System and method for multi-lingual networking and communication

Abstract

A method and system are provided that facilitate multilingual communication and international social networking. In one respect, the system and method allow individual social network users to instantly message, or chat, with others in the social network according to personally-selected filters. For example, a user may choose to filter others in the social network by age, gender, location, political preference, relationship status, and even hobbies and interests regardless of any personal acquaintance between the user and filtered members. In another respect, the system and method provide automatic and real-time translation of any text or messages conveyed over the social network so that each user may easily communicate with each other user, regardless of any usual language barriers. Translated text and messages may be further cached in electronically stored memory for ease of future translation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device operated by a first user for multi-lingual communication, comprising:
 a processor; and   memory configured to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
 obtain information corresponding to a second user in a communication application and a third user in the communication application; 
 process an instruction to transmit a first message to the second user and the third user via the communication application, wherein the first message comprises text in a first language; 
 determine that the second user prefers a second language different than the first language; 
 determine that the third user prefers the first language; 
 translate the text from the first language to the second language; and 
 transmit, via the communication application and in response to processing the instruction to transmit the first message, a second message to the second user and a third message to the third user, wherein the second message comprises the translated text, and wherein the third message comprises the text. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to store the translated text in a cache. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to:
 process a second instruction to transmit a fourth message to the second user, wherein the fourth message comprises the same text as the first message;   retrieve the translated text from the cache in place of translating the text; and   transmit, via the communication application and in response to processing the second instruction to transmit the fourth message, a fifth message to the second user that comprises the translated text.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to display a chat history of a fourth message received from the second user and a fifth message received from the third user, wherein the fourth message comprises a version of second text translated into the first language, and wherein the fifth message comprises third text in the first language. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to determine that the second user prefers the second language based on a location of a second device operated by the second user. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication application comprises a social network. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to:
 process the instruction to transmit the first message to the second user, the third user, and a fourth user via the communication application;   determine that the fourth user prefers a third language different than the first language and the second language;   translate the text from the first language to the third language to form second translated text; and   transmit, via the communication application and in response to processing the instruction to transmit the first message, a fourth message to the fourth user, wherein the fourth message comprises the second translated text.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first message further comprises at least one of a photo, a video, or an audio track. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method for multi-lingual communication, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 as implemented by a device operated by a first user that comprises a processor and memory,   obtaining information corresponding to a second user in a communication application and a third user in the communication application;   receiving an instruction to transmit a first message to the second user and the third user via the communication application, wherein the first message comprises text in a first language;   determining that the second user prefers a second language different than the first language;   determining that the third user prefers the first language;   translating the text from the first language to the second language; and   transmitting, via the communication application and in response to receiving the instruction to transmit the first message, a second message to the second user and a third message to the third user, wherein the second message comprises the translated text, and wherein the third message comprises the text.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising storing the translated text in a cache. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving a second instruction to transmit a fourth message to the second user, wherein the fourth message comprises the same text as the first message;   retrieving the translated text from the cache in place of translating the text; and   transmitting, via the communication application and in response to processing the second instruction to transmit the fourth message, a fifth message to the second user that comprises the translated text.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising displaying a chat history of a fourth message received from the second user and a fifth message received from the third user, wherein the fourth message comprises a version of second text translated into the first language, and wherein the fifth message comprises third text in the first language. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein a second device operated by the second user displays the fourth message with a version of the second text in the second language and the fifth message with a version of the third text translated into the second language. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein determining that the second user prefers a second language further comprises determining that the second user prefers the second language based on a location of a second device operated by the second user. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the communication application comprises a social network. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the first message further comprises at least one of a photo, a video, or an audio track. 
     
     
         17 . Non-transitory, computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device operated by a first user, cause the device to:
 obtain information corresponding to a second user in a communication application and a third user in the communication application;   process an instruction to transmit a first message to the second user and the third user via the communication application, wherein the first message comprises text in a first language;   determine that the second user prefers a second language different than the first language;   translate the text from the first language to the second language; and   transmit, via the communication application and in response to processing the instruction to transmit the first message, a second message to the second user and a third message to the third user, wherein the second message comprises the translated text, and wherein the third message comprises the text.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to store the translated text in a cache. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to:
 process a second instruction to transmit a fourth message to the second user, wherein the fourth message comprises the same text as the first message;   retrieve the translated text from the cache in place of translating the text; and   transmit, via the communication application and in response to processing the second instruction to transmit the fourth message, a fifth message to the second user that comprises the translated text.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the device to display a chat history of a fourth message received from the second user and a fifth message received from the third user, wherein the fourth message comprises a version of second text translated into the first language, and wherein the fifth message comprises third text in the first language.