US 6,549,887 B1Granted

Apparatus capable of processing sign language information

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsHaru Ando, Hirohiko Sagawa, Masaru Takeuchi

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Abstract

Inputted sign language word labels and editing items such as speeds and positions of moving portions for specifying manual signs and/or sign gestures corresponding to the respective sign language word labels are displayed on an editing screen. These editing items are modified by the user to add non-language information such as emphasis/feeling information to the contents of communication, thereby generating modified sign language animation information data including the inputted sign language word label string having the added non-language information. For communication or interaction, the non-language information is extracted from the modified sign language animation information data and stored into a memory with the inputted sign language word label string. When a hearing impaired person communicates or interacts with another person through text, the user can emphasize the contents of communication or show the user's feeling for the contents of communication to the other person.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A sign language information processing apparatus capable of sign language mail communication, comprising:

information input means capable of inputting at least text information;
animation information generation means for generating sign language animation information by use of sign language word label information;
information storage means coupled with said information input means and said animation information generation means;
information display means coupled with said information input means, said animation information generation means and said information storage means;
a memory for storing non-language information correspondence data represented by a medium of each of sign language information, text information and speech information, said non-language information including at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation;
communication means for sending and receiving said sign language word label information and said non-language information through a communication line;
non-language information extraction means for extracting said at least one emphasis representation and feeling representation from modified information, wherein said modified information includes original language animation information generated by said animation information generation means from sign language word label information inputted by said information input means and said at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation added to the original sign language animation information, said non-language information extracting means being operative to determine a difference between said original sign language animation information and said modified information by use of the non-language information correspondence data stored in said memory and to extract said at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation on the basis of the determined difference;
and
sign-language data translation means for translating the sent sign language word label information and non-language information into output data in the form of text data or speech data.

6 more elements

A sign language information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit;
an information input section;
means for generating sign language animation information from a sign language word label string inputted into said information input section;
a first memory for storing non-language information correspondence data represented by a medium of each of sign language information, text information, and speech information, said non-language information including at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation;
means for driving said display unit to display a sign language animation corresponding to said sign language animation information, each sign language word label of said sign language word label string defining said sign language animation, for editing items for specifying manual signs or sign gestures corresponding to the respective sign language word labels on said display unit, and for changing said editing item to add said non-language information inclusive of said at least one of emphasis information and feeling information to said sign language animation information, thereby generating modified sign language animation information;
means for extracting said at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation from said modified sign language animation information, said extracting means being operative to determine a difference between said generated sign language animation information and said modified information by use of the non-language information correspondence data stored in said first memory and to extract said at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation on the basis of the determined difference;
a second memory for storing the inputted sign language word label string and the extracted non-language information;
means for reading said sign language word label string and said non-language information from said second memory and coupling the read non-language information with the read sign language word label string;
and
an information output section for receiving an output from said coupling means.

7 more elements

A sign language information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit;
an information input section;
means for generating sign language animation information from a sign language word label string inputted into said information input section;
a first memory for storing non-language information correspondence data represented by a medium of each of sign language information, text information, and speech information, said non-language information including at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation;
means for driving said display unit to display a sign language animation corresponding to said sign language animation information, each sign language word label of said sign language word label string defining said sign language animation, and editing items for specifying manual signs or sign gestures corresponding to the respective sign language word labels on said display unit and changing said editing item to add non-language information inclusive of said at least one of emphasis information and feeling information to said sign language animation information, thereby generating modified sign language animation information;
means for extracting said non-language information from said modified sign language animation information, said extracting means being operative to determine a difference between said generated sign language animation information and said modified information by use of the non-language information correspondence data stored in said first memory and to extract said at least one of emphasis representation and feeling representation on the basis of the determined difference;
a second memory for storing the inputted sign language word label string and the extracted non-language information;
means for reading said sign language word label string from said memory and translating the read sign language word label string into a natural language text;
means for translating said natural language text into a phonetic alphabet string;
means for reading said non-language information from said memory and coupling the read non-language information with a sound source data string corresponding to said phonetic alphabet string;
and
an information output section for receiving an output from said coupling means.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.