Speech-enabled language translation system and method enabling interactive ...

1. A system providing cross-linguistic communication, comprising:

a client component capturing speech and tactile inputs, the client component providing a user interface configured to display and correct the inputs and meanings for the inputs, a translation of the input term into a different language than an input language, and a back translation of the translation, i.e., a retranslation from the target language back into the source language, intended to help the user to judge the translation quality; and

a server component providing the meanings, the translation and the back translation to the client component based upon the input term, the server component including,

an interaction manager requesting the translation of the inputs, the interaction manager accessing a database of Meaning Cues corresponding to the inputs, the corresponding Meaning Cues being displayed through the client component to facilitate word sense selection for the inputs.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least two lexical resources, the first lexical resource including a dictionary database containing a plurality of words, wherein each of the plurality of words is associated with a meaning, the second lexical resource containing a plurality of word meanings in a central repository, each word meaning mapped to a corresponding word sense of the database of the Meaning Cues.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory database storing user profiles defining word sense preferences for each user profile.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server component includes a speech recognition module in communication with the interaction manager, the speech recognition module permitting use of voice commands captured through the client component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server component includes a text-to-speech module providing an audio signal to the client component for pronunciation of the input term in the different, language and the input language.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the second lexical resource is organized according to word senses and includes multiple Meaning Cues.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the back translation reflects word sense selections for input terms.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the Meaning Cues include one of synonyms, related words, definitions, example sentences, or graphic elements related to corresponding inputs.

9. A cross linguistic communication system, comprising:

a client component including a multi-modal user interface; and

a server component including an interaction manager in communication with the multi-modal user interface, the interaction manager providing semantic cross indexing or mapping between a term output from a translation engine accessible to the server component and a database comprised of Meaning Cues designed to clarify for users word sense options for the term, wherein the Meaning Cues are returned to the interaction manager for display through the multi-modal user interface to enable interactive user modification of the translation.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein Meaning Cue information is organized by word sense.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the interaction manager

receives the term for translation from the multi-modal user interface;

accesses the translation engine to locate a translated term corresponding to the term;

associates the term with Meaning Cues, the Meaning Cues including one of synonyms, related words, definitions, example sentences, or graphic elements; and

transmits the Meaning Cues to the multi-modal user interface for display.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the translation engine provides a back translation of the translation which reflects word sense selections for one of the input terms.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, display a graphical user interface (GUI) enabling computer mediated communication, the GUI comprising:

a first section of the GUI displaying input terms in a first language;

a second section of the GUI displaying Meaning Cues for each of the input terms;

a third section of the GUI displaying a translation of the input terms in a second language; and

a fourth section of the GUI displaying a back translation in the first language, the back translation based upon the translation.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein selection of one of the Meaning Cues in the second section triggers a display of a fifth section, the fifth section enabling selection of a word sense for the input term.