User corrections of translation (In-App User Translations)

Hey software author, this translation is wrong, it should be …

Problem

No matter how good a translator, they cannot be expected to be subject matter experts in every app they translate. They will make mistakes. Users will notice these mistakes and, as frequent users of the app, will want to provide corrections so that future revisions use their language correctly. Getting those corrections back to the app developer is often simply impossible.

Solution

This patent allows a user, while using an app, to provide feedback on translations. Each app already contains the strings and screens that were captured for translation and these can be reviewed in a web browser. The user can signal to the app that they wish to provide a translation correction from any screen. The app opens a web page representing that app screen and the user selects the phrase they wish to correct. The correction is linked to the exact text string in the app so there is no confusion for the developer.

The user can also include the reason for the correction. Additional user corrections of the same phrase can either agree or provide another correction and reasoning. When enough users agree on a correction, that information flows back to the developer and the change can be made in a future update. The explanation helps the developer understand why the correction is needed and, if there are competing reasons/corrections, allows them to choose the one that most accurately reflects their original intention.

Impact

This patent makes it practical for a developer to provide a best effort/low cost translation into a new language with the knowledge that users will help improve on the initial translation. Knowing it can be improved allows developers to choose a translation they can afford.

Status

US Patent Number 9501264
Patent Issued 22-NOV-2016