Neural Machine Translation With Multi-Headed Attention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machine translation technologies, particularly RNN-based approaches, face challenges in achieving high translation accuracy and efficiency, with limitations in training complexity and sequential dependencies hindering performance.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of an enhanced recurrent neural network model (RNMT+) that incorporates multi-headed attention, layer normalization, and synchronous training, along with hybrid architectures combining strengths of RNNs and Transformer models, to improve translation speed and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional RNN-based machine translation is used, then the model structure is simple, but translation accuracy and efficiency are limited due to sequential dependencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetranslation efficiencyVSAvoidmodel structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the attention mechanism into multiple independent heads, each processing different aspects of the translation task. This allows parallel computation across heads while maintaining the overall model structure, thereby improving translation efficiency without excessive complexity increase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension of parallelism through multi-headed attention, where multiple attention mechanisms operate simultaneously on the same input. This dimensional expansion enables the model to process multiple translation aspects in parallel, significantly boosting efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If multi-headed attention mechanism is added to improve translation accuracy, then translation quality improves, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetranslation accuracyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple attention mechanisms into a unified multi-headed attention module that processes different aspects of translation simultaneously. This consolidation achieves high translation accuracy by capturing diverse contextual relationships while managing computational complexity through shared infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The multi-headed attention mechanism serves multiple functions: it captures different contextual relationships, handles various translation aspects, and processes multiple language features simultaneously. This multi-functionality justifies the increased computational complexity by delivering comprehensive translation accuracy improvements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If synchronous training with parallel processing is implemented, then training efficiency improves, but training complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraining efficiencyVSAvoidtraining process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing training data into suitable formats and pre-configuring the parallel training infrastructure before actual training begins. This preparation enables efficient synchronous training by eliminating setup delays during the training process itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The synchronous training implementation maintains continuous useful action by coordinating multiple processing units to work simultaneously on different aspects of the training data without idle time. This continuous parallel processing maximizes training efficiency despite the increased coordination complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS12443806B2Machine translation using neural network models
Publication Date: 2025.10.14 GOOGLE LLC
  • US12443806B2 patent drawing
  • US12443806B2 patent drawing
  • US12443806B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for machine translation using neural networks. In some implementations, a text in one language is translated into a second language using a neural network model. The model can include an encoder neural network comprising a plurality of bidirectional recurrent neural network layers. The encoding vectors are processed using a multi-headed attention module configured to generate multiple attention context vectors for each encoding vector. A decoder neural network generates a sequence of decoder output vectors using the attention context vectors. The decoder output vectors can represent distributions over various language elements of the second language, allowing a translation of the text into the second language to be determined based on the sequence of decoder output vectors.