The BABELATOR
System Design by _______________
Design Date: April, 2005
System Design Description:

WHAT: A 2-Way (two language) Speech Translation System. System (see schematics: pgs. 1, 2) that permits VOICE (and typed) communication between two persons or 
  groups that speak different languages. In the accompanying schematic diagrams,   
  and in this description, the selected languages are ENGLISH and JAPANESE.

HOW:  The system can be broken down according to these components and sub components:

            (2) translation directions (English > Japanese / Japanese > English)
			\/		\/		\/
(6) software programs, (3) per direction [{2} voice to text + {2} text to text + {2} text to 
      voice)].

             (2) 'control' programs, (1) per direction, for software control interaction (if needed)

	(2) audio cards (for voice capture and playback)

	(2) touch controlled, low-noise,  microphone/transmitters (for 2-way, voice input)

             (and ideally)

             (2) micro-processors – one for each translation direction
       
             (and optional)

(1)	display interface (e.g., mini pc, LCD with hard drive, etc) with support hardware (including keyboard input as option, speakers, processors, housing, etc)

NOTE: The above listed components can be proprietary/pre-existing software 

DETAILS: When communicating face to face with another person, it is more natural to speak, as opposed to type (as on a keyboard). Most people think and speak faster than they can type. The BABELATOR is designed for 2-way speaking and translation (text and voice). In the idealized model (see diagram), an English speaker speaks into a microphone/transmitter (switch/touch activated). This audio signal is inputted to a Voice Recognition program (voice to text), at which point, the Text Translation program engages (English to Japanese), converting the English text to Japanese text (both source and target texts can be displayed through an interface), and then, the Text-Voice Translation program (Japanese text to Japanese voice) plays back the translated message. This process can be completely reversed, as the system design has two audio 'direct ins' (separate audio inputs), one for each 'translation direction'. 
   The Babelator translation system described here utilizes two voice recognition programs (one for each direction): English and Japanese (e.g., Dragon by Scansoft is recommended), two text to text programs (Japan. > English, English > Japan.), which can be relatively accurate "gist" programs (like Alta Vista's Babel Fish), or more advanced EliMT* programs (see also: schematic note, page 1). The text to text translation can be displayed (depending on the interface design) or hidden, though I recommend the display option for translation verification purposes. The text to voice program (e.g., AT&T's Natural Voices) can be programmed to initiate either as each new word appears, or, after the text to text translation is done (original speaker is no longer, or has paused, inputting 
audio). The 'control' programs (one for each direction) allow all the component software programs to effectively interact. All software programs include their respective drivers (not indicated in the schematics).   
   The Babelator System allows each speaker the option of gender-voice selection (natural male, natural female). In more advanced versions, speakers will be able to customize their 'translation voice'. The microphones used may be line-in or wireless transmitters, but which are activated by pressing a button (to transmit the audio signal). When the first 
speaker is finished, or wishes to pause, he/she simply stops the audio signal by releasing the transmit button.
    With increased storage capacity (hard disc/drive), multiple language programs can be added. If the primary language remains English (or any other 'source' language), the respective translation components (voice to text, text to text [target], text to voice) for the new language (e.g., Spanish) will need to be installed. Every new language added must have its component translation programs installed/integrated. All that is needed for the English > Spanish direction is the appropriate text to text program (translation template) for Spanish (but the English text to voice program remains the same). The Spanish text to voice program completes the English > Spanish direction
.  The Babelator System must be customized for each new combination of two languages.
   A nearly "universal" translation system (one that allows for the hundreds of language combinations**) would require a large amount of storage space, RAM, etc. The Babelator System approaches "universality" when one language, such as English, is kept as the primary ('source') reference language, and other languages (and their respective programs) are added as 'target' languages.  
    Alternately, a more truly Universal Babelator type system could be designed to allow any user (of any major language group) to log-on, select a source/native language from a menu, then select a target language, and begin communicating with another, or posting a notice in another language (person to person communication could occur in an ICQ/chat type interface where two or more participants can see each other’s text (pre/post translation) and also hear the translated speech. This would allow inter-cultural communication between two persons wishing to, for example, conduct business without needing two translators present, or knowing the other’s language (te: this not knowing of another’s language can be problematic, but the idea here is to establish first contact, The site could also provide free, basic business contract and non-disclosure templates for mutual reference and signing.
	_________________  (April 2005)

*"Gist" programs have a 20-30% error rate. The EliMT technique works on a different strategy. Imagine a group of people going into a library, looking up the novel Crime and Punishment in the original Russian and then borrowing every English translation of Dostoevsky's work. If they compared how each sentence was translated, they could find statistically that certain phrases were often interpreted the same way. They could then stitch together a translation for a new sentence by recycling pieces of old translations, taking two halves of a sentence from different books. Instead of translating from word to word, you're translating from sentence fragments to sentence fragments.

**Since roughly 20 to 30 languages are considered “key”, economically speaking, there are roughly 400 to 800 language pairs necessary for global finance. So far on Babelfish, only 19 language pairs are available, and other rule-based products do not offer many more options.