Network-based translation system

• US 20030120478A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Inventors: Palmquist, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/026,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/53 Processing of non-Latin text kana-to-kanji conversion G06F40/129; vowelisation G06F40/232
• 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

Abstract

The invention provides techniques for translation of written languages using a network. A user captures the text of interest with a client device and transmits the image over the network to a server. The server recovers the text from the image, generates a translation, and transmits the translation over the network to the client device. The client device may also support techniques for editing the image to retain the text of interest and excise extraneous matter from the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting an image containing text in a first language over a network; and

receiving a translation of the text in a second language over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a second image, the method further comprising:

capturing a first image containing the text in the first language;

receiving instructions to edit the first image; and

editing the first image to generate the second image in response to the instructions.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the image and displaying the translation of the text in the second language simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a wireless connection with the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a first image containing first text, the method further comprising:

transmitting a second image containing second text in the first language over the network; and

receiving a translation of the first text and the second text in the second language over the network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the first image and the second image over a network in response to a single command from a user.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying one of the translation of the first text and the translation of the second text in response to a command from a user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the image from an image capture device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user to provide additional information comprising at least one of an account number, a password, an identification of the first language, an identification of the second language, a dictionary and a server location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises at least one of a wireless telecommunication network, a cellular telephone network, a public switched telephone network, an integrated digital services network, a satellite network and the Internet.

13. A method comprising:

receiving an image containing text in a first language over a network;

translating the text to a second language; and

transmitting the translation over the network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising extracting the text from the image with optical character recognition.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a specification of the first language.

16. A device comprising:

an image capture apparatus that receives an image containing text in a first language;

a transmitter that transmits the image over a network; and

a receiver that receives a translation of the text in a second language over the network.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising a display that displays the translation.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising a display that displays the translation and the image simultaneously.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising a controller that edits the image in response to the commands of a user.

20. The device of claim 16, further comprising an image capture device that supplies the image to the image capture apparatus.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.

22. The device of claim 16, further comprising a cellular telephone that establishes a communication link between the device and the network.

23. A device comprising:

a receiver that receives an image containing text in a first language over a network;

a translator that generates a translation of the text in a second language; and

a transmitter that transmits the translation over the network.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising a controller that selects the translator as a function of the first language.

25. The device of claim 23, further comprising an optical character recognition module that extracts the text from the image.

26. A system comprising:

a client device having an image capture apparatus that receives an image containing text in a first language, a client transmitter that transmits the image over a network to a server and a client receiver that receives a translation of the text in a second language over the network from the server; and

the server having a receiver that receives the image over the network from the client, a translator that generates a translation of the text in the second language and a transmitter that transmits the translation over the network to the client.

27. The system of claim 26, the server further comprising an optical character recognition module that extracts the text from the image.