Translating phrases from one language into another using an order-based set of declarative rules

• US 8,812,294 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kalb, Aaron S., Perry, Ryan P., Alsina, Thomas Matthieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Abebe, Daniel D
• APPLICATION: US 20120330642A1
• Time in patent office: 1155 Days
• Field of Search: 704/8
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/56 Natural language generation

Abstract

Translating a phrase from one language into another using an order-based set of declarative rules is disclosed. Information to be communicated as sensory perceptible output is received. An ordered set of rules is applied to generate a representation that expresses the information in a manner that embodies applicable communication system rules of a target symbolic communication system in which the information is to be communicated.

Claims

1. A method of providing information, comprising:

receiving information to be communicated as sensory perceptible output; and

applying an ordered set of rules to generate a representation that expresses the information in a manner that embodies applicable communication system rules of a target symbolic communication system in which the information is to be communicated;

wherein the representation expresses the information in a symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system but deviates from a communication system rule of the symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system to comply instead with a corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises application information received from an application to be communicated to a user of the application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the information to identify one or more informational elements comprising the information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the informational elements comprise one or more of the following:

a concept, a number, a unit, and/or one or more words and/or other linguistic units.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target symbolic communication system comprises a spoken human language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system comprises one or more of the following:

a syntactic rule;

a rule prescribing a word order;

a grammar rule; and

a rule associated with number or gender.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation expresses the information using a namespace language associated with a set of output files comprising data usable to render a sensory perceptible output.

8. A system, comprising:

an interface configured to receive information to be communicated as sensory perceptible output; and

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to apply an ordered set of rules to generate a representation that expresses the information in a manner that embodies applicable communication system rules of a target symbolic communication system in which the information is to be communicated;

wherein the representation expresses the information in a symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system but deviates from a communication system rule of the symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system to comply instead with a corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information comprises application information received from an application to be communicated to a user of the application.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to parse the information to identify one or more informational elements comprising the information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the informational elements comprise one or more of the following:

a concept, a number, a unit, and/or one or more words and/or other linguistic units.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the target symbolic communication system comprises a spoken human language.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system comprises one or more of the following:

a syntactic rule;

a rule prescribing a word order;

a grammar rule; and

a rule associated with number or gender.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the representation expresses the information using a namespace language associated with a set of output files comprising data usable to render a sensory perceptible output.

15. A computer program product for providing information, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving information to be communicated as sensory perceptible output; and

applying an ordered set of rules to generate a representation that expresses the information in a manner that embodies applicable communication system rules of a target symbolic communication system in which the information is to be communicated;

wherein the representation expresses the information in a symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system but deviates from a communication system rule of the symbolic communication system other than the target symbolic communication system to comply instead with a corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer instructions for parsing the information to identify one or more informational elements comprising the information.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the target symbolic communication system comprises a spoken human language.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the corresponding communication system rule of the target symbolic communication system comprises one or more of the following:

a syntactic rule;

a rule prescribing a word order;

a grammar rule; and

a rule associated with number or gender.