TRANSLATING METHOD AND MACHINE FOR RECORDING TRANSLATION OF A LIST OF PHRASES AND PLAYING BACK TRANSLATIONS LOF PHRASES AS SELECTED BY AN OPERATOR

• US 20030036911A1
• Filed: 02/22/1994
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1994
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: MORIN, LEE M.E.
• Application Number:
  US08/200,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036911A1
  US H002,098 H1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/47 Machine-assisted translation, e.g. using translation memory

Abstract

A computer-based device for providing spoken translations of a predetermined set of medical questions, upon the selection of individual questions. Translations are prerecorded into a number of languages, and the physician user, in cooperation with the patient, chooses the language into which the translations are made. Then the physician chooses the questions in the physician'"'"'s own language that should be asked, then indicates his choice to the device, and the device speaks the corresponding questions in the language of a potential respondent.

Claims

1. A translating machine to enable an operator who is fluent in one language to interview a respondent using a predetermined list of available sentences, which may include questions, where the respondent speaks any one of a plurality of available languages other than the language in which the operator is fluent, and where the respondent need not be literate in any language, comprising:

A. Storage means for advance storage of translations of each of the available sentences in each of the available languages in a form which is convertible into an audio waveform,

B. Means for choosing which of the available languages is to be used with the respondent,

C. Means for storing the predetermined list of available sentences as alphanumeric code,

D. Means for selecting individual desired sentences from the stored predetermined list and displaying them to the operator, and

E. Audio play-out means controllable by the operator for producing an audio output corresponding to selected individual sentence in the chosen language.

2. A machine according to claim 1 further including means for obtaining said translations into any one of said available languages for advance storage in said storage means from a speaker who is fluent in that one available language and in the language in which the operator is fluent, comprising

A. Means for visually presenting one of said available sentences to said speaker for translation,

B. Means for recording a spoken translation of presented sentence as spoken by the speaker,

C. Means for playing back the recorded spoken translation for the approval of the speaker,

D. Means for recording another version of the spoken translation in the event the speaker indicates disapproval of the previously recorded translation, and

E. Means for accepting the recorded version for long-term storage in said storage means in the event the speaker indicates approval of the previously recorded translation.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means for choosing which of the available languages is to be used with the respondent further comprises:

A. Means for playing samples of at least some of the available languages initially to the respondent to determine which language of the available languages can be spoken by the respondent, and

B. Means controlled by the operator for limiting future translations to a given respondent to a language which the given respondent has chosen from the samples as one spoken by the respondent.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the storage means comprises a Compact Disk—

Read Only Memory (CD-ROM).

5. A method of translating to enable an interviewer who is fluent in one language to interview a respondent using a predetermined list of available sentences, which may include questions, where the respondent speaks any one of a plurality of available languages other than the language in which the interviewer is fluent, and where the respondent need not be literate in any language, comprising the steps of:

A. Digitally storing advance translations of each of the available sentences in each of the available languages in a form which is convertible into an audio waveform,

B. Manually choosing which of the available languages is to be used with the respondent,

C. Digitally storing the predetermined list of available sentences as alphanumeric code,

D. Manually selecting individual desired sentences from the stored predetermined list and displaying them to the interviewer on a viewing display, and

E. Playing out an audio output corresponding to selected individual sentences in the chosen language when manually indicated by the interviewer.

6. A method according to claim 5 further including the method of obtaining said translations into any one of said available languages for advance digital storage from a speaker who is fluent in that one available language and in the language in which the interviewer is fluent, comprising the further steps of

A. Visually presenting one of said available sentences to said speaker on an electronic visual display for translation,

B. Recording a spoken translation of presented sentence as spoken by the speaker,

C. Playing back the recorded spoken translation for the approval of the speaker,

D. Recording another version of the spoken translation in the event the speaker indicates disapproval of the previously recorded translation, and

E. Accepting the recorded version for long-term storage in the event the speaker indicates approval of the previously recorded translation.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of manually choosing which of the available languages is to be used with the respondent comprises the steps of:

A. Playing samples of at least some of the available languages initially to the respondent to determine which language of the available languages can be spoken by the respondent, and

B. Manually controlling the choice of future translations to limit the language used with a given respondent to a language which the given respondent has chosen from the samples as one spoken by the respondent.