Method of interpretation service for voice on the phone

• US 20030033312A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Obuchi, Yasunari, Koizumi, Atsuko, Kitahara, Yoshinori, Mizutani, Seiki
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/47 Machine-assisted translation, e.g. using translation memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An interpretation service for voice based on sentence template retrieval allows a translation database to be customized without burdening users and enables sentences needed by users to be accurately interpreted. A sentence to be stored in a translation database for customization can be described as a sentence template including a slot which allows words to be replaced. As means for customization, an interpretation server maintains a registered user profile (UP). Namely, a user registration screen displays a telephone number, name, itinerary, accommodation facility, interested things, shopping list, physical condition, etc. When a user enters an answer and sends it, the interpretation server creates a UP. A condition for selecting sentence templates is extracted from the UP. A sentence template matching the condition is retrieved from those stored in the translation database for customization and is registered in a translation database customized for each user. A word extracted from the UP is inserted into the sentence template'"'"'s slot for registration to a sentence dictionary customized for each user.

Claims

1. A method of interpretation service for voice on the phone wherein an interpretation server displays a translation database stored in said interpretation server on a screen of a mobile terminal connected via a mobile Internet access network, switches connection with said mobile terminal to connection with a telephone network upon reception of an instruction to connect to a language interpretation service from said mobile terminal, receives user voice input from the mobile terminal via the telephone network, recognizes said user voice, interprets said recognized user voice into an expression in different language, and outputs voice corresponding to said interpreted expression in different language to said mobile terminal via the telephone network, and wherein

said interpretation server displays questionnaire entries for user registration stored in said interpretation server on a screen of a terminal connected via an Internet access network, creates and stores a user profile based on an answer for said questionnaire entries for user registration from said terminal, customizes and stores a translation database based on said user profile, and provides a interpretation service by referencing said customized translation database.

2. The method of interpretation service for voice on the phone according to claim 1, wherein

said interpretation server displays a questionnaire about service stored in said interpretation server on a screen of a terminal of a service company whose customer is an overseas traveler connected via an Internet access network, creates a service company profile based on an answer for said questionnaire about service from said terminal, customizes and stores a translation database based on said service company profile, creates and stores an information page for said service company based on said service company profile, displays said information page for said service company on a screen of said mobile terminal, and provides an interpretation service by referencing a translation database based on said service company profile upon request for interpretation from said displayed information page for said service company.

3. The method of interpretation service for voice on the phone according to claim 2, wherein

an interpretation service is provided by using both a translation database customized based on said user (traveler) profile and a translation database customized based on said service company profile.

4. The method of interpretation service for voice on the phone according to claim 3, wherein

said method changes accounting processing on an accounting server connected to a communication path between said mobile terminal and said interpretation server depending on whether an interpretation service is provided by referencing a translation database customized based on said service company profile or by referencing a translation database customized based on said user (traveler) profile.

5. The method of interpretation service for voice on the phone according to claim 4, wherein

accounting processing on said accounting server performs no accounting when an interpretation service is provided by referencing a translation database customized based on said service company profile.

6. A program which allows a computer to implement a function to send questionnaire entries for user registration to a terminal via an Internet access network, a function to receive an answer for said questionnaire entries for user registration transmitted from said terminal, a function to create and store a user profile based on said answer for said received questionnaire entries for user registration, a function to customize and store a translation database based on said user profile, and a function to interpret an input sentence for interpretation by referencing said customized translation database.