Speech transfer over packet networks using very low digital data bandwidths

A method of communicating speech using very low digital data bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

• generating text at a source terminal based upon the voice of a speaker at said source terminal;
• communicating said generated text from said source terminal across a communication link to a destination terminal;
• translating said text into reproduced speech at said destination terminal;
• communicating a voice profile of said speaker from said source terminal across said communication link to said destination terminal;
• and
• generating reproduced speech using said speaker's voice profile at said destination terminal, wherein
• said speaker's voice profile contains the information needed to generate said reproduced speech from said transmitted text that substantially resembles the sound of said speaker's voice.

A method of communicating speech using very low digital data bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

• translating said speech into text;
• communicating said text across a communication link for subsequent translation into reproduced speech at a destination terminal;
• and
• communicating a voice profile of a speaker across said communication link, wherein
• said text and said speaker's voice profile are simultaneously communicated across said communication link.

A method of communicating conversational speech across a bi-directional communication link using very low digital data bandwidth, comprising the steps of:

• translating a first speaker's speech into first text at a first terminal;
• communicating said first text across said communication link to a second terminal;
• translating said first text into first reproduced speech at said second terminal;
• translating a second speaker's speech into second text at said second terminal;
• communicating said second text across said communication link to said first terminal;
• and
• translating said second text into second reproduced speech at said first terminal.