Translation device with planar microphone array

• US 20030125959A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Inventors: Palmquist, Robert D.
• Application Number:
  US10/234,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125959A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/277
• 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: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a device and a method for translating words spoken in one language to a graphic or audible version of the words in a second language. A planar array of three or more microphones may be placed on a portable device, such as a handheld computer or a personal digital assistant. The planar array, in conjunction with a signal processing circuit, defines a direction of sensitivity. In a noisy environment, spoken words originating from the direction of sensitivity are selected and other sounds are rejected. The spoken words are recognized and translated, and the translation is displayed on a display screen and/or issued via a speaker.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least three microphones defining a plane, each microphone generating a signal in response to a sound;

a signal processing circuit that processes the signals to select the signals when the sound originates from a direction of sensitivity and to reject the signals when the sound originates from outside the direction of sensitivity; and

a display that, when the sound includes a voice speaking words in a first language from the direction of sensitivity, displays a graphic version of the words in a second language.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the display displays a graphic version of the words in the first language when the sound is the voice speaking words in the first language.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a voice recognizer that extracts the words in the first language from the sound.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a language translator that translates the first language to the second language.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is handheld.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuit comprises a spatial filter.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphones comprise directional microphones.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the direction of sensitivity comprises a directional cone-like volume.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface that transmits one of the sound and the words spoken in the first language to a server.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a sound;

selecting the sound when the sound originates from a direction of sensitivity as defined by at least three microphones defining a plane;

extracting spoken words in a first language from the selected sound; and

generating at least one of a graphic version and an audible version of the words in a second language.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising translating the words in the first language to the second language.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the direction of sensitivity is further defined by a signal processing circuit.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a graphic version of the words in the first language.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising audibly issuing a version of the words in the first language with synthesized speech.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising rejecting the sound when the sound originates from outside the direction of sensitivity.

16. A device comprising:

at least three microphones defining a plane, each microphone generating a signal in response to a sound;

a signal processing circuit that processes the signals to select the signals when the sound originates from a direction of sensitivity and to reject the signals when the sound originates from outside the direction of sensitivity; and

an audio output circuit that, when the sound includes a voice speaking words in a first language from the direction of sensitivity, generates an audible version of the words in a second language.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the audio output circuit comprises a speaker.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the audio output circuit comprises a speech synthesizer.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the audio output circuit generates an audible version of the words in the first language when the sound is the voice speaking words in the first language.

20. The device of claim 16, further comprising a voice recognizer that extracts the words in the first language from the sound.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising a language translator that translates the first language to the second language.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the device is handheld.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal processing circuit comprises a spatial filter.

24. The device of claim 16, wherein the microphones comprise directional microphones.

25. The device of claim 16, wherein the direction of sensitivity comprises a directional cone-like volume.

26. The device of claim 16, further comprising a communication interface that transmits one of the sound and the words spoken in the first language to a server.

27. A device comprising:

at least three microphones defining a plane, each microphone generating a signal in response to a sound;

a signal processing circuit that processes the signals to select the signals when the sound originates from a direction of sensitivity and to reject the signals when the sound originates from outside the direction of sensitivity; and

a language translator that, when the sound includes a voice speaking words in a first language from the direction of sensitivity, generates a version of the words in a second language.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising a voice recognizer that extracts the words in the first language from the sound.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the device is handheld.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the signal processing circuit comprises a spatial filter.

31. The device of claim 27, wherein the microphones comprise directional microphones.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein the direction of sensitivity comprises a directional cone-like volume.

33. The device of claim 27, further comprising a communication interface that transmits one of the sound and the words spoken in the first language to a server.

34. A method comprising:

receiving a sound;

selecting the sound when the sound originates from a direction of sensitivity as defined by at least three microphones defining a plane;

extracting spoken words in a first language from the selected sound; and

translating the words in the first language to a second language.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the direction of sensitivity is further defined by a signal processing circuit.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising rejecting the sound when the sound is outside the direction of sensitivity.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising displaying a graphic version of the words in the first language.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating at least one of a graphic version and an audible version of the words in the second language.