System and method for converting text-to-voice

• US 20020077821A1
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Case, Eliot M., Phillips, Richard P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/07 Concatenation rules

Abstract

A method for converting text to concatenated voice by utilizing a digital voice library and a set of playback rules is provided. The method includes receiving and expanding text data to form a sequence of text and pseudo words. The sequence of text and pseudo words is converted into a sequence of speech items, and the sequence of speech items is converted into a sequence of voice recordings. The method includes generating voice data on the sequence of voice recordings by concatenating adjacent recordings in the sequence of voice recordings.

Claims

1. A method for converting text to concatenated voice by utilizing a digital voice library and a set of playback rules, the digital voice library including a plurality of speech items and a corresponding plurality of voice recordings wherein each speech item corresponds to at least one available voice recording, the method comprising:

receiving text data;

expanding the text data to form a sequence of text and pseudo words;

converting the sequence of text and pseudo words into a sequence of speech items in accordance with the digital voice library;

converting the sequence of speech items into a sequence of voice recordings in accordance with the set of playback rules;

generating voice data based on the sequence of voice recordings by concatenating adjacent recordings in the sequence of voice recordings.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for an abbreviation; and

expanding any abbreviation contained in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for a numerical suffix; and

expanding any numerical suffix contained in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for a telephone number; and

expanding any telephone number contained in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for a number that includes a comma; and

expanding any number that includes a comma contained in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for an Internet mail address; and

expanding any Internet mail address contained in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein expanding the text data further comprises:

searching the text data for an Internet Universal Resource Locator; and

expanding any Internet Universal Resource Locator in the text data into at least one pseudo word.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of speech items includes a plurality of phrases, and wherein converting the sequence of text and pseudo words further comprises:

parsing the sequence of text and pseudo words to determine any phrases.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of speech items includes a plurality of words, and wherein converting the sequence of text and pseudo words further comprises:

parsing the sequence of text and pseudo words to determine any words.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of speech items includes a plurality of syllables, and wherein converting the sequence of text and pseudo words further comprising:

parsing the sequence of text and pseudo words to determine any syllables.