Speech to Text Conversion in a Videoconference

• US 20070188599A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Kenoyer, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Various embodiments of a method for automatically converting audio speech in a videoconference into text information are described. According to one embodiment of the method, a videoconferencing device at a first endpoint in the videoconference may receive a stream of video information and audio information from a videoconferencing device at a second endpoint in the videoconference. The audio information includes speech of a participant at the second endpoint. The videoconferencing device at the first endpoint may automatically convert the speech into text information.

Claims

1. A method for processing audio information in a videoconference, comprising:

a first videoconferencing device in the videoconference receiving video information and audio information from a second videoconferencing device in the videoconference, wherein the audio information includes speech of a videoconference participant; and

at least one of the first videoconferencing device or the second videoconferencing device;

automatically converting the speech into text information; and

storing the text information in a memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically converting the speech into text information comprises dynamically converting the speech into text information as the audio information is received by the first or second videoconferencing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating one or more files; and

storing the text information in the one or more files, wherein the one or more files provide a transcript of the speech of at least one participant in the videoconference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the text information on a display screen at the first or second videoconferencing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said displaying the text information on the display screen comprises displaying the text information substantially simultaneously with the video information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing voice recognition to identify a participant based on speech from the participant; and

associating the text information with the participant in response to said identifying the participant based on the speech of the participant.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said associating the text information with the participant comprises including a name of the participant in the text information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said associating the text information with the participant comprises displaying the text information proximally to an image of the participant.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the speech of the participant is in a first language;

wherein said converting the speech into text information comprises converting the speech into first text information in the first language;

wherein the method further comprises automatically translating the first text information into second text information, wherein the second text information is in a second language.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the second text information in the second language on a display screen.

11. A videoconferencing device, comprising:

an input port operable to receive video information and audio information, wherein the audio information includes speech of a participant in a videoconference;

a memory; and

one or more computational elements operable to;

automatically convert the speech into text information; and

store the text information in the memory.

12. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more computational elements include at least one processor.

13. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein said automatically converting the speech into text information comprises dynamically converting the speech into text information as the audio information is received.

14. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more computational elements are further operable to store the text information as a transcript of the speech of the participant in the videoconference.

15. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, further comprising:

an output port;

wherein the one or more computational elements are further operable to;

create a composite image including the video information and the text information; and

send the composite image to a display device via the output port.

16. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein the speech of the participant is in a first language;

wherein said converting the speech into text information comprises converting the speech into first text information in the first language; and

wherein the one or more computational elements are further operable to automatically translate the first text information into second text information, wherein the second text information is in a second language.

17. The videoconferencing device of claim 16, further comprising:

an output port; and

wherein the one or more computational elements are further operable to send the second text information in the second language for display on a display device.

18. A method for processing audio information in a videoconference, the method comprising:

a videoconferencing device in the videoconference receiving a stream of video information and audio information, wherein the audio information includes speech of a participant at the first endpoint;

the videoconferencing device at the first endpoint automatically converting the speech into text information; and

the videoconferencing device at the first endpoint sending the video information, audio information, and text information to a videoconferencing device at a second endpoint in the videoconference.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein the speech of the participant is in a first language;

wherein said converting the speech into text information comprises converting the speech into first text information in the first language; and

wherein the method further comprises automatically translating the first text information into second text information, wherein the second text information is in a second language.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the text information as a transcript of the speech of the participant in the videoconference.