Language translation employing a combination of machine and human translations

• US 8,843,359 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Nelthropp Lauder
• Original Assignee: Andrew Nelthropp Lauder
• Inventors: Lauder, Andrew Nelthropp
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDER, JUSTIN W
• Application Number:
  US12/660,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/47 Machine-assisted translation, e.g. using translation memory

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of translating text from a source language to a target language includes the steps of (a) detecting a source language on a first communication device, (b) detecting a location of the first communication device, (c) determining the target language based upon the detected location of the first communication device, (d) receiving an input for translation from the first communication device, (e) displaying a list of popular source phrases that are similar to the received input on the first communication device, (f) translating a user selected similar popular source phrase if the user selects the similar popular source phrase, else translating the input by means of a machine translation engine, and (g) displaying the translation output of the user selected similar popular source phrase if the user selected the similar popular source phrase, else determining if the translation output from the machine translation engine has been approved by a human translator, submitting the translation output from the machine translation engine to a human translator and displaying the translation output from the machine translation engine together with a measure of the accuracy of the translation output from the machine translation engine.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of translating text from a source language to a target language comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a source language on a first communication device;

(b) detecting a location of the first communication device;

(c) determining the target language based upon the detected location of the first communication device;

(d) receiving an input for translation from the first communication device;

(e) displaying a list of popular source phrases that are similar to the received input on the first communication device;

(f) translating a user selected similar popular source phrase if the user selects the similar popular source phrase, else translating the input by means of a machine translation engine; and

(g) displaying the translation output of the user selected similar popular source phrase if the user selected the similar popular source phrase, else determining if the translation output from the machine translation engine has been approved by a human translator, submitting the translation output from the machine translation engine to a human translator and displaying the translation output from the machine translation engine together with a measure of the accuracy of the translation output from the machine translation engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the location of the first communication device comprises detecting a GPS signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the location of the first communication device comprises detecting an Internet Protocol address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input for translation from the first communication device comprises receiving an audio input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input for translation from the first communication device comprises receiving a text input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input for translation from the first communication device comprises receiving an image input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the user selected similar popular source phrase comprises searching a database phrasebook for the translation output corresponding to the selected similar popular source phrase.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a context for the input from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation output is sent to a second communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the translation output is sent as an audio signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the translation output is sent as an email message.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the translation output is sent as an SMS/MMS message.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the translation output is sent as an IM message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation output is played on the first communication device as an audio output.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation output is displayed on the first communication device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user suggested translation of the input and distributing the user suggested translation to a human translator, receiving translation suggestions and ratings from the human translator, and providing the received translation suggestions to a moderator sorted by the ratings.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving approval from the moderator of the user suggested translation, sending a notification of the moderator approval to the first communication device and adding the approved user suggested translation to the machine translation engine and a database phrasebook.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the translation output from the machine translation engine to a human translator, receiving translation suggestions and ratings from the human translator, and providing the received translation suggestions to a moderator sorted by the ratings.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving approval from the moderator of the translation output, sending a notification of the moderator approval to the first communication device and adding the approved translation output to the machine translation engine and a database phrasebook.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising requesting additional suggestions from the human translator in the case where the moderator does not approve the received translation suggestions.