Network-based text composition, translation, and document searching

Apparatus for providing documents to a visitor to a Web site, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a plurality of browser-readable Web pages defining the site, at least some of the Web pages containing text portions represented in a pivot language;
• b. a Web server for receiving a request from the visitor for a Web page and, in response thereto, locating the Web page and communicating it to the visitor;
• and
• c. a translation module responsive to a visitor-specified natural language for translating any text portions of the selected Web page from the pivot language into the desired natural language prior to communication of the Web page.

A method of searching for stored content, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. facilitating entry of a natural-language search query by a user operating a client computer, the search query comprising a plurality of terms;
• facilitating transmission, via a computer network, of the search query from the client computer to a language server;
• c. facilitating conversion of the natural-language search query received by the language server into a constrained grammar through interaction, via the computer network, with the user, the interaction including disambiguation of the query terms;
• and
• d. searching stored content items, at least a portion of each content item being expressed in the constrained grammar, for matches between the item constrained grammar and the converted search query.

A method of facilitating information composition and broadcast, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. facilitating entry of a natural-language text composition by a user operating a client computer;
• b. facilitating transmission, via a computer network, of the text composition from the client computer to a language server;
• c. facilitating conversion of the text composition received by the language server into a pivot language through interaction, via the computer network, with the user, the interaction including disambiguation of the text composition;
• d. facilitating designation of a desired natural language by a receiving device;
• e. causing the language server to translate the converted text composition from the pivot language into the desired natural language;
• and
• f. causing transmission of the text composition in the desired natural language to the receiving device via a communication medium.

A method of facilitating electronic message exchange, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. facilitating entry of a natural-language message by a user operating a client computer;
• b. facilitating transmission, via a computer network, of the message from the client computer to a language server;
• c. facilitating conversion of the message received by the language server into a pivot language through interaction, via the computer network, with the user, the interaction including disambiguation of the message;
• d. facilitating designation of a desired natural language by a message recipient;
• e. causing translation of the converted message from the pivot language into the desired natural language;
• and
• f. making the message available to the recipient in the desired natural language.