SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DOCUMENT NARRATION WITH MULTIPLE CHARACTERS HAVING MULTIPLE MOODS

• US 20100324903A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T Play Holdings LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Paul, Kurzweil, Raymond C., Chapman, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text in multiple different voices. Further disclosed are techniques and systems for providing a plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods for use in document narration.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

providing, for user selection in a system for narration of a document, a plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods;

receiving, by one or more computers, a user selection of a character and a mood for the character to associate with a portion of words in the text; and

generating, by the one or more computers, an audible output corresponding to the portion of words using a voice model associated with the character and the mood for the character.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a character comprises a graphical depiction that represents an entity and a mood is a particular voice model selected from at least two voice models that are associated with the character with the at least two voice models varying in at least one mood attribute associated with the character.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods further comprises:

providing at least a first mood associated with the first character and a second mood associated with the first character, the first mood for the first character being associated with a first voice model and the second mood for the first character being associated with a second voice model that is different from the first voice model.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mood attribute comprises language.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the mood attribute comprises reading speed.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the mood attribute comprises volume.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the voice model by at least one of modifying a reading speed associated with the voice model, modifying a volume associated with the voice model, modifying the gender of the character associated with the voice model, modifying the age of the character and modifying a language of the voice model.

8. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

provide, for user selection in a system for narration of a document, a plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods;

receive a user selection of a character and a mood for the character to associate with a portion of words in the text; and

generate an audible output corresponding to the portion of words using a voice model associated with the character and the mood for the character.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a character comprises a graphical depiction that represents an entity and a mood is a particular voice model selected from at least two voice models that are associated with the character with the at least two voice models varying in at least one mood attribute associated with the character.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions to provide the plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods further comprise instructions to provide at least a first mood associated with the first character and a second mood associated with the first character, the first mood for the first character being associated with a first voice model and the second mood for the first character being associated with a second voice model that is different from the first voice model.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the mood attribute comprises language.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the mood attribute comprises reading speed.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the mood attribute comprises volume.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing the processor to:

modify the voice model by at least one of modifying a reading speed associated with the voice model, modifying a volume associated with the voice model, modifying the gender of the character associated with the voice model, modifying the age of the character and modifying a language of the voice model.

15. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a computing device configured to;

provide, for user selection in a system for narration of a document, a plurality of characters at least some of the characters having multiple associated moods;

receive a user selection of a character and a mood for the character to associate with a portion of words in the text; and

generate an audible output corresponding to the portion of words using a voice model associated with the character and the mood for the character.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a character comprises a graphical depiction that represents an entity and a mood is a particular voice model selected from at least two voice models that are associated with the character with the at least two voice models varying in at least one mood attribute associated with the character.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to provide at least a first mood associated with the first character and a second mood associated with the first character, the first mood for the first character being associated with a first voice model and the second mood for the first character being associated with a second voice model that is different from the first voice model.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the mood attribute comprises a mood attribute selected from the group consisting of language, reading speed, and volume.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

modify the voice model by at least one of modifying a reading speed associated with the voice model, modifying a volume associated with the voice model, modifying the gender of the character associated with the voice model, modifying the age of the character and modifying a language of the voice model.