Method and apparatus to facilitate correlating symbols to sounds
First Claim
1. A method of correlating symbols with sounds, wherein at least some of the symbols can correspond to a plurality of sounds and at least some of the sounds can correspond to a plurality of symbols, comprising:
- providing a dictionary comprising a dendroid hierarchy of branches and nodes, wherein each node represents no more than one of the symbols and wherein each such symbol as is represented at a node has only one corresponding sound associated with that symbol at that node, and each branch includes a plurality of nodes representing a string of the symbols in a particular sequence;
automatically using the dictionary to translate an input comprising a given integral sequence of the symbols into a corresponding integral sequence of sounds.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dictionary is comprised of a dendroid hierarchy of branches and nodes, wherein each node represents no more than one symbol (which symbol is to be converted to a corresponding sound) and wherein each such symbol as is represented at a given node has only one corresponding sound associated with that symbol at that node. In addition, many of the branches include a plurality of nodes representing a string of the symbols in a particular sequence. The dictionary is used to translate an input comprising a given integral sequence of the symbols into a corresponding integral sequence of sounds. This permits both method and apparatus to convert, for example, text to representative phonemes. Such phonemes can be used, amongst other purposes, to support synthesized speech production.
47 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of correlating symbols with sounds, wherein at least some of the symbols can correspond to a plurality of sounds and at least some of the sounds can correspond to a plurality of symbols, comprising:
-
providing a dictionary comprising a dendroid hierarchy of branches and nodes, wherein each node represents no more than one of the symbols and wherein each such symbol as is represented at a node has only one corresponding sound associated with that symbol at that node, and each branch includes a plurality of nodes representing a string of the symbols in a particular sequence;
automatically using the dictionary to translate an input comprising a given integral sequence of the symbols into a corresponding integral sequence of sounds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An apparatus comprising:
-
a memory having a dictionary stored therein, the dictionary comprising a dendroid hierarchy of branches and nodes, wherein each node represents no more than one symbol and wherein each such symbol as is represented at a node has only one corresponding sound associated with that symbol at that node, and each branch includes a plurality of nodes representing a string of the symbols in a particular sequence, wherein at least some of the symbols appear repeatedly at different nodes with different corresponding sounds;
a text to phoneme translator operably coupled to the memory.
-
- 19. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein at least some of the symbols comprise alphanumeric characters.
Specification