Text-to-speech system and method thereof

• US 20060136216A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shen, Jia-Lin, Tsai, Ching-Ho, Liao, Wen-Wei
• Application Number:
  US11/298,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/266
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination

Abstract

The present invention is related to a text-to-speech system, including a text processor dividing a first text data and a second text data from a text string having at least a first language and a second language; a database including a plurality of acoustic units commonly used by the first and second languages; a first speech synthesis unit and a second speech synthesis unit generating a first speech data corresponding to the first text data and a second speech data corresponding to the second text data respectively by using the plurality of acoustic units; and a prosody processor optimizing prosodies of the first and second speech data.

Claims

1. A text-to-speech system, comprising:

a text processor dividing a first text data and a second text data from a text string having at least a first language and a second language;

a database comprising a plurality of acoustic units commonly used by said first and second language;

a first speech synthesis unit and a second speech synthesis unit generating a first speech data corresponding to said first text data and a second speech data corresponding to said second text data respectively by using said plurality of acoustic units; and

a prosody processor optimizing prosodies of said first and second speech data.

2. The text-to-speech system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second text data comprise acoustic data respectively.

3. The text-to-speech system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of acoustic units are recorded from the same speaker.

4. The text-to-speech system according to claim 1, wherein said prosody processor comprises a reference prosody.

5. The text-to-speech system according to claim 4, wherein said prosody processor determines a first prosody parameter and a second prosody parameter for said first and second speech data respectively according to said reference prosody.

6. The text-to-speech system according to claim 5, wherein said first and second prosody parameters define tones, volumes, speeds and durations of said first and second speech data.

7. The text-to-speech system according to claim 5, wherein said prosody processor connects said first speech data with said second speech data in a hierarchical manner according to said first and second prosody parameters to obtain a successive prosody thereof.

8. The text-to-speech system according to claim 7, wherein said prosody processor further adjusts connected said first and second speech data.

9. A method for a text-to-speech conversion, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a text string comprising at least a first language and a second language;

(b) discriminating a first text data and a second text data from said text string;

(c) providing a database having a plurality of acoustic units commonly used by said first language and said second language;

(d) generating a first speech data corresponding to said first text data and a second speech data corresponding to said second text data respectively by using said plurality of acoustic units; and

(e) optimizing prosodies of said first and second speech data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said first and second text data comprise acoustic data respectively.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of acoustic units are recorded from the same speaker.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step (e) further comprises a step (e1) of providing a reference prosody.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step (e) further comprises a step (e2) of determining a first prosody parameter and a second prosody parameter for said first and second speech data respectively according to said reference prosody.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said first and second prosody parameters define tones, volumes, speeds and durations of said first and second speech data.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step (e) further comprises a step (e3) of connecting said first and second speech data in a hierarchical manner according to said first and second prosody parameters to obtain a successive prosody.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step (e) further comprises a step (e4) of adjusting connected said first and second speech data.

17. A text-to-speech system, comprising:

a text processor discriminating a first text data and a second text data from a text data comprising at least a first language and a second language;

a translation module translating said second text data to a translated data in said first language;

a speech synthesis unit receiving said first text data and said translated data and generating a speech data therefrom; and

a prosody processor optimizing a prosody of said speech data.

18. The text-to-speech system according to claim 17, wherein said second text data is at least one selected from a group consisting of a word, a phrase and a sentence.

19. The text-to-speech system according to claim 17, wherein said speech synthesis unit further comprises an analyzing module for rearranging said first text data and said translated data to obtain said speech data with a correct grammar and meaning according to said first language.

20. The text-to-speech system according to claim 17, wherein said prosody processor comprises a reference prosody.

21. The text-to-speech system according to claim 20, wherein said prosody processor determines a prosody parameter for said speech data according to said reference prosody.

22. The text-to-speech system according to claim 21, wherein said prosody parameters defines tones, volumes, speeds and durations of said speech data.

23. The text-to-speech system according to claim 21, wherein said prosody processor adjusts said speech data according to said prosody parameters to obtain a successive prosody thereof.

24. A method for a text-to-speech conversion, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a text data comprising at least a first language and a second language;

(b) dividing a first text data and a second text data from said text data;

(c) translating said second text data to a translated data in said first language;

(d) generating a speech data corresponding to said first text data and said translated data; and

(e) optimizing a prosody of said speech data.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said second text data is at least one selected from a group consisting of a word, a phrase and a sentence.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein said step (d) further comprises a step (d1) of rearranging said first text data and said translated data according to grammar and meanings of said first language to obtain said speech data with a correct grammar and meaning.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said step (e) further comprises a step (e1) of providing a reference prosody.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said step (e) further comprises a step (e2) of determining a prosody parameter of said speech data according to said reference prosody.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said prosody parameters defines tones, volumes, speeds, and durations of said speech data.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein said step (e) further comprises a step (e3) of adjusting said speech data according to said prosody parameters to obtain a successive prosody thereof.