JP3982984B2 - Distributed natural language processing system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a distributed natural language processing system, and can be applied to, for example, a dictionary sharing machine translation system in which a plurality of translation servers on a network share a dictionary in a dictionary server.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In machine translation, the contents of a dictionary used for translation greatly affect the quality of translation. Therefore, it is preferable to update frequently in accordance with changes in the natural language. In addition, with the recent improvement of translation technology, the expansion of the translation field and the improvement of expertise, the dictionaries used are steadily growing.
[0003]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, it has been studied and developed that a plurality of machine translation servers (hereinafter simply referred to as translation servers) 1 share a dictionary server 2 on a network (for example, the Internet) 3.
[0004]
The translation server 1 downloads the information of the dictionary 2a of the dictionary server 2 and stores it in the dictionary 1b in the self server 1, and the translation unit 1a performs a translation process using the downloaded dictionary information in the dictionary 1b. Alternatively, the translation unit 1a in the translation server 1 directly accesses the dictionary 2a in the dictionary server 2 and executes the translation process.
[0005]
The latter is effective when a very small number of sentences are translated, but the former is preferable when a document such as a Web page flowing on the Internet is to be translated.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when a plurality of translation servers 1 share the enlarged dictionary 2a as described above on the network 3, there is a problem that enormous traffic is generated when the dictionary is downloaded or searched. Even if the dictionary 2a is divided into categories for each specialized field or genre and the translation server 1 uses only the contents of the dictionary for some categories, the traffic is large.
[0007]
In addition, since the development of the Internet has made it possible to obtain a large number of documents written in foreign languages, the number of translation servers 1 that share the dictionary server 2 will continue to increase. From this point of view, traffic will increase. The challenge is big.
[0008]
Therefore, in the case where a plurality of natural language processing servers share a dictionary server, a distributed natural language processing system that can suppress traffic (communication amount) is desired.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve this problem, the first aspect of the present invention includes one or a plurality of first information processing apparatuses equipped with a program file for performing natural language processing and a dictionary used in natural language processing. In the distributed natural language processing system having the second information processing apparatus, (1) the first information processing apparatus (1-1) transmits the program file to the second information processing apparatus. A processing execution unit transmitting means; and (1-2) a processing target transmitting means for transmitting a natural language processing target to be processed by the natural language processing to the second information processing apparatus. the information processing apparatus, (2-1) the program files are registered, the relative first natural language processing target supplied from the information processing apparatus, a natural word using the dictionary and registered the program files A registered natural language processing means for performing processing; and (2-2) a process execution unit registration means for registering the program file given from the first information processing apparatus in the registered natural language processing means. And
[0010]
Further, the second aspect of the present invention is a second embodiment in which one or a plurality of first information processing apparatuses having a program file for performing natural language processing and a dictionary used in natural language processing are mounted. In a distributed natural language processing system having an information processing device, (1) the first information processing device (1-1) a process execution unit transmitting means for transmitting the program file to the second information processing device (1-2) processing target transmission means for transmitting the natural language processing target to be processed by the natural language processing to the second information processing apparatus; and (1-3) given from the second information processing apparatus. And (2) the second information processing apparatus, (2-1) the program file is registered and given from the first information processing apparatus. Natural language processing target Against, the dictionary and the registration natural language processing means for performing natural language processing using the registered the program file, (2-2) the first above the program file given from the information processing apparatus registered natural language A processing execution unit registration unit that causes the processing unit to register; and (2-3) a processing result reply unit that returns a natural language processing result by the registered natural language processing unit to the first information processing apparatus. To do.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(A) Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a distributed natural language processing system according to the present invention is applied to a dictionary sharing machine translation system will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the concept of the dictionary sharing machine translation system 4 of this embodiment.
[0012]
Also in the dictionary sharing machine translation system 4 of this embodiment, a plurality of translation servers 5 share a dictionary server 6 on a network (hereinafter referred to as the Internet) 7. In this embodiment, the translation unit 5a in the translation server 5 is uploaded to the dictionary server 6, and the uploaded translation unit 6b in the dictionary server 6 performs translation using the shared dictionary 6a. The translation result obtained in the dictionary server 6 is obtained via the translation server 5.
[0013]
Actually, the translation unit (5a) that executes the translation process includes a software part including a machine translation processing program and data (excluding dictionary data), and the machine translation processing program loaded in the main memory. It consists of a hardware part such as a CPU to be executed, and the uploading of the translation unit 5a described above means uploading of the software part. This is the same in the description to be described later.
[0014]
(A-1) Configuration of Embodiment Next, a specific configuration of the dictionary sharing machine translation system 4 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[0015]
Each of the translation server 5 and the dictionary server 6 is constructed by, for example, one or a plurality of information processing apparatuses, but can be functionally illustrated in FIG.
[0016]
In FIG. 3, the translation server 5 includes a translation unit transmission unit 11, a translation execution instruction unit 12, and a translation result reception output unit 13. On the other hand, the dictionary server 6 includes a translation unit registration unit 21, a translation unit management unit 22, a registered translation unit 23 (23A to 23N), a dictionary 24, and a dictionary management unit 25.
[0017]
The translation unit transmission unit 11 of the translation server 5 performs transmission for uploading the translation unit of the translation server 5 to the dictionary server 6. Here, as described above, the transmitted translation unit is a software part made up of a machine translation processing program and data (excluding dictionary data), and is called a translation engine. The translation unit has a function of inputting a translation target document, a function of outputting a translation result, and the like of a transfer function. The transmission of the translation unit by the translation unit transmission unit 11 is copy transmission, and the translation unit exists in the translation server 5 even after transmission.
[0018]
The translation unit transmission unit 11 may transmit the translation unit at a timing when the translation of the document is requested, and when the translation server 5 is started in the translation mode via an input unit (not shown), The translation unit may be transmitted. For example, the translation server 5 also serves as an Internet search server, and when a search with a translation result of a desired document is instructed, the translation unit is uploaded to the dictionary server 6 at the timing of starting the search operation. Also good.
[0019]
The translation execution instructing unit 12 gives the dictionary server 6 a translation execution instruction including the data of the document to be translated (in the case where the dictionary 24 is prepared for each category, the dictionary specific data may be included). Starts the translation process. Naturally, the translation execution instructing unit 12 confirms that the translation unit of the translation server 5 is uploaded to the dictionary server 6 and sends out a translation execution instruction. When the translation unit transmission unit 11 transmits the translation unit including the data of the translation target document, the translation execution instruction unit 12 is omitted.
[0020]
The translation result reception output unit 13 receives the translation result document given from the dictionary server 6 and outputs it to the translation requester. The output method may be display output or print output, or may be transmission output addressed to the information processing terminal of the translation requester.
[0021]
The translation unit registration unit 21 of the dictionary server 6 registers the translation unit given from the translation server 5 in the dictionary server 6 in cooperation with the translation unit management unit 22.
[0022]
In FIG. 3, the part in which the translation unit is registered and the translation process can be executed is called a registered translation unit 23 (23A to 23N). The registered translation unit 23 (23A to 23N) includes a storage area that stores the translation unit (software) and a hardware part such as a CPU that executes program processing according to the translation unit stored in the storage area. It is preferable to prepare a plurality of pairs of storage areas and hardware parts that can be registered translation units 23 so as to be able to respond to translation requests from a plurality of translation servers 5. In addition, only a plurality of storage areas for storing the translation unit (software) are prepared, the hardware part is shared by the plurality of registered translation units 23A to 23N, and each registered translation unit 23A to 23N is divided by time division or the like. It may be made to function as.
[0023]
The translation unit registration unit 21 described above replies that the translation unit 5 cannot be registered in the translation server 5 when all the parts that can be registered translation units function as the registered translation units 23A to 23N.
[0024]
The translation unit management unit 22 manages a part that can be a registered translation unit and a part that functions as the registered translation units 23A to 23N. The translation part management part 22 is, for example, an empty storage area in which a translation part from the translation server 5 can be registered, or a storage area in which the translation part has already been stored. Or the registered translation units 23A to 23N manage whether or not the translation is being executed and the use dictionary.
[0025]
Moreover, the translation part management part 22 delivers the translation object document to the registration translation part 23X (X is A-N) which concerns on the translation server 5, when the translation object document is given from the translation server 5. .
[0026]
Further, when the registered translation unit 23X obtains a translation result document, the translation unit management unit 22 transmits the translation result document to the translation server 5 related to the registered translation unit 23X. Here, the translation unit management unit 22 may return the registered translation unit 23X to a state in which a new translation unit can be registered when the translation result document is transmitted to the translation server 5. This restoration may be performed by setting empty management data in itself or by erasing the entire storage area of the registered translation unit 23X. The registered translation unit 23X may be returned to a state in which a new translation unit can be registered after waiting for a translation unit deletion request from the corresponding translation server 5.
[0027]
Furthermore, the translation unit management unit 22 controls the dictionary management unit 25 so that the registered translation unit 23X can access the shared dictionary 24 when the translation unit is registered. Note that the dictionary management unit 25 is controlled so that the registered translation unit 23X can access only the type of dictionary even when the translation request document includes the specific information of the used dictionary.
[0028]
The dictionary 24 is a dictionary shared by a plurality of registered translation units 23A to 23N, in other words, a dictionary shared by a plurality of translation servers 5. In other words, the dictionary is used by the registered translation units 23A to 23N during translation processing.
[0029]
The dictionary management unit 25 manages which type of dictionary in the dictionary 24 the registered translation units 23A to 23N can use. The registered translation units 23A,. The dictionary 24 is accessed through the network. Further, the dictionary management unit 25 manages from which registered translation unit 23X access is made, and gives word information read from the dictionary 24 to the corresponding registered translation unit 23X. For example, when access to the dictionary 24 from the registered translation units 23A,..., 23N is allocated in a time division manner, the relationship between the time slots and the registered translation units 23A,. In addition, it arbitrates the conflict of dictionary access as appropriate.
[0030]
Note that such a dictionary management method is the same as the conventional management method when a plurality of translation servers try to directly access a dictionary with respect to one dictionary server.
[0031]
(A-2) Operation of Embodiment Next, the operation of the dictionary sharing machine translation system 4 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.
[0032]
The translation server 5 transmits the translation unit in the self server 5 to the translation unit registration unit 21 of the dictionary server 6 (step S1). The registration transmission operation is, for example, uploading an executable file.
[0033]
The translation unit registration unit 21 provides the received translation unit to the translation unit management unit 22 for buffering (step S2), and then the translation unit management unit 22 vacates a portion (such as a storage area) that can be a registered translation unit. Based on the above, the received translation unit is stored in a free storage area so that it can function as a registered translation unit (reference numeral 23A here) (step S3). Further, the translation unit management unit 22 obtains a dictionary access interface (eg, time slot, call function, and function group entry point in time division access) from the dictionary management unit 25 (step S4), and the registered translation unit. Set to 23A (step S5).
[0034]
If the user inputs a translation target document to the translation server 5 (step S6), the translation server 5 immediately requests the dictionary server 6 to translate, and the translation unit management unit 22 of the dictionary server 6 asks the translation server 5 for translation. The translation target document is delivered to the registered translation unit 23A (step S7).
[0035]
The registered translation unit 23A executes a translation process while scanning the dictionary 24 using the interface set in step S5 (step S8), and the obtained translation result is sent to the translation server via the translation unit management unit 22. 5 is returned to the translation server 5 (step S9).
[0036]
When there are a plurality of registered translation units 23A to 23N, simultaneous dictionary scanning from each registered translation unit 23A to 23N is performed. However, since only reading is performed except when the dictionary 24 is updated, simultaneous use is performed. Will not cause damage. In addition, when the dictionary 24 is updated, conflicts can be prevented by performing control in the dictionary management unit 25, for example, file lock and exclusive control between processes.
[0037]
(A-3) Effects of the Embodiment As described above, according to the above embodiment, the translation unit (so-called translation) is not transferred from the dictionary server 6 to the translation server 5 but from the translation server 5 to the dictionary server 6. The engine) itself is transferred and registered in the dictionary server 6, and the translation unit is operated in the dictionary server 6. Therefore, traffic on the network (Internet) can be suppressed as compared with the conventional technology.
[0038]
Incidentally, the data volume of the translation unit (so-called translation engine) is much smaller than the data volume of the dictionary.
[0039]
(B) Other Embodiments As a modified embodiment of the above embodiment, the following examples can be given.
[0040]
In the above, the translation server 5 in which the translation unit is registered in the dictionary server 6 has been shown to use the translation unit registered by itself. However, a translation unit other than the one registered by itself can be selected and used. You may do it. In this case, it is possible to obtain translation results with different translation qualities, and not only a dictionary lending business but also a translation section lending business is possible.
[0041]
In the above description, a plurality of translation units can be registered in the dictionary server 6 at the same time. However, the number of translation units that can be registered may be one. For example, when the system of the present invention is applied to a small-scale LAN, the number of registrations may be one. Further, the number of translation servers that can register the translation unit in the dictionary server 6 may be one.
[0042]
Further, in the above description, the translation server 5 that can register the translation unit in the dictionary server 6 is not limited, but the translation server 5 that can register the translation unit may be limited.
[0043]
In the above description, the translation server 5 can register only the translation unit in the dictionary server 6. However, in addition to this, other information may be registered. For example, when the translation server 5 manages the user dictionary, the translation unit and the user dictionary may be registered in the dictionary server 6.
[0044]
Moreover, although the translation part management part 22 showed the example which receives the instruction | indication from the translation part instruction | indication part 12 above, you may make it register this translation part 23A-23N receive this instruction | indication directly.
[0045]
Further, in the above description, the translation unit management unit 22 transmits the translation result to the translation result reception output unit 13 in the translation server 5. However, the translation result is transmitted directly to the client as a user. Alternatively, the registered translation units 23A to 23N may directly transmit to the user's client.
[0046]
Furthermore, the translation result from the translation unit management unit 22 or the registered translation units 23A to 23N may call the other registered translation units 23A to 23N to activate other translations. The other translations here may be translations for the input document, or translations of the translation result document into different language types. Moreover, the translation result from the translation part management part 22 or registration translation part 23A-23N may call the translation management part 22 which exists in the other server constructed | assembled as a distributed system.
[0047]
Moreover, although what applied this invention to the machine translation system was shown above, this invention is applicable also to another natural language processing system. Since other natural language processing systems (for example, context recognition systems) perform natural language processing using a dictionary, the present invention can be applied.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the distributed natural language processing system of the present invention, a dictionary used in natural language processing is mounted from the first information processing apparatus including a program file for performing natural language processing. Since the program file is transmitted to the second information processing apparatus, and natural language processing is executed on the second information processing apparatus, the amount of communication between the two information processing apparatuses is less than that of the conventional information processing apparatus. can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a dictionary sharing machine translation system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a conventional method.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the dictionary sharing machine translation system according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an operation of the dictionary-shared machine translation system according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 ... Translation server, 5a, 6b ... Translation part, 6 ... Dictionary server, 6a, 24 ... Dictionary, 7 ... Network (Internet), 11 ... Translation part transmission part, 12 ... Translation execution instruction part, 13 ... Translation result reception output Section 21: Translation section registration section 22: Translation section management section 23: Registration translation section 25: Dictionary management section

Claims (4)

Distributed nature having one or a plurality of first information processing devices having a program file for performing natural language processing and a second information processing device having a dictionary used for natural language processing In the language processing system,
The first information processing apparatus is
Processing execution unit transmitting means for transmitting the program file to the second information processing apparatus;
Processing target transmission means for transmitting the natural language processing target to be processed by the natural language processing to the second information processing apparatus;
The second information processing apparatus is
Registered natural language processing means for registering the program file and performing natural language processing using the dictionary and the registered program file on the natural language processing target given from the first information processing apparatus;
A distributed natural language processing system, comprising: a process execution unit registration unit that registers the program file provided from the first information processing apparatus in the registered natural language processing unit. Distributed nature having one or a plurality of first information processing devices having a program file for performing natural language processing and a second information processing device having a dictionary used for natural language processing In the language processing system,
The first information processing apparatus is
Processing execution unit transmitting means for transmitting the program file to the second information processing apparatus;
Processing target transmission means for transmitting the natural language processing target to be processed by the natural language processing to the second information processing apparatus;
A result output means for outputting a natural language processing result given from the second information processing apparatus;
The second information processing apparatus is
Registered natural language processing means for registering the program file and performing natural language processing using the dictionary and the registered program file on the natural language processing target given from the first information processing apparatus;
Processing execution unit registration means for registering the program file given from the first information processing apparatus in the registered natural language processing means;
A distributed natural language processing system comprising: processing result return means for returning a natural language processing result by the registered natural language processing means to the first information processing apparatus.   The distributed natural language processing system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of registered natural language processing means can be set.   The distributed natural language processing system according to claim 1, wherein the natural language processing is machine translation.

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