Translation management system

• US 8,489,980 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transperfect Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: TransPerfect Global Incorporated
• Inventors: Lakritz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, BENJAMIN J
• Application Number:
  US11/419,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,616 Days
• Field of Search: 715264-265, 715/234, 715/239, 715/200
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• 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 management system in a computer environment. A preferred embodiment of the invention automatically detects when a document, data stream, or non-text file in the master language has been updated and notifies the user which corresponding documents, data streams, or non-text files in the other languages require translation which are then staged and dynamically routed and sequenced to individual translation resources where the actual translation is performed. Management status, reporting, scheduling, and accounting information is sent to the user as the translation process ensues. The user is notified of the completion of translation and the invention coordinates the delivery of the translated documents, data streams, or non-text files back to the user'"'"'s site for installation and optional review. The invention makes a variety of translation resources instantly available to the user which include both automated translation tools as well as human translators. The translation resources are connected to the invention using a flexible architecture that can be deployed on intranets as well as the Internet.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting when a document, data stream, or non-text file in a master language has been updated;

notifying a user of the presence of one or more translation jobs, wherein said one or more translation jobs include corresponding documents, data streams, or non-text files in other languages that are out-of-date and require translation;

providing a translation bus coupled with a plurality of translation resources via a plurality of adaptors, forming a Workflow Pipeline, wherein the translation bus is selected from among a centralized translation bus and a distributed translation bus;

distributing the translation jobs over the Workflow Pipeline, the distributing comprising;

converting the document, data stream, or non-text file to be translated into an internal format;

routing the internal format representation of the document, data stream or non-text file to a translation resource of the plurality of translation resources;

converting the internal format representation into a translation resource format understood by the translation resource via a corresponding adaptor of the plurality of adaptors; and

performing translation or an appropriate linguistic transformation by the translation resource;

converting the translation resource format representation back into the internal format representation via the corresponding adaptor; and

coordinating the delivery of the translated document, data stream, or non-text file for installation to a destination selected from among a web site, database, and a file system.

10. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the translated document to a computer client for presenting the translated document, data stream, or non-text file to a user for review.

11. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising routing the internal format representation to at least one additional translation resource prior to coordinating the delivery of the translated document, data stream, or non-text file.

2. An apparatus comprising:

a computer processor;

a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions for detecting when a document, data stream, or non-text file in the master language has been updated;

a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions for notifying a user of the presence of one or more translation jobs, wherein said one or more translation jobs include corresponding documents, data streams, or non-text files in other languages that are out-of-date and require translation;

a translation bus coupled with the computer processor and with a plurality of translation resources via a plurality of adaptors, forming a Workflow Pipeline, wherein the translation bus is selected from among a centralized translation bus and a distributed translation bus;

a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions for distributing the translation jobs over the Workflow Pipeline, the distributing comprising;

converting the document, data stream, or non-text file to be translated into an internal format,

routing the internal format representation of the document, data stream, or non-text file to a translation resource of the plurality of translation resources,

converting the internal format representation into a translation resource format understood by the first translation resource via a corresponding adaptor of the plurality of adaptors, and

performing translation or an appropriate linguistic transformation by the translation resource;

a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions for converting the translation resource format representation back into the internal format via the corresponding adaptor; and

a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions for coordinating the delivery of the translated document, data stream, or non-text file for installation to a destination selected from among a web site, database, and a file system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a module for analyzing project components within a project in detail to determine project cost and resource requirements, wherein a project component is comprised of any of a document, data stream, or non-text file to be translated.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a module for generating a project cost estimate prior to beginning the project.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a module for creating Work Packets, Job Tickets and a Project Schedule for the project.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a module for sending the Project Schedule to the user for review and validation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a module for adjusting the Project Schedule when there are changes in the availability of translation resources, or when manual changes are made to the project by a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Workflow Pipeline distributes translation jobs to translation resources for translation, pre-translation, review, generation and retrieval of client-specific glossaries, lexicons, or linguistic transformations appropriate to the translation resource according to any of:

the subject matter of the document, data stream, or non-text file to be processed,

the target language of the translation,

the level of translation quality required, whether draft-only or high quality,

settings previously established by a user, and

availability of a particular translation resource.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the translated document, data stream, or non-text file is presented to a user for review.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Workflow Pipeline is extensible such that, as new translation resources become available, the Workflow Pipeline can couple with them via an additional supported adaptor.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the translation resources are selected from among Machine Translation systems, Translation Memory systems, Human Translators, and Terminology Management systems.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Workflow Pipeline distributes translation jobs to translation resources for translation, pre-translation, review, generation and retrieval of client-specific glossaries or lexicons.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the translated or linguistically transformed document, data stream or non-text file is installed on a Web site, database, or file system, or presented to the user for optional review.

24. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documents, data streams or non-text content to be translated are stored in databases or file systems.

25. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documents, data streams and non-text content to be translated are placed in an incoming Translation Queue.

26. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the documents, data streams and non-text content after translation or linguistic transformation by the Translation Resources of the Workflow Pipeline are placed in an outgoing Translation Queue.

27. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions configured to allow the user to individually specify the use of a specific set of Translation Resources.

28. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a module coupled with the computer processor containing computer readable instructions configured to allow the user to perform the routing to a translation resource with a single click of a button.

8. A translation management system comprising hardware processing modules containing instructions executable by the computer, comprising:

a module configured to detect when a document, data stream, or non-text file in the master language has been updated;

a module configured to notify a user of the presence of one or more translation jobs, wherein said one or more translation jobs include corresponding documents, data streams, or non-text files in the other languages that are out-of-date and require translation;

a translation bus coupled with a plurality of translation resources via a plurality of adaptors, forming a Workflow Pipeline, wherein the translation bus is selected from among a centralized translation bus and a distributed translation bus;

a module including a processor configured to distribute translation jobs over the Workflow Pipeline, wherein the processor is further configured to;

convert the document, data stream or non-text file to be translated into an internal format,

route the internal format representation of the document, data stream or non-text file to a translation resource of the plurality of translation resources,

convert the internal format representation into a translation resource format understood by the translation resource via a corresponding adaptor of the plurality of adaptors, and

perform translation or an appropriate linguistic transformation by the translation resource;

a module configured to convert the translation resource format representation back into the internal format representation via the corresponding adaptor; and

a module configured to coordinate the delivery of the translated document, data stream, or non-text file for installation to a destination selected from among a web site, database, and a file system.

9. The translation management system of claim 8, wherein the hardware processing modules further comprise:

a module configured to analyze project components within a project in detail to determine project cost and resource requirements, wherein a project component is comprised of at least a document, data stream, or non-text file to be translated;

a module configured to generate a project cost estimate prior to beginning the project;

a module configured to create Work Packets, Job Tickets and a Project Schedule for the project; and

a module configured to send the Project Schedule to the user for review and validation.

16. The translation management system according to claim 8, further comprising a module configured to send the translated document to a computer client for presenting the translated document, data stream, or non-text file to a user for review.

19. The translation management system of claim 8, wherein the documents, data streams or non-text content to be translated are stored in databases or file systems.

20. The translation management system of claim 8, wherein the documents, data streams and non-text content to be translated are placed in an incoming Translation Queue.

21. The translation management system of claim 8, wherein the documents, data streams and non-text content are placed in an outgoing Translation Queue after translation or linguistic transformation by the Translation Resources of the Workflow Pipeline.

22. The translation management system of claim 8, wherein the user can individually specify the use of a specific set of Translation Resources.

23. The translation management system of claim 8 wherein the user can perform the routing to a translation resource with a single click of a button.

29. The translation management system of claim 8, further comprising a module configured to route the internal format representation to an additional translation resource prior to coordinating the delivery of the translated document, data stream, or non-text file.