Automatic Language Identification for Dynamic Text Processing

• US 20130346065A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Davidson, Douglas R., Ozer, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/56 Natural language generation

Abstract

Methods and systems which utilize, in one embodiment, automatic language identification, including automatic language identification for dynamic text processing. In at least certain embodiments, automatic language identification can be applied to spellchecking in real time as the user types.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory;

receiving a first language identification for a document;

performing a modifying operation on the document in accordance with the first language identification; and

determining based at least in part on results from the modifying operation, whether the first language identification for the document is correct.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying operation is a spellchecking function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of the modifying operation include a count of errors detected by the modifying function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of the modifying operation include one or more types of errors detected by the modifying function.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first language identification of the document is automatically determined by an automatic language identifier service, without user intervention.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising, receiving an accuracy confidence ranking associated with the first language identification;

and

wherein the determining is based on the results from the modifying operation and the accuracy confidence ranking.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising, in accordance with a determination that the first language identification is incorrect, determining a second language identification of the document.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, performing a modifying function on the document in accordance with one or more alternate languages different from the first language;

and

wherein the second language identification of the document is determined based at least in part on the results from performing the modifying function on the document in accordance with the one or more alternate languages.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second language identification is automatically determined without user intervention.

10. The method as in claim 7, further comprising, providing the second language identification of the document to an automatic language identifier service for use by a plurality of user applications.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the device to:

receive a first language identification for a document;

perform a modifying operation on the document in accordance with the first language identification; and

determine based at least in part on results from the modifying operation, whether the first language identification for the document is correct.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the modifying operation is a spellchecking function.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the results of the modifying operation include a count of errors detected by the modifying function.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the results of the modifying operation include one or more types of errors detected by the modifying function.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 11, wherein the first language identification of the document is automatically determined by an automatic language identifier service, without user intervention.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 11, including instructions, which when executed by the or more processors of the electronic device, cause the device to receive an accuracy confidence ranking associated with the first language identification;

and

wherein the determining is based on the results from the modifying operation and the accuracy confidence ranking.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 11, including instructions, which when executed by the or more processors of the electronic device, cause the device to:

in accordance with a determination that the first language identification is incorrect, determine a second language identification of the document.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions, which when executed by the or more processors of the electronic device, cause the device to:

perform a modifying function on the document in accordance with one or more alternate languages different from the first language; and

wherein the second language identification of the document is determined based at least in part on the results from performing the modifying function on the document in accordance with the one or more alternate languages.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second language identification is automatically determined without user intervention.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 17, including instructions, which when executed by the or more processors of the electronic device, cause the device to:

provide the second language identification of the document to an automatic language identifier service for use by a plurality of user applications.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving a first language identification for a document;

performing a modifying operation on the document in accordance with the first language identification; and

determining based at least in part on results from the modifying operation, whether the first language identification for the document is correct.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the modifying operation is a spellchecking function.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the results of the modifying operation include a count of errors detected by the modifying function.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the results of the modifying operation include one or more types of errors detected by the modifying function.

25. The electronic device as in claim 21, wherein the first language identification of the document is automatically determined by an automatic language identifier service, without user intervention.

26. The electronic device as in claim 21, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

receiving an accuracy confidence ranking associated with the first language identification; and

wherein the determining is based on the results from the modifying operation and the accuracy confidence ranking.

27. The electronic device as in claim 21, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the first language identification is incorrect, determining a second language identification of the document.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

performing a modifying function on the document in accordance with one or more alternate languages different from the first language; and

wherein the second language identification of the document is determined based at least in part on the results from performing the modifying function on the document in accordance with the one or more alternate languages.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the second language identification is automatically determined without user intervention.

30. The electronic device as in claim 27, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

providing the second language identification of the document to an automatic language identifier service for use by a plurality of user applications.