicating the portion of text to translate;

sending a translation request, the translation request configured for reception by a translation service server and comprising the portion of text to be translated;

receiving and storing a translation of the portion of text from a first language to a second language;

stopping the monitoring of the text-based communication upon receiving instructions indicating that the text-based communication is to be sent;

providing a prompt, the prompt corresponding to the portion of text and further where the prompt comprises the translation of the portion of text;

when a response to the prompt indicates replacement of the portion of text, replacing the portion of text in the text-based communication with the translation; and

sending the text-based communication.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said replacing comprises receiving instructions confirming the translation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response to the prompts indicate a request for an alternative translation, wherein replacing the portion of text comprises obtaining at least one alternative replacement from said translation service server and replacing the portion of text using a one of the at least one alternative replacement.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising maintaining a store of portions of text and respective translations on said communications device;

and using said store to determine the translation for the portion of text.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the store of portions of text and respective translations is defined by prior translations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response to the prompt comprises any of:

an ‘

accept translation’

response representing instructions that said translation is to be used to replace the portion of text

a ‘

reject translation’

response representing instructions that the portion of text is to be retained instead of replacing it with said translation; and

a ‘

reject and ask for more’

response representing instructions to obtain one or more alternative translations.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, before replacing the portion of text, providing at least one further prompt, wherein the further prompt enables a selection of one of said one or more alternative translations to replace the portion of text or to reject all of said one or more alternative translations.

8. A system comprising:

a processor for executing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, causes the system to;

during composition of a text-based communication, determine a portion of inputted text of the text-based communication to be translated by monitoring the text-based communication for the presence of a trigger symbol inputted into the text during composition of the text, the trigger symbol indicating the portion of text to translate;

send a translation request, the translation request configured for reception by a translation service server and comprising the portion of text to be translated;

receive and storing a translation of the portion of text from a first language to a second language;

stop the monitoring of the text-based communication upon receiving instructions indicating that the text-based communication is to be sent;

provide a prompt, the prompt corresponding to the portion of text and further where the prompt comprises the translation of the portion of text;

when a response to the prompt indicates replacement of the portion of text, replace the portion of text in the text-based communication with the translation; and

send the text-based communication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further causes the system to receive the response to the prompt, the response comprising any of:

an ‘

accept translation’

response representing instructions that said translation is to be used to replace the portion of text;

a ‘

reject translation’

response representing instructions that the portion of text is to be retained instead of replacing it with said translation; and

a ‘

reject and ask for more’

response representing instructions to obtain one or more alternative translations.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the response to the prompt indicates a request for an alternative translation, and wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further causes the system to, in order to replace the portion of text, obtain at least one alternative replacement from the translation service server and replace the portion of text using a one of the at least one alternative replacement.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further causes the system to, before replacing the portion of text, provide at least one further prompt, wherein said further prompt enables selection of one of said one or more alternative translations to replace the portion of text or to reject all of said one or more alternative translations.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed, further causes the system to, in order to replace the portion of text, receive instructions confirming the translation.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor for maintaining a store of portions of text and respective translations, wherein the translation is determined using the store.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the store of portions of text and respective translations is defined by prior translations.

15. A mobile device comprising a processor for implementing:

a composition component to compose text in a text-based communication; and

a translation component configured for;

during composition of the text-based communication, determining a portion of inputted text of the text-based communication to be translated by monitoring the text-based communication for the presence of a trigger symbol inputted into the text during composition of the text, the trigger symbol indicating the portion of text to translate;

sending a translation request, the translation request configured for reception by a translation service server and comprising the portion of text to be translated;

receiving and storing a translation of the portion of text from a first language to a second language;

stopping the monitoring of the text-based communication upon receiving instructions indicating that the text-based communication is to be sent;

providing a prompt, the prompt corresponding to the portion of text and further where the prompt comprises the translation of the portion of text;

when a response to the prompt indicates replacement of the portion of text, replacing the portion of text in the text-based communication with the translation; and

sending the text-based communication.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the translation component comprises a user interface to confirm the translation to replace the portion of text.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the translation component is adapted to, when the response to the prompt indicates a request for an alternative translation, obtain at least one alternative replacement from said translation service server for replacing the portion of text.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the translation component is configured to receive the response to the prompt, the response comprising any of:

an ‘

accept translation’

response representing instructions that said translation is to be used to replace the portion of;

a ‘

reject translation’

response representing instructions that the portion of text is to be retained instead of replacing it with said translation; and

a ‘

reject and ask for more’

response representing instructions to obtain one or more alternative translations.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the translation component is configured to, before replacing the portion of text, provide at least one further prompt, wherein said further prompt enables selection of one of said one or more alternative translations to replace the portion of text or to reject all of said one or more alternative translations.

20. The mobile device of claim 15 further comprising a memory coupled to the processor for maintaining a store of portions of text and respective translations, wherein the translation is determined using the store.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 wherein the store of portions of text and respective translations is defined by prior translations.