AVIATION TEXT AND VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100027768A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Convergent Aerospace Science And Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Convergent Aerospace Science And Technology Corp.
• Inventors: Foskett, James J.
• Application Number:
  US11/934,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.140
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A communication system provides the conversion of voice inputs into analog and/or digital data at either the transmission or reception end or both. The data is converted for use as voice and/or visual text which can be displayed to the operator for task specific or general information. This data can also be utilized by integrated management and display systems within a vehicle such as an aircraft, or for any broader communication or navigational purpose.

Claims

1. A system for providing enhanced communication between a control center and a vehicle, comprising;

a voice to text converter to convert a voice based message to a text based message;

an output display unit in the vehicle configured to display the text based message converted from the voice based message; and

a speaker configured to audibly deliver the voice based message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice to text converter converts at one of the control center and a centralized server and is configured to initiate transmission of the text based message to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice to text converter is configured to convert a message from voice to text at the vehicle and after reception of the voice based message.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a text to text converter configured to convert the text based message converted from the voice based message from a first text language to a second text language.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the text to text converter converts at the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the text based message is displayed to an originator of the voice based message for visual verification of the text based message against the voice based message.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the text based message is transmitted only after an actuation signal by the originator.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the text based message is received from the vehicle for display to the originator at the control center.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a text to text converter configured to translate the text based message from one language to another language.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a confidence checking component that determines a confidence level of the text based message converted from the voice based message.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the confidence level is displayable on the display unit to visually indicate a degree of confidence of the text based message.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice based message and text based message are output substantially in real time.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a text to voice converter configured to convert the text based message to an audible message.

15. A method of providing enhanced communications between a controller and a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

translating a voice message to a text message;

displaying the text message converted from the voice message; and

outputting the voice message to a speaker,

wherein the outputting of the voice message and the displaying of the text message occur substantially at the same time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the translating occurs prior to transmission of the text message to the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the translating occurs at the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of converting the text message translated from the voice message from a first language to a second language.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the text message to an originator of the voice message for visual verification of the text message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the text based message is received from the vehicle for display to the originator.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of performing a confidence check to determine a confidence level of the text message converted from the voice message and displaying the confidence level.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the translating step is performed by a server configured to translate the voice message to the text message for clients that include at least one of the vehicle and the controller.

24. A method of providing enhanced communications between a controller and an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

receiving a voice message at the aircraft;

translating the voice message to a text message;

determining a confidence level of the translating; and

outputting the text message, the confidence level and the voice message substantially at the same time for use by a crew member of the aircraft.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of storing the text message for subsequent recall.