Translation device, translation method, translation program, and translation system

Abstract

This translation device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires information relating to a character string included in relevant drawing data; a translation unit that, on the basis of the character-string-related information acquired by the acquisition unit, translates the character string from a first language that is a translation source language to a second language that is a translation target language; and an arrangement unit that arranges a translated character string, which is the character string translated by the translation unit, in a margin region within the relevant drawing data.

Description

Translation device, translation method, translation program, and translation system

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a translation device, a translation method, a translation program, and a translation system.

[0002] A method and system for multilingual translation including a domain adaptation verification / correction service is known (for example, JP 2015-032307 A). The method and system include a generic machine translation (GMT) engine, a domain-specific multilingual terminology dictionary (DS), and a translation processing device. The translation processing device makes a first call to the GMT engine to obtain a first translation of text input into a first translation text, verifies the presence of domain-specific terminology items included in the first translation text, and, while determining the accuracy of the first translation text using the DS, replaces the domain-specific terminology items with domain-specific translation text items from the DS when determining an incorrect translation.

[0003] There is also known a machine translation device that allows a user to import various grammatical attributes and translation knowledge from a system dictionary into a user dictionary (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-079824). This machine translation device includes a dictionary unit having a system dictionary that stores basic knowledge for translating natural language sentences in a first language into natural language sentences in a second language and a user dictionary that stores unique terms registered by the user, a dictionary registration unit that reuses all or part of the registered contents of words already registered in the system dictionary when registering new words in the user dictionary, and a translation unit that translates natural language sentences in the first language into natural language sentences in the second language using the knowledge from the dictionary unit.

[0004] A translation support program is also known that, when editing a translated text to create a bilingual text, indicates portions of the original text that may be missing a translation (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-032307). This translation support program performs morphological analysis on the edited string to generate a first morpheme sequence corresponding to the string inserted during editing and a second morpheme sequence corresponding to the string deleted during editing. Next, with reference to a synonym dictionary, synonym expansion is performed for each morpheme included in the first and second morpheme sequences, and synonyms are added to morphemes that have synonyms. Next, each morpheme in the first morpheme sequence is associated with each morpheme in the second morpheme sequence. Morphemes that are not included in the first morpheme sequence but are included only in the second morpheme sequence are detected as differential morphemes. Furthermore, with reference to a bilingual dictionary, a bilingual dictionary search is performed for the detected differential morphemes to obtain the notation of the differential morphemes in the source language. Next, the notation in the source language is compared with the source language sentence, and words in the source language sentence that correspond to the notation in the source language are identified as candidates for missing translation.

[0005] As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-032307 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-079824, translations are sometimes performed using dictionaries containing domain-specific technical terms or unique terms registered by users. However, after technical terms or unique terms are translated, it is difficult for users to confirm whether the terms have been translated correctly. Furthermore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-032307, even if possible missing translation parts are presented, it is difficult to confirm translation errors if the translation ends up with a meaning different from the intended meaning of the original text.

[0006] The disclosed technology aims to provide a translation device, a translation method, a translation program, and a translation system that can display a string of characters in drawing data and a translation of that string so that they can be compared within the drawing data.

[0007] A translation device according to a first aspect includes an acquisition unit that acquires information about a character string included in target drawing data, a translation unit that translates the character string from a first language, which is a source language, to a second language, which is a target language, based on the information about the character string acquired by the acquisition unit, and a placement unit that places the translated character string, which is the character string translated by the translation unit, in a margin area within the target drawing data.

[0008] A second aspect of the translation device is the translation device of the first aspect, wherein the translation unit translates the technical terms contained in the string from the first language to the second language based on a technical term dictionary in which pairs of terms in the first language and terms in the second language indicating technical terms used in a specific field are registered.

[0009] A translation device according to a third aspect is the translation device according to the first aspect, wherein the translation unit translates the user's own terms contained in the character string from the first language to the second language based on a user dictionary in which the user's own terms and the meanings of the terms are registered in pairs.

[0010] A translation device according to a fourth aspect is the translation device according to the first aspect, wherein, when the character string includes a character string indicating a quantity, the translation unit converts the character string indicating the quantity into a character string indicated in a unit system specified by the user.

[0011] A translation device according to a fifth aspect is the translation device according to the first aspect, wherein the placement unit places the translated character string in the blank space near the character string based on position information of the character string.

[0012] A translation device according to a sixth aspect is the translation device according to the first aspect, wherein the placement unit sets the size of characters in the translation character string based on the size of the margin area and the number of characters in the translation character string.

[0013] A translation method according to a seventh aspect involves a computer executing a process to acquire information about a character string included in target drawing data, translate the character string from a first language, which is the source language, to a second language, which is the target language, based on the acquired information about the character string, and place the translated character string, which is the translated character string, in a margin area within the target drawing data.

[0014] The translation program of the eighth aspect causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring information regarding a character string contained in target drawing data, translating the character string from a first language, which is the language from which the character string is to be translated, to a second language, which is the language to which the character string is to be translated, based on the acquired information regarding the character string, and placing the translated character string, which is the translated character string, in a margin area within the target drawing data.

[0015] A translation system according to a ninth aspect is a translation system comprising a plurality of user terminals and a translation device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein any one of the plurality of user terminals transmits instruction data indicating a designation of one or more of the target drawing data and a designation regarding translation to the translation device, the translation device receives the instruction data transmitted from the user terminal, transmits the target drawing data including the translation character string corresponding to the instruction data to the user terminal, and the user terminal displays the target drawing data including the translation character string.

[0016] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to display a character string in drawing data and a translation of the character string in the drawing data so that they can be compared.

[0017] FIG. 1 is an example of a block diagram showing a translation system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is an example of drawing data in which translated character strings according to the present embodiment are arranged; FIG. 3 is an example of a display screen of a user terminal that accepts a specification of translation of a character string according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a computer that functions as each device of the translation system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a block diagram that shows an example of the functional configuration of a drawing database construction server according to the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a block diagram that shows an example of the functional configuration of a translation server according to the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flowchart that shows an example of character analysis processing executed by the drawing database construction server according to the present embodiment; FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram that shows an example of information exchange between the translation server according to the present embodiment and a user terminal; FIG. 9 is a flowchart that shows an example of translation processing executed by the translation server according to the present embodiment;

[0018] The translation system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which character strings (e.g., descriptions, dimensions, etc.) contained in drawing data used in the manufacturing industry are translated and displayed. The manufacturing industry is an example of a "specific field." The "specific field" in this disclosure is not limited to manufacturing and may be applied to various fields. Examples of the "specific field" include construction, clothing, etc.

[0019] <System Configuration of Translation System> Fig. 1 is an example of a block diagram showing a translation system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the translation system 10 according to this embodiment includes an administrator terminal 12, a drawing database construction server 14, a translation server 16, and multiple user terminals 18A, 18B, and 18C. Note that, hereinafter, a single user terminal will be referred to as a user terminal 18 unless a specific terminal is being referred to. The administrator terminal 12, drawing database construction server 14, translation server 16, and user terminal 18 are communicatively connected via a network 19 such as the Internet.

[0020] The translation system 10 of this embodiment identifies information about character strings present in the drawing data (e.g., character string, language type, unit system, coordinate position, etc.). Then, based on the information about the identified character string, the translation system 10 translates the character string in the drawing data in accordance with specified information about the translation (e.g., source language, target language, unit system to be displayed after translation, etc.). The translation system 10 then displays the drawing data in which the translated character string is placed in the margin of the drawing data. The coordinate position is an example of "position information." The translated character string is an example of "translation character string."

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of drawing data with translated text. The drawing data targeted by this embodiment is, for example, data in Portable Document Format (PDF) format generated by scanning a paper drawing. The drawing data in FIG. 2 includes a drawing of a metal processed product and a description of the drawing. The description in this embodiment includes a description N1 in English and a description N2 in Japanese. Description N1 includes, for example, the following English description: "note) 1. burr removal 2. This component is based on drawing 62J611-12170 To M12 add screw hole * measurement_ 3. Welded component need coating." Description N2 includes the following Japanese description: "note 1. burr removal 2. This component is based on drawing 62J611-12170 To M12 add screw hole * measurement_ 3. Welded component need coating." The word "note" is circled, and the other parts are underlined. English is an example of a "first language, which is a language from which a translation is made." Japanese is an example of a "second language, which is a language into which a translation is made."

[0022] In this way, by placing and displaying the explanatory sentence N2 decorated with underlining near the explanatory sentence N1, it is displayed that the translated sentence of the explanatory sentence N1 is the explanatory sentence N2.

[0023] 1 is a terminal operated by an administrative user who manages the translation server 16 and the drawing database construction server 14. Specifically, the administrative user operates the administrative terminal 12 to exchange information between the translation server 16 and the drawing database construction server 14.

[0024] (Drawing database construction server 14) The drawing database construction server 14 is a server for constructing a database in which multiple pieces of drawing data are stored. As shown in Fig. 1, the drawing database construction server 14 includes a drawing database 20. The drawing database 20 of this embodiment is stored in a storage unit 73 (see Fig. 4) of the drawing database construction server 14, which will be described later.

[0025] The drawing database 20 stores drawing data and information relating to character strings contained in the drawing data. The drawing database 20 stores information such as character strings of explanatory text contained in the drawing data, language information (e.g., Japanese, English, etc.), coordinate positions within the drawing data, and the type of unit system used.

[0026] (Translation Server 16) The translation server 16 is a server for translating character strings included in drawing data and placing the translated character strings within the drawing data. As shown in FIG. 1, the translation server 16 includes a drawing database 30, a translation database 32, and a translation program 40. In this embodiment, the drawing database 30, the translation database 32, and the translation program 40 are stored in a storage unit 73 (see FIG. 4) of the translation server 16, which will be described later. The following describes the case where character strings are translated between Japanese and English. However, the source language and the target language are not limited to these languages ​​and may be various languages ​​such as Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, German, Italian, French, and Portuguese.

[0027] The drawing database 30 stores the same data as the drawing database 20. The drawing database 30 is constructed by copying and transferring the data of the drawing database 20 when the drawing database 20 is constructed. Furthermore, when the drawing database 20 is updated, the drawing database 30 is updated by copying and transferring the data of the drawing database 20. Note that when the data in the drawing database 20 is updated, the drawing database 30 may be updated by copying and transferring only the data updated in the drawing database 20.

[0028] The translation database 32 is a database that stores dictionary data that is referenced during translation. The translation database 32 of this embodiment includes a technical terminology dictionary 34 that stores technical terms in the field of manufacturing, a customer terminology dictionary 36 that stores in-house terms for each user, and a unit conversion table 38 for converting units. The translation database 32 also includes dictionary data (not shown) for translating general terms. The customer terminology dictionary 36 is an example of a "user dictionary." The in-house terms are an example of a "user's own terms."

[0029] The technical term dictionary 34 is dictionary data that stores Japanese terms and English terms for technical terms in the field of manufacturing, in association with each other. In this embodiment, the technical term dictionary 34 stores, for example, "tolerance" and "tolerance" in association with each other, and "deep counterbore" and "counterbore" in association with each other. The technical term dictionary 34 may also store terms and sentences in association with each other. For example, the technical term dictionary 34 stores, for example, "burr removal" and "deburring" in association with each other.

[0030] The customer terminology dictionary 36 is dictionary data that stores in-house terms in association with general terms corresponding to the in-house terms. In the present embodiment, the customer terminology dictionary 36 stores, for example, a correspondence between "P number" and "part number," and a correspondence between "prototype drawing" and "prototype drawing." The customer terminology dictionary 36 may also store in-house terms in Japanese in association with English terms corresponding to the in-house terms. For example, the customer terminology dictionary 36 may store, for example, a correspondence between "P number" and "part number," and a correspondence between "prototype drawing" and "prototype drawing."

[0031] The unit conversion table 38 is an information table for converting units of quantity. Specifically, the unit conversion table 38 stores information for converting between the metric system and the imperial system. For example, the unit conversion table 38 stores information that a dimension in the imperial system can be converted to a dimension in the metric system by multiplying it by 2.54. Note that the unit systems stored in the unit conversion table 38 are not limited to unit systems related to length, and may also include unit systems related to mass, time, electric current, thermodynamic temperature, amount of substance, luminous intensity, etc.

[0032] The translation program 40 is a program that executes processes including various processes (see FIGS. 9 and 10) described below. When the translation program 40 is executed, the translation server 16 executes processes based on the translation program 40 using various hardware resources (see FIG. 4).

[0033] (User terminal 18) The user terminal 18 is a terminal operated by a user. Specifically, the user exchanges information with the translation server 16 by operating the user terminal 18. In this embodiment, the user terminal 18 transmits instruction data indicating the designation of drawing data, the source language, the target language, and the unit system to be displayed after translation to the translation server 16 in response to user operation. The user terminal 18 also receives drawing data from the translation server 16, in which translation text has been placed in the margins of the designated drawing data (hereinafter also referred to as target drawing data), and displays the drawing data on a display (not shown) provided in the user terminal 18.

[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a display screen M100 of the user terminal 18 that accepts a specification for the translation of a character string according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 , the display screen M100 of the user terminal 18 includes a language selection area M10, a drawing data specification area M20, a unit system selection area M30, and a specification result display area M40. The display screen M100 also includes a display language selection button M101 that accepts the selection of a language to be displayed on the display screen M100, a user display M102 that displays the currently logged-in user, and a batch translation button M103 that executes the translation of multiple drawing data at once. In this embodiment, the display language selection button M101 indicates that "English" has been selected, for example. The user display M102 displays the letter "h" indicating the initial letter of the user ID. The batch translation button M103 displays the word "Translate."

[0035] The language selection area M10 is an area for specifying the source language and the target language. In this embodiment, the language selection area M10 includes a language selection button M11, a language selection button M12, and a reset button M13.

[0036] The language selection button M11 is a button for selecting the language to be translated into. For example, the language selection button M11 indicates that "Japanese" has been selected.

[0037] The language selection button M12 is a button for selecting the language to translate into. For example, the language selection button M12 indicates that "English" is selected from three languages: "English," "Vietnamese," and "Portuguese."

[0038] The reset button M13 is a button for resetting the language selection setting. Pressing the reset button M13 sets the selected language of the language selection buttons M11 and M12 to the default language. Pressing the reset button M13, for example, sets the language of the language selection button M11 to "English" and the language of the language selection button M12 to "Vietnamese." Note that pressing the reset button M13 may also reset the setting of the unit system selection button M31, which will be described later.

[0039] The drawing data specification area M20 is an area for specifying the drawing data to be translated. In this embodiment, the drawing data specification area M20 accepts the specification of drawing data by dragging and dropping a file representing the drawing data into the drawing data specification area M20 or by referencing and selecting the file. Note that the drawing data specification area M20 may accept multiple files representing drawing data at one time.

[0040] The unit system selection area M30 is an area for accepting the specification of the unit system to be displayed after translation. The unit system selection area M30 of this embodiment includes a unit system selection button M31.

[0041] The unit system selection button M31 is a button for selecting the unit system of length to be displayed after translation. The unit system selection button M31 displays, for example, that "Metric Units (i.e., metric system)" has been selected. Although not shown, by pressing the unit system selection button M31 in this embodiment, "Imperial Units (i.e., imperial system)" can also be selected.

[0042] The designated result display area M40 is an area for displaying designated information regarding the translation of each piece of target drawing data. In the designated result display area M40, for example, three setting display windows M41 are displayed.

[0043] The setting display window M41 is a window that displays the translation specification for each target drawing data, and is displayed each time drawing data is specified. In this embodiment, the setting display window M41 includes a file name display M42, a translation status display M43, a preview button M44, a translation execution button M45, and a delete button M46.

[0044] The file name display M42 displays the file name of each target drawing data. For example, the file name display M42 displays that "sample1.pdf", "sample2.pdf", and "sample3.pdf" are specified.

[0045] The translation status display M43 displays the status of the translation, the source language, and the target language. For example, the translation status display M43 displays "Status: Raw (i.e., not translated)" and "Language: ja ⇒ en (i.e., translated from Japanese to English)." Note that when a translation execution button M45 (described later) is pressed to perform translation, the display may be changed to "Status: Translated (i.e., translated)."

[0046] The preview button M44 is a button for displaying a preview of the translation result. When the preview button M44 is pressed, for example, the drawing data shown in FIG.

[0047] 3 is a button for executing translation. When the translation execution button M45 is pressed, the drawing data of the file name displayed in the file name display M42 is converted into the drawing data displayed when the preview button M44 is pressed.

[0048] The delete button M46 is a button for deleting the designated drawing data. Specifically, when the delete button M46 is pressed, the setting display window M41 corresponding to the pressed delete button is cleared.

[0049] In this way, by displaying multiple setting display windows M41 and the batch translation button M103, it is displayed that pressing the batch translation button M103 will execute translation for multiple pieces of displayed target drawing data at once. In other words, the translation server 16 of this embodiment displays the fact that multiple pieces of target drawing data can be translated at once.

[0050] Furthermore, by displaying the language selection area M10 and the unit system selection area M30, it is displayed that the character string included in the target drawing data accepted in the drawing data selection area M20 will be converted into the language specified in the language selection area M10 and the unit system selected in the unit system selection area M30. In other words, according to the user terminal 18 of this embodiment, since multiple drawing data can be accepted in the drawing data selection area M20, it is displayed that translation can be specified for the accepted multiple drawing data all at once.

[0051] An area for accepting designation of a customer terminology dictionary to be referenced during translation may be displayed on the display screen M100 of the user terminal 18. For example, the user terminal 18 displays a button that allows the user to select a customer terminology dictionary in which a company's internal terms are registered to be referenced.

[0052] (Hardware Configuration of Each Device) FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a computer 70 that functions as each device in the translation system 10 according to this embodiment.

[0053] The administrator terminal 12, drawing database creation server 14, translation server 16, and user terminal 18 of the translation system 10 can each be realized by, for example, a computer 70 shown in FIG. 4 . The computer 70 includes a CPU 71, a memory 72 serving as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 73. The computer 70 also includes an input / output interface (I / F) 74 to which input / output devices (not shown) are connected, and a read / write (R / W) unit 75 that controls reading and writing of data from and to a recording medium. The computer 70 also includes a network I / F 76 that is connected to a network such as the Internet. The CPU 71, memory 72, storage unit 73, input / output I / F 74, R / W unit 75, and network I / F 76 are interconnected via a bus 77.

[0054] The storage unit 73 can be realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 73 as a storage medium stores a program for operating the computer 70. The CPU 71 reads the program from the storage unit 73, loads it into the memory 72, and sequentially executes the processes contained in the program.

[0055] (Functional Configuration of Drawing Database Building Server 14) FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the drawing database building server 14 according to this embodiment.

[0056] The drawing database construction server 14 of this embodiment functions as a reception unit 14A, a character analysis unit 14B, and a construction unit 14C by the CPU 71 executing a program (not shown).

[0057] The reception unit 14A has a function of receiving drawing data. The reception unit 14A in this embodiment receives one or more pieces of drawing data transmitted from the administrator terminal 12. Note that the reception unit 14A may also receive drawing data from the user terminal 18.

[0058] The character analysis unit 14B has a function of detecting and analyzing character strings included in the drawing data. In this embodiment, the character analysis unit 14B detects character strings written in the drawing data accepted by the acceptance unit 14A. The character analysis unit 14B then analyzes the language information of the detected character strings, their coordinate positions on the drawing data, and the unit system of dimensions. Note that the character strings detected by the character analysis unit 14B are not limited to explanatory text, and may also be character strings indicating dimensions, symbols, handwritten notes, etc.

[0059] The coordinate position of the character string is indicated by the x- and y-coordinates on the drawing data. In this embodiment, the coordinate position of the character string is indicated by the coordinate positions of the upper left corner and the lower right corner of a rectangular area obtained by dividing the area in which the character string is arranged on the drawing data.

[0060] The construction unit 14C has a function of storing drawing data and information about character strings included in the drawing data in association with each other. Specifically, the construction unit 14C stores the drawing data received by the reception unit 14A in association with the character strings detected by the character analysis unit 14B and information about the analyzed character strings in the drawing database 20. The construction unit 14C of this embodiment stores the drawing data in association with the character strings described in the drawing data, language information about the character strings, the coordinate positions of the character strings on the drawing data, and the type of unit system used. Furthermore, if the character analysis unit 14B analyzes that the detected character strings do not include character strings indicating dimensions, the construction unit 14C of this embodiment may not store the type of unit system used.

[0061] The construction unit 14C also has a function of copying and storing information stored in the drawing database 20 in the drawing database 30. The construction unit 14C of this embodiment stores information related to the drawing data received by the reception unit 14A in the drawing database 20, and then copies and stores the information stored in the drawing database 20 in the drawing database 30. Note that the construction unit 14C may copy only data that has been updated in the drawing database 20 and store it in the drawing database 30, rather than copying all of the data stored in the drawing database 20.

[0062] (Functional Configuration of Translation Server 16) FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the translation server 16 according to this embodiment.

[0063] The translation server 16 of this embodiment functions as a receiving unit 16A, an acquiring unit 16B, a translating unit 16C, an arranging unit 16D, and a transmitting unit 16E by the CPU 71 executing the translation program 40.

[0064] The receiving unit 16A has a function of receiving information indicating designation of drawing data and designation regarding translation. The receiving unit 16A in this embodiment receives instruction data transmitted from the user terminal 18. Note that the receiving unit 16A may also receive instruction data from the administrator terminal 12.

[0065] The acquisition unit 16B has a function of acquiring information about character strings described in the target drawing data. The acquisition unit 16B in this embodiment acquires information such as character strings included in the target drawing data, language information about the character strings, coordinate positions, and the unit system used, from the drawing database 30. Note that the acquisition unit 16B may also acquire information about character strings described in the target drawing data from the drawing database 20 of the drawing database construction server 14.

[0066] The translation unit 16C has a function of translating character strings. In this embodiment, the translation unit 16C translates the character string acquired by the acquisition unit 16B by referring to the technical term dictionary 34 and the customer term dictionary 36 stored in the translation database 32. The translation unit 16C also converts the unit system of the quantity included in the character string by referring to the unit conversion table 38 stored in the translation database 32.

[0067] The placement unit 16D has a function of detecting white space within the target drawing data and placing the translated character string in that white space. Specifically, the placement unit 16D of this embodiment detects the coordinate position and size of white space within the target drawing data where no drawings, character strings, etc. are written. Then, the placement unit 16D places the translation translated by the translation unit 16C in the white space near the coordinate position of the character string corresponding to the translation. Note that the white space near the coordinate position of the character string is, for example, white space that exists within a predetermined range from the coordinate position of the character string.

[0068] The placement unit 16D also has a function of changing the format of the translation. In this embodiment, the placement unit 16D adjusts the size of the characters in the translation so that the translation fits within the margin. The placement unit 16D also applies character decoration (e.g., circling, underlining, etc.) to the translation.

[0069] The transmitting unit 16E has a function of transmitting the target drawing data in which the translated character string has been placed. The transmitting unit 16E in this embodiment transmits the target drawing data in which the translation has been placed by the placing unit 16D to the user terminal 18.

[0070] <Operation of Translation System 10> Next, the operation of the translation system 10 of this embodiment will be described. First, a scene will be described in which an administrative user operates the administrator terminal 12 to construct a database in which multiple pieces of drawing data are stored.

[0071] (Processing of drawing database construction server 14) The administrative user operates the administrator terminal 12 to input multiple pieces of drawing data for database construction into the drawing database construction server 14. In response, the drawing database construction server 14 executes the character analysis process shown in Fig. 7. The character analysis process is executed by the CPU 71 of the drawing database construction server 14 reading a program from the storage unit 73, expanding it into the memory 72, and executing it. The character analysis process is executed by the CPU 71 of the drawing database construction server 14 functioning as the reception unit 14A, character analysis unit 14B, and construction unit 14C.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a character analysis process executed by the drawing database creation server 14 according to this embodiment.

[0073] 7, the drawing database construction server 14 receives a plurality of pieces of drawing data. Specifically, the drawing database construction server 14 receives a plurality of pieces of drawing data from the manager terminal 12.

[0074] In step S102, the drawing database construction server 14 sets one piece of drawing data. Specifically, the drawing database construction server 14 accepts one piece of drawing data from the plurality of pieces of drawing data accepted in step S100.

[0075] In step S104, the drawing database construction server 14 detects a character string. Specifically, the drawing database construction server 14 detects an explanatory sentence written in one piece of drawing data set in step S102.

[0076] In step S106, the drawing database construction server 14 performs character recognition processing on the explanatory text detected in step S104, for example, by using a known OCR (Optical Character Reader).

[0077] In step S108, the drawing database construction server 14 analyzes the language information of the character string and the unit system used. For example, the drawing database construction server 14 performs a known language determination process to determine the type of language for the explanatory text that has been subjected to the character recognition process in step S106. The drawing database construction server 14 also analyzes the type of unit system used in the explanatory text.

[0078] In step S110, the drawing database construction server 14 acquires the coordinate position of the character string. The drawing database construction server 14 of this embodiment acquires the coordinate position on the drawing data of the explanatory text detected in step S104.

[0079] In step S112, the drawing database construction server 14 stores a combination of drawing data, character strings, language information, unit system, and coordinate positions in the drawing database 20. Specifically, the drawing database construction server 14 associates drawing data with the explanatory text written in the drawing data, language information, unit system used, and coordinate positions, and stores them in the drawing database 20. The data stored in the drawing database 20 of the drawing database construction server 14 is also stored in the drawing database 30 of the translation server 16.

[0080] In step S114, the drawing database construction server 14 determines whether or not the processing has been completed for all drawing data. Specifically, the drawing database construction server 14 determines whether or not the processing of steps S102 to S112 has been executed for all drawings accepted in step S100. If the drawing database construction server 14 determines that the processing has been completed for all drawing data (step S114: YES), the drawing database construction server 14 ends the character analysis processing. If the drawing database construction server 14 determines that the processing has not been completed for all drawing data (step S114: NO), the drawing database construction server 14 returns to step S102.

[0081] (Sequence Diagram of Translation System 10) Next, a situation in which a user operates his / her own user terminal 18 to translate and display target drawing data will be described.

[0082] 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of information exchange between the translation server 16 according to this embodiment and the user terminal 18. A user operates his / her own user terminal 18 to specify the target drawing data to be translated and the translation conditions, thereby displaying the drawing data, in which the translation text obtained by translating the explanatory text in the drawing data, is placed, on the display of the user terminal 18. When specifying the target drawing data and the translation conditions, the user terminal 18 according to this embodiment displays, for example, the display screen M100 (see FIG. 3).

[0083] 8, the user terminal 18 accepts the designation of target drawing data. For example, the user terminal 18 accepts the designation of target drawing data to be translated from the drawing data designation area M20 (see FIG. 3). Note that the user terminal 18 may accept the designation of multiple pieces of target drawing data.

[0084] In step S12, the user terminal 18 accepts a specification for translation from English to Japanese. For example, the user terminal 18 accepts a specification for English from the language selection button M11 (see FIG. 3) and a specification for Japanese from the language selection button M12 (see FIG. 3). The user terminal 18 may also accept a specification for translation from Japanese to English.

[0085] In step S14, the user terminal 18 accepts the designation of the metric system. The user terminal 18 accepts the designation of the metric system from, for example, the unit system selection button M31 (see FIG. 3). Note that the user terminal 18 may also accept the designation of the imperial system.

[0086] In step S16, the user terminal 18 transmits instruction data indicating the specified information. Specifically, the user terminal 18 transmits the information specified in steps S10 to S14 to the translation server 16. The user terminal 18 transmits the instruction data to the translation server 16, for example, when the batch translation button M103 (see FIG. 3) is pressed. Note that if the user terminal 18 receives multiple pieces of target drawing data in step S10, different instruction data may be transmitted for each piece of target drawing data.

[0087] In step S18, the translation server 16 executes a translation process, which will be described later. Through the translation process, the translation server 16 places the translation of the explanatory text written in the target drawing data in a blank space within the target drawing data.

[0088] In step S20, the translation server 16 transmits the target drawing data in which the translation has been placed. Specifically, the translation server 16 transmits the target drawing data translated in step S18 to the user terminal 18 that transmitted the instruction data in step S16.

[0089] In step S22, the user terminal 18 displays the received target drawing data. Specifically, the user terminal 18 displays the target drawing data transmitted in step S20 on the display of the user terminal 18. For example, the user terminal 18 displays the drawing data shown in FIG. 2.

[0090] (Processing of Translation Server 16) Next, a situation where the translation server 16 translates the explanatory text written in the designated target drawing data will be described.

[0091] The user operates the user terminal 18 to send instruction data to the translation server 16. The translation server 16 then executes the translation process shown in FIG. 9 and the placement process shown in FIG. 10 . The translation process and placement process are executed by the CPU 71 of the translation server 16 reading the translation program 40 from the storage unit 73, expanding it in the memory 72, and executing it. The translation process and placement process are executed by the CPU 71 of the translation server 16 functioning as a receiving unit 16A, an acquiring unit 16B, a translating unit 16C, a placement unit 16D, and a transmitting unit 16E. When translating multiple pieces of target drawing data, the translation server 16 executes the following translation process and placement process for each piece of target drawing data.

[0092] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of translation processing executed by the translation server 16 according to this embodiment. The translation processing according to this embodiment is, for example, processing executed in step S18 (see FIG. 8) in accordance with instruction data transmitted in step S16 (see FIG. 8). The following description will be given assuming that the instruction data received by the translation server 16 according to this embodiment includes a specification for translation from English to Japanese and a specification for the metric system.

[0093] 9, the translation server 16 receives target drawing data. Specifically, the translation server 16 receives the designation of the target drawing data included in the instruction data transmitted from the user terminal 18.

[0094] In step S202, the translation server 16 acquires the explanatory text included in the target drawing data and the language information for that explanatory text. Specifically, the translation server 16 acquires the explanatory text included in the target drawing data received in step S200 and the language information for that explanatory text from the drawing database 30. For example, the translation server 16 acquires the explanatory text "1. burr removal" and the language information for "English."

[0095] In step S204, the translation server 16 determines whether the description contains a character string indicating a dimension in the imperial system. Specifically, the translation server 16 determines this by checking whether the type of unit system used in the description is the imperial system, based on whether the drawing database 30 stores therein a value indicating that the system is the imperial system. If the translation server 16 determines that the description contains a character string indicating a dimension in the imperial system (step S204: YES), the translation server 16 proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if the translation server 16 determines that the description does not contain a character string indicating a dimension in the imperial system (step S204: NO), the translation server 16 proceeds to step S208.

[0096] In step S206, the translation server 16 converts the character string indicating a dimension in the imperial system into a character string indicating a dimension in the metric system. Specifically, the translation server 16 converts the character string indicating the dimension included in the description obtained in step S202 by referring to the unit conversion table 38 of the translation database 32. For example, if the description includes the character string "15 inches," the translation server 16 converts it into the character string "38.1 cm" by multiplying the numerical value "15" by 2.54.

[0097] In step S208, the translation server 16 determines whether the language information of the description is English. Specifically, the translation server 16 makes this determination based on whether the language information of the description acquired in step S202 is English. If the translation server 16 determines that the language information of the description is English (step S208: YES), the translation server 16 proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, if the translation server 16 does not determine that the language information of the description is English (step S208: NO), the translation server 16 ends the translation process.

[0098] In step S210, the translation server 16 translates the acquired description from English to Japanese by referring to the technical term dictionary 34 and the customer term dictionary 36. Specifically, the translation server 16 translates the description acquired in step S202 from English to Japanese by referring to the technical term dictionary 34 and the customer term dictionary 36 stored in the translation database 32. For example, the translation server 16 translates the English description "1. burr removal" into the Japanese description "1. About deburring."

[0099] In step S212, the translation server 16 executes the layout process described below. The translation server 16 places the explanatory text translated in step S210 in the margin of the drawing data through the layout process. The translation server 16 then ends the translation process.

[0100] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the arrangement process executed by the translation server 16 according to this embodiment. The arrangement process according to this embodiment is executed, for example, in step S212 of FIG.

[0101] 10, the translation server 16 detects white space within the target drawing data. Specifically, the translation server 16 detects white space within the target drawing data received in step S200 (see FIG. 9).

[0102] In step S302, the translation server 16 analyzes and acquires the coordinate position and size of the detected margin. Specifically, the translation server 16 analyzes and acquires the coordinate position and size of the margin detected in step S300.

[0103] In step S304, the translation server 16 acquires the coordinate position of the explanatory text included in the target drawing data. Specifically, the translation server 16 acquires the coordinate position of the explanatory text included in the target drawing data from the drawing database 30.

[0104] In step S306, the translation server 16 selects a margin near the coordinate position of the explanatory text. Specifically, the translation server 16 selects a margin near the coordinate position of the explanatory text by comparing the coordinate position of the margin acquired in step S302 with the coordinate position of the explanatory text acquired in step S304.

[0105] In step S308, the translation server 16 acquires the Japanese translation of the explanatory text and the number of characters in the translation. Specifically, the translation server 16 acquires the Japanese translation obtained in step S210 (see FIG. 9 ) and the number of characters in the translation. For example, the translation server 16 acquires the Japanese explanatory text "1. About deburring" and the number of characters "9."

[0106] In step S310, the translation server 16 sets the font size of the translation text in accordance with the selected margin size and the number of characters in the translation text. Specifically, the translation server 16 sets the font size of the translation text so that the number of characters acquired in step S308 fits within the margin size selected in step S306.

[0107] In step S312, the translation server 16 places the translation in the selected blank space. Specifically, the translation server 16 places the Japanese translation acquired in step S308 in the blank space selected in step S306. The translation server 16 then returns to the translation process (see FIG. 9 ).

[0108] Summary of the Present Embodiment The translation server 16 of the present embodiment acquires information on the language, coordinate position, and unit system used for the explanatory text included in the target drawing data, translates the explanatory text from English to Japanese based on the acquired information on the explanatory text, and places the translated text in the margin of the target drawing data. Therefore, the translation server 16 of the present embodiment can display character strings in the drawing data and their translations so that they can be compared within the drawing data.

[0109] The translation server 16 of this embodiment translates technical terms included in descriptions from English to Japanese by referring to a technical term dictionary 34 that stores correspondences between English terms representing technical terms used in the field of manufacturing and Japanese terms. Therefore, the translation server 16 of this embodiment can improve the translation accuracy of descriptions included in drawings used in the field of manufacturing compared to translations that refer only to a dictionary of general terms.

[0110] The translation server 16 of this embodiment translates in-house terms included in explanatory texts from English to Japanese by referring to a customer terminology dictionary 36 that stores in-house terms and their corresponding general terms. Therefore, the translation server 16 of this embodiment can improve the translation accuracy of explanatory texts that use in-house terms compared to translations that refer only to a dictionary of general terms.

[0111] When a description contains a character string indicating a dimension in imperial units, the translation server 16 of this embodiment converts the character string into a character string indicating a dimension in the metric system specified by the user. Therefore, the translation server 16 of this embodiment can display the dimensions described in the description in the translated text in the unit system specified by the user, allowing the user to intuitively understand the dimensions described in the translated text.

[0112] The translation server 16 of this embodiment places the translation in a blank space near the position information of the description. Therefore, with the translation server 16 of this embodiment, the correspondence between the translation and the description can be more easily understood than when the translation is not placed in a blank space near the description.

[0113] The translation server 16 of this embodiment sets the font size of the translation based on the size of the margin and the number of characters in the translation so that the entire translation fits within the margin. Therefore, with the translation server 16 of this embodiment, the translation does not extend beyond the margin, and the identifiability of the information in the target drawing data is not reduced.

[0114] [Other Embodiments] The translation system 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a drawing database construction server 14 and a translation server 16. However, the translation system 10 of this embodiment is not limited to this, and the drawing database construction server 14 and the translation server 16 may be configured as an integrated server. Furthermore, the translation system 10 of this embodiment may not separate the drawing database 20 and the drawing database 30, but may instead use a single drawing database. Therefore, according to the translation system 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce server costs compared to when the drawing database construction server 14 and the translation server 16 are configured separately.

[0115] The translation server 16 of this embodiment translates an explanatory sentence written in one location of the target drawing data and places the translated sentence in the drawing data. However, this is not limited to this. The translation server 16 of this embodiment may also translate character strings written in multiple locations of the target drawing data and place the translated character strings in the drawing data. The translation server 16 of this embodiment can display each of the multiple character strings and each of the multiple translated character strings so that they can be compared.

[0116] In addition, the configurations of the translation system 10, drawing database construction server 14, translation server 16, and user terminal 18 described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and may be changed according to the situation within the scope of the main idea.

[0117] Furthermore, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be rearranged within the scope of the main idea.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the term "CPU" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and dedicated processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a programmable logic device.

[0119] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may be performed not only by a single processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0120] In the above embodiment, the information processing program is pre-stored (installed) in storage, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be applied to programs and program products.

[0121] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0122] (Supplementary Notes) The following are supplementary notes regarding aspects of the present disclosure. (Supplementary Note 1) A translation device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a character string included in target drawing data; a translation unit that translates the character string from a first language, which is a source language, to a second language, which is a target language, based on the information regarding the character string acquired by the acquisition unit; and an arrangement unit that arranges the translated character string, which is the character string translated by the translation unit, in a margin area within the target drawing data. (Supplementary Note 2) The translation device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the translation unit translates technical terms included in the character string from the first language to the second language based on a technical term dictionary in which pairs of terms in the first language and terms in the second language indicating technical terms used in a specific field are registered. (Supplementary Note 3) The translation device according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the translation unit translates the user's original terminology included in the character string from the first language to the second language based on a user dictionary in which pairs of user's original terminology and meanings of the term are registered. (Supplementary Note 4) The translation device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein, when the character string includes a character string indicating a quantity, the translation unit converts the character string indicating the quantity into a character string indicated in a unit system designated by a user. (Supplementary Note 5) The translation device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the placement unit places the translation character string in the margin area near the character string based on position information of the character string. (Supplementary Note 6) The translation device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the placement unit sets a character size of the translation character string based on a size of the margin area and the number of characters in the translation character string. (Supplementary Note 7) A translation method performed by a computer, comprising the steps of: acquiring information about a character string included in target drawing data; translating the character string from a first language that is a translation source language to a second language that is a translation target language based on the acquired information about the character string; and placing the translated character string in a margin area within the target drawing data.(Supplementary Note 8) A translation program for causing a computer to execute the following processes: acquire information regarding a character string included in target drawing data, translate the character string from a first language that is a translation source language into a second language that is a translation destination language based on the acquired information regarding the character string, and arrange the translated character string in a margin area of ​​the target drawing data. (Supplementary Note 9) A translation system comprising: a plurality of user terminals; and the translation device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, wherein one of the plurality of user terminals transmits instruction data indicating designation of one or more of the target drawing data and designation regarding translation to the translation device, the translation device receives the instruction data transmitted from the user terminal, and transmits the target drawing data including the translation character string corresponding to the instruction data to the user terminal, and the user terminal displays the target drawing data including the translation character string.

Claims

1. A translation device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires information about a character string included in target drawing data; a translation unit that translates the character string from a first language, which is a language from which the character string is to be translated, to a second language, which is a language to which the character string is to be translated, based on the information about the character string acquired by the acquisition unit; and a placement unit that places the translated character string, which is the character string translated by the translation unit, in a margin area within the target drawing data.

2. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein the translation unit translates the technical term contained in the character string from the first language to the second language based on a technical term dictionary in which pairs of words in the first language and words in the second language indicating technical terms used in a specific field are registered.

3. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein the translation unit translates the user's original terms contained in the character string from the first language to the second language based on a user dictionary in which the user's original terms and the meanings of the terms are registered in pairs.

4. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein, when the character string includes a character string indicating a quantity, the translation unit converts the character string indicating the quantity into a character string indicated in a unit system designated by the user.

5. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein the placement unit places the translated character string in the blank space near the character string based on position information of the character string.

6. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein the placement unit sets the character size of the translation character string based on the size of the margin area and the number of characters in the translation character string.

7. A translation method in which a computer performs the following processes: acquires information about a character string included in target drawing data; translates the character string from a first language, which is a source language, to a second language, which is a target language, based on the acquired information about the character string; and places the translated character string in a blank area within the target drawing data.

8. A translation program for causing a computer to execute the following process: acquiring information about a character string included in target drawing data; translating the character string from a first language, which is a source language, to a second language, which is a target language, based on the acquired information about the character string; and arranging the translated character string, which is the translated character string, in a blank area within the target drawing data.

9. A translation system comprising: a plurality of user terminals; and a translation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein any one of the plurality of user terminals transmits instruction data indicating designation of one or more of the target drawing data and designation regarding translation to the translation device; the translation device receives the instruction data transmitted from the user terminal, and transmits the target drawing data including the translation character string corresponding to the instruction data to the user terminal; and the user terminal displays the target drawing data including the translation character string.

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