BROADCAST SYSTEM USING TEXT TO SPEECH CONVERSION

• US 20120016675A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: HOPKINS, Huw, EDMUNDS, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,263,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/047 Architecture of speech synthesisers
• 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

A broadcast signal receiver comprises a text data receiver for receiving broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface; a text-to-speech (TTS) converter for converting received text data into an audio speech signal, the TTS converter being operable to detect whether a word for conversion is included in a stored list of words for conversion and, if so, to convert that word according to a conversion defined by the stored list; and if not, to convert that word according to a set of predetermined conversion rules; a conversion memory storing the list of words for conversion by the TTS converter; and an update receiver for receiving additional words and associated conversions for storage in the conversion memory.

Claims

1. A broadcast signal receiver comprising:

a text data receiver for receiving broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface;

a text-to-speech (TTS) converter for converting received text data into an audio speech signal, the TTS converter being operable to detect whether a word for conversion is included in a stored list of words for conversion and, if so, to convert that word according to a conversion defined by the stored list; and

if not, to convert that word according to a set of predetermined conversion rules;

a conversion memory storing the list of words for conversion by the TTS converter; and

an update receiver for receiving additional words and associated conversions for storage in the conversion memory.

2. A receiver according to claim 1, in which:

the TTS converter is operable to generate the audio speech signal by assembling speech components relating to words or portions of words; and

the conversion memory defines, for each word stored in the conversion memory, a respective sequence of one or more speech components to be used in the conversion of that word.

3. A receiver according to claim 1, in which the update receiver is operable to receive the additional words and associated conversions by accessing a conversion repository via an internet connection.

4. A receiver according to claim 1, in which the update receiver is operable to receive the additional words and associated conversions as a broadcast update signal.

5. A receiver according to claim 1, in which the receiver is a television signal receiver operable to receive a television signal comprising video and audio signals for output to the user.

6. A receiver according to claim 5, in which the broadcast text data comprises electronic programme guide data and/or teletext data.

7. A receiver according to claim 6, in which at least the electronic programme guide data are broadcast as service information data.

8. A receiver according to claim 1, comprising a remote commander having one or more user-operable controls for controlling operation of the receiver.

9. A receiver according to claim 8, in which the remote commander has an audio output device for generating an audible output from the audio signal generated by the TTS converter.

10. A receiver according to claim 8, in which:

the remote commander comprises a user control for operation by the user to indicate an incorrect conversion by the TTS converter; and

to the receiver is operable, in response to operation of the user control, to send a message to request the provision of conversion information, the message being indicative of a conversion problem and indicative of text converted at the time that the user control was operated.

11. A receiver according to claim 10, in which the text converted at the time that the user control was operated, as indicated by the message, comprises one or both of:

a predetermined number of words converted during a period preceding the time at which the user control was operated; and

those words converted during a predetermined period preceding the time at which the user control was operated.

12. A method of broadcast signal reception, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface;

converting received text data into an audio speech signal, the converting step comprising detecting whether a word for conversion is included in a stored list of words for conversion and, if so, converting that word according to a conversion defined by the stored list; and

if not, converting that word according to a set of predetermined conversion rules;

storing the list of words for conversion; and

receiving additional words and associated conversions for storage in the conversion memory.

18. A computer program product comprising a storage medium on which is stored computer software for implementing a method according to claim 12.

13. A broadcast signal transmission system comprising:

a text data transmitter for transmitting broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface at a receiver;

a message receiver for receiving messages requesting the provision of text-to-speech (TTS) conversion information, the message being indicative of a conversion problem noted by a user and indicative of the text converted at the time that the user noted the conversion problem; and

an update transmitter for transmitting, in response to a received message, words and associated TTS conversions for storage at a receiver.

14. A system according to claim 13, comprising:

a detector for detecting whether at least a threshold number of messages indicate text having one or more words in common, thereby indicating that a potential conversion problem exists in relation to the words in common;

and in which the update transmitter is operable to transmit the words and associated TTS conversions for the detected words in common.

15. A broadcast signal transmission method comprising the steps of:

transmitting broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface at a receiver;

receiving messages requesting the provision of text-to-speech (TTS) conversion information, the message being indicative of a conversion problem noted by a user and indicative of the text currently converted at the time that the user noted the conversion problem; and

transmitting, in response to a received message, words and associated TTS conversions for storage at a receiver.

19. A computer program product comprising a storage medium on which is stored computer software for implementing a method according to claim 15.

16. A broadcast signal transmission system comprising:

a text data transmitter for transmitting broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface at a receiver;

a text store for maintaining a list of words for which text-to-speech (TTS) conversion information does not need to be sent to text receiver;

a comparator for comparing text data to be transmitted with words stored in the text store; and

an update transmitter for transmitting, in response to a comparison indicating that a word to be transmitted is not found in the text store, words and associated TTS conversions for storage at a receiver.

17. A broadcast signal transmission method comprising the steps of:

transmitting broadcast text data for display to a user in relation to a user interface at a receiver;

maintaining in a text store a list of words for which text-to-speech (TTS) conversion information does not need to be sent to the text receiver;

comparing text data to be transmitted with words stored in the text store; and

transmitting, in response to a comparison indicating that a word to be transmitted is not found in the text store, words and associated TTS conversions for storage at a receiver.

20. A computer program product comprising a storage medium on which is stored computer software for implementing a method according to claim 17.