Multi-Lingual Conference Call

• US 20080300852A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Waters, Anthony, Johnson, David
• Application Number:
  US11/755,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/2
• 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: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus arranged to facilitate translation of speech within a conference call. The apparatus receives speech data in a first language, converts the speech data in the first language into meta-data; and the meta-data is then translated into speech data in a second language. The apparatus may be distributed across a network or situated on a single node in the network.

Claims

1. Apparatus in a network comprising.

a) a speech receiver to receive speech data in a first language from a transmitter;

b) first translation means to translate the received speech data to meta data;

c) a data transmitter to transmit meta data to the network;

d) a meta data receiver to receive meta data from the network;

e) second translation means to translate meta data to speech data in the first language; and

f) a speech transmitter to transmit data to a receiver unit.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the speech data is provided with source information.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the source information includes an identifier comprising at least one of the group comprising a language identity of the language of the speech data as received at the speech receiver and a user terminal identity for the user terminal from which speech data is received by the apparatus.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the identifier is a language identity, the apparatus further including identification means arranged to determine if the first language is the language identification using the language identity.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein the identification means causes the apparatus to discard the meta data if the language identified in the language identify is the same as the first language.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising memory to store speech data received by the speech receiver.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 arranged to cause the speech transmitter to transmit the speech data stored in the memory to user terminals connected to the apparatus.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the identifier includes user terminal id for the user terminal from which a speech receiver received speech data;

the apparatus being arranged to not transmit speech data to a user terminal from which the speech data was received.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the meta-data is provided with timing information such that speech data is transmitted by the speech transmitter at a predetermined time.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes conversion means arranged to convert the meta data to intermediate meta data and transmits the intermediate meta data to the network.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for receiving, from a user at a user terminal, a connection request including a language identification and is arranged to determine whether the identified language is the first language.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein apparatus is arranged to receive speech data from a user terminal associated with the first language.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein if the identified language is not the first language, the apparatus connects to a second apparatus comprising

a) a speech receiver to receive speech data in a second language from a transmitter;

b) first translation means to translate the received speech data to meta data;

c) a data transmitter to transmit meta data to the network;

d) a meta data receiver to receive meta data from the network;

e) second translation means to translate meta data to speech data in the second language; and

f) a speech transmitter for transmitting data to a receiver unit.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the second apparatus is arranged to transmit meta-data to the first apparatus.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the second apparatus is arranged to transmit meta data to a conference bridge.

16. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further includes receiving means to receive transmission data from a database arranged to store translation data associated with a user terminal id for translating speech data received from a user terminal to the meta-data.

17. Apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the translation data is retrieved from the database when a user terminal having a user id connects to the apparatus.

18. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the meta-data is text data.

19. A network including a first and second apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first apparatus is for a first language and the second apparatus is for a second language.

20. A network as recited in claim 19 wherein the first and second apparatus are conference bridges.

21. A network as recited in claim 20 wherein the system further includes a third apparatus as recited in claim 1, the third apparatus being a conference bridge.

22. A network as recited in claim 19 wherein the first and second apparatus are translation engines.

23. A network as recited in claim 22 further including a conference bridge to which the first and second translation engines are connected.

24. A network as recited in claim 23 wherein the conference bridge is arranged to transmit meta-data to the translation engines.

25. A network as recited in claim 24 wherein the conference bridge is arranged to translate the meta-data into intermediate meta-data before transmitting it to the translation engine connected to it.

26. A network as recited in claim 24 wherein the first translation engine is arranged to translate the meta-data form to an intermediate meta-data form before transmitting it to the conference bridge.

27. A network as recited in claim 25 wherein the meta-data is text data.

28. A network as recited in claim 27 wherein the text data is translated from the first language to the second language prior to converting the text data to speech data.

29. A network as recited in claim 26 wherein the meta data is text.

30. A network as recited in claim 29 wherein the text data is translated from the first language to the second language prior to converting the text data to speech data.

30-1. A computer programme arranged to cause apparatus to carry out the steps of:

a) receive speech data in a first language from a transmitter;

b) translate the received speech data to meta data;

c) transmit meta data to a network;

d) receive meta data from the network;

e) translate meta data to speech data in the first language; and

f) transmitting data to a receiver unit.

31. A method of translating speech comprising:

a) receiving speech data in a first language from a transmitter;

b) translating the received speech data to meta data;

c) transmitting meta data to a network;

d) receiving meta data from the network;

e) translating meta data to speech data in the first language; and

f) transmitting data to a receiver unit.