System and method of ubiquitous language translation for wireless devices

• US 20030149557A1
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Isaacson, Thomas M., Cox, Richard Vandervoort
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method of providing a location-based translation service is disclosed. A wireless device receives from a wireless network an updated priority target language list according to the location of the wireless device. The wireless device and/or wireless network are capable of automatic speech recognition (ASR), text-to-speech (TTS) services and language translation services. A language and location database module associates probable target languages in a given area. The wireless network node receives the location of the wireless device through a network-based location means or through a GPS system and compares the location of the wireless device to the language and location database. The wireless network transmits to the wireless device an updated priority language list based on the data in the language and location database such that the wireless device pre-selects the most likely target language if the user launches the language translation application. When the user launches the language translation application, the selection of the target language is simplified since the most likely target language is pre-selected.

Claims

1. A system for providing location-based translation services through a wireless device, the system comprising:

a network node storing data related to probable languages spoken according to geographic location, the network node transmitting to the wireless device a target language according to the location of the wireless device.

2. The system for providing location-based translation services through a wireless device of claim 1, wherein a user, from a status of being able to generally choose applications on the wireless device, may select translation services via a single input to the wireless device and wherein the target translation language will be pre-selected.

3. A system for providing location-based translation services through a wireless device, the system being capable of receiving global positioning system information regarding a location of the wireless device, the system comprising:

a database of language information associating probable languages spoken in any given area; and

a network node that receives location information regarding the wireless device from the global positioning system and transmits to the wireless device a prioritized list of at least one probable target language based on the location of the wireless device, wherein when a user selects translation service on the wireless device, the most probable target language is pre-selected.

4. The system for providing location-based translation services through a wireless device of claim 3, wherein a translation language choice menu on the wireless device includes the prioritized list of at least one probable target language based on the location of the wireless device.

5. An apparatus for providing location-based translation services to a wireless device, the apparatus receiving a location of the wireless device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a language and location database module storing at least one target language according to geographic area, wherein the processor is coupled to the language and location database and using the location of the wireless device, the language and location database module returns at least one target language for transmission to the wireless device through a wireless network.

6. The apparatus for providing location-based translation services to a wireless device of claim 5, wherein the apparatus further comprises a network node coupled to the processor, the network node transmitting the at least one target language to the wireless device such that when a user selects translation services on the wireless device, a highest priority language of the at least one target language is pre-selected.

7. A method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the wireless device;

associating the location of the wireless device with the most probable target language spoken at the location; and

pre-selecting the most probable target language, wherein when a user selects language translation services, the wireless device translates source speech into the target language without further user language selection action.

8. The method of providing location information based translation service on a wireless device of claim 7, further comprising:

associating the location of the wireless device with a group of prioritized probable target languages.

9. The method of providing location information based translation service on a wireless device of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting the user with a menu of the group of prioritized probable target languages if the user indicates a desire for a language other than the pre-selected most probable language.

10. A method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device, the method comprising:

determining a location of the wireless device;

associating the location of the wireless device with a probable target language;

transmitting data associated with the probable target language to the wireless device; and

prioritizing the probable target language in a menu system on the wireless device, such that when a user selects a translation services application from a general application choice status, the probable target language is pre-selected.

11. The method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device of claim 10, wherein determining a location of the wireless device further comprises using a wireless network based location determining means.

12. The method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device of claim 10, wherein determining a location of the wireless device further comprises using a global positioning system that determines the location of the wireless device.

13. The method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device of claim 11, wherein associating the location of the wireless device with a probable target language further comprises comparing demographic data in a network node associated with cell sites served by the network node with the location of the wireless device.

14. The method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device of claim 12, wherein associating the location of the wireless device with a probable target language further comprises comparing the location of the wireless device determined by the GPS system to a map of demographic data including target language information.

15. A method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a target language based on the location of the wireless device; and

prioritizing the target language in a menu system on the wireless device, such that when a user desires language translation for the target language, the user selects a translation service application from a general application choice status, and the target language is pre-selected.

16. A method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a probable language spoken based on the location of the wireless device;

prioritizing the probable language in a menu system on the wireless device; and

upon receiving a single click request for translation service from a user, presenting an interactive dialog window for translation services for the probable language.

17. A method of providing location-based language translation service, the method comprising:

receiving via a wireless connection at the wireless device a group of prioritized probable languages spoken according to the location of the wireless device;

updating a language translation menu according to the group of prioritized probable languages spoken; and

upon a single click request from a user, presenting the user with a dialogue window for translation services for a most probable language spoken from the group of prioritized probable languages spoken.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting the user with a menu option to select other languages from the group of prioritized probable languages spoken.

19. A method of providing location-based translation services on a wireless device, the method comprising:

storing at a network node a probable target language in cell sites associated with the network node;

transmitting the probable target language to the wireless device located one of the cell sites associated with the network node;

prioritizing the probable target language in a menu system on the wireless device; and

upon receiving a translation request from a user from a general application choice status of the wireless device, presenting the user with a translation dialogue window pre-selected for the probable language.

20. A method of multi-modal interaction with users using a device for language translation, the method comprising:

receiving a first message in a first language;

providing associated first text of the received message in a first window; and

upon user approval of the first text, translating the first text into a second language and providing second text in a second window in the second language.

21. The method of multi-modal interaction with users using a device for language translation of claim 20, further comprising:

audibly speaking from the device in the second language a translation of the first message.

22. The method of multi-modal interaction with users using a device for language translation of claim 20, further comprising:

providing instructions in the second language for how to speak a message in the second language for translation into the first language.

23. A method of multi-modal interaction with a first user and a second user through a language translation device, the method comprising:

receiving a first message in a first language;

providing a first message text in the first language in a first window;

upon the first user approval of the first message text, translating the first message text into a second language and providing the first message text in a second window in the second language;

receiving a second message in the second language;

providing a second message text in the second window in the second language; and

upon the second user approval of the second message text, translating the second message text into the first language and providing the second message text in the first window in the first language.

24. The method of multi-modal interaction with a first user and a second user through a language translation device of claim 23, wherein the second language is pre-selected according to the location of the device.

25. The method of multi-modal interaction with a first user and a second user through a language translation device, further comprising:

receiving from a wireless network a group of languages prioritized by probable need according to a location of the device, wherein the second language has the highest probability of needing translation.