System and method of transliterating names between different languages

Abstract

Both a system and method are provided for transliterating a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language. The system includes instructions to determine whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same. If so, the instructions transliterate the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet. If not, the instructions (1) determine the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name; (2) transliterate the letters into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA; (3) determine the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and (4) transliterate the letters of the IPA form into letters of the target language.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein in the case where the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are substantially the same, and not all letters of the name are available in the target alphabet, the letter in the target alphabet closest in appearance to the corresponding letter in the source alphabet is transliterated.   
     
     
         2 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein in the case where the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the neither same nor substantially the same, and no single letter of the target language corresponds to the sound represented by one of the letters in the IPA form of the name, said one non corresponding letter of the IPA form of the name is transliterated into a pair of letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language.   
     
     
         3 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein, in the case where the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the neither same nor substantially the same, and none of the letters of the target language accurately corresponds to the sound represented by one of the letters in the IPA form of the name, said one letter of the IPA form of the name is transliterated into a single letter of the target alphabet that most closely resembles the sound represented by said one IPA letter to create a similar sounding name in the letters of the target language.   
     
     
         4 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein, in the case where the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the neither same nor substantially the same, and none of the letters of the target language accurately corresponds to the sound represented by one of the letters in the IPA form of the name, no letter or letters are transliterated for said letter in the IPA form of the name said non-corresponding one letter of the IPA form of the name.   
     
     
         5 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein at least one of the letters of the IPA form of the name is transliterated into a symbol of the target language assigned to sounds that are not present in the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language.   
     
     
         6 . A transliteration method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium including programming instructions operable to transliterate a name written in the letters of an alphabet of a source language to a name in the letters of an alphabet of a target language that is different from the source language, comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, and   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are the same or substantially the same, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the source language alphabet;   if the letters of the alphabets of the source and target languages are not the same or substantially the same, then determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the source language that form the name, transliterating the letters of the name in the source language into letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the IPA,   determining the sound associated with each of the letters of the target language, and   transliterating the letters of the IPA form of the name into letters of the target language to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the target language,   wherein the name in the source language is represented by a single letter or character in the source language, and wherein the IPA form of the name includes a plurality of letters of the International Phonetic Alphabet.   
     
     
         7 . A method for transliterating a name written in letters of a first alphabet to a name in letters of a second alphabet, the method comprising:
 determining whether the letters of the first alphabet are the same or substantially the same to the letters of the second alphabet;
 when the letters of the alphabet of the first alphabet are the same to the letters of the second alphabet, then transliterating the name into the same letters used in the second alphabet; 
 when the letters of the first alphabet are substantially but not completely the same as the letters of the second alphabet, then transliterating the name into letters of the second alphabet that are closest in appearance to the letters of the first alphabet, or into letters of the second alphabet that sound closest to the letters of the first alphabet; 
 when the letters of the first alphabet are not the same or substantially the same to the letters of the second alphabet, then determining a sound associated with each of the letters of the first alphabet that form the name, and transliterating the letters of the name in the first alphabet into letters of a phonetic alphabet using a processor to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the phonetic alphabet; 
   determining a sound associated with each of the letters of the second alphabet; and   transliterating the letters of the phonetic alphabet of the name into corresponding letters of the second alphabet to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the second alphabet.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein when the letters of the first alphabet are not the same or substantially the same to the letters of the second alphabet, and no single letter of the second alphabet corresponds to a sound represented by one of the letters in the phonetic alphabet form of the name, then either (a) the one non corresponding letter of the phonetic alphabet of the name is transliterated into at least a pair of letters from the second alphabet to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the second alphabet, or (b) no letter or letters of the second alphabet are transliterated for the one non corresponding letter of the phonetic alphabet of the name. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the name in the first alphabet is represented by a single letter or character, and wherein the phonetic alphabet form of the name includes a plurality of letters of the phonetic alphabet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the letters of the phonetic alphabet form of the name is transliterated into a symbol of the second alphabet assigned to sounds that are not present in the second alphabet to create a same or similar sounding name in the letters of the second alphabet.