Patent ID: 6192332
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An adaptive electronic phrase book, comprising:a speech decoder for decoding spoken language and for providing a text representation of a spoken phrase;a microphone coupled to said speech decoder for picking up said spoken phrase;a display for displaying said text representation;a translation table that maps a plurality of phrases in the speaker's language to their foreign-language equivalents;means for the user to specify predetermined characteristics of the conversational context;means responsive to said text representation and said predetermined conversational context, and coupled to said display for looking up said text representation in said translation table and returning to said display a text representation of at least one foreign language equivalent of said phrase;means for selecting at least one of said foreign language equivalents as the foreign language equivalent phrase to be announced;means for announcing said selected foreign language equivalent phrase; and,means for updating said translation table to assure that said table contains at all times the set of phrases most frequently needed by users.