Application of emotion-based intonation and prosody to speech in text-to-speech systems

• US 20040107101A1
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Eide, Ellen M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/10 Prosody rules derived from text; Stress or intonation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/977 Dynamic icon, e.g. animated or live action

Abstract

A text-to-speech system that includes an arrangement for accepting text input, an arrangement for providing synthetic speech output, and an arrangement for imparting emotion-based features to synthetic speech output. The arrangement for imparting emotion-based features includes an arrangement for accepting instruction for imparting at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output, as well as an arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output.

Claims

1. A text-to-speech system comprising:

an arrangement for accepting text input;

an arrangement for providing synthetic speech output;

an arrangement for imparting emotion-based features to synthetic speech output;

said arrangement for imparting emotion-based features comprising;

an arrangement for accepting instruction for imparting at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output; and

an arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for accepting instruction is adapted to cooperate with a user interface which permits the selection of at least one emotion-based paradigm for synthetic speech output.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said arrangement for accepting instruction is adapted to accept emoticon-based commands from a user interface.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said arrangement for accepting instruction is adapted to accept commands from an emotion-based markup language associated with the user interface.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm is adapted to selectably apply a single emotion-based paradigm over a single utterance of synthetic speech output.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm is adapted to selectably apply a variable emotion-based paradigm over individual segments of an utterance of synthetic speech output.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm is adapted to alter at least one of:

at least one segment to be used in synthetic speech output; and

at least one prosodic pattern to be used in synthetic speech output.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm is adapted to alter at least one of:

prosody, intonation, and intonation intensity in synthetic speech output.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm is adapted to alter at least one of speed and amplitude in order to affect prosody, intonation and intonation intensity in synthetic speech output.

10. A method of converting text to speech, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting text input;

providing synthetic speech output;

imparting emotion-based features to synthetic speech output;

said step of imparting emotion-based features comprising;

accepting instruction for imparting at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output; and

applying at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of accepting instruction comprises cooperating with a user interface which permits the selection of at least one emotion-based paradigm for synthetic speech output.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of accepting instruction comprises accepting emoticon-based commands from a user interface.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of accepting instruction comprises accepting commands from an emotion-based markup language associated with the user interface.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprises selectably applying a single emotion-based paradigm over a single utterance of synthetic speech output.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprises selectably applying a variable emotion-based paradigm over individual segments of an utterance of synthetic speech output.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprises altering at least one of:

at least one segment to be used in synthetic speech output; and

at least one prosodic pattern to be used in synthetic speech output.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprises altering at least one of:

prosody, intonation, and intonation intensity in synthetic speech output.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprises altering at least one of speed and amplitude in order to affect prosody, intonation and intonation intensity in synthetic speech output.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for converting text to speech, said method comprising the steps of:

accepting text input;

providing synthetic speech output;

imparting emotion-based features to synthetic speech output;

said step of imparting emotion-based features comprising;

accepting instruction for imparting at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output; and

applying at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output.