System for automated translation of speech

• US 6,339,754 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1997
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jensen, Philip, Flanagan, Mary A., Chinnock, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDOUARD, PATRICK NESTOR
• Application Number:
  US08/959,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/2-8, 704/270, 704/275, 704/277, 707/536
• US Class Current: 704/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/45 Example-based machine translation; Alignment
• 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: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

The present invention allows subscribers to an online information service to participate in real-time conferencing or chat sessions in which a message originating from a subscriber in accordance with a first language is translated to one or more languages before it is broadcast to the other conference areas. Messages in a first language are translated automatically to one or more other languages through language translation capabilities resident at online information service host computers. Access software that subscribers use for participating in conference is integrated with speech recognition and speech generation software such that a subscriber may speak the message he or she would like to share with other participants and may hear the messages from the other participants in the conference. Speech-to-speech translation may be accomplished as a message spoken into a computer microphone in accordance with a first language may be recited by a remote computer in accordance with a second language.

Claims

1. A system for electronic communication between users with different language preferences, comprising:

a first electronic conference area adapted to display electronic communications in a first language;

a second electronic conference area adapted to display electronic communications in a second language;

a speech-to-text translation process for creating an electronic communication;

means for posting said electronic communication on said first electronic conference area, said electronic communication in said first language;

means for submitting said electronic communication to a batch process for translating said electronic communication into said second language; and

means for posting said translated electronic communication into said second electronic conference area in said second language.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a speech-to-text translation process for creating a reply to said translated electronic communication;

means for posting said reply to said translated electronic communication on to said second electronic conference area, said reply in said second language;

means for submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language; and

means for posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a text-to-speech translation process for converting said reply on said first electronic conference area to speech.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a text-to-speech translation process for converting said translated electronic communication on said second electronic conference area to speech.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said automated translation process comprises an input monitor for monitoring posting of electronic communications to said first electronic discussion area, a translation submission queue for accepting electronic communications from said input monitor, a translation engine that removed electronic communications from said translation submission queue and translates said electronic communications, a translation completion monitor for accepting translated electronic communications from said translation submission queue, and a conference result formatter for formatting said translated electronic communications for display to said second electronic discussion area.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second conference areas are accessible by specifying a language preference.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for posting a reply to said translated electronic communication on to said second electronic conference area, said reply in said second language;

means for submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language;

means for posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area; and

a text-to-speech translation process for converting said reply on said first electronic conference area to speech.

8. A method for electronic communication between subscribers of different languages over a computer network comprising the steps of:

(a) developing a plurality of parallel conference areas for the storage and display of electronic communications;

(b) converting a dictated message to an input electronic communication using a speech-to-text conversion process;

(c) receiving an input electronic communication from a user at one of said conference areas;

(d) submitting said input electronic communication to a batch process adapted to translate said input electronic communication from its source language text to a target language text; and

(e) posting said translated input electronic communication to a second conference area adapted to display said target language.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of converting said translated input electronic communication to speech in accordance with a speech generation process.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein subscribers join said first conference area and said second conference area in accordance with specified language preferences.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

dictating a reply to said translated input electronic communication;

submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language; and

posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of converting said reply from text to speech.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

posting a reply to said translated input electronic communication;

submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language;

posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area; and

converting said reply in said first language from text to speech.

14. A method of providing translated messages in a plurality of electronic conference areas executing on at least one computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

converting speech from a first user to a first message;

posting said first message onto a first electronic conference area, said first message appearing in a first language;

providing a machine translator in electronic communication with said computer network, said machine translator capable of receiving and batch processing a plurality of messages;

translating said first message, with said machine translator, into a second message in a second language; and

posting said second message onto a second electronic conference area, said second message appearing in said second language.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of reciting said second message to participants at said second electronic conference area.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said first and second conference areas are accessible in accordance with a language preference.

17. A method for conversing electronically, comprising the steps of:

(a) speaking words in a first language;

(b) converting said spoken words into an electronic communication in said first language;

(c) transmitting said electronic communication in said first language to a first electronic conference area of an online information service;

(d) transmitting said electronic communication to a batch process for translating said electronic communication in said first language to an electronic communication in a second language;

(e) transmitting said electronic communication in said second language to a second electronic conference area of said online information service; and

(f) converting said electronic communication in said second language to speech.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of transmitting said electronic communication to a batch process comprises the steps of:

pre-processing said electronic communication to include hookwords;

translating said electronic communication in accordance with said hookwords; and

post-processing said electronic communication to remove said hookwords.

19. A system for conversing electronically via a wide area network, comprising:

a plurality of electronic conference areas, each of said electronic conference areas associated with a respective language;

a plurality of personal computers, each of said personal computers equipped with access software for establishing a connection to one of said plurality of electronic conference areas;

at least one source language electronic communication originating from one of said plurality of personal computers in accordance with a speech-to-text conversion process;

a conference manager connected to said wide area network, said conference manager adapted to receive an electronic communication and to direct said electronic communication to an electronic conference area in accordance with the language of said electronic communication; and

a translation engine in communication with said conference manager, said translation engine adapted to;

(1) receive a source language electronic communication;

(2) translate said source language electronic communication to at least one electronic communication in target language;

(3) transmit said electronic communication in said target language to said conference manager.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a text-to-speech conversion process operational on at least on of said plurality of computers for converting said electronic communication in said target language to speech.

21. A system for electronic communication between users with different language preferences, comprising:

a first electronic conference area adapted to display electronic communications in a first language;

a second electronic conference area adapted to display electronic communications in a second language;

means for posting an electronic communication on said first electronic conference area, said electronic communication in said first language;

means for submitting said electronic communication to a batch process for translating said electronic communication into said second language;

means for posting said translated electronic communication into said second electronic conference area in said second language; and

a text-to-speech translation process for converting said translated electronic communication on said second electronic conference area to speech.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a speech-to-text translation process for creating said electronic communication in said first language.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a speech-to-text translation process for creating a reply to said translated electronic communication, said reply in said second language;

means for posting said reply to said translated communication on to said second electronic conference area;

means for submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language; and

means for posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a text-to-speech translation process for converting said reply on said first electronic conference area to speech.

25. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

means for posting a reply to said translated electronic communication on to said second electronic conference area;

means for submitting said reply to said batch process for translating said reply to said first language;

means for posting said reply in said first language onto said first electronic conference area; and

a text-to-speech translation process for converting said reply on said first electronic conference area to speech.