Transcription of communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11037567-B2
Application number	US-201815875898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A method to transcribe communications may include obtaining, during a communication session, audio that includes a voice of a user participating in the communication session. The communication session may be configured for verbal communication. The method may further include establishing a network connection with a transcription system and sending the audio to the transcription system. In some embodiments, the transcription system may be configured to generate a transcript of the audio. The method may also include obtaining the transcript of the audio from the transcription system during the communication session and monitoring the audio to determine when the voice is inactive. In some embodiments, in response to the voice being inactive, the method may include stopping the sending of the audio to the transcription system while maintaining the communication session.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to transcribe communications, the method comprising:
establishing a communication session between a first device of a first user and a second device of a second user, the communication session configured for verbal communication between the first user of the first device and the second user of the second device;
obtaining, at the first device during the communication session, first audio that includes a first voice of the first user, the first audio directed to the second device as part of the communication session;
obtaining, at the first device from the second device during the communication session, second audio that includes a second voice of the second user;
in response to the communication session, establishing a first network connection between the first device and a transcription system;
directing, from the first device, the second audio to the transcription system, the transcription system configured to generate a transcript of the second audio;
obtaining, at the first device, the transcript of the second audio from the transcription system during the communication session;
monitoring the first audio and the second audio to determine when both the first voice and the second voice are inactive;
in response to both the first voice and the second voice being inactive for longer than a first time period, terminating the first network connection between the first device and the transcription system while maintaining the communication session between the first device and the second device, wherein terminating the first network connection between the first device and the transcription system includes freeing a network port in the first device, which is used for the first network connection between the first device and the transcription system, for other network connections; and
in response to terminating the first network connection and either of the first voice or the second voice becoming active before a second time period, establishing, by the first device, a second network connection between the first device and the transcription system while maintaining the communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication session is a video and audio communication session.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising after establishing the second network connection and in response to both the first voice and the second voice being inactive for longer than the second time period, terminating the communication session.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising after establishing the second network connection and in response to both the first voice and the second voice being inactive for longer than the first time period, terminating the second network connection while maintaining the communication session.

5. A method to transcribe communications, the method comprising:
obtaining, at a first device during a communication session between the first device and a second device, first audio originating from the second device, the first audio including a voice of a user of the second device;
directing, from the first device, second audio to the second device as part of the communication session;
establishing a network connection between the first device and a transcription system;
sending, from the first device, the first audio to the transcription system, the transcription system configured to generate a transcript of the first audio;
obtaining the transcript of the first audio from the transcription system during the communication session;
monitoring the first audio to determine when the voice is inactive; and
in response to the voice being inactive, terminating the network connection between the first device and the transcription system while maintaining the communication session, wherein terminating the network connection between the first device and the transcription system includes freeing a network port in the first device, which is used for the network connection between the first device and the transcription system, for other network connections.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the communication session is a video and audio communication session.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising in response to terminating the network connection and the voice becoming active during the communication session, establishing a second network connection to thereby resend the first audio to the transcription system while maintaining the communication session.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein terminating the network connection while maintaining the communication session occurs in response to the voice being inactive for a first time period, the method further comprising in response to the voice being inactive for a second time period that is longer than the first time period, terminating the communication session.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
monitoring the second audio to determine when a second voice in the second audio is inactive,
wherein terminating the network connection while maintaining the communication session occurs in response to both the voice and the second voice being inactive.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein terminating the network connection while maintaining the communication session occurs in response to both the voice and the second voice being inactive for a first time period,
the method further comprising in response to both the voice and the second voice being inactive for a second time period that is longer than the first time period, terminating the communication session.

11. A device comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable media communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store one or more instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the device to perform operations comprising:
obtain, at the device during a communication session between the device and a second device, first audio originating from the second device, the first audio including a first voice of a user of the second device;
direct, from the device, second audio to the second device as part of the communication session and the second audio including a second voice of a user of the device;
establish a network connection between the device and a transcription system;
send, from the device, the first audio to the transcription system, the transcription system configured to generate a transcript of the first audio;
obtain the transcript of the first audio from the transcription system during the communication session;
monitor the first audio during the communication session to determine when the first voice is inactive;
monitor the second audio during the communications session to determine when the second voice is active;
in response to the second voice being active during the communication session, not sending the second voice, while active during the communication session, from the device to the transcription system for generation of a transcript of the second voice; and
in response to the first voice being inactive, stop the sending of the first audio from the device to the transcription system while maintaining the communication session.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the communication session is a video and audio communication session.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein stopping the sending of the first audio to the transcription system while maintaining the communication session includes terminating the network connection between the device and the transcription system.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein terminating the network connec

Assignees

• Sorenson Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Chevrier Brian
• Adams Mark

Classifications

• G10L15/30

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• G10L15/26 Primary

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10L25/78

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title