Instant Message to Telephone Speech Translation Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Professionals face challenges in engaging in short conversations while attending meetings, as instant messaging often fails due to the need for typing and the inability to convert typed text to speech or speech to text effectively, especially when email is not viable.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a first electronic device with a translation module to convert instant messaging text to telephone speech and back, allowing users to communicate through speech while maintaining engagement in meetings by translating outgoing IM text to speech and incoming speech to text.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If instant messaging text is used for communication during meetings, then communication can be initiated, but the professional cannot engage in conversation quickly enough due to typing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical typing action with an automated speech-to-text and text-to-speech system. The professional speaks naturally and the system automatically converts speech to text for transmission, eliminating the manual typing process and enabling conversation-speed communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The instant messaging system automatically performs the conversion between speech and text without requiring manual intervention. The system services itself by capturing speech, converting it to text, transmitting the message, and converting incoming text back to speech, allowing the professional to communicate as if in a phone call.
2Productivity
If the professional leaves the meeting to talk on the phone, then immediate conversation is possible, but the meeting schedule is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the professional to simultaneously participate in both the meeting and the phone conversation by converting between speech and text. The professional can listen to the meeting through text conversions while speaking in the phone call, and vice versa, making the communication system adaptable to multi-tasking scenarios.
3Productivity
If speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversion is implemented, then communication speed improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces translation modules as intermediary components that handle the complex speech-to-text and text-to-speech conversions. These modules act as mediators between the professional's speech and the instant messaging system, isolating the complexity from the user interface and allowing the rest of the system to remain relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for converting instant messaging (IM) text to telephone speech and back. The system includes a first electronic device configured to transmit and receive IM text. A translation module is housed inside the first electronic device. The translation module is configured to perform (i) translate the outgoing IM text into speech, and (ii) translate incoming speech into IM text. The system further includes a second electronic device communicatively coupled by way of a network to the first electronic device such that the second electronic device may receive the IM text as translated speech from the first electronic device via a call.