Method to translate, cache and transmit text-based information contained in an audio signal

1. A method comprising:

obtaining an audio signal;

capturing a textual equivalent of at least a portion of the audio signal in a first device by processing the at least a portion of the audio signal to capture the textual equivalent from the at least a portion of the audio signal;

in response to capturing the textual equivalent, storing at least a portion of said textual equivalent in a memory accessible by the first device; and

transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent from the first device to a second device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked manually by an action of a user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically based on detecting in said audio signal at least one keyword included in a predefined list of keywords.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically upon receiving a flag which is encoded in said audio signal at the source of said audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storing said at least a portion of said textual equivalent in said memory further comprises:

continuously storing said textual equivalent to a first memory location; and

selectively storing said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to a second memory location.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device further comprises transmitting to said second device said at least a portion of said textual equivalent selectively stored to said second memory location.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device further comprises wirelessly transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device further comprises generating said textual equivalent from said audio signal using speech recognition.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device further comprises capturing said textual equivalent from a closed captioning signal associated with said audio signal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first device includes a radio receiver.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first device includes a television receiver.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first device includes said memory.

14. A system comprising:

a combination of hardware and software elements configured to:

obtain an audio signal;

capture a textual equivalent of at least a portion of the audio signal in a first device by processing the at least a portion of the audio signal to capture the textual equivalent from the at least a portion of the audio signal;

in response to capturing the textual equivalent, store at least a portion of said textual equivalent in a memory accessible by the first device; and

transmit said at least a portion of said textual equivalent from the first device to a second device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to be invoked manually by an action of a user to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to be invoked automatically to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to be invoked automatically to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device based on detecting in said audio signal at least one keyword included in a predefined list of keywords.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to be invoked automatically to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device upon receiving a flag encoded in said audio signal at the source of said audio signal.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to store said at least a portion of said textual equivalent in said memory at least by:

continuously storing said textual equivalent to a first memory location; and

selectively storing said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to a second memory location.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to transmit said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device at least by transmitting to said second device said at least a portion of said textual equivalent selectively stored to said second memory location.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to transmit said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device at least by wirelessly transmitting said text to said second device.

22. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device at least by generating said textual equivalent from said audio signal using speech recognition.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the combination of hardware and software elements is configured to capture said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device at least by capturing said textual equivalent from a closed captioning signal associated with said audio signal.

24. The system of claim 14 , wherein said first device includes a radio receiver.

25. The system of claim 14 , wherein said first device includes a television receiver.

26. The system of claim 14 , wherein said first device includes said memory.

27. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

obtaining an audio signal;

capturing a textual equivalent of at least a portion of the audio signal in a first device by processing the at least a portion of the audio signal to capture the textual equivalent from the at least a portion of the audio signal;

in response to capturing the textual equivalent, storing at least a portion of said textual equivalent in a memory accessible by the first device; and

transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent from the first device to a second device.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked manually by an action of a user.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically based on detecting in said audio signal at least one keyword included in a predefined list of keywords.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device is invoked automatically upon receiving a flag encoded in said audio signal at the source of said audio signal.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the storing said at least a portion of said textual equivalent in said memory further comprises:

continuously storing said textual equivalent to a first memory location; and

selectively storing said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to a second memory location.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein the transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device further comprises transmitting to said second device said at least a portion of said textual equivalent selectively stored to said second memory location.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device further comprises wirelessly transmitting said at least a portion of said textual equivalent to said second device.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device further comprises generating said textual equivalent from said audio signal using speech recognition.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the capturing said textual equivalent of said at least a portion of said audio signal in said first device further comprises capturing said textual equivalent from a closed captioning signal associated with said audio signal.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein said first device includes a radio receiver.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein said first device includes said memory.