Instant verbal translator

• US 20030065504A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Macklin, Lee, Kraemer, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US09/968,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• 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

Abstract

A system and process for providing instant translations of verbal communications is provided. The present invention provides mobile translation capabilities to any Person at any location. In one embodiment, the system utilizes a first device and a second device, each device being utilized by a Person to communicate and receive translated verbal communications. Each device includes an input device for receiving a verbal communication, a database containing software and algorithms utilized to translate the verbal communication from a first language into a second language, a processor for implementing the software, an output device for presenting a translated verbal communication to a Person and a communications link for transmitting verbal communications from one Person'"'"'s device to a second Person'"'"'s device for translation and presentation to the other Person. Additional embodiments are provided in which a single processor device is connected to a remote receiving device or a second output device.

Claims

1. A system for instantly translating verbal communications in a first language into at least one second language, wherein the first language is specified by a first Person and a second language is specified by a second Person, comprising:

a first input device, for receiving a first verbal communication communicated in a first language by a first Person;

a second input device, for receiving a second verbal communication communicated in a second language by a second Person;

a first processor, connected to the first input device, for processing and transmitting the first verbal communication and receiving and translating the second verbal communication into a first specified language;

a second processor, connected to the second input device, for processing and transmitting the second verbal communication and receiving and translating the first verbal communication into a second specified language;

a first database, connected to the first processor, providing at least one language translation application utilized by the first processor to translate the second verbal communication into the first specified language;

a second database, connected to the second processor, providing at least one language translation application utilized by the second processor to translate the first verbal communication into the second specified language;

a first output device, connected to the first processor for presenting to the first Person a converted second verbal communication in the first specified language;

a second output device, connected to the second processor, for presenting to the second Person a converted first verbal communication in the second specified language; and

a communications link connecting the first processor and the second processor;

whereupon communication of the first verbal communication into the first input device, the first processor processes the first verbal communication and communicates the first verbal communication to the second processor via the communications link, whereupon receipt of the first verbal communication the second processor translates the first verbal communication into the second specified language and presents a result of the translation to the second Person through the second output device, and

whereupon communication of the second verbal communication into the second input device, the second processor processes the second verbal communication and communicate the second verbal communication to the first processor through the communications link, whereupon receipt of the second verbal communication the first processor translates the second verbal communication into the first specified language and presents a result of the translation to the first Person through the first output device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first audible message and the second audible message is communicated by an automated system to a Person.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first input device and the second input device further comprise a microphone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first output device and the second output device further comprise at least one output device selected from the group consisting of:

a headset, a speaker, a hearing aid, and an earpiece.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first database is connected to the first processor via a network server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications link connecting the first processor and the second processor further comprises a wireless communications link.

7. A system for translating verbal communications, comprising:

a first device further comprising;

a processor;

an input device, connected to the processor;

a first output device, connected to the processor; and

a database, connected to the processor;

a remote device further comprising;

a receiver; and

a second output device connected to the receiver; and

a communications interface connecting the first device with the remote device;

whereupon reception by the input device of a first verbal communication by a Person, the processor recognizes a language utilized in the first verbal communication, determines an intended recipient of the first verbal communications, translates the first verbal communications and transmits the first verbal communications to the remote device via the communications interface when the first verbal communication is directed towards a second Person, and outputs the translated first verbal communications via the output device when the first verbal communication is intended for the Person.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device further comprises a microphone.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first output device and the second output device further comprises an output device selected from the group consisting of:

a speaker, a headset, a hearing aid, and an earpiece.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the database is located remotely from the processor and the first device further comprises a second communications interface connecting the processor with the first device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications interface further comprises a wireless communications link.

12. A system for translating verbal communications, comprising:

a processor;

an input device, connected to the processor, for receiving a verbal communication;

a first output device, connected to the processor, for presenting a verbal communication to a first Person;

a second output device, connected to the processor, for presenting a verbal communication to a second Person; and

a database, connected to the processor;

whereupon receiving a verbal communication via the input device, the processor utilizes at least one software program stored in the database to recognize and translate the verbal communication from a first language into a second language, the processor outputs the translated verbal communication to at least one of the first Person and the second Person via an either the first output device or the second output device, respectively, based upon a previously provided specification of a language in which each of the first Person and the second Person respectively desires to receive translated verbal communications.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device further comprises a microphone.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first output device and the second output device further comprises at least one output device selected from the group consisting of:

a speaker, a headset, a hearing aid, and an earpiece.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the first output device and the second output device is connected to the processor via a wireless communications link.

16. A process for providing instant translations of verbal communications from one Person to a second Person, comprising:

receiving a verbal communication from a first Person;

recognizing a language utilized in the verbal communication;

determining an desired output language for presenting a translation of the verbal communication to the second Person;

translating the verbal communication into the desired output language; and

presenting the translated verbal communication to the second Person;

wherein the verbal communication is received via a first input device, translated by a processor and output to the second Person via at least one portable device equipped with at least two output devices such that interference is reduced between the verbal communications communicated by the first Person and received by the second Person, and communications communicated by the second Person and received by the first Person.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the process further comprises establishing a communications link between a first device utilized by the first Person and a second device utilized by the second Person, wherein the first device includes an input device for receiving verbal communications from the first Person and an output device for presenting translated verbal communications from the second Person and the second device includes an input device for receiving verbal communications from the second Person and an output device for presenting translated verbal communications from the first Person;

each of the first Person and the second Person receiving the translated verbal communications in a language specified by each Person.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the communications link between the first device and the second device utilizes a wireless communications link.

19. A computer readable medium containing software utilized to instantly translate verbal communications from a first language to a second language comprising:

recognizing a first language utilized for a verbal communication;

determining a desired output language;

translating the verbal communication from the first language into the desired output language; and

providing the translated verbal communication to at least one device for presentation to at least one Person;

wherein the steps or recognizing, determining, translating and providing are implemented by a processor connected to each of at least one input device, at least one first output device and at least one second output device;

the at least one input device being configured to receive a verbal communication from at least one of a first Person and a second Person;

the at least one first output device being configured to present translated verbal communication, received from the first Person, to the second Person;

the at least one second output device being configured to present translated verbal communications, received from the second Person, to the first Person.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer readable medium is hosted on a database connected to the processor via a network server.