Dynamic context-sensitive translation dictionary for mobile phones

• US 7,711,571 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Boer, Harry, Heiner, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Han; Qi
• Application Number:
  US10/802,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,241 Days
• Field of Search: 704/277, 704/270, 704/9, 704/1
• US Class Current: 704/277
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method and apparatus are presented for providing language translation assistance to a user of a mobile terminal. The terminal makes available a number of language translation services to the user, and the mobile terminal has a database for storing translation data. If the translation data is insufficient to cover a present or anticipated context of the mobile terminal, then the terminal sends a context change signal, and subsequently receives a data update signal that includes updates to the database. The terminal is then able to provide a changed language translation service to the user, utilizing the updates to the database.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, making available a number of language translation services to a user of an apparatus that has a database for storing translation data,

causing, at least in part, sending a context change signal if the translation data is insufficient to cover a present or anticipated context of the apparatus,

causing, at least in part, receiving a contextual translation data update signal that includes updates to the database, and

providing at least one changed language translation service to the user, utilizing the updates to the database,

wherein the present or anticipated context is a setting within a country, said country having a primary language different from another language in which the user is fluent, and

wherein said updates include adding to the database a selected subset of phrases that are suitable for said setting within said country, and removing from the database another selected subset of phrases that are irrelevant to said setting, and said setting includes a temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said subset of phrases relates to sports or a point-of-interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said subset of phrases is selected from a group comprising phrases for a hotel, airport, hospital, and restaurant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the anticipated context is entered by the user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the setting is sensed by, determined by, or signaled to the apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein parts of said translation data in said primary language that are irrelevant to the present or anticipated context are deleted, and the selected subset of phrases in said primary language is added.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus provides the language translation assistance, after the receiving step, without requiring support from any language translation resource external to the apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one language translation service includes speech recognition and synthesis, as input and output modes respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the context change signal includes, or is accompanied by, an indication of at least one translation need or desire of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said updates include the latest colloquial phrases that are suitable for said setting.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a translation dictionary, and said setting further includes a date or a time of day.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of language translation services is zero if the user is in, a country where the user speaks fluently.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one language translation service includes pronunciation instruction or at least one text-to-speech feature or both.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a language translation device that includes a database configured to accommodate translation data, the language translation device being equipped to provide a number of language translation services to a user, and the language translation device being responsive to a contextual translation data update signal that updates the database;

an electronic data input and output module, configured to provide the contextual translation data update signal to the language translation device, the electronic data input and output module being responsive to a context change signal indicative that the database may need to be updated; and

a context comparator configured to provide the context change signal if the translation data is insufficient to cover a present or anticipated context of the apparatus,

wherein the contextual translation data update signal is input into the apparatus, and the context change signal is output from the apparatus,

wherein the present or anticipated context is a setting in a country having a primary language different from a language in which the user is fluent, and

wherein said updates include adding to the database a selected subset of phrases that are suitable for said setting, and removing from the database another selected subset of phrases that are irrelevant to said setting, and said setting includes a temperature.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said subset of phrases relates to sports or a point-of-interest.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said subset of phrases is selected from a group comprising phrases for a hotel, airport, hospital, and restaurant.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the anticipated context is entered by the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the setting is sensed by, determined by, or signaled to the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further configured to handle parts of said translation data in said primary language that are irrelevant to the present or anticipated context, by deleting said parts, and the selected subset of phrases in said primary language is added.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the language translation assistance, after the update signal updates the database, without requiring support from any language translation resource external to the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one language translation service includes speech recognition and synthesis, as input and output modes respectively.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the context change signal includes, or is accompanied by, an indication of at least one translation need or desire of the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said updates include the latest colloquial phrases that are suitable for said setting.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the database is a translation dictionary, and said setting further includes a date or a time of day.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said subset of phrases relates to sports or a point-of-interest.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one language translation service includes pronunciation instruction or at least one text-to-speech feature or both.

28. A computer readable storage medium encoded with software when executed causing, at least in part, an apparatus to perform the following steps:

making available a number of language translation services to a user of an apparatus that has a database for storing translation data,

sending a context change signal if the translation data is insufficient to cover a present or anticipated context of the apparatus,

receiving a contextual translation data update signal that includes updates to the database, and

providing at least one changed language translation service to the user, utilizing the updates to the database,

wherein the present or anticipated context is a setting within a country, said country having a primary language different from another language in which the user is fluent, and

wherein said updates include adding to the database a selected subset of phrases that are suitable for said setting within said country, and removing from the database another selected subset of phrases that are irrelevant to said setting, and said setting includes a temperature.