Mobile wireless display providing speech to speech translation and avatar simulating human attributes

• US 20090099836A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Jeffrey J., Pombo, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• 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

An apparatus includes a monocular display with a wireless communications interface, user input device, transmitter, and controller, and may provide a video link to and control and management of a host device and other devices, such as a cell phone, computer, laptop, or media player. The apparatus may receive speech and digitize it. The apparatus may compare the digitized speech in a first language to a table of digitized speech in a second language to provide translation or, alternatively, may compare the digitized speech to a table of control commands. The control commands allow user interaction with the apparatus or other remote devices in a visual and audio manner. The control signals control a “recognized persona” or avatar stored in a memory to provide simulated human attributes to the apparatus, network or third party communication device. The avatar may be changed or upgraded according to user choice.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a portable, miniature display configured to display multimedia content;

a wireless interface configured to establish a wireless connection between the device and at least one host computing device, the wireless interface configured to transmit a request to the at least one host computing device for multimedia content made available at a host display interface, and receive multimedia content from the at least one host computing device in response to the request for multimedia content;

a speaker;

a microphone configured to receive an audio signal including speech;

a converter configured to convert the audio signal to a first digital representation of the audio signal; and

a controller configured to compare the digital representation of the audio signal to a lookup table stored in the memory, convert the first digital representation of the audio signal to a control output based on the comparison, and output the control output to components of the apparatus to enable interaction with at least one of the apparatus, the at least one host computing device, and external devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control output is a second digital representation of the audio signal including a language translation of speech included in the audio signal represented by the first digital representation into a second language, the controller further configured to convert the second digital representation of the audio signal to a voice modulated audio signal including speech in the second language.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the voice modulated audio signal is associated with a prerecorded voice stored in the memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the prerecorded voice stored in the memory is associated with a celebrity'"'"'s voice.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to perform the translation substantially immediately after the microphone receives the audio signal to provide a substantially real-time language translation.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to convert the second digital representation of the audio signal to text and display the text as multimedia content on the display synchronized with the voice modulated audio signal including speech in the second language.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control output is a control command enabling control of at least one of the components of the apparatus, the at least one host computing device, and external devices, the controller further configured to provide control instructions to the display, the microphone, and the speaker in a format for interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the input speech commands, the format being associated with an avatar.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the avatar is configured to provide simulated human attributes to the apparatus including visual graphical elements displayed on the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the avatar further includes audio elements played on the speaker.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the audio elements includes a recorded human voice.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the recorded voice is a celebrity voice.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the avatar includes multimedia content.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the avatar is further configured to recognize speech and respond to at least one of a user'"'"'s speech, speech included in an incoming phone call to the host device, or another device.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the avatar is further configured to display a menu of user-selectable choices.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wireless interface is further configured to communicate with at least one remote device to receive a software application including at least one different avatar.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the at least one different avatar is received in exchange for a fee.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the avatar includes visual and audible elements that are associated with a known recognizable celebrity specifically chosen by a wearer.

18. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wireless interface is further configured to remotely access program instructions for interacting with at least one of a wearer, a remote device associated with the wearer, or a remote device not associated with the wearer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the program instructions include instructions for providing speech commands to the wearer or a remote device associated with an individual or entity other than the wearer.

20. A method of interacting with at least one of an apparatus, at least one host computing device, or external devices, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a wireless interface at the device and at least one host computing device;

transmitting a request to the at least one host computing device for multimedia content made available at a host display interface;

receiving multimedia content from the at least one host computing device in response to the request for multimedia content;

receiving an audio signal including speech;

converting the audio signal to a first digital representation of the audio signal;

comparing the digital representation of the audio signal to a lookup table stored in a memory;

converting the first digital representation of the audio signal to a control output based on the comparison; and

outputting the control output to components of the apparatus to enable interaction with at least one of the apparatus, the at least one host computing device, and external devices.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the control output is a second digital representation of the audio including a language translation of speech included in the audio signal represented by the first digital representation into a second language, the method further comprising:

converting the second digital representation of the audio signal to a voice modulated audio signal including speech in the second language; and

playing the voice modulated audio signal including speech in the second language at a speaker.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the voice modulated audio signal is associated with a prerecorded voice stored in the memory.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the prerecorded voice stored in the memory is associated with a celebrity'"'"'s voice.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising performing the translation substantially immediately after receiving the audio signal, thereby providing a substantially real-time language translation.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

converting the second digital representation of the audio signal to text; and

displaying the text as multimedia content on a portable, miniature display configured to display multimedia content synchronized with the voice modulated audio signal including speech in the second language.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the control output is a control command enabling control of at least one of the components of the apparatus, the at least one host computing device, and external devices, the method further comprising interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the received speech commands in a format being associated with an avatar.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the received speech commands in the format being associated with the avatar further includes providing simulated human attributes to the apparatus including visual graphical elements displayed on the display.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the received speech commands in the format being associated with the avatar further includes playing audio elements on a speaker.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the audio elements includes a recorded human voice.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the recorded voice is a celebrity voice.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the avatar includes multimedia content.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the received speech commands in the format being associated with the further includes recognizing speech and responding to at least one of a user'"'"'s speech, speech included in an incoming phone call to the host device, or another device.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein interacting in a visual and audio manner in response to the received speech commands in the format being associated with the avatar further includes displaying a menu of user-selectable choices.

34. The method of claim 26 further comprising communicating with at least one remote device to receive a software application including at least one different avatar.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising paying a fee in exchange for the at least one different avatar.

36. The method of claim 26 further comprising choosing visual and audible elements for the avatar that are associated with a known recognizable celebrity.

37. The method of claim 26 further comprising remotely accessing program instructions for interacting with at least one of a wearer, a remote device associated with the wearer, or a remote device not associated with the wearer.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the program instructions include instructions for providing speech commands to the wearer or a remote device associated with an individual or entity other than the wearer.

39. A system for providing multimedia content to a user, the system comprising:

at least one host computing device, including a host display interface and a first wireless interface configured to establish a wireless connection between the at least one host computing device and an external device, the at least one host computing device configured to provide to the external device multimedia content made available at the host display interface of the at least one host computing device, and the first wireless interface further configured to receive a request for multimedia content from the external device and transmit multimedia content to the external device in response to the request for multimedia content; and

an apparatus including a portable, miniature display configured to display multimedia content, a second wireless interface configured to establish a wireless connection between the apparatus and at the least one host computing device, the second wireless interface further configured to transmit the request to the at least one host computing device for multimedia content made available at the host display interface of the at least one host computing device, and receive multimedia content from the at least one host computing device in response to the request for multimedia content, a speaker, a microphone configured to receive an audio signal including speech, a converter configured to convert the audio signal to a first digital representation of the audio signal, and a controller configured to compare the digital representation of the audio signal to a lookup table stored in the memory, convert the first digital representation of the audio signal to a control output based on the comparison, and output the control output to components of the apparatus to enable interaction with at least one of the apparatus, the at least one host computing device, and external devices.

40. A computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

establish a wireless connection with at least one host computing device;

transmit a request to the at least one host computing device for multimedia content made available at a host display interface;

convert a received audio signal including speech to a first digital representation of the audio signal;

compare the digital representation of the audio signal to a lookup table stored in a memory;

convert the first digital representation of the audio signal to a control output based on the comparison; and

output the control output to the memory to enable interaction with at least one of the computer, at least one host computing device, and external devices.