System and method for converting text-to-voice

• US 20020077822A1
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,568 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 comprises generating voice data based on a sequence of voice recordings by concatenating adjacent recordings in the sequence of voice recordings. Concatenating a first recording and a second recording adjacent to the first recording includes manipulating the ending sonic feature of the first recording to determine a first recording switch point, manipulating the starting sonic feature of the second recording to determine a second recording switch point, and synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point.

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 voice recordings with each recording having a starting sonic feature and an ending sonic feature, the method including receiving text data, converting the text data into a sequence of voice recordings in accordance with the digital voice library and the set of playback rules, the method further comprising:

generating voice data based on the sequence of voice recordings by concatenating adjacent recordings in the sequence of voice recordings, wherein concatenating a first recording and a second recording adjacent to the first recording includes manipulating the ending sonic feature of the first recording to determine a first recording switch point, manipulating the starting sonic feature of the second recording to determine a second recording switch point, and synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting and ending sonic features of the voice recordings are classified into a number of different categories.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the categories is a noise.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the categories is an impulse.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the categories is a tone.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the first recording switch point is selected based on the classification of the ending sonic feature of the first recording.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the second recording switch point is selected based on the classification of the starting sonic feature of the second recording.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting and ending sonic features of the voice recordings are classified into a number of different categories including a noise, an impulse, and a tone.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is an impulse and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is an impulse, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

synchronizing the impulses, and switching to and playing back the impulse and remainder of the second recording.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is a tone and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is a tone, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

synchronizing the tones, and switching on peaks of the tones.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the recordings overlap, and wherein synchronizing during the overlap includes multiplexing.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is a noise and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is a noise, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching anywhere within the noise such that not more than fifty percent of duration of either noises is cut.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is a tone and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is an impulse, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching on a peak of the tone and on an impulse of the impulse.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the tone and the impulse overlap, and wherein synchronizing during the overlap includes multiplexing.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is a noise and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is an impulse, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching anywhere within the noise such that not more than fifty percent of the noise is cut, and switching on an impulse of the impulse.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is a noise and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is an tone, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching anywhere within the noise such that not more than fifty percent of the noise is cut, and switching on a peak of the tone.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is an impulse and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is a tone, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching at a peak of the tone and an end of the impulse.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the impulse and the tone overlap, and wherein synchronizing during the overlap includes multiplexing.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is an impulse and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is a noise, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching anywhere within the noise such that not more than fifty percent of duration of the noise is cut, and switching an end of the impulse.

20. The method of claim 8 wherein the ending sonic feature of the first recording is an tone and the starting sonic feature of the second recording is a noise, and wherein synchronizing the first recording switch point and the second recording switch point further comprises:

switching anywhere within the noise such that not more than fifty percent of duration of the noise is cut, and switching at a peak of the tone.