Patent ID: 6542200
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: G10L,H04N

Abstract:
A device for use with a conventional television set, that can receive a television signal from an antenna, from a cable input, or from a satellite input, that permit's both hearing impaired and non hearing impaired individuals to view television audio voice signals in a text format on the television screen in real time without the requirement of a closed/open caption broadcast signal or a closed/open caption enabled television comprising:input means for receiving a conventional television signal that may include a closed/open caption video signal; a television channel tuner connected to said television signal input; means for decoding the audio and video signals in said television signal connected to the output of said channel under; said means for decoding audio and video signals having first, second, and third output means; means for encoding audio/video/closed-caption/text connected to said first output of said decoding means for receiving audio complete signal from said decoding means; means for decoding closed-captioned video signal input connected to said second output of said decoding means for receiving the video closed-captioned signal for decoding; audio input selector connected to said third output of said means for decoding audio and video; automatic gain control connected to the output of said audio input selector; means for providing audio filters connected to the output of said automatic gain control for filtering out audio signals other than human speech; speech-to-text converters connected to the output of said audio filter means for converting the audio speech signals received from said audio filters to text signals; means connected to said speech-to-text converter for electing the input language to said speech-to-text converter; language translation means connected to the output of said speech-to-text converter and connected to an input from said means for selecting the input language; output language selector connected to said language translator for selecting the desired language that is outputted from the language translator; a closed-caption/local text display encode selector connected to the output of said means for decoding said closed-caption and the output of said language translator, said closed-caption/local text display encode selector including a manual selection switch having two modes of operation, one designating automatic encode selection for selecting either closed-caption or local text display, depending on the output of the closed-caption decoding means if available from the broadcast station, and a second mode of operation in which the selector switch selects continuous local text display, bypassing the closed-captioned data; said audio/video closed-captioned text encoding means connected to the output of said closed-caption/local text display encode selector for receiving either closed-caption video signals or local text display signals, depending on the selector mode; a TV/RF modulator connected to the output of said audio/video/close-caption/text encoder for combining the conventional television signal and the local text display, if selected, in the television signal and modulating the signal for either channel 3 or channel 4 output; and output means connected to the output of said TV/RF modulator for receiving the conventional TV signal, including audio and the close-captioned video signal or the local text display video signal in a selected language, having the frequency modulated to channel 3 or channel 4 for connecting to the conventional television set, whereby a hearing impaired or non hearing impaired individual may view both the conventional television signal and television audio voice signals in a text format on the television screen if closed-captioned broadcast signal is not available or if the television set is not enabled for closed/open caption.