Automatic multi-language phonetic transcribing system

#Not applicable.

#(1) Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for transcribing speech and, more particularly, to an automatic system that may be utilized to phonetically transcribe speech in one or more languages.

#A more complete understanding of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereto will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout several views of the drawings and wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram schematic showing an automatic multi-language transcribing system in accord with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematic showing a multiple language phoneme library for use with the transcribing system of FIG. 1; and

#Referring now to the drawings and, more specifically to FIG. 1, there is shown system 10 which provides a functional block diagram that outlines a presently preferred embodiment of an automatic multi-language phonetic transcribing system in accord with the present invention. System 10 permits the automatic transcription of verbal exchanges e.g., the typed record of the proceedings of a meeting, hearing, court session, etc. without a human having to manually operate a stenographic type machine or other keyboard device. The transcription is printed in a phonetic format using the basic phonemes of the particular language being spoken. The result is a printed text that, when read phonetically, imitates the phonetic pronunciation of the word in whatever language is being transcribed. System 10 can be operated to select any language for transcription for which it has a library of phonemes as functionally shown in FIG. 2. While the printed phonetic text can be readily read back by one who can read the phonetic text, a machine, which may have a desired or selectable voice quality, may also be utilized to read back the phonetic information of the speech stored in a digital memory.

#While the present specification focuses in some detail on the problem of automatic transcription from an English language point of view, system 10 can also be used to address the problem in any language using that language's basic word sounds (phonemes) as will be discussed in more detail hereinafter. System 10 of the present invention greatly reduces the complexity of automatic transcribing and permits a quick read back of the spoken words when needed in the same language in which they were spoken. System 10 also provides a phonetically correct, permanent record of the spoken words in the language being transcribed/spoken.

#In accord with the present invention, system 10 as described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 need only consider the speech sounds or phonemes of a language. In the English language, the present technique requires only 42 phonemes for dynamic transcription of speech to typewritten words as indicated in the table shown in FIG. 3. Other languages or systems of word sounds may have more or less phonemes. The International Phonetics Alphabet, usable for many languages, has a more extensive set of word sounds, but can be addressed in a similar manner. French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and the like, are languages which have their own set of basic word sounds.