Method and apparatus for performing real-time subtitles translation

• US 20030216922A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sheinin, Vadim, Gonzales, Cesar A., Kouloheris, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• 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

A method and apparatus is disclosed for presenting information to a user of an audiovisual appliance such as a television receiver, a set top box, or a DVD or a VCR player. The method includes extracting source text from a graphical representation of the source text in an associated audiovisual program; translating the extracted source text into a target text in a language different than a language of the source text; and presenting the target text in a human perceptible format in a synchronized manner with the associated audiovisual program. Translating the extracted source text may include an initial step of identifying the source language.

Claims

1. A method for presenting information to a user of an audiovisual appliance, comprising:

extracting source text from a graphical representation of the source text in an associated audiovisual program;

translating the extracted source text into a target text in a language different than a language of the source text; and

presenting the target text in a human perceptible format in a synchronized manner with the associated audiovisual program.

2. The method of claim 1, where translating the extracted source text comprises an initial step of identifying the source language.

3. The method of claim 1, where presenting the target text includes displaying the target text on a display screen.

4. The method of claim 1, where presenting the target text includes displaying the target text on a television screen.

5. The method of claim 1, where presenting the target text includes synthesizing speech for enunciating the target text to a viewer of the audiovisual program.

6. The method of claim 1, where said method is provided as a service by a service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, where said method is provided as a service by a service provider and is enabled upon command of the viewer.

8. The method of claim 1, where said method is provided as a service by a service provider and software required to execute the method is downloaded from the service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, where the audiovisual program is embodied in a television signal, and where the steps of extracting, translating and presenting occur in substantially real time as the television signal is received.

10. The method of claim 1, where the audiovisual program is embodied in a recorded television signal, and where the steps of extracting, translating and presenting occur in substantially real time as the recorded television signal is played back.

11. The method of claim 1, where the source text comprises a subtitle.

12. The method of claim 1, where the source text comprises a closed caption.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, where the source text comprises a subtitle.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, where the source text comprises a closed caption.

13. Apparatus for presenting information to a user of an audiovisual appliance, comprising:

means for extracting source text from a graphical representation of the source text in an associated audiovisual program;

means for translating the extracted source text into a target text in a language different than a language of the source text; and

means for presenting the target text in a human perceptible format in a synchronized manner with the associated audiovisual program.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, where said means for translating the extracted source text comprises means for identifying the source language.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, where said means for presenting the target text comprises means for displaying the target text on a display screen.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, where said means for presenting the target text comprises means for displaying the target text on a television screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, where said means for presenting the target text comprises means for synthesizing speech for enunciating the target text to a viewer of the audiovisual program.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, where said apparatus is operated as a service by a service provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, where said apparatus is operated as a service by a service provider and is enabled upon command of the viewer.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, where said apparatus is operated as a service by a service provider and software required to operate said apparatus is downloaded from the service provider.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, where the audiovisual program is embodied in a television signal, and where the steps of extracting, translating and presenting occur in substantially real time as the television signal is received.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, where the audiovisual program is embodied in a recorded television signal, and where the steps of extracting, translating and presenting occur in substantially real time as the recorded television signal is played back.

25. A computer readable data storage media containing a program the execution of which implements a method for presenting information to a user of an audiovisual appliance, comprising extracting source text from a graphical representation of the source text in an associated audiovisual program;

translating the extracted source text into a target text in a language different than a language of the source text; and

presenting the target text in a human perceptible format in a synchronized manner with the associated audiovisual program.

26. The computer readable data storage media of claim 25, where translating the extracted source text comprises an initial step of identifying the source language.