TECHNIQUES FOR PROCESSING DATA FROM A MULTILINGUAL DATABASE

• US 20080249998A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Kulack, Frederick A., Glowacki, Janice
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method, system and article of manufacture for providing natural language support for users running queries against a multilingual database. One embodiment comprises identifying one or more physical values defined by physical data in the multilingual database for a query result associated with an executed query. At least one translation function configured to transform at least a portion of the identified physical values defined in one or more different natural languages into alternative values defined in a selected language is executed. From each executed translation function, a data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to translated values defined in the selected language is identified and the translated values defining the alternative values defined in the selected language are retrieved from each identified data structure. The query result associated with the executed query including the alternative values defined in the selected language is output.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing language transformation support, comprising:

identifying one or more physical values defined by physical data in a multilingual database for a query result associated with an executed query, wherein the physical data in the multilingual database is provided in a plurality of different natural languages;

executing at least one translation function configured to transform at least a portion of the identified physical values defined in at least one language of the plurality of different natural languages into alternative values defined in a selected language different from the at least one language, comprising;

(i) identifying, from each executed translation function, a data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to translated values defined in the selected language; and

(ii) retrieving the translated values in the selected language from each identified data structure, the retrieved translated values of all identified data structures defining the alternative values defined in the selected language; and

outputting the query result associated with the executed query including the alternative values defined in the selected language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each identified data structure maps a multiplicity of values defined by the physical data in the multilingual database to corresponding translated values defined in the selected language, the multiplicity of values including the at least one portion of the one or more identified physical values and the translated values of all identified data structures including the alternative values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each identified data structure is created on the basis of one or more language resource components, each having translation information configured to transform the multiplicity of values defined by the physical data in the multilingual database to the corresponding translated values defined in the selected language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is an abstract query comprising a plurality of logical fields defined by a data abstraction model abstractly describing the physical data in the multilingual database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the translation function further comprises:

identifying user-specific settings associated with a user issuing the query; and

determining the selected language on the basis of the identified user-specific settings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user-specific settings comprise at least one of:

(i) a role of the user;

(ii) a language setting of the user; and

(iii) a view of the multilingual database defined for the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein each data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to the corresponding translated values defined in the selected language is identified on the basis of the identified user-specific settings.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the query is an abstract query comprising a plurality of logical fields defined by a data abstraction model abstractly describing the physical data in the multilingual database, the method further comprising:

identifying, from the plurality of logical fields, at least one logical field having one or more allowed values, at least a portion of the one or more allowed values corresponding to values in one or more of the plurality of different languages in the multilingual database;

retrieving one or more language resource components configured to transform the one or more allowed values into the corresponding values defined in one or more of the plurality of different languages, the corresponding values including at least a portion of the alternative values; and

generating at least one of the one or more identified data structures on the basis of the retrieved one or more language resource components.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein retrieving the one or more language resource components comprises:

retrieving the one or more allowed values from the at least one logical field;

retrieving the values in the one or more of the plurality of different languages corresponding to the at least one portion of the one or more allowed values from the multilingual database; and

generating the one or more language resource components on the basis of the retrieved one or more allowed values and the retrieved corresponding values.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining values in the one or more of the plurality of different languages corresponding to allowed values that are not included with the at least one portion of the one or more allowed values using one or more machine translation services.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein retrieving the one or more language resource components comprises:

determining whether the at least one logical field is associated with corresponding translation information;

wherein the one or more language resource components is retrieved only if the at least one logical field is associated with corresponding translation information.

12. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs a process of providing language transformation support, the process comprising:

identifying one or more physical values defined by physical data in a multilingual database for a query result associated with an executed query, wherein the physical data in the multilingual database is provided in a plurality of different natural languages;

executing at least one translation function configured to transform at least a portion of the identified physical values defined in at least one language of the plurality of different natural languages into alternative values defined in a selected language different from the at least one language, comprising;

(i) identifying, from each executed translation function, a data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to translated values defined in the selected language; and

(ii) retrieving the translated values in the selected language from each identified data structure, the retrieved translated values of all identified data structures defining the alternative values defined in the selected language; and

outputting the query result associated with the executed query including the alternative values defined in the selected language.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each identified data structure maps a multiplicity of values defined by the physical data in the multilingual database to corresponding translated values defined in the selected language, the multiplicity of values including the at least one portion of the one or more identified physical values and the translated values of all identified data structures including the alternative values.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein each identified data structure is created on the basis of one or more language resource components, each having translation information configured to transform the multiplicity of values defined by the physical data in the multilingual database to the corresponding translated values defined in the selected language.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the query is an abstract query comprising a plurality of logical fields defined by a data abstraction model abstractly describing the physical data in the multilingual database.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein executing the translation function further comprises:

identifying user-specific settings associated with a user issuing the query; and

determining the selected language on the basis of the identified user-specific settings.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user-specific settings comprise at least one of:

(i) a role of the user;

(ii) a language setting of the user; and

(iii) a view of the multilingual database defined for the user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each data structure mapping at least a portion of the identified physical values to the corresponding translated values defined in the selected language is identified on the basis of the identified user-specific settings.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the query is an abstract query comprising a plurality of logical fields defined by a data abstraction model abstractly describing the physical data in the multilingual database, the process further comprising:

identifying, from the plurality of logical fields, at least one logical field having one or more allowed values, at least a portion of the one or more allowed values corresponding to values in one or more of the plurality of different languages in the multilingual database;

retrieving one or more language resource components configured to transform the one or more allowed values into the corresponding values defined in one or more of the plurality of different languages, the corresponding values including at least a portion of the alternative values; and

generating at least one of the one or more identified data structures on the basis of the retrieved one or more language resource components.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein retrieving the one or more language resource components comprises:

retrieving the one or more allowed values from the at least one logical field;

retrieving the values in the one or more of the plurality of different languages corresponding to the at least one portion of the one or more allowed values from the multilingual database; and

generating the one or more language resource components on the basis of the retrieved one or more allowed values and the retrieved corresponding values.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein retrieving the one or more language resource components further comprises:

determining values in the one or more of the plurality of different languages corresponding to allowed values that are not included with the at least one portion of the one or more allowed values using one or more machine translation services.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein retrieving the one or more language resource components comprises:

determining whether the at least one logical field is associated with corresponding translation information;

wherein the one or more language resource components is retrieved only if the at least one logical field is associated with corresponding translation information.