Computer-aided transcription system using pronounceable substitute text with a common cross-reference library

• US 7,769,586 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Engate LLC
• Original Assignee: Engate LLC
• Inventors: Jarvis, Lawrence M., Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Vijay B
• Application Number:
  US11/559,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/685 using automatically derived transcript of audio data, e.g. lyrics speech recognition G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7844 using original textual content or text extracted from visual content or transcript of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/268 Morphological analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 : Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 : Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/073 : for mutually locking plural sources of synchronising signals, e.g. studios or relay stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A transcription network having linked computer terminals for a court reporter and for examining, defending, and associate attorneys is disclosed. Cross-reference libraries, phoneme libraries, phoneme dictionaries, and pronunciation indices are used by a reporter terminal to generate readable text transcripts which are communicated to the other terminals for real-time review. Cross-reference libraries provide for the bulk of the transcription while stenographic keystrokes that cannot be directly transcribed are converted to phoneme text or other pronounceable form for down-line readability. A common cross-reference library is provided to supplement local cross-reference libraries to aid transcription and to provide for standardization. The reporter terminal provides for update and preparation of the local cross-reference libraries using case law and evidence prior to a proceeding, as well as provides key-stroke training for the court reporter. Foreign language tables are also provided to service proceedings involving two or more languages.

Claims

1. A method of language translation during a testimonial proceeding, the method comprising:

receiving from a transcription system, in real-time, representations of words spoken in a first language by a first participant during a testimonial proceeding;

receiving, via a terminal associated with a second participant, an identification of a second language;

converting, in real-time, the representations to text in the first language;

translating, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in the second language; and

transmitting the text in the second language to the terminal associated with the second participant for real-time display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the second language is received prior to commencement of the testimonial proceeding.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a memory, the received identification of the second language.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a terminal associated with a third participant, an identification of a third language;

translating, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in the third language; and

transmitting the text in the third language to the terminal associated with the third participant for real-time display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identification of the third language is received prior to commencement of the testimonial proceeding.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein translating further comprises:

cross-referencing the text in the first language with a stored second language table.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a grammatical contextual analysis in parallel with the step of translating; and

transmitting, upon completion of the grammatical contextual analysis, an updated translation to the terminal associated with the second participant for display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in memory;

for each of the first language and the second language, a cross-reference library, a phoneme library, and a language table.

9. A system for language translation during a testimonial proceeding, the system comprising:

a computer system in operative communication with a transcription system and one or more terminals;

wherein the computer system is configured to;

receive, from the transcription system, in real-time, representations of words spoken in a first language by a first participant during a testimonial proceeding;

receive, via a terminal associated with a second participant, an identification of a second language;

convert, in real-time, the representations to text in the first language;

translate, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in the second language; and

transmit the text in the second language to the terminal associated with the second participant for real-time display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification of the second language is received prior to commencement of the testimonial proceeding.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the received identification of the second language is stored in a memory.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is further configured to:

receive, via a terminal associated with a third participant, an identification of a third language;

translate, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in the third language; and

transmit the text in the third language to the terminal associated with the third participant for real-time display.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the identification of the third language is received prior to commencement of the testimonial proceeding.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is further configured to:

translate, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in the second language by, in part, cross-referencing the text in the first language with a stored second language table.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is further configured to:

execute a grammatical contextual analysis in parallel with the real-time translation; and

transmit, upon completion of the grammatical contextual analysis, an updated translation to the terminal associated with the second participant for display.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein a cross-reference library, a phoneme library, and a language table are stored in memory for each of the first language and the second language.

17. A method of language translation during a testimonial proceeding, the method comprising:

receiving, from individual terminals associated with respective individual participants in a testimonial proceeding, information identifying a language in which each participant desires to view real-time testimony;

receiving from a transcription system, in real-time, representations of words spoken in a first language by a first participant during the testimonial proceeding;

converting, in real-time, the representations to text in the first language;

translating, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in each identified language other then the first language; and

transmitting, to each participant, for real-time display via their respective terminal, the text in their identified language.

18. A system for language translation during a testimonial proceeding, the system comprising:

a computer system in operative communication with a transcription system and one or more terminals;

wherein the computer system is configured to;

receive, from individual terminals associated with respective individual participants in a testimonial proceeding, information identifying a language in which each participant desires to view real-time testimony;

receive from the transcription system, in real-time, representations of words spoken in a first language by a first participant during the testimonial proceeding;

convert, in real-time, the representations to text in the first language;

translate, in real-time, the text in the first language to text in each identified language other then the first language; and

transmit, to each participant, for real-time display via their respective terminal, the text in their identified language.