MULTILINGUAL SPEECH RECOGNITION AND PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

• US 20130138422A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Daye, Sheri G., Jaiswal, Peeyush, Vitenas, Aleksas J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/027 Concept to speech synthesisers; Generation of natural phrases from machine-based concepts generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text G10L13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/005 Language recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/54 for retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and program product to deliver an announcement to people, such as a public announcement. A computer receives input representative of audio from one or more people speaking in one or more natural languages. The computer processes the input to identify the languages being spoken, and identifies a relative proportion of each of the identified languages. Using these proportions, the computer determines one or more languages in which to deliver the announcement. The computer then causes to be delivered the announcement in the determined languages. In other embodiments, the computer can also determine an order in which to deliver the announcement. Further, the computer can transmit the announcement in the determined languages and order for delivery in aural or visual form.

Claims

1. A method for delivering an announcement in one or more languages, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving input representative of audio from one or more human speakers speaking in one or more natural languages;

the computer processing the input to identify the one or more natural languages being spoken;

the computer determining a relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages;

the computer determining one or more natural languages in which to deliver the announcement based, at least in part, on the determined relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

the computer causing to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer causing to be delivered the announcement further comprises the steps of:

the computer determining an order in which to deliver the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages based, at least in part, on the relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

the computer causing to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages in the determined order.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer transmits for delivery the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of a computer receiving input further comprises;

a computer receiving input representative of audio from one or more human speakers speaking in one or more natural languages at set intervals of time; and

the step of the computer causing to be delivered the announcement further comprises;

the computer causing to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages at set intervals of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement is caused to be delivered aurally.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement is caused to be delivered visually.

7. A computer system for delivering an announcement in one or more languages, the system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive input representative of audio from one or more human speakers speaking in one or more natural languages;

program instructions to process the input to identify the one or more natural languages being spoken;

program instructions to determine a relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages;

program instructions to determine one or more natural languages in which to deliver the announcement based, at least in part, on the relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

program instructions to cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions to:

determine an order in which to deliver the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages based, at least in part, on the relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages in the determined order.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions to transmit for delivery the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions to receive and process the audio input at set intervals of time, and cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages at set intervals of time.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions to cause the announcement to be delivered aurally.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions to cause the announcement to be delivered visually.

13. A computer program product for delivering an announcement, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive input representative of audio from one or more human speakers speaking in one or more natural languages;

program instructions to process the input to identify the one or more natural languages being spoken;

program instructions to determine a relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages;

program instructions to determine one or more natural languages in which to deliver the announcement based, at least in part, on the relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

program instructions to cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to:

determine an order in which to deliver the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages based, at least in part, on the relative proportion of each of the identified one or more natural languages; and

cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages in the determined order.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to transmit for delivery the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive and process the input at set intervals of time, and cause to be delivered the announcement in the determined one or more natural languages at set intervals of time.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to cause the announcement to be delivered aurally.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to cause the announcement to be delivered visually.