ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE SUPPORT FOR TELEVISIONS

• US 20100106482A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hardacker, Robert, Richman, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/257,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• 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: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Systems and methods to provide additional language support for televisions are described herein. In one embodiment, a video signal including a first data stream representing text in a first language is received. The first data stream is transmitted to a remote source for real time translation into a second data stream representing text in a second language. The second data stream is received and then, displayed. In another embodiment, an uncompressed stream is received from a set top box. The uncompressed stream includes a first closed caption data format, which is in a first language. The first closed caption data format is converted into a first closed caption data stream using optical character recognition. The first closed caption data stream which represents text in the first language, is sent to a remote source for translation into a second closed caption data stream which represents text in a second language. The second closed caption data stream is received and then, displayed. In yet another embodiment, an uncompressed stream is received from a set top box. The uncompressed stream includes a first electronic program guide data which is in a first language. The first electronic program guide data is converted into a first format recognized by optical character recognition. The electronic program guide data in the first format represents text in the first language. The first electronic program guide data is outputted in a first format for translation into an electronic program guide data having a second format. The electronic program guide data in the second format represents text in a second language. The electronic program guide data in the second format is received and then, displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video signal including a first data stream representing text in a first language;

transmitting the first data stream to a remote source for real time translation into a second data stream representing text in a second language;

receiving the second data stream; and

displaying the second data stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video signal is sent from a content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream is closed caption data in a first language and the second data stream is closed caption data in a second language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream is an electronic program guide data in a first language and the second data is electronic program guide data in a second language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream and second data stream are ASCII digital data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the second data stream further comprises:

displaying the second data stream on a digital device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second language is selected by a user using a remote control.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one or more identifiers to be selected by a user, the one or more identifiers corresponding to personalized language settings, wherein the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being set by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user biometrically; and

loading the personalized language settings, the personalized language settings having a setting for the detected user including the second language being previously set by the detected user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to input an identifier, the identifier activating the user'"'"'s personalized language settings, the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being previously set by the user.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an uncompressed stream from a set top box, the uncompressed stream including a first closed caption data format, the first closed caption data format being in a first language;

converting the first closed caption data format into a first closed caption data stream using optical character recognition, the first closed caption data stream representing text in the first language;

sending the first closed caption data stream to a remote source for translation into a second closed caption data stream, the second closed caption data stream representing text in a second language;

receiving the second closed caption data stream; and

displaying the second closed caption data stream.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first closed caption data format is displayed in a closed caption data window including characters in a first language.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein converting the first closed caption data format using optical character recognition comprises:

determining the closed caption window; and

detecting the characters in a first language.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the second closed caption data stream comprises:

generating a graphics plane window including characters in the second language corresponding to the second closed caption data stream; and

overlaying the closed caption window with the graphics plane window.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second language is selected by a user using a remote control.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying one or more identifiers to be selected by a user, the one or more identifiers corresponding to personalized language settings, wherein the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being set by the user.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a user biometrically; and

loading personalized language settings, the personalized language settings having a setting for the detected user including the second language being previously set by the detected user.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

prompting a user to input an identifier, the identifier activating the user'"'"'s personalized language settings, the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being previously set by the user.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first closed caption data stream and second closed caption data stream are ASCII digital data.

20. A method comprising:

receiving an uncompressed stream from a set top box, the uncompressed stream including a first electronic program guide data, the first electronic program guide data being in a first language;

converting the first electronic program guide data into a first format recognized by optical character recognition, the electronic program guide data in the first format representing text in the first language;

outputting the first electronic program guide data in a first format for translation into an electronic program guide data having a second format, the electronic program guide data in the second format representing text in a second language;

receiving the electronic program guide data in the second format; and

displaying the electronic program guide data in the second format.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first electronic program guide data is displayed on a screen including characters in the first language.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein converting the first electronic program guide data into a first format recognized by optical character recognition comprises:

detecting the characters in the first language.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein displaying the electronic program guide data in the second format comprises:

blanking the screen; and

displaying on the blank screen an electronic program guide including characters in the second language corresponding to the second electronic program guide data stream.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the second language is selected by a user using a remote control.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

displaying one or more identifiers to be selected by a user, the one or more identifiers corresponding to personalized language settings, wherein the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being set by the user.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting a user biometrically; and

loading personalized language settings, wherein the personalized language settings having a setting for the detected user including the second language being previously set by the detected user.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

prompting a user to input an identifier, the identifier activating the user'"'"'s personalized language settings, the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being previously set by the user.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the electronic program guide data in the first format and electronic program guide data in a second format are ASCII digital data.

29. A system comprising:

a digital device to receive a video signal including a first data stream, the first data stream representing text in a first language; and

a remote source to receive the first data stream from the digital device, the remote source to translate the first data stream in real time into a second data stream, the second data stream representing text in a second language, and the remote source to further send the second data stream to the digital device to be displayed.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the video signal is sent from a content provider.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the first data stream is a closed caption data stream in a first language and the second data is closed caption data stream in a second language.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the first data is an electronic program guide data stream in a first language and the second data is electronic program guide data stream in a second language.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the second language is selected by a user using a remote control.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the digital device displays one or more identifiers to be selected by a user, the one or more identifiers corresponding to personalized language settings including a setting for the second language being set by the user.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the digital device further comprises:

means to detect a user biometrically; and

means to load personalized language settings, the personalized language settings having a setting for detected user including the second language being previously set by the detected user.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the digital device displays a screen prompting a user to input an identifier, the identifier activating the user'"'"'s personalized language settings, the personalized language settings include a setting for the second language being previously set by the user.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the first data stream and second data stream are ASCII digital data.

38. A method comprising:

receiving at a remote source (i) content from a content provider and (ii) identification of the content, the content including a first data representing text in a first language;

monitoring the content using a set top box included in the remote source;

extracting the first data using the set top box;

receiving a request at the remote source from a digital device for a second data representing text in a second language;

translating at the remote source the extracted first data in real time into the second data; and

sending the second data from the remote source to the digital device to be displayed.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the content may include a first closed caption data stream representing text in a first language.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprises generating a database including the extracted first data.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein translating the extracted first data includes translating the first data of a complete program into the second data, the second data includes time stamps.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprises storing the second data in the digital device.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprises rendering the second data per time stamp or other synchronous indicating manner.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein sending the second data includes streaming the second data to the digital device in a synchronous manner.

45. A method comprising:

receiving a first digital audio stream from a digital device, the first digital audio stream being in a first language;

converting the first digital audio stream to a first text stream, the first text stream being in the first language;

translating the first digital audio stream and the first text stream in real time to a second digital audio stream and a second text stream, the second audio stream and the second text stream being in a second language; and

sending the second audio stream and the second text stream to the digital device for rendering.