Audio and video transcription system for manipulating real-time testimony

• US 5,878,186 A
• Filed: 05/24/1993
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LiveNote Inc. (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Engate, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Lawrence M., Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US08/066,948
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 360/33.1, 360/13, 360/79, 360/4, 360/51, 398/232, 386/52, 386/54, 386/85, 386/96
• US Class Current: 386/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/685 using automatically derived transcript of audio data, e.g. lyrics speech recognition G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/268 Morphological analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 : Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 : Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/073 : for mutually locking plural sources of synchronising signals, e.g. studios or relay stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A transcription network having linked computer terminals for a court reporter and for examining, defending, and associate attorneys is disclosed. Based on the hardware present, the court reporter terminal automatically selects the most appropriate synchronization and audio and video transcript delivery schemes for the other terminals. A multi-mode synchronization scheme provides for various levels of synchronization of the textual transcript with the audio and video transcripts of the proceeding. A first-in first-out arrangement is provided for controlling the video and audio storage space so that a window of available audio and video can be specifically marked and retrieved for post-proceeding review.

Claims

1. A transcription system having a stenographic recorder that receives key-strokes representative of a group of spoken words that are spoken during a first time period, and said stenographic recorder generating, during a second time period, signals corresponding to the key-strokes received, wherein the first and second time periods are not in time synchronization, said transcription system comprising:

a terminal, communicatively interconnected to the stenographic recorder, which transcribes signals generated by the stenographic recorder into corresponding alphabetic and numeric text;

recording means for creating a recording of the group of spoken words;

a link between said terminal and said recording means, said terminal operating across said link to create associations between recorded spoken words and corresponding alphabetic and numeric text; and

analysis means for automatically identifying a third time period that provides better time synchronization with the first time period than does the second time period.

2. The transcription system of claim 1 wherein said terminal selectively plays back recorded spoken words which were recorded during the third time period by said recording means.

3. A transcription system used to transcribe spoken words, comprising:

a recorder for storing in sequential locations audible signals representative of spoken words as each of the words is spoken, and said recorder being capable of indicating a current storage location;

a terminal communicatively interconnected to said recorder;

input means responsive to manual input for generating input signals, and for delivering the input signals to said terminal as such signals are generated;

said terminal transcribes the input signals received from the input means, and, as the input signals are received, said terminal selectively associates current storage locations with the input signals;

said recorder also being controllable by said terminal to selectively access a portion of the stored audible signals based on the storage location of the portion; and

analysis means for adjusting the associated storage locations to provide better time synchronization between the input signals and the stored audible signals.

4. The transcription system of claim 3 wherein said recorder simultaneously records video signals, representative of images of the speaking of the spoken words, along with the audible signals.

5. The transcription system of claim 3 wherein said recorder comprises an audio board and a storage device associated with said terminal.

6. A transcription system used to transcribe spoken words, comprising:

a storage device for saving in sequential locations audible signals representative of spoken words as each word is spoken, and said storage device being capable of indicating a current storage location;

a terminal communicatively interconnected to said storage device;

means responsive to delayed manual input representing the spoken words for generating input signals for delivery to said terminal as such signals are generated, and, as the input signals are received, said terminal selectively associates current storage locations with the input signals; and

analysis means for automatically adjusting the associated storage locations to provide better time synchronization between the input signals and the stored audible signals.

7. The transcription system of claim 6 wherein said storage device can be used to selectively access a portion of the stored audible signals with reference to adjusted storage locations identified in the associations made by said terminal.

8. The transcription system of claim 6 wherein said storage device simultaneously records video signals, representative of images of the speaking of the spoken words, along with the audible signals.

9. The transcription system of claim 6 further comprising an audio sampling circuit which generates the audible signals representative of the spoken words for said storage device.

10. The transcription system of claim 9 wherein said analysis means determining the automatic adjustment of the associated storage locations by analyzing the audible signals representative of the spoken words.

11. The transcription system of claim 6 further comprising an audio sampling circuit which generates signals utilized by said analysis means in the determination of the automatic adjustment of the associated storage locations.