Voice language translator

• US 4,984,177 A
• Filed: 02/01/1989
• Issued: 01/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stephen A. Rondel
• Original Assignee: Advanced Products Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Rondel, Stephen A., Carter, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KEMENY, EMANUEL
• Application Number:
  US07/306,001
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 381/52, 364/513.5, 364/419
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A voice language translator, suitable for implementation in hand-held size, is disclosed. The voice language translator includes: a key pad (20); a display system (17); a language cartridge(s) (45); a voice recognition module (49); a voice synthesizer (47); a speaker (39); a microphone (41); and a programmed CPU (43). Prior to use as a translator, the voice language translator is trained to the voice of a user. During training, a series of words and phrases to be spoken by the user are displayed, or spoken, in the language of the user. As the user speaks the words and phrases, the voice recognition circuit produces a digitally coded voice pattern that uniquely identifies the way in which the user spoke the words and phrases. The voice patterns produced by the voice recognition circuit are analyzed and stored, preferably in the cartridge. Thereafter, during translation, when the user speaks a sentence, the voice pattern produced by the voice recognition circuit is compared with the stored voice patterns to determine the nature of the spoken sentence. The result of the comparison is used to locate equivalent translations stored in the cartridge. Preferably, only sentences in the form of instructions or questions are translatable. Also, preferably, each question or instruction ends with a specific word unrelated to the content of the question, such as PLEASE. Strings of words and phrases that make up sentences are combinable only in a logical manner. Illogical combinations of words and phrases are ignored. This is accomplished by creating "banks" of combinable words and phrases in memory, and controlling via the CPU program the pathways therebetween such that only logical combinations are creatable. If the translator does not understand a spoken word or phrase, a list of acceptable words and phrases is displayed. Positioning a cursor adjacent the desired word or phrase and depressing an enter key allows the desired word or phrase to be selected. The logical string combinations of equivalent translations are converted to audible sounds by the voice synthesizer and emitted by the speaker. If desired, a visual display, or an audible emission, in the language of the user can be made to occur before the translated emission takes place (or simultaneously with the translated emission) so that the user can be certain that the sentence to be translated has been accurately interpreted by the voice language translator. The voice language translator also includes provisions for testing "trained" words or phrases and correcting erroneous training. Further, the voice language translator includes provisions for transferring "trained" voice patterns from one translation cartridge (e.g., an English-to-French cartridge) to another translation cartridge (e.g., English-to-French cartridge).

Claims

1. A speech translator for translating words spoken by a user in a first language into spoken words in a second language, said speech translator comprising:

language storing means for storing, in digitally coded form, voice patterns of words and phrases in first and second languages, at least some of said digitally coded voice patterns being stored in banks of related words and phrases;

word recognition means for receiving audible words spoken by a user and creating corresponding voice patterns in digitally coded form;

word producing means for receiving voice patterns in digitally coded form and creating corresponding audible words; and

programmable control means connected to said language storage means, said word recognition means and said word producing means for translating words spoken by a user in said first language into spoken words in said second language by controlling the operation of said language storage means, said word recognition means and said word producing means, said programmable control means including a training mode of operation and a translate mode of operation, said training mode of operation training said speech translator to understand words spoken by a user in said first language by;

(i) instructing a user to speak a series of words in said first language stored in digitally coded form in said language storage means; and

(ii) storing the digitally coded voice patterns produced by said word recognition means in response to said user speaking said series of words in said first language as a series of trained voice patterns, said translate mode of operation translating words spoken by said user in said first language into said second language by;

(i) comparing the digitally coded voice patterns, produced by said word recognition means when said user speaks words in said first language, with said stored series of trained voice patterns (ii) using the results of said comparison to locate digitally coded voice patterns of corresponding words in said second language stored in said language storing means; and

(iii) applying said digitally coded voice patterns of said corresponding words to said word producing means, said programmable control means only accessing selected ones of said banks of related words and phrases stored in said language storing means in a logical sequence when comparing the digitally coded voice patterns produced by said word recognition means when said user speaks words in said first language with said stored series of trained voice patterns.

2. A speech translator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voice speech translator includes a display means and wherein said programmable control means causes said display means to display said series of words in said first language when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

3. A speech translator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said training mode of operation includes a TRAIN ALL words option during which a user is instructed to speak in seriatum the series of words in said first language stored in digitally coded form in said language storage means as they are displayed, and a TRAIN SELECTED words option during which a user can select which of said series of words in said first language stored in digitally coded form in said language storage means to speak.

4. A speech translator as claimed in claim 3, wherein said training mode of operation tests the way in which a user speaks a word in said first language by asking the user to repeat the word in said first language and analyzing the digitally coded voice pattern produced by said word recognition means in response to said user repeating said word in said first language to determine if the user has respoken the word in the same way.

5. A speech translator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said display means displays instructions to a user to speak a displayed word or words as the word or words are displayed when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

6. A speech translator as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control means includes a talk key that enables said word recognition means to receive audible words spoken by a user and create corresponding digitally coded voice patterns when said talk key is depressed and wherein said speech translator instructs a user to depress said talk key as well as speak a word or words in said first language when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

7. A speech translator as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control means includes cursor keys and wherein said cursor keys are used to scroll through words displayed by said display means when said programmable control means is in said TRAIN SELECTED words option of said training mode of operation.

8. A speech translator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said programmable controller logically combines the digitally coded voice patterns of words spoken by a user into a sentence and analyzes the sentence to determine if it is a sentence suitable for translation when said programmable control means is in said translate mode of operation.

9. A speech translator as claimed in claim 8, wherein said analysis requires that said sentence lie in a predetermined sequence of banks accessed by said programmable control means when comparing the digitally coded voice patterns produced by said word recognition means when said user speaks words in said first language with said stored series of trained voice patterns.

10. A speech translator as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said analysis requires that said combined sentence terminate with a specific word that is unrelated to the content of the sentence.

11. A speech translator claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said digitally coded voice patterns of said spoken words are used to locate digitally coded voice patterns of corresponding words in said second language stored in digitally coded form in said language storing means and apply said digitally coded voice patterns of said corresponding words to said word producing means immediately after said sentence is determined to be suitable for translation.

12. A speech translator as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said sentence is provided to said user in said first language after said sentence is determined to be suitable for translation prior to said digitally coded voice patterns of said spoken words being used to locate digitally coded voice patterns of corresponding words in said second language stored in digitally coded form in said language storing means and apply said digitally coded voice patterns of said corresponding words to said word producing means.

13. A speech translator as claimed in claim 12, wherein said sentence is provided to said user by being displayed on said display means.

14. A speech translator as claimed in claim 12, wherein said sentence is provided to said user by being uttered by said word producing means.

15. A speech translator as claimed in claim 9, wherein said programmable controller displays the words in the banks when the analysis of the words spoken by a user do not find a match.

16. A speech translator as claimed in claim 15, wherein words spoken by a user are analyzed twice and the words in a bank are displayed only if no match is found after both analyses have been completed.

17. A speech translator as claimed in claim 9, wherein said speech translator includes a display means and wherein said user can control during translation the display of words stored in said banks.

18. A speech translator as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said speech translator includes a display means and wherein said programmable control means causes said display said series of words in said first language when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

19. A speech translator as claimed in claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, wherein:

(a) said speech translator includes a hand-sized housing;

(b) said display means, word recognition means, word producing means and said programmable control means are all mounted in said hand-sized housing; and

(c) said language storing means includes at least two cartridges, said cartridges being removably mounted in said hand held-housing.

20. A speech translator as claimed in claim 19, wherein said TRAIN ALL words option instructs a user to speak all of the series of words in said first language stored in digitally coded form in said language storage means as they are displayed.

21. A speech translator as claimed in claim 20, wherein said training mode of operation also includes a TEST option during which a user speaks in said first language words to be tested and the digitally coded voice pattern produced by said word recognition means in response to said user speaking is analyzed to determine if the words spoken by the user are part of a legitimate code string that includes a digitally coded voice pattern stored in said language storage means.

22. A speech translator as claimed in claim 21, wherein said displays instructions to a user to speak a displayed word or words as the word or words are displayed when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

23. A speech translator as claimed in claim 22, wherein said control means includes a talk key that enables said word recognition means to receive audible words spoken by a user and create corresponding digitally coded voice patterns when said talk key is depressed and wherein said speech translator instructs a user to depress said talk key as well as speak a word or words in said first language when said programmable control means is in said training mode of operation.

24. A speech translator as claimed in claim 23, wherein said control means includes cursor keys and wherein said cursor keys are used to scroll through words displayed by said display means when said programmable control means is in said TRAIN SELECTED words option of said training mode of operation.