Patent Grant
8855996
The present invention relates to a system and method for translating a plurality of information and more particularly to a communication network enabled system and method for translating the plurality of information from one language to another by a plurality of users using an application program.
Although English is the most universal language right now, the use of other regional languages is still persistent. There are places where the information is only available in regional languages. There exists situations in which a foreigner may face problems such as while asking for directions, in negotiations, in resolving problems in hotels, hospitals, provide help in understanding foreign documents, etc. without knowing the regional language. It is difficult for one to learn more languages and it requires a lot of effort from the learner's side. A good translation program can acts as a local guide on holidays, acts as a translator in negotiations, can help in resolving trouble in hotels, restaurant conversations, accidents and in other emergency situations. However exiting translation programs only offer translation of words between languages and hence cannot be used in these kinds of situations and also they are not much reliable in conveying the correct meaning of a sentence.
The capabilities of mobile devices and communication systems have rapidly increased in recent years in terms of processing power, connectivity and data transfer speeds. Each language does have their own language variation among social groups' dialects and the grammaticalization may differ among different social groups. In these worst situations no existing translation method and software can be a good replacement for a local person. Using existing language translation applications may not provide satisfactory translated outputs. However some advanced language translation applications help the users up to an extent for understanding the local language during travel. These translator apps for mobile devices require each user to subscribe or buy the app which would result in spending much money. Some exiting apps are really a speech translator, so it focuses on conversations. It's available in only a limited number of different pairs of languages and has a limited vocabulary of words. One of its advantages is that it needs no Internet connection to access it. It comes with a voice-recognition system and an interface. You just speak in one language and it speaks back in another, and it has unlimited translations. However, in addition to the above said drawbacks, this app may sometimes find difficulty in understanding different dialects and hence they cannot be efficiently used for translation. The user also needs to pay a fixed monthly amount irrespective of the frequency of usage of the application.
Some other free translation apps have a database of a large number of languages and it access dictionaries with authoritative translations in different languages as well as giving spoken translations in multiple languages. The user just has to talk into the microphone of his/her phone and it will give the translation. Although you have to be connected to the internet it allows saving user's favorite translations so that he/she can check them when they are not online. It allows the user to have nearly natural conversations with people in a foreign language. However, the voice-recognition system is not so effective in understanding different dialects and speech without any grammaticalization. Moreover, the languages and vocabulary available is still limited.
In some cases the information that will need to be translated may be in an image, video or random text. In this case existing apps fail to translate almost all the requests given to them. Further, most of the translation apps do not receive any image and video for translation. To translate this information, usually the information is sent to a third person for translation. However, it is very difficult to find a third person who can translate the information correctly every time. Moreover, there is no authenticity of the translated information given by the third person. Hence it appears that users are not yet fully benefiting from the potential interactive features of mobile devices and translating apps, interactive text recognition and translation on a mobile device.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved system and method of efficiently translating information during travel and other situations. Moreover, the needed system would be used to correctly translate available information between a large number of languages. In addition, the needed system would be easily operated by anyone without having to know multiple languages.
Further, the needed system would be cost effective, simple, user-friendly, can easily be set up, and can be universally employable for translating information. In addition, the needed system and method would possibly be used to correctly translate information available in various social groups' dialects and grammaticalization. Further, the needed system would translate information available in the forms of audio, image, text and video. Moreover, the needed system would act as a local guide for translating the information available in different dialects. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention is a communication network enabled system and method for connecting a pluralities of users for the purpose of translating a plurality of information sent over a communication network. The communication network enabled system comprises a mobile application installed in a portable mobile communication device for receiving the plurality of information from the plurality of users. The communication network enabled system comprises the portable mobile communication device and a server, which is in communication with the portable mobile communication device over the communication network. The portable mobile communication device will process a plurality of instructions of the mobile application adapted to send the plurality of information for translation and to receive the plurality of information after translation over the communication network. A display unit displays a user interface of the mobile application. The user interface is configured to display the plurality of information for translation and the plurality of information received after translation.
A user can install the mobile application on any device such as a laptop, PC, tablet, Smartphone, Google Glass etc. with an internet connection. After installation the user is requested to setup his/her account by providing the requited information. The first time somebody starts the mobile application one has to define a username, so they can login with different devices at one time. Then the user can setup their information by selection of which languages they speak. When the user has setup the mobile application, he/she can act as a translator or request a translation. The translator can charge for her/his help on a monetary based price, for example, price per minute based price that is published. For receiving the payments, all users must have entered their payment details in the setup. Also users have to select how many translations they would like to do per day and during which hours. Every user of the mobile application can have basically two different roles, as a translator or request a translation or can take both roles at once. The mobile application does not need to be actively open to retrieve translation requests. By default translators will get a push notification if there is a match between translator and request. When somebody requests a translation, the server will select multiple users that fulfill the criteria such as language selection, time, etc. and will send a translation information notification request to X number of top users ranked by quality, the first one to respond with a translation information notification reply will enter the call. After the call is finished the user will rate the one that did the translation. The higher the score of the translator the more likely the translator will get new requests. This will guarantee the quality of the translators. The user can also be able to drop an additional comment about the translation service. After too many bad comments the translation applicant will be blocked.
Other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Before describing aspects of the present invention in detail, it is helpful to first discuss the environment in which embodiments of the invention operate.
The plurality of portable mobile communication devices 102a-102n may be any form of a computer-based system, including personal computers, laptop computers, net book computers, and mobile devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, smart wearable such as Google glasses, smartwatches and the like. Generally, the portable mobile communication device 102 may run a mobile application or software application, through which the application running on the server 104 may be accessed, however, as described herein the portable mobile communication devices 102 may also run a system application specially configured to interface with the application running on the server 104. References to a smartphone below should be read as including tablet computers, portable computers (e.g., laptop computers, net books, etc.), and other forms of mobile, computer-based systems. The above said devices may run on different operating systems and their modified versions including but not limited to Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Tizen, Jolla, Symbian etc.
In one aspect, the user interface 108 of the mobile application provides improved interaction with the mobile application executing on the portable mobile communication device 102 such as a smartphone. In an embodiment, the mobile application (“App”) may have a plurality of different functions or menu options available to the user. In some embodiments, each function has a corresponding screen display layout or interface 108. Preferably, each menu option's respective screen display layout 108 may occupy most or substantially the entire device display screen. The term “screen display layout” is used to refer content that appears on the device display screen at a given time. Some additional aspects of the present user interface include arrangements for viewing and selecting among the various different functions or menu options that may be available during execution of the given mobile application. In an embodiment, upon selection of a function, the selected function user interface 108 then occupies most or substantially the entire device display screen. In this way, available display screen “real estate” is maximized for each function or feature of the running mobile application.
Referring now to
While running the mobile application, the user might select, by a button, by voice command, by gestures, or screen touch, the home or main menu of the user interface 108 of the mobile application. In an embodiment, this may be done by selecting or touching an indicator near the top portion of the user interface 108 to dropdown a list of languages. For example, a downward-pointing triangle shape or the like can provide a list of languages to a user and by selecting any language from the list user can specify to which language the plurality of input information is provided. A similar dropdown menu at a bottom portion of the user interface of the mobile application enables the user to select the output language to which the plurality of input information is to be translated. Then the use interface 108 includes a call button portion. After selecting the input language, which is the language in which the plurality of information is providing and the replay language, which is the language to which the plurality of information need to be converted, the call button on the user interface 108 can be enabled by a button, by voice command, by gestures, or screen touch or the like.
Preferably, the present user interface 108 is implemented in software. Details of such software will be readily accessible to persons skilled in the art, in view of this disclosure, using modern software development libraries and tools. The present user interface 108 can be used in conjunction with, or implemented in, almost any software application, especially on portable, wireless devices.
The user can launch the mobile application installed within the portable mobile communication device 102 for performing translation of the plurality of information that may be captured using the portable mobile communication device 102. Upon launching, the mobile application displays a user interface 108 showing various options. When the user is launching the mobile application for the first time, the user is requested to register to the application by providing a plurality of answers to a plurality of queries. The queries include the languages the user is willing to translate, proficiency levels for each language, payment receiving information such as credit card information, number of translations possible over a particular period of time, etc. This information is sent to the server 104 through the wireless network. The server 104 includes a repository for storing the plurality of information from the plurality of users having the mobile application. The server 104 runs a software for managing the plurality of information received from the mobile application running on the plurality of portable mobile communication devices 102. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mobile application uses the internet connection to connect the different users. The users will connect via the server 104 and their information will not be shared. The mobile application can run on any machine with an internet connection, speaker and microphone. Therefore anybody with a laptop, PC, tablet, Smartphone, Google Glass etc. can use it.
Each user of the mobile application, after registration, will receive his/her unique user credentials for logging into the mobile application. After logging in, the users can go through different options for providing the plurality of information needed to be translated. The mobile application provides facility to attach text, audio, video, images, etc for translation. For this the user first needs to select the input language which the user is providing information for translation as in
The software running on the server 104 manages the mobile application running on the plurality of portable mobile communication device 102. The server 104 stores the information regarding the plurality of users in a database utility associated with the server 104. The software running on the server 104 ranks each user, whoever opted in as translator based on the quality of translation and any feedback results obtained from other users. At least one list is created with plurality of users having knowledge of a particular language. Users with highest ranking will be placed on top of the list and are contacted first for translating the particular language. The server 104 will send the translation information notification request to translate to multiple possible translators, and the first one to respond/pick up, will enter the call and receive all the information sent through the mobile application by the user. Once a link between the user and a translator from the list of translators has been established, the data such as video, picture and/or text will be sent and the call is open, so the user and the connected translator can talk. The translator can enter a charge price/per minute for each individual language. For each successful translation, the translator delivering the translation will receive a payment through any payment means such as the amount will be credited to his/her account registered with the mobile application.
Referring now to
The server 104 includes similar hardware as in a computer system which includes the processor, network communication unit, memory unit, a plurality of I/O devices, display unit, operating system software, firmware, and the specialized application for controlling the operations of the mobile application 204 running on all the portable mobile communication devices 102. The server 104 includes a database utility for storing a plurality of information of the plurality of users. The server 104 includes routing methods for fast and efficient translation of the plurality of information send from the mobile application 204 running on the portable mobile communication devices 102. The software running on the server 104 keeps a variety of lists containing the plurality of users having knowledge of a particular language. Users having knowledge of a particular language will be grouped to form at least one user group. The software running on the server 104 ranks each user in the user group based on the quality of translation and any feedback results obtained from other users. Users with highest ranking feedback will be placed on top of the list and are contacted first from the user group for translating the particular language. The translator can enter a charge price/per minute for each individual language. For each successful translation, the person delivering the translation will receive a payment through any payment means such as the amount will be credited to his/her account registered with the mobile application. Users frequently sending incorrect or poorly translated information will be blocked and may be removed from the list or the group. The mobile application 204 does not need to be actively open to retrieve translation requests. By default translators in the user group get a push notification if there is a match between translator and request.
Referring now to
The mobile communication device 102 comprises at least one processing unit 300 that is equipped with a control unit 306 and an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) 308, a memory unit 310, a storage unit 312, plurality of networking devices 314 and a plurality Input output (I/O) devices 304. The portable mobile communication device 102 can be composed of multiple homogeneous and/or heterogeneous cores, multiple CPUs of different kinds, special media and other accelerators. The processing unit 300 may also include a memory that stores data. The processing unit 300 may include only one of a type of component e.g. one microprocessor, or may contain multiple components of that type e.g. multiple microprocessors. The processing unit 300 could be composed of a plurality of separate circuits and discrete circuit elements. In some embodiments, the processing unit 300 will essentially comprise solid state electronic components such as a microprocessor e.g. microcontroller. The processing unit 300 may be mounted on a single board in a single location or may be spread throughout multiple locations which cooperate to act as processing unit 300. In some embodiments, the processing unit 300 may be located in a single location e.g. in proximity and/or on a common circuit carrying element such as a circuit board and/or all the components of the processing unit 300 will be closely connected. The mobile application 204 having an algorithm for sending the plurality of information received. The processing unit 300 is responsible for processing the instructions of the algorithm. The processing unit 300 receives commands from the control unit in order to perform its processing. Further, the plurality of processing units 300 may be located on a single chip or over multiple chips. In addition, any logical and arithmetic operations involved in the execution of the instructions are computed with the help of the ALU 306. The server 104 routes the information received from the mobile application 204 of the portable mobile communication device 102 of the first user to the plurality of users on top of the list.
The various networking devices 314 or external I/O devices 304 may be utilized for interconnecting with a variety of external devices through wireless/wired network. The mobile communication device 102 supports the interconnecting with the variety of external devices such as the server 104 through the networking unit and the I/O device unit. The mobile communication device 102 includes the plurality Input output (I/O) devices 304 e.g. button, switch, touch screen, keyboard, keypad, voice command circuit, etc. for registering commands from the user through the mobile application 204. Some or all of the plurality Input output (I/O) devices 304 may include an alphanumeric keyboard. The keyboard may comprise, for example, a QWERTY key layout and an integrated number dial pad. A keyboard integrated into a hand-held device would typically be a thumb keyboard. The plurality Input output (I/O) devices 304 may also include various keys, buttons, and switches such as, for example, input keys, preset and programmable hot keys, left and right action buttons, a navigation button such as a multidirectional navigation button, phone/send and power/end buttons, preset and programmable shortcut buttons, a volume rocker switch, a ringer on/off switch having a vibrate mode, and so forth. Any of the plurality Input output (I/O) devices 304 may be concealable behind a body e.g. a sliding body, a flip-out body, etc. such that they are hidden when the body is in a first position and visible when the body is in the second position.
The mobile application 204 installed in the portable mobile communication device 102 is capable of transferring the plurality of information in the forms of video, audio, text or an image selected by the first user to the server 104 over the communication network 106 for the purpose of translating the plurality of information to a desired language set by the first user. The mobile application 204 ensures fast and reliable translation of the input data. The plurality of users of the mobile application 204 need to register only once during the initial setup of the mobile application 204 for receiving the user credentials. Later on, every time the user launches the mobile application 204 it will automatically get redirected to the translation information page of the user interface.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of users of the mobile application 204 installed in the portable mobile communication device 102 is requested to answer the plurality of pre-determined queries provided by the server 104 to receive at least one user credentials for using the mobile application 204. The plurality of pre-determined queries include information regarding a plurality of languages capable of translating by the user, payment required for translating each language, number of translation requests to be made or received per day, etc. Based on these queries, the answers will be stored in the server 104 based upon which the user interface of the mobile application 204 can be modified. i.e. each user of the mobile application 204 may receive a personalized user interface based on the user preferences. For example, if a user selects the language known as English and Spanish, then these languages will be shown as first preferences in the output language field. The server 104 may not store the plurality of information routed through it thereby protecting the privacy of the users. The mobile application 204 does not require to be actively running for receiving and sending translation requests. Instead the server 104 sends the translation requests as push notifications to the respective users for translation. The user interface of the mobile application 204 may include options for providing feedback for the translated results. The feedback scores will be sent to the server 104 for updating the ranking of the corresponding users. This will increase the chance a user may receive future translation requests from the server 104 as an increase in ranking will help in moving the user up to a top position in the list of user groups.
A computer program product such as the mobile application 204 and the software running in the server 104 is stored in a computer readable storage means structured to store a plurality of instructions executable by a processor in a portable mobile communication device 102. The plurality of instructions, when executed cause the processor to receive the plurality of information from a first user through the user interface of the portable mobile communication device 102 for the purpose of translating the plurality of information to a desired language set by the first user. The user interface includes provisions for the user to select a desired language to be translated. The server 104 sends the translation request notification to the top X users in the ranked list. The translation request notification is passed to the plurality of users as push notification, so there is no need to keep the mobile application 204 running all the time. Among the top X translators in the ranked list, those who are receiving the push notification, the first one to respond to the notification will be connected to the user for doing the translation through the mobile application 204. The first one to respond/pick up, will enter the call and receive all the information, such as video, picture and/or text, sent through the mobile application by the user. The translator can enter a charge price/per minute for each individual language. For each successful translation, the translator delivering the translation will receive a payment through any payment means such as the amount will be credited to his/her account registered with the mobile application 204. A feedback regarding the quality of the translated information received in the portable mobile communication device 102 of the first user is sent to the server 104 for updating the ranking.
The mobile application 204 will connect different users with the goal that they are able to help each other to translate any information sent over the communication network. In this mobile application 204 there are two types of users such as translators and translation applicants. A user has the option to be either a translator or a translation applicant or both. Each user can setup how many languages they speak and how often they would like to act as a translator during initial configuration of the mobile application 204. The mobile application 204 offers wide use for its users by providing translation between large ranges of languages. The mobile application 204 is especially suitable in situations including in a restaurant conversation, can acts as a local guide on holidays, while asking for directions, acts as a translator in negotiations, can help in resolving problems in hotels, hospitals, provide help in understanding foreign documents, etc.
A user can install the mobile application 204 on any device such as a laptop, PC, tablet, Smartphone, Google Glass, etc. with an internet connection. After installation the user is requested to setup his/her account one time, by providing the required information. The first time a user starts the mobile application 204 one has to define a username, so they can login with different devices at the same time. Then the user can setup their information by selection which languages they speak. When the user has setup the mobile application 204, he/she can act as a translator or request a translation. The translator can charge for her/his help monetary based price, for example, based on a per minute based price that is published. For receiving the payments, all users must have entered their payment details in the setup. Also users have to select how many translations they would like to do per day and during which hours. So the users can exclude night time or/and office hours. Every user of the mobile application 204 can have basically two different roles, as a translator or request a translation or can take both roles at once. The mobile application 204 does not need to be actively open to retrieve translation requests. By default translators get a push notification if there is a match between translator and request. When a user would request a translation, the server 104 will select multiple users that fulfill the criteria such as language selection, time, etc. and will send a message to X number of top users ranked by feedback, the first one to respond will enter the call. After the call the user can provide feedback which includes reporting the translation quality or when a user is abusing the service. After too many bad reports the translation user will be blocked.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Although the embodiments herein are described with various specific embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.
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