Translation device and translation system

• US 10,013,418 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Usami, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US15/298,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 704 9, 704 3, 704 4, 704235, 704225, 707269
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification
• 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: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers

Abstract

There are included an input unit for inputting an input sentence, and an output unit for outputting an output sentence obtained by translating the input sentence into a translation language. The translation language is set based on located language information and position information of a translation device. The located language information includes a predetermined location of each of a plurality of speakers and a used language of each of the plurality of speakers. Accordingly, the translation language, which is a translation target, may be set from a plurality of languages while reducing the operation burden on a user.

Claims

1. A translation device for performing translation into a set translation language, the translation device comprising:

an input device for inputting an input sentence, the input device including a microphone;

a translation language setting processor for (i) regularly determining whether a change in a position of the translation device has occurred and (ii) when a change in the position of the translation device is determined, setting the translation language from among used languages of speakers near the translation device based on located language information and position information of the translation device; and

an output device for outputting an output sentence obtained by translating the input sentence into the translation language set by the translation language setting processor, the output device including a speaker,

wherein the located language information includes a predetermined location of each of a plurality of speakers and a used language of the each of the plurality of speakers.

2. The translation device according to claim 1, comprising:

a communication device for receiving the position information and the located language information; and

a recorder for recording the located language information.

3. The translation device according to claim 2,

wherein the translation language setting processor selects a candidate language group including only the used languages of the speakers near the translation device from a translation language group including a plurality of languages, based on the located language information and the position information, and

wherein the translation device includes

a display for displaying languages included in the candidate language group, and

a selector for selecting the translation language from the candidate language group.

4. The translation device according to claim 3,

wherein the translation language setting processor sets the languages included in the candidate language group in an order according to the position information, and

wherein the display displays the languages based on the order of the languages included in the candidate language group.

5. The translation device according to claim 1,

wherein the communication device transmits the input sentence and the translation language to a control device that is connected to the translation device through the communication device, and receives the output sentence that has been translated into the translation language by the translation device, and

wherein the output device outputs the output sentence received by the communication device.

6. The translation device according to claim 1, wherein the located language information includes a sub-area including speakers who use a same used language, among the plurality of speakers, and the used language of the speakers in the sub-area.

7. A translation system comprising:

a translation device for performing translation into a set translation language; and

a control device including a translation language setting processor for (i) regularly determining whether a change in a position of the translation device has occurred and (ii) when a change in the position of the translation device is determined, setting the translation language from among used languages of speakers near the translation device based on located language information and position information of the translation device,

wherein the translation device includes

an input device for inputting an input sentence the input device including a microphone, and

an output device for outputting an output sentence obtained by translating the input sentence into the translation language set by the translation language setting processor, the output device including a speaker,

wherein the control device detects the position information of the translation device, and transmits information identifying the translation language to the translation device, and

wherein the located language information includes a predetermined location of each of a plurality of speakers and a used language of the each of the plurality of speakers.

8. The translation system according to claim 7,

wherein the control device further includes

a position detector for detecting the position of the translation device,

a collector for collecting the located language information including the predetermined location of the each of the plurality of speakers and the used language of the each of the plurality of speakers, and

a first communication device for transmitting the position information of the translation device and the located language information to the translation device, and wherein the translation device further includes

a second communication device for receiving the position information and the located language information, and

a recorder for recording the located language information.

9. The translation system according to claim 7,

wherein the translation language setting processor selects a candidate language group including only used languages of speakers near the translation device from a translation language group including a plurality of languages, based on the located language information and the position information, and

wherein the translation device includes

a display for displaying languages included in the candidate language group, and

a selector for selecting the translation language from the candidate language group.

10. The translation system according to claim 9,

wherein the translation language setting processor sets the languages included in the candidate language group in an order according to the position information, and

wherein the display displays the languages based on the order of the languages included in the candidate language group.

11. The translation system according to claim 7,

wherein the second communication device transmits the input sentence and the translation language to the control device, and receives the output sentence that has been translated into the translation language by the translation device, and

wherein the output device outputs the output sentence received by the second communication device.

12. The translation system according to claim 7, wherein the located language information includes a sub-area including speakers who use a same used language, among the plurality of speakers, and the used language of the speakers in the sub-area.

13. The translation system according to claim 7,

wherein the control device further includes

a position detector for detecting the position of the translation device,

a collector for collecting the located language information including the predetermined location of the each of the plurality of speakers and the used language of the each of the plurality of speakers,

a recorder for recording the located language information, and

a first communication device for transmitting the translation language to the translation device, and

wherein the translation device further includes a second communication device for receiving the translation language.

14. The translation system according to claim 7,

wherein the control device further includes

a position detector for detecting the position of the translation device,

a collector for collecting the located language information including the predetermined location of the each of the plurality of speakers and the used language of the each of the plurality of speakers,

a recorder for recording the located language information,

a translator for translating the input sentence into the translation language to obtain the output sentence, and

a first communication device for receiving the input sentence, and for transmitting the output sentence, and

wherein the translation device further includes a second communication device for receiving the output sentence.

15. The translation system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of communication relay devices for relaying communication between the translation device and the control device; and

a position detector for detecting the position information of the translation device,

wherein the position detector detects the position information of the translation device based on a reception state, at the translation device, of a radio wave transmitted by each of the plurality of communication relay devices.

16. A translation system comprising:

an input device for inputting an input sentence, the input device including a microphone;

a translation device including an output device for outputting an output sentence, the output device including a speaker,

a translation language setting processor for (i) regularly determining whether a change in a position of the translation device has occurred and (ii) when a change in the position of the translation device is determined, setting a translation language from among used languages of speakers near the translation device based on located language information and position information of the translation device; and

a translator for translating the input sentence into the translation language set by the translation language setting processor to obtain the output sentence; and

wherein the translation system further includes

a recorder for recording located language information including a location of each of a plurality of speakers and a used language of the each of the plurality of speakers, and

a position detector for detecting position information of the translation device,

wherein the translation system sets the translation language for the translation device based on the located language information and the position information of the translation device,

wherein the translator translates the input sentence for the translation device into the output sentence for the translation device based on the translation language for the translation device, and

wherein the output device of the translation device outputs the output sentence for the translation device.

17. The translation system according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of communication relay devices,

wherein the translation device is capable of performing communication with each of the plurality of communication relay devices, and

wherein the position detector detects the position information of the translation device based on a reception state, at the translation device, of a radio wave transmitted by each of the plurality of communication relay devices.