Captioning for tele-conferences

• US 6,816,468 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Cruickshank, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US09/465,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/352, 370/357, 370/356, 370/261, 379/67.1, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/205.01, 379/88.14, 455/414, 455/416, 792/04, 348/14.08, 704/275, 704/272, 704/2, 704/270.1
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/129 Details of providing call progress tones or announcements

Abstract

A teleconferencing system, including apparatus and methods, for providing transcription and/or translation services during a teleconference is disclosed. The disclosed teleconferencing system establishes a voice connection and a data connection with participants to the teleconference desiring transcription services. The speech of each participant to the teleconference is transcribed using voice recognition technology in real or near-real time. Additionally, the transcribed text may be translated into a participant'"'"'s desired language. The translation may be generated in real or near-real time on a word by word basis or alternatively, on a phrase by phrase or sentence by sentence basis. The translated and transcribed text is displayed for a participant using the established data connection. The transcribed (and possibly translated) text may be displayed in real or near-real time during a participant'"'"'s speech. Audio translation services are also provided to a participant using text to speech software to generate an audio signal from the translated and transcribed text.

Claims

1. A method of providing teleconferencing services to a plurality of stations by a teleconference server, said method comprising:

for each of a plurality of stations,

receiving a call from the station,

determining capabilities of the station, and

if the capabilities of the station comprise a computing device,

determining a network address of the computing device associated with the station, and

establishing a connection with the computing device over a data network;

receiving a received audio signal from a first one of the plurality of stations; and

transmitting text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal over the data network to a second one of the plurality of stations.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal from the first one of the plurality of stations over the data network from the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the received text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal from the first one of the plurality of stations is received in a first language and the text data transmitted over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations is transmitted in a second language.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the transmitting text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations, transcribing the received voice audio signal into the text data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the transcribing is performed by at least one of the computing device and a central server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice audio signal received from the first one of the plurality of stations is received in a first language and the text data transmitted over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations is transmitted in a second language.

7. A computer readable media comprising computer readable computer code for providing teleconferencing services to a plurality of stations, the code causing a computer to:

for each of a plurality of stations,

receive a call from the station,

determine capabilities of the station, and

if the capabilities of the station comprise a computing device,

determine a network address of the computing device associated with the station, and

establish a connection with the computing device over a data network;

receive a voice audio signal from a first one of the plurality of stations; and

transmit text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal over the data network to a second one of the plurality of stations.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein the computer is further adapted to:

receive the text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal from the first one of the plurality of stations over the data network from the computing device.

9. The computer readable media of claim 8 wherein the computer is further adapted to:

receive the text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal from the first one of the plurality of stations in a first language; and

transmit the text data in a second language over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations.

10. The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein the computer is further adapted to:

prior to the transmitting text data corresponding to the received voice audio signal over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations, transcribe the received voice audio signal into the text data.

11. The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein the computer is further adapted to:

receive the voice audio signal from the first one of the plurality of stations in a first language; and

transmit the text data in a second language over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations.

12. A method of providing teleconferencing services to a plurality of stations by a teleconference server, said method comprising:

for each of a plurality of stations,

receiving a call from the station,

determining capabilities of the station, and

if the capabilities of the station comprise a computing device,

determining a network address of the computing device associated with the station, and

establishing a connection with the computing device over a data network;

receiving a voice signal from a first one of the plurality of stations; and

transmitting text data corresponding to the voice signal over the data network to a second one of the plurality of stations.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the received voice signal is in the form of text data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the received voice signal is in the form of a voice audio signal.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving the text data corresponding to the received voice signal from the first one of the plurality of stations over the data network from the computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the received text data corresponding to the received voice signal from the first one of the plurality of stations is received in a first, language and the text data transmitted over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations is transmitted in a second language.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

prior to the transmitting text data corresponding to the received voice signal over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations, transcribing the received voice signal into the text data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the transcribing is performed by at least one of the computing device and a central server.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the voice signal received from the first one of the plurality of stations is received in a first language and the text data transmitted over the data network to the second one of the plurality of stations is transmitted in a second language.