Side-by-Side Translation Display for Contextual Comprehension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current translation services primarily focus on translating specific words or phrases without providing a contextual view of both the original and translated text, which limits user comprehension.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for displaying both the original and translated segments of data simultaneously on a computer system, allowing users to select and view a segment of source data in one language alongside its translated copy in another language, with optional user controls for interaction and feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If translation services translate specific words or phrases only, then translation speed and simplicity are improved, but user comprehension and contextual understanding deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetranslation speedVSAvoidcontextual understanding
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the translation display into multiple regions: the original text region and one or more translated text regions. This segmentation allows the system to provide both quick translation access (improving productivity) and contextual understanding through side-by-side comparison (reducing information loss). Users can see the relationship between source and target text while maintaining translation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a spatial dimension to translation display by showing translated text in a separate region adjacent to or overlapping with the original text. This dimensional approach allows simultaneous presentation of multiple language versions without requiring sequential processing, thereby maintaining translation speed while enhancing contextual comprehension through visual comparison.

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

2Device complexity

If translation services provide only translated text without original text, then display simplicity is improved, but user ability to compare and verify translation quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoidtranslation verification capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the display of original text and translated text into a unified interface where both texts are simultaneously visible in different regions. This merging maintains relative display simplicity while enabling users to easily compare source and target text for verification purposes, thus improving ease of operation without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a visual copy relationship between the original text region and translated text region, where the translated text is presented as a corresponding representation of the source text. This copying approach allows users to verify translation quality by comparing the copy (translation) with the original, enhancing verification capability while maintaining a simple copy-based display structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If translation services display entire documents in multiple languages, then contextual understanding is improved, but processing time and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontextual understandingVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing translated text regions that correspond to specific portions of the original text rather than translating entire documents uniformly. Users can access translated versions of specific segments they are interested in, maintaining contextual understanding for those segments while avoiding the processing overhead of translating and displaying entire documents, thus reducing processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by translating and displaying only the portions of text that users need or request, rather than translating entire documents. This approach provides sufficient contextual understanding for the selected segments while significantly reducing processing time and resource consumption compared to full document translation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS7822596B2Flexible display translation
Publication Date: 2010.10.26 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US7822596B2 patent drawing
  • US7822596B2 patent drawing
  • US7822596B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A user interface for displaying source data and a translated copy of a segment of the source data is provided. The user interface includes a first display portion for displaying at least a subset of the source data on the display. The user interface includes a second display portion for displaying a translated copy of a selected segment of source data on the display.