A METHOD FOR PROVIDING MULTI-LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SERVICE AND A SYSTEM OF ENABLING THE METHOD
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and a system for providing search results for a predetermined key word on the web, and more particularly, to a method and a system for allowing search result data searched by a foreign search engine using a key word in a native language to be read in the native language.
Background Art
Since the advent of the Internet, user demands for a variety of information present on the Internet have been increased. However, if the information that a user desires to search for is expressed in a foreign language, there is a problem in that it is very difficult to read such information if the user is not versed in or lacks knowledge of the language.
In order to solve this problem, some search portal websites are providing web translation services. In such a service, search results are displayed in a language native to the user who is not versed in the foreign language, by translating a key word entered by a user in his/her native language, inputting the translated key word, as a query, into a search engine capable of supporting the relevant foreign language, translating the search results back into the user's native language, and outputting the translated search results to a user web browser. However, according to the conventional service, such a translation service provides only the translation of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) based texts, and cannot translate a number of banner advertisements or specific images displayed on the current web page. Thus, the user will read a number of foreign language banner advertisements or images that are worthless as information, along with the translated search results. There are problems with this service that the display area in a web page being a limited resource cannot be constructed effectively, as well as that useless information is provided to the user.
Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-49928 discloses an invention directed to a device and method for operating a multi-language search engine. The
device for operating the multi-language search engine, disclosed in the laid-open publication, is characterized in that it comprises a first means for translating a query requested by a web browser, a second means for performing a search based on the translated query in an associated language, and a third means for editing search results to output them in the form of search results in the form of a Korean, English or Japanese page or to output them according to the user's selection.
However, the invention as disclosed in the laid-open publication relates to a method for using a number of foreign search engines, rather than using one foreign search engine simply, to translate back search results into Korean so that the translated results are properly displayed to a user. There is a problem that the invention has the aforementioned problem in the prior art as currently exists.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary construction of a web translation and search system according to the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1, the web translation and search system according to the prior art roughly comprises a user web browser 110; a translation and search web server 120 for managing and controlling all procedures including receiving key words from the user, translating the input key words to perform a search through a foreign search engine, and translating back search results into Korean to output final search results expressed in HTML format to the user; a translation server 130 for performing the role of translating Korean into a foreign language or the foreign language into Korean; and a foreign search engine 140 for outputting a list of foreign web documents for translated key words.
The conventional web translation system shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows:
© An user enters a key word in Korean using the user web browser 110. The translation and search web server 120 is input with the Korean key word. φ The translation and search web server 120 sends the input key word to the translation server 130 to request the translation of the key word into the foreign language. The translation and search web server 120 receives the translated key word from the translation server 130. φ The translation and search web server 120 inputs the translated key word as a query to the foreign search engine 140 to request information search for the key word. The foreign search engine 140 summarizes a list of search results and the contents of the search results in the list to be displayed on an associated web page.
® The foreign search engine 140 returns the search result data in HTML format to the translation and search web server 120.
© The translation and search web server 120 sends back the foreign language text of the search result data in HTML format to the translation server 130 to request translation for the foreign language text. The translation server 130 translates the foreign language text into Korean.
© The search result data in HTML format, including the foreign language text translated into Korean, is output to the user browser 110 via the translation and search web server 120. FIG. 2 shows a search result screen that is output to the user browser through the. conventional web translation system described above.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the case of searching for travel-related information in a Japanese web page by inputting the key word 'travel' into a key word input window, only portions corresponding to Japanese text of search result data (HTML format), which have been searched through any search engine in Japan, are translated and output to a user web browser. Accordingly, a banner advertisement or a specific image included in the search result data in HTML format is not translated and edited at all. The Japanese banner advertisements or the like as shown on a lower right side of FIG. 2 are worthless information from the user's point of view. Many portions of the web page are allocated to output such unnecessary information in configuring the web page, which acts as an obstacle to effective operation of the web page.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for providing a multi-language search and translation service, capable of allowing information useful for a user to be included in translated search result data over a conventional multi-language search and translation service centered on foreign language text translation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for providing a multi-language search and translation service, capable of more effectively managing the display area of a web page, which is limited resources, by solving the
problem that a web page cannot be effectively constructed in a conventional multi-language search and translation service.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for providing a multi-language search and translation service capable of creating a new profit model through the insertion of banner advertisements or specific images that service providers desire to provide, by allowing multi-language search results to be output under management of a multi-language search and translation service provider, as well as by allowing the display area of a web page to be more effectively managed.
A method for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to an aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of receiving a key word expressed in a first language; translating the received key word into a second language; inputting the translated key word as a query to a predetermined search engine that supports the second language; receiving search result data for the translated key word from the predetermined search engine; discriminating data needing translation by analyzing the received search result data; translating the discriminated data into the first language; and formatting and outputting the translated data.
A system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a central processing module for sending a key word expressed in a first language, input from a user, to a translation server, inputting the key word translated into a second language by the translation server as a query to a predetermined search engine, receiving search result data expressed in the second language from the search engine, discriminating data needing translation among the received search result data, sending the discriminated data to the translation server, and receiving the data translated into the first language from the translation server; a user interface editing unit for formatting the data translated into the first language; and an interface unit for receiving the key word expressed in the first language and outputting the formatted data to a web browser of the user.
Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary construction of a web translation and search system according to the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a search result screen that is output to the user
browser through the conventional web translation system according to the prior art.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of a method for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows an output screen of search results output onto the user browser according to a method for providing the multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
Hereinafter, a method and system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to an embodiment of the present invention is, greatly, composed of a user web browser 310, a translation and search web server 320 including a user interface (UI) editing unit 330, a translation server 340, a database 350, a second language search interface server 360, and a second language search engine 370.
The user web browser 310 serves as an interface between a user and the search system. The user inputs a key word of a first language for information the user desires to search, through the web browser 310. The search results of the first language are output to the user web browser 310.
The translation and search web server 320 serves to manage and control functions for receiving a key word from the user, translating the key word to perform a web search in a second language, and translating back a search result data into the first language to deliver it to the user web browser 310. More specifically, the translation and search web server 320, greatly, may include an interface unit (not shown) for performing an interface function with the user web browser 310, a central processing module 380 for controlling and managing the overall operation of multi-language
translation and search services according to the present invention, and a user interface editing unit 330 for reconstructing the user interface of a web page, on which the search result data translated into the first language is output, according to a predetermined criterion. Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined criterion is a key word expressed in the first language or a key word translated into the second language. The user interface editing unit can be operative to allow advertisements to be included in the web page according to the predetermined criterion.
The translation server 340 serves to translate the key word of the first language, input from the user, into the second language using dictionary data stored in the database 350, and translate back the search result data of the second language into the first language. The translation server 340 may be positioned in the system of the multi-language translation and search service provider. Alternatively, it may be positioned at a third party's system, which is operative to perform only the translation function.
The second language search interface server 360 is a server for interfacing the search service on the second language. The interface server provides search results in
XML (extended Markup Language) format to provide the translation and search function. The second language search engine 370 is a search engine for performing search for a key word of the second language.
The system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to an embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3 operates, as follows:
© The user inputs a key word expressed in the first language through the user web browser 310. The translation and search web server 320 is input with the key word expressed in the first language.
© The translation and search web server 320 sends the input key word to the translation server 330 to request translation of the key word into the second language, and is delivered with the translated key word from the translation server 330. φ The translation and search web server 320 sends the key word translated into the second language to the second language search interface server 360.
@ The key word sent to the second language search interface server 360,
translated into the second language, is input to the second language search engine 370 as a query, and the second language search engine 370 performs search for the key word and returns the search result data to the second language search interface server 360.
© The second language search interface server 360 represents the search result data, received from the second language search engine 370, in XML format and delivers it to the translation and search web server 320.
© The translation and search web server 120 discriminates portions needing translation among the search result data in XML format, and sends them to the translation server 340 to request translation into the first language. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for extracting translation fields partitioned by a tag within XML may be used in discriminating portions needing translation of the search result data in XML format. The translation server 340 translates it into the first language and returns to the translation and search web server 320. © The search result data, translated into the first language, is formatted into a predetermined format and is re-edited into HTML format by the user interface editing unit 330 so that it is delivered to the user web browser 310.
In the system for providing a multi-language translation and search service according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first language may be Korean and the second language may be English, Japanese or Chinese.
With the aforementioned operational procedure of the system for providing the multi-language translation and search service according to an embodiment of the present invention, since translation into the first language and the edition of the user interface are performed prior to formulating a HTML sentence output onto the user web browser 310, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary banner advertisements or the like from the search result data and to insert predetermined information (a specific banner advertisement, useful information, or the like) that the multi-language translation and search service provider desires to provide. Such predetermined information, which the multi-language translation and search service provider desires to provide, is allowed to be inserted with a banner advertisement related to the key word expressed in the first language, for example, the banner advertisements of travel companies in Korea related to travel in case of searching a Japanese web with the key word 'travel,' banner
advertisements of insurance companies that sell travel insurance goods in Korea related to travel, or the like. In inserting banner advertisements related to such a key word, it is possible to insert an advertisement, which can be more widely viewed on the web page, by paying high advertisement rates, i.e. a sponsor advertisement currently served by a number of search engines. Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the banner advertisement may be a banner advertisement of any travel-related company in Japan, which has been searched with a key word obtained by translating the key word 'travel' into Japanese. In the aforementioned embodiment, the multi-language translation and search service provider can find the total of hits for the banner advertisement of the travel-related company in Japan displayed on the web browser by a user who has performed a Japanese web search with the key word 'travel' in Korea, or the like, to provide a predetermined feedback report for an advertisement owner in Japan that has requested the insertion of his/her banner advertisement.
Although the system for providing the multi-language translation and search service according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 has been configured a number of server means, the server means are only simple classification for illustration of functionality and are irrelative to actual physical positions of the server means.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of a method for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention.
A method for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 4 receives a predetermined key word expressed in the first language from a user (step 410). The translation and search web server receives the key word expressed in the first language, input by the user, and sends the key word to the translation server to request translation of the key word expressed in the first language. The translation server translates the key word into the second language (step 420), and returns it to the translation and search web server. The key word translated into the second language is input as a query from the translation and search web server to the second language search engine via the second language search interface server (step 430). The second language search engine performs search for the key word (step 440), and search result data, searched by the second language search engine, is expressed in XML format by the second language search interface server and
is sent to the translation and search web server (step 450). Next, the search result data, expressed in XML format, is analyzed to discriminate data needing translation into the first language (step 460). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the discriminating step can be performed with a method for extracting fields partitioned and displayed by a tag within the XML source code. That is, the fields needing translation can be classified with a predetermined tag within the XML code. The search and translation web server can detect fields needing translation by detecting the fields classified by this tag. The text, expressed in the second language, which has been discriminated as needing translation among the sent search result data is sent to the translation server and is translated into the first language (step 470). The search result data translated into the first language is formatted at the user interface editing unit of the translation and search web server and is output onto the user's web browser (step 480). The multi-language search and translation service is ended (step 490).
In the system for providing a multi-language translation and search service according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first language may be Korean while the second language may be English, Japanese, or Chinese.
It is possible to newly edit a configuration of a web page including the text translated into the first language, in step 480. As one instance, it is possible to construct it into a new HTML format of web page by eliminating banner advertisements or specific images except for the text discriminated as needing translation among transferred search result data and, instead, by inserting bam er advertisements or specific images desired by the search service provider. It is also possible to insert useful information for a predetermined key word that the user desires to search in the second language search engine. Such predetermined information that the multi-language translation and search service provider desires to provide is allowed to be inserted with a banner advertisement related to the key word expressed in the first language, for example, a banner advertisement of travel companies in Korea in the case of carrying out a Japanese web search with the key word 'travel,' a banner advertisement of insurance companies for selling travel insurance goods in Korea, or the like. In inserting such a banner advertisement related to the key word, it is possible to insert an advertisement, which can be more widely viewed on the web page, by paying high advertisement rates, i.e. a
sponsor advertisement currently served by a number of search engines. Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the banner advertisement may be a banner advertisement of a travel-related company in Japan, which has been searched using the key word 'travel' translated into Japanese. In the above embodiment, the multi-language translation and search service provider can find the number of hits for a banner advertisement of a travel-related company in Japan displayed on the web browser, clicked by a user who has performed a Japanese web search with the key word 'travel' in Korea, or the like, to provide a predetermined feedback report for a Japanese advertisement owner who has requested the insertion of his/her banner advertisement. A number of server means, mentioned in the explanation on the method for providing a multi-language translation and search service according to the embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4, are only simple classification for illustration of functionality, and are irrelative to actual physical positions of the server.
FIG. 5 shows an output screen of search results output onto the user browser according to a method for providing the multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 5, in case of attempting to search travel-related information on a Japanese web page by inputting the key word 'travel' into a key word input window, it is possible to translate portions corresponding to Japanese text among search result data (in XML format) searched through a search engine in Japan, and to newly construct the web page using the translated text. There is shown, in a lower right portion of FIG. 5, a predetermined output banner advertisement set by a service provider, rather than a Japanese banner advertisement that has been inserted in the search result data. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an output banner advertisement in this embodiment may be a banner advertisement related to a key word, which is the same as the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Industrial applicability The method and system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention provides the technical advantage capable of allowing information useful for a user to be included in translated search result data over
a conventional multi-language search and translation service centered on foreign language text translation.
Further, the method and system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention provides the technical advantage capable of more effectively managing the display area of a web page, which is limited resources, by solving the problem that a web page cannot be effectively constructed in a conventional multi-language search and translation service.
Further, the method and system for providing a multi-language search and translation service according to the present invention provides the technical advantage capable of creating a new profit model through the insertion of banner advertisements or specific images that service providers desire to provide, by allowing multi-language search results to be output under management of a multi-language search and translation service provider, as well as by allowing the display area of a web page to be more effectively managed. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.