Systems and methods for multi-user multi-lingual communications

Abstract

Various embodiments described herein facilitate multi-lingual communications. The systems and methods of some embodiments enable multi-lingual communications through different modes of communication including, for example, Internet-based chat, e-mail, text-based mobile phone communications, postings to online forums, postings to online social media services, and the like. Certain embodiments implement communication systems and methods that translate text between two or more languages. Users of the systems and methods may be incentivized to submit corrections for inaccurate or erroneous translations, and may receive a reward for these submissions. Systems and methods for assessing the accuracy of translations are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 associating, using one or more computer processors, a respective language translation process with each user of a plurality of users of a chat message system,
 wherein each language translation process comprises a sequence of computer-implemented transformation modules that are each configured to accept as a respective input at least a portion of a message of the associated user and provide as a respective output a transformed version of the respective input, and 
 wherein the respective output of a particular computer-implemented transformation module is provided as the respective input to another computer-implemented transformation module following in the sequence; 
   receiving a request from a first user to block a second user from the chat message system; and   following receipt of the request, blocking the second user from the chat message system by removing a translation process associated with the second user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chat message system is for an online game. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of computer-implemented transformation modules comprises one or more of: (i) a chatspeak module for identifying a chatspeak word or phrase in a message, and replacing the chatspeak word or phrase with a non-chatspeak word or phrase; (ii) a spelling check module for performing a spelling check on a message; (iii) an abbreviation module for identifying an abbreviation in a message, and replacing the abbreviation with a word or a phrase corresponding to the abbreviation; (iv) an acronym module for identifying an acronym in a message, and replacing the acronym with a word or a phrase corresponding to the acronym; (v) a colloquialism module for identifying a colloquial word or phrase in a message, and replacing the colloquial word or phrase with a word or a phrase representing the colloquial word or phrase; or (vi) a profanity module for identifying a profane word or phrase in a message, and replacing the profane word or phrase with a non-profane word or phrase or removing the profane word or phrase. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more computer-implemented transformation modules automatically translate at least a portion of a chat message from a first language to a second language. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein blocking the second user from the chat message system comprises:
 preventing chat messages from the second user from being displayed in the chat message system.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 following receipt of the request, blocking future invitations from the second user to the first user to engage in a chat session using the chat message system.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving a second request from the first user to unblock the second user from the chat message system.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising:
 following receipt of the second request, permitting the second user to access the chat message system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing to the first user a list of users who have been blocked from the chat message system.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising:
 receiving an instruction from the first user to edit the list of users who have been blocked from the chat message system.   
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 one or more computer processors programmed to perform operations to:
 associate a respective language translation process with each user of a plurality of users of a chat message system,
 wherein each language translation process comprises a sequence of computer-implemented transformation modules that are each configured to accept as a respective input at least a portion of a message of the associated user and provide as a respective output a transformed version of the respective input, and 
 wherein the respective output of a particular computer-implemented transformation module is provided as the respective input to another computer-implemented transformation module following in the sequence; 
 
 receive a request from a first user to block a second user from the chat message system; and 
 following receipt of the request, block the second user from the chat message system by removing a translation process associated with the second user. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the chat message system is for an online game. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sequence of computer-implemented transformation modules comprises one or more of: (i) a chatspeak module for identifying a chatspeak word or phrase in a message, and replacing the chatspeak word or phrase with a non-chatspeak word or phrase; (ii) a spelling check module for performing a spelling check on a message; (iii) an abbreviation module for identifying an abbreviation in a message, and replacing the abbreviation with a word or a phrase corresponding to the abbreviation; (iv) an acronym module for identifying an acronym in a message, and replacing the acronym with a word or a phrase corresponding to the acronym; (v) a colloquialism module for identifying a colloquial word or phrase in a message, and replacing the colloquial word or phrase with a word or a phrase representing the colloquial word or phrase; or (vi) a profanity module for identifying a profane word or phrase in a message, and replacing the profane word or phrase with a non-profane word or phrase or removing the profane word or phrase. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein one or more computer-implemented transformation modules automatically translate at least a portion of a chat message from a first language to a second language. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein to block the second user from the chat message system the one or more computer processors are further to:
 prevent chat messages from the second user from being displayed in the chat message system.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations are further to:
 following receipt of the request, block future invitations from the second user to the first user to engage in a chat session using the chat message system.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations are further to:
 receive a second request from the first user to unblock the second user from the chat message system.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the operations are further to:
 following receipt of the second request, permit the second user to access the chat message system.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations are further to:
 provide to the first user a list of users who have been blocked from the chat message system.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
 associate a respective language translation process with each user of a plurality of users of a chat message system,
 wherein each language translation process comprises a sequence of computer-implemented transformation modules that are each configured to accept as a respective input at least a portion of a message of the associated user and provide as a respective output a transformed version of the respective input, and 
 wherein the respective output of a particular computer-implemented transformation module is provided as the respective input to another computer-implemented transformation module following in the sequence; 
   receive a request from a first user to block a second user from the chat message system; and   following receipt of the request, block the second user from the chat message system by removing a translation process associated with the second user.