Multi-lingual conference bridge with cues and method of use

• US 9,031,827 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZipDX LLC
• Original Assignee: ZIP DX LLC
• Inventors: Frankel, David Paul, Olsen, Barry Slaughter
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, HUYEN X
• Application Number:
  US13/691,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/200, 704/272, 704/277, 704 1- 10, 379/202.01, 370/260
• US Class Current: 704/2
• 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 15/005 Language recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/12 Language recognition, selection or translation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30

Abstract

The present invention relates to a new method and system for use of a multi-protocol conference bridge, and more specifically a new multi-language conference bridge system and method of use where different cues, such as an attenuated voice of an original non-interpreted speaker, is used to improve the flow of information over the system.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system for simultaneous interpretation in a plurality of languages, comprising:

an audio connection for each of a plurality of delegates, each delegate having a particular listening language;

a two-way audio connection for each of one or more interpreters, each interpreter being identified as having a listening language and a speaking language, the two languages being different;

a plurality of audio bridges for carrying out the following steps, each bridge capable of accepting inputs from one or more connections, mixing said inputs with specified levels of attenuation, and providing the resulting output to one or more connections without echoing the audio received from a particular connection back to that same connection;

means to configure the audio bridges such that each interpreter separately;

receives audio from all delegates;

transmits audio to those delegates with a listening language matching the interpreter'"'"'s spoken language for mixing without attenuation; and

transmits audio to those delegates with a listening language matching the interpreter'"'"'s listening language for mixing with attenuation, such that the voice of the interpreter is heard softly and delegate voice(s) dominate;

means for each delegate to transmit audio to all bridges; and

means to separately detect when each interpreter is speaking, and, when said speech is detected, to cause any bridge receiving that interpreter'"'"'s speaking language to attenuate audio inputs from delegates such that delegates are heard softly and the interpreter'"'"'s voice dominates, where the audio connections are made over one or more wide-area networks capable of connecting physically distinct locations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the interpreters can change the listening and/or speaking language and/or one of the delegates can change the listening language.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the change in language is made using either keys on a telephone keypad or keys on a computer workstation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the delegates can be identified as listening without interpretation, and will receive audio from all delegates without attenuation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein an interpreter can be assigned to receive audio either from delegates or directly from another interpreter.

6. The system of claim 1, where at least one audio connection is selected from a group consisting of a conventional telephone network and a voice-over-Internet protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein either the degree of attenuation of the voice of an interpreter and/or delegate is adjustable.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one delegate is a group of individuals all with the same listening language.