EP0262938A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Language translation system
Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
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Filing: 1987-09-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A language translation system for translating phrases from a first language into a second language comprises a store holding a collection of phrases in the second language. Phrases input in the first language are each characterised on the basis of one or more keywords, and the corresponding phrase in the second language is output. Such a phrasebook approach enables what is effectively rapid and accurate translation, even from speech. Since the phrases in the second languag e are prepared in advance and held in store, there need be no problems of poor translation or ungrammatical construction. The output may be in text, or, using speech synthesis, in voiced form. With appropriate choice of keywords it is possible to characterise a large number of relatively long and complex phrases with just a few keywords.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederick Warwick Michael Stentiford
- 👤 Martin George Steer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:31
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/16; G06F40/00; G06F40/40; G06F40/42; G06F40/44; G06F40/45; G06F40/55; G09; G09B; G09B19/00; G09B19/06; G09B5/00; G09B5/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
1 A system for translating phrases from a first language into a second language, comprising: a store holding a collection of phrases in the second language; input means to accept a phrase in the first language; output means to output in the second language a phrase comprising one from said collection of phrases; characterisation means to determine which of said collection of phrases corresponds to said input phrase; and means responsive to said characterisation means to control the output means and to ensure the outputting of the phrase from said collection whcih corresponds to said input phrase.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
1 A system for translating phrases from a first language into a second language, comprising: a store holding a collection of phrases in the second language; input means to accept a phrase in the first language; output means to output in the second language a phrase comprising one from said collection of phrases; characterisation means to determine which of said collection of phrases corresponds to said input phrase; and means responsive to said characterisation means to control the output means and to ensure the outputting of the phrase from said collection whcih corresponds to said input phrase.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
2 A system as claimed in claim 1, the system comprising first and second terminals operably connected via a data link, the first terminal comprising said input means and said characterisation means; the second terminal comprising said store and said output means; wherein said first terminal further comprises means to generate a message for transmission to said second terminal via said data link, which message indicates which of said collection of phrases corresponds to said input phrase.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
103 words
3 A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the characterisation means determines the correspondence of phrases on the basis of the presence in the input phrase of a keyword,keywords,or keyword-part; the characterisation means applying a first vocabulary to determine to which phrase or group of phrases, if any, from said collection of phrases the input phrase coresponds; wherein, in the cases that the input phrase is found to correspond to an undetermined one of a group of phrases, the characterisation means applies a second vocabulary to determine to which of a group of phrases the input phrase corresponds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
4 A system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the characterisation means comprises a speech recogniser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
5 A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said input means is capable of accepting spoken inputs, and said output means provides voiced outputs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
6 A system as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein means are provided to enable portions of said input phrase to be passed untranslated to said output means for outputting as part of the phrase in the second language.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
7 Apparatus for implementing a system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
8 Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a keyboard for providing an input message to said input means, and means to provide a text output in said second language.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
9 Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 for providing translations from a first language into any one of plurality of second languages, a further collection of phrases being provided in a store in each of said plurality of second languages.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
BE873458A
Cited
US4507750A
Cited
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