TH30388A - Devices, methods and systems for visualizing speech communication. - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (27/01/41) Device (101 201 301) Method and System (100 200 300) According to this invention, a visual representation of speech is made, for example, a visual representation of the audio signal received in telecommunications, which is particularly useful for the hearing impaired. The device, according to the best method of invention, shall consist of a network interface device (110) which is able to be circuitled to the first communication channel to receive the first audio signal and generate the received audio signal; a radio frequency modulator (270) which converts the basic frequency video output signal into a radio frequency video output signal and transmits it to the second communication channel for display; and a set of processing units (130) which are circuitled to the network interface device and the radio frequency modulator. Such processing unit shall respond to a set of program instructions by converting the received audio signal into a printed representation of speech and further converting the printed representation of speech into a basic frequency video output signal. The display of the radio frequency video output signal on the video display device (225) shall be a visual representation of speech. The device according to the best invention method may also include a speech generation subsystem. The device (101 201 301), method, and system (100 200 300) according to this invention will visualize speech, for example, displaying a telecommunicated audio signal, which is particularly useful for the deaf. The device according to the best invention method will consist of an interface (110) which can be circuitled to the first communication channel to receive the first audio signal and generate the received audio signal; a radio frequency modulator (270) which converts the base frequency video output signal into a radio frequency video output signal and forwards it to the second communication channel to display the video; and a unit of processing units (130) which is circuitled to the interface and the radio frequency modulator. This unit of processing units will respond to a set of program commands by converting the received audio signal into a printed transcript of speech and then converting the printed transcript of speech into a base frequency video output signal. Radio frequency video on video display devices (225) will be the display of speech images. The device, in its best possible manner, may also include a subsystem for speech generation.

Claims (10)

1. Speech-Visualization Device: This device consists of: a first audio receiver that generates the received audio signal; a radio frequency converter that converts the base frequency video output signal into a radio frequency video output signal and transmits this radio frequency video output signal through a second communication channel for video display; and a processing unit that is circuitled to the network interface device and the radio frequency converter. This processing unit responds to a set of program instructions by converting the received audio signal into printed speech text and then converting the printed speech text back into a base frequency video output signal. 2. The device under claim 1, which also includes a user interface device that is circuit-connected to the network interface device and a set of processing units. Such user interface device receives one of several control signals. 3. The device under claim number 2, where the device is connected to the user, can also be connected to a physical connection device to input a number of control signals. 4. Devices as per claim number 3, where such physical connection device is a telephone. 5. Devices under claim number 3, where such physical connection device is a keyboard. 6. Equipment as per claim number 3, where the physical connection equipment includes a computer. 7. Devices under claim 1 where such unit of processing units has a number of different operating modes, including a telephone operating mode and a speech vision operating mode, and such unit of processing units also responds to a control signal by selecting a speech vision operating mode. 8. Devices under claim 1 where such processing unit consists of: a microprocessor subsystem, memory circuitled to the microprocessor subsystem, and a speech visualization unit circuitled to the microprocessor subsystem and memory. 9. The equipment under claim number 8, where the processing unit for making such speech visible, also includes: a speech recognition unit and a display unit connected to the speech recognition unit. 10. The device under claim number 8, where the speech-visibility processing unit also includes: - a speech-displaying processing unit and an encoding and encoding device circuitly connected to the speech-displaying processing unit (Clause 10, page 2, figure 4).