Remote simultaneous interpretation system

• US 5,426,706 A
• Filed: 07/30/1993
• Issued: 06/20/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Simulmed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: William H. Wood
• Inventors: Wood, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, PING
• Application Number:
  US08/099,956
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 379/391, 381/85, 381/82, 381/80, 381/81, 381/77
• US Class Current: 381/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/00 Line transmission systems combined with near-field transmission systems H04B5/00

Abstract

A remote simultaneous interpretation system particularly suitable for oral communication between a doctor and patient who do not speak a common language includes a user station equipped with a first and second headsets and microphones, a remote simultaneous interpretation system also equipped with a headset and a microphone and an audio link operatively interconnecting the stations. The simultaneous interpreter station includes controls for routing incoming and outgoing signals from and to separate portions of the user station, thereby allowing the remotely located interpreter to listen to either the doctor, the patient or both and to route voiced interpreter signals to the doctor, the patient or both. The use of simultaneous interpretation reduces the language barrier between a doctor and a patient, thereby improving rapport and overcoming social and/or cultural barriers to providing medical care.

Claims

1. A remote simultaneous interpretation system comprising:

at least one user station, the user station having a first portion for interacting with a first person and a second portion for interacting with a second person, each of the portions including an acoustical speaker and a microphone;

a simultaneous interpreter station for interacting with an interpreter and having an acoustical speaker and a microphone;

means for operatively linking the interpreter station and the user station to provide two way audio communication between said simultaneous interpreter station and each of said first and second portions; and

the simultaneous interpret station further including,

a first listening switch means operatively connected to the acoustical speaker at the interpreter station and having, at least three positions of operation to selectively receive voiced audio signals from one of the following;

the first portion microphone, the second portion microphone, and both the first portion microphone and the second portion microphone, and

a second speaking switch means operatively connected to the microphone at the interpreter station and having at least three positions of operation to selectively convey voiced signals from the interpreter at the interpreter station to one of the following;

the first portion acoustical speaker, the second portion acoustical speaker, and both the first portion acoustical speaker and the second portion acoustical speaker,

each of the first and second switch means being selectively switched from the simultaneous interpreter station and not from the first and second portions,

the first and second switch means configured so that when the interpreter at the interpreting station is listening to first voiced audio signals from the first portion microphone and simultaneously conveying first interpreted voiced signals to the second portion speaker, the first portion speaker does not receive the first interpreted voiced signals; and

when the interpreter at the interpreter station is listening to second voiced audio signals from the second portion microphone and simultaneously conveying second interpreted voiced signals to the first person, the second portion speaker does not receive the second interpreted voiced signals,

thereby to provide remote simultaneous interpretation for the first and second persons.

2. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 1 wherein the operatively linking means comprises a full duplex wire link between the user station and the simultaneous interpreter station.

3. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the user station are located remotely from each other and the operatively linking means further includes:

a first linking section for operatively interconnecting the first portion with the interpreter station; and

a second linking section for operatively interconnecting the second portion with the interpreter station, at least one of the first and second linking sections comprising a full duplex wireless link.

4. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 1 and further comprising:

call means selectively operable at the user station to indicate at the interpreter station that simultaneous interpretation is needed.

5. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 4 wherein said call means further comprises:

a pushbutton located at the user station; and

a speaker located at the interpreter station.

6. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 4 wherein said call means further comprises:

a pushbutton located at the user station; and

a speaker located at the interpreter station.

7. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 1 and further comprising:

indicating means located at the user station and selectively operable by the first and second persons to indicate at the simultaneous interpreter station that communication is complete.

8. The simultaneous interpretation system of claim 1 wherein the simultaneous interpretation station further comprises:

means for routing, at a reduced volume level and during simultaneous interpretation, the voiced audio signals from the first portion microphone to the second portion speaker and the voiced audio signals from the second portion microphone to the first portion speaker.

9. A method for facilitating communication between two persons who do not speak a common language, the method comprising the steps of:

a) conveying, from a first microphone at a first portion of a user station to an acoustical speaker located at a remote simultaneous interpreting station, a first voiced audio signal spoken by a first person, the first voiced audio signal being in a first language;

b) conveying, from a microphone at the remote interpreter station to a second speaker at a second portion of the user station, a voiced interpretation of the first voiced audio signal, the voiced interpretation of the first voiced audio signal being in a second language, and steps a) and b) occurring substantially simultaneously and representing a first mode of operation, the voiced interpretation of the first voiced audio signal not being conveyed to the first speaker of the user station;

c) conveying, from a second microphone at the second portion to the acoustical speaker at the remote simultaneous station, a second voiced audio signal spoken by a second person, the second voiced audio signal being in the second language;

d) conveying, from the microphone at the remote interpretation station to a first speaker at the first portion of the user station, a voiced interpretation of the second voiced signal, the voiced interpretation of the second voiced signal being in the first language, and steps c) and d) occurring substantially simultaneously and representing a second mode of operation, the voiced interpretation of the second voiced audio signal not being conveyed to the second speaker of the user station; and

selectively switching, from the remote simultaneous interpreter station, between the first and second modes of operation, thereby to provide simultaneous interpretation for said first and second persons interacting with said first and second portions, respectively.

10. A method of facilitating oral communication between two persons who do not speak a common language:

a) operatively connecting a first and a second person to a remotely located simultaneous interpreter station via first and second audio links;

b) conveying a first voiced signal, in a first language, from said first person to the interpreter station via said first audio link and relaying, in a second language, a voiced interpretation of the first voiced signal to said second person via said second audio link, the voiced interpretation of the first voiced signal not being conveyed to the first person via the first audio link; and

c) conveying a second voiced signal, in the second language, from the second person to the interpreter station via the second audio link and relaying, in the first language, a voiced interpretation of the second voiced signal to said first person via said first audio link, the voiced interpretation of the second voiced signal not being conveyed to the second person via the second audio link, thereby to provide remote simultaneous interpretation between said first and second persons using said first and second audio links, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising the step of:

selectively switching between steps b) and c), said switching occurring from said simultaneous interpreter station.