Dynamic language translation of web site content

• US 7,584,216 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MotionPoint Corporation
• Original Assignee: MotionPoint Corporation
• Inventors: Travieso, Enrique, Rubenstein, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/784,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-102, 707/103.R, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/44 Statistical methods, e.g. probability models
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for providing translated web content is disclosed. The method includes receiving a request from a user on a web site, the web site having a first web content in a first language, wherein the request calls for a second web content in a second language. The method further includes dividing the first web content into a plurality of translatable components and generating a unique identifier for each translatable component. The method further includes identifying a plurality of translated components of the second web content using the unique identifier of each of the plurality of translatable components of the first web content and putting the plurality of translated components of the second web content to preserve a format that corresponds to the first web content. The method further includes providing the second web content in response to the request that was received.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method for providing translated web content, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first request from a user for content in a second language translated from content in a first language from a first Internet source;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

dividing the content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components, wherein a translatable component includes a segment of text;

determining whether there are translatable components for which no corresponding translation is found in a database that stores translations for translatable components generated previously;

scheduling for translation of translatable components that do not have corresponding translations in the database and using a human translator to translate each translatable component into the second language, wherein each segment of text is translated as a unit;

storing into the database the translations of the translatable components as translated components;

receiving a second request from a user for the translated content in the second language corresponding to the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

dividing the received content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components;

generating the translated content in the second language by modifying the received content in the first language so that each translatable component is replaced with a corresponding translated component stored in the database; and

sending the translated content to the user as a response to the second request.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of arranging the one or more translated components in the translated content in the second language so that the format of the content in the first language is preserved.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of arranging includes inserting a link contained in the content in the first language in the translated content in the second language.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of arranging includes modifying a link associated with the content in the first language to obtain an updated link.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the updated link points to an updated location associated with the translated content in the second language.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the updated link is derived by prefixing the link using a Universal Resource Locator (URL) associated with a processing facility that provides at least a part of the translated content.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the link includes a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the translatable components is one of:

a text segment;

an image file;

an audio clip;

a video clip;

a file; and

any combination thereof in an electronic data stream.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising generating an identifier for a text segment based on at least one of a hash code, a checksum, and a mathematical algorithm based on one or more text segments.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content in the first language is sent from a different information processing system than where the step of receiving a first request is performed.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content in the first language is parsed based on at least one markup tag into the one or more translatable components.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content in the first language includes a file containing at least one of a JavaScript and VBScript.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a translatable component is derived based on a directive tag contained in the content in the first language.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one directive tag is specified via a markup comment.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first language includes one of English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic;

the second language includes one of English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic; and

the second language is different from the first language.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first request is one of a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request and a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) request.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a text string from a user viewing the translated content.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of translating the text string, if the text string is in a language differing from the first language, to produce a translated text string in the first language.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of translating is performed so that the translated text string is compatible with a given function utilized to provide the content in the first language.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of translating the text string is by at least one of human translation and machine translation.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the given function is a search function.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying, among the plurality of translatable components, at least two associated translatable components; and

generating one or more translated components in the second language that are locked-together corresponding to the at least two associated translatable components in the first language.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method for providing translated content is conditioned.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the steps of dividing the content is conditioned by the following steps of:

determining a percentage of the content in the first language for which translated components are available by the step of identifying; and

conditioning the step of dividing the content based on the percentage determined.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the condition is evaluated based on a first hash code and a second hash code, the step of evaluating further comprising the steps of:

storing a first hash code for the content in the first language;

storing the translated content;

determining a second hash code for the content in the first language;

comparing the first hash code with the second hash code;

retrieving the translated content when the first hash code matches with the second hash code; and

performing the step of dividing the content when the second hash code does not match the first hash code.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of translatable components include a text segment enclosed in an attribute of an HTML tag.

27. A system for providing translated web content, comprising:

a first receiver for receiving a first request from a user for content in a second language translated from content in a first language from a first Internet source;

a first information processing portion configured for;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source,

dividing the content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components, wherein a translatable component includes a segment of text,

determining whether there are translatable components for which no corresponding translation is found in a database that stores translations for translatable components generated previously, and

scheduling for translation of translatable components that do not have corresponding translations in the database and using a human translator to translate each translatable component into the second language, wherein each segment of text is translated as a unit;

a storage configured for storing the translations of the translatable components as translated components;

a second receiver configured for receiving a second request from a user for the translated content in the second language corresponding to the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

a second information processing portion configured for;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

dividing the received content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components;

generating the translated content in the second language by modifying the received content in the first language so that each translatable component is replaced with a corresponding translated component stored in the database; and

a sending unit configured for sending the translated content to the user as a response to the second request.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein each of the translatable components is one of:

a text segment;

an image file;

an audio clip;

a video clip;

a file; and

any combination thereof in an electronic data stream.

29. The system according to claim 28, further comprising generating an identifier for a text segment based on at least one of a hash code, a checksum, and a mathematical algorithm based on one or more text segments.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein:

the first language includes one of English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic;

the second language includes one of English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic; and

the second language is different from the first language.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the first information processing portion is further configured for receiving a text string from a user viewing the translated content.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the first information processing portion is further configured for translating the received text string, if the text string is in a language differing from the first language, to produce a translated text string in the first language.

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the step of translating the text string is performed so that the translated text string is compatible with a given function utilized to provide the content in the first language.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the step of translating is by at least one of human translation and machine translation.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the given function is a search function.

36. A machine implemented method for providing translated web content, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first request from a user for content in a second language translated from content in a first language from a first Internet source;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

dividing the content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components, wherein a translatable component includes a segment of text;

determining whether there are translatable components for which no corresponding translation is found in a database that stores translations for translatable components generated previously;

scheduling for translation of translatable components that do not have corresponding translations in the database and using a human translator to translate each translatable component into the second language, wherein each segment of text is translated as a unit;

storing into the database the translations of the translatable components as translated components;

receiving a second request from a user for the translated content in the second language corresponding to the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

retrieving the content in the first language from the first Internet source;

dividing the received content in the first language into a plurality of translatable components;

generating the translated content in the second language by modifying the received content in the first language so that each translatable component is replaced with a corresponding translated component stored in the database; and

sending the translated content to the user as a response to the second request.