Information processing system, which adds information to translation and converts it to voice signal, and method of processing information for the same

• US 8,433,580 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Akihiko, Yamabana, Kiyoshi, Sato, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Borsetti, Greg
• Application Number:
  US10/582,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20070081529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,060 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 704/260, 704/1, 704/9
• US Class Current: 704/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

An information processing system includes an information processing unit, an information changing unit, and an information reproducing unit. The information processing unit processes the information received by a sensor and transmits the result of processing to the information reproducing unit. The information changing unit adds or deletes information to or from the result of processing, obtained by the information processing unit, by using an information analysis unit and a change-processing unit. If the information processing is interpretation that includes voice recognition, translation and voice synthesis, the first language received by the sensor is translated into the second language by the information processing unit and is reproduced by the information reproducing unit.

Claims

1. A method of processing information, which comprises:

converting text of a second language to a first voice signal and outputting the first voice signal, with an information reproducing device;

receiving response of a first language from a target for which the first voice signal is output, with an information processing device;

translating the response from the first language to the second language, with an interpretation device;

evaluating a time interval from the text of a second language input to the information reproducing device, to the translation of the response and when detecting a delay of the response on the basis of the evaluation result, adding information to the translated response, with the information analysis device; and

converting the translated response to which the information is added, to a second voice signal, and outputting the second voice signal, with the information reproducing device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes an expression prompting an answer or an expression of agreement.

3. An information processing system comprising:

an information reproducing device configured to convert text of a second language to a first voice signal and output the first voice signal;

an information processing device configured to receive response of a first language from a target for which the first voice signal is output;

an interpretation device configured to translate the response from the first language to the second language; and

an information analysis device configured to evaluate a time interval from the text of a second language input to the information reproducing device, to the translation of the response and when detecting a delay of the response on the basis of the evaluation result, add information to the translated response,

wherein the information reproducing device is configured to convert the translated response to which the information is added, to a second voice signal, and output the second voice signal.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the information includes an expression prompting an answer or an expression of agreement.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

converting text of a second language to a first voice signal and outputting the first voice signal;

receiving response of a first language from a target for which the first voice signal is output;

translating the response from the first language to the second language;

evaluating a time interval from the text of a second language input, prior to the converting, to the translation of the response and when detecting a delay of the response on the basis of the evaluation result, adding information to the translated response; and

converting the translated response to which the information is added, to a second voice signal, and outputting the second voice signal.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the information includes an expression prompting an answer or an expression of agreement.

7. A terminal comprising:

an information reproducing device configured to convert text of a second language to a first voice signal and output the first voice signal;

an information processing device configured to receive response of a first language from a target for which the first voice signal is output;

a communication device configured to communicate with a server, the server translating the response from the first language to the second language and transmit the translated response to the terminal;

an information analysis device configured to receive the translated response through the communication device and evaluating a time interval from the text of a second language input to the information reproducing device, to the translation of the response by the server and when detecting a delay of the response on the basis of the evaluation result, add information to the translated response,

wherein the information reproducing device is configured to convert the translated response to which the information is added to a second voice signal and output the second voice signal.

8. The terminal according to claim 7, wherein the information includes an expression prompting an answer or an expression of agreement.

9. A server comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a terminal, the terminal configured to convert text of a second language to a first voice signal and output the first voice signal;

an information processing device configured to receive, through the communication device, response of a first language from a target for which the first voice signal is output;

an interpretation device configured to translate the response from the first language to the second language; and

an information analysis device configured to evaluate a time interval from the text of a second language input to the terminal, to the translation of the response and when detecting a delay of the response on the basis of the evaluation result, add information to the translated response,

wherein the translated response to which the information is added is transmitted to the terminal through the communication device.

10. The server according to claim 9, wherein the information includes an expression prompting an answer or an expression of agreement.