Re: Corpora: US company claims patent on common machine translation

Paul Rayson (paul@comp.lancs.ac.uk)
Mon, 13 Oct 1997 09:42:03 +0100 (BST)

> Before becoming seriously alarmed I should like to know whether
> >U.S. Patent No. 4,864,503
> really exists and is of the wording cited.

You can check this on the US government Patent Office site at
http://www.uspto.gov/

The patent number can be searched for - I found the results at:

http://patents.uspto.gov/cgi-bin/ifetch4?INDEX+PATBIB-76-97+0+29357+0+2+325879+OF+1+1+1+PN%2f4864503

which says:

Method of using a created international language as an intermediate pathway in
translation between two national
languages

Inventors:
Tolin; Bruce G. (Lisle, IL).
Assignee:
Toltran, Ltd. (Barrington, IL).
Appl. No.:
10,989
Filed:
Feb. 5, 1987

Abstract:

A method of using a created international language as an intermediate pathway
in translation between two national languages, wherein the first language is
translated into the created international language, the latter serving as a
bridge, which is then translated into the second language. In the present
method there are interpretive steps rather than a strict word for word
translation, without interpretation, which has proven falacious in the past.

I think this means that it does exist!

Paul.