Audio-form presentation of text messages
First Claim
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1. A communications method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing association data indicating for each of multiple types of presentation feature by which emotions can be expressed in audio form, a respective value of the feature concerned that is to be used to express each of plural emotions;
(b) generating a text message at a sending device, the generated text message having user-set embedded emotion indicators and feature-type indications, (c) converting the text message into audio form for delivery to a target recipient, emotions indicated by the embedded emotion indicators being expressed in said audio form using presentation feature types indicated by the embedded feature-type indicators with the values used for these presentation features being determined by said association data.
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Abstract
A text message generated at a sending device is converted into audio form by a message-conversion system for delivery to a target recipient. This conversion is effected in a manner enabling emotions, encoded by indicators embedded in the text message, to be expressed through multiple types of presentation feature in the audio form of the message. The mapping of emotions to feature values is pre-established for each feature type whilst the sender selection of one or more feature types to be used to express encoded emotions is specified by type indications inserted into the message at its time of generation.
304 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A communications method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing association data indicating for each of multiple types of presentation feature by which emotions can be expressed in audio form, a respective value of the feature concerned that is to be used to express each of plural emotions;
(b) generating a text message at a sending device, the generated text message having user-set embedded emotion indicators and feature-type indications, (c) converting the text message into audio form for delivery to a target recipient, emotions indicated by the embedded emotion indicators being expressed in said audio form using presentation feature types indicated by the embedded feature-type indicators with the values used for these presentation features being determined by said association data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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13. A communications method in which a text message generated at a sending device is converted into audio form by a message-conversion system for delivery to a target recipient, this conversion being effected in a manner enabling emotions, encoded by indicators embedded in the text message, to be expressed through multiple types of presentation feature in the audio form of the message, the mapping of emotions to feature values being pre-established for each feature type whilst the sender selection of one or more feature types to be used to express encoded emotions being specified under user control by type indications in the message.
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14. A system for converting a text message into audio form, the text message having embedded emotion indicators and feature-type indications the latter of which serve to determine which of multiple audio-form presentation feature types are to be used to express, in the audio form of the text message, the emotions indicated by said emotion indicators;
- the system comprising;
a data store holding association data indicating for each of multiple types of presentation feature by which emotions can be expressed in audio form, a respective value of the feature concerned that is to be used to express each of plural emotions;
an interpretation arrangement responsive to the succession of emotion indicators and feature-type indications embedded in the text message to determine for each emotion indicator what type of presentation feature is to be used to express the indicated emotion and, by reference to said association data, what value of that presentation feature is to be used;
an audio-output generation subsystem comprising a text-to-speech converter, and a presentation-feature generation arrangement operative, under the control of the interpretation arrangement, to provide audio-form presentation features in accordance with the succession of emotion indicators and feature-type indications embedded in the text message.
- the system comprising;
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24. A device for generating a text message, the device including user-controlled input interface enabling the user to embed in the text message both emotion indicators indicative of emotions to be expressed, and feature-type indications which serve to determine which of multiple audio-form presentation feature types are to be used to express, in an audio form of the text message, the emotions indicated by said emotion indicators.
Specification