Audio and video transcription system for manipulating real-time testimony

• US 6,023,675 A
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Engate LLC
• Original Assignee: Engate, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Lawrence M., Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US09/185,114
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 386/85, 386/96, 386/52, 386/53, 360/4, 360/51, 360/13, 360/79, 398/232, 704/270, 704/235, 348/61, 348/12, 348/14, 348/15, 370/260
• US Class Current: 704/235
• 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 method utilized during a testimonial proceeding, the method comprising:

capturing representations of spoken words in real time at a first premises;

converting the representations into text in real time;

delivering the text in real time to a remote system, the remote system being disposed at a second premises;

communicatively coupling at least one terminal and the remote system;

delivering, by the remote system, the text in real time to the at least one terminal, the at least one terminal being disposed at at least a third premises; and

displaying at the at least one terminal the delivered text for real time review.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing audio signals corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured audio signals with the text.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing audio signals corresponding to the spoken words;

delivering the captured audio signals to the at least one terminal via the remote system; and

reproducing at the at least one terminal the delivered audio signals.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

associating the captured audio signals with the text; and

accessing, by the at least one terminal, portions of the captured audio signals via the delivered text.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the portions of the captured audio signals through performing a search of the delivered text.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured video with the text.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words;

delivering the captured video to the at least one terminal via the remote system; and

reproducing at the at least one terminal the delivered video.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

associating the captured video with the text; and

accessing, by the at least one terminal, portions of the captured video via the delivered text.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the portions of the captured video through performing a search of the delivered text.

10. A method utilized during a testimonial proceeding using a remote system, a plurality of terminals coupled to the remote system, and a transcription system, the method comprising:

converting, using the transcription system at a first premises, representations of spoken words to text in real time;

delivering the text in real time to the remote system, the remote system being disposed at a second premises;

delivering, by the remote system, at least portions of the text in real time to the plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being disposed at at least one premises other than the first or second premises; and

displaying at the plurality of terminals the delivered text for real time review.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

capturing audio corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured audio with the text.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

capturing audio corresponding to the spoken words;

delivering the captured audio to the plurality of terminals via the remote system; and

reproducing at the plurality of terminals the delivered audio.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

associating the captured audio with the text; and

accessing, by the plurality of terminals, portions of the captured audio via the delivered text.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of terminals access the portions of the captured audio through performing a search of the delivered text.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured video with the text.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words;

delivering the captured video to the plurality of terminals via the remote system; and

reproducing at the plurality of terminals the delivered video.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

associating the captured video with the text; and

accessing, by the plurality of terminals, portions of the captured video via the delivered text.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of terminals access the portions of the captured video through performing a search of the delivered text.

19. A method utilized during a testimonial proceeding using a remote system, at least one terminal coupled to the remote system, and a transcription system, the method comprising:

converting, using the transcription system, representations of spoken words to text in real time, the transcription system being disposed at a first premises;

delivering the text in real time to the remote system, the remote system being disposed at a second premises; and

delivering, by the remote system, the text in real time to the at least one terminal for display, the at least one terminal being disposed at at least a third premises.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

capturing audio signals corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured audio signals with the text.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

capturing audio signals corresponding to the spoken words; and

delivering, via the remote system, the captured audio signals to the at least one terminal for reproduction.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

associating the captured audio signals with the text; and

accessing, by the at least one terminal, portions of the captured audio signals via the delivered text.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the portions of the captured audio signals through performing a search of the delivered text.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words; and

associating the captured video with the text.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

capturing video corresponding to the spoken words; and

delivering, via the remote system, the captured video to the at least one terminal for reproduction.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

associating the captured video with the text; and

accessing, by the at least one terminal, portions of the captured video via the delivered text.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the portions of the captured video through performing a search of the delivered text.

28. A transcription network used with testimonial proceedings, the transcription network comprising:

a remote system disposed at a first premises;

at least one terminal disposed at at least a second premises;

at least one first link communicatively coupling the remote system with the at least one terminal;

a transcription system, disposed at a third premises, that converts representations of spoken words to text in real time; and

a second link communicatively coupling the remote system with the transcription system, the transcription system delivering the text to the remote system via the second link, and the remote system using the at least one first link to deliver at least portions of the text to the at least one terminal for display.

29. The transcription network of claim 28 further comprising a processing system that captures audio signals corresponding to the spoken words and associates the captured audio signals with the text.

30. The transcription network of claim 29 wherein at least a portion of the captured audio signals are received by the at least one terminal via the remote system for reproduction.

31. The transcription network of claim 30 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the received audio signals via the delivered text.

32. The transcription network of claim 28 further comprising a processing system that captures video signals corresponding to the spoken words and associates the captured video signals with the text.

33. The transcription network of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the captured video signals are received by the at least one terminal via the remote system for reproduction.

34. The transcription network of claim 33 wherein the at least one terminal accesses the received video signals by conducting a search of the delivered text.

35. The transcription network of claim 28 wherein the at least one terminal comprises a first terminal, and further comprising:

a second terminal disposed a fourth premises; and

a third link communicatively coupling the remote system with the second terminal, the remote system using the third link to deliver at least portions of the text to the second terminal for display.

36. The transcription network of claim 35 further comprising a processing system that captures audio signals corresponding to the spoken words and associates the captured audio signals with the text.

37. The transcription network of claim 36 wherein at least a portion of the captured audio signals are received by the terminals via the remote system for reproduction.

38. The transcription network of claim 35 further comprising a processing system that captures video signals corresponding to the spoken words and associates the captured video signals with the text.

39. The transcription network of claim 38 wherein at least a portion of the captured video signals are received by the terminals via the remote system for reproduction.