Speech synthesizer
First Claim
1. A phonetically driven speech synthesizer comprising:
- vocal tract means;
means for providing a plurality of parameter signals indicative of frequency, amplidtude and timing characteristics of a selected phoneme to be synthesized,means responsive to said vocal tract means for generating audible sounds, andcontrol means including first means responsive to each of said parameter signals in turn for generating corresponding control signals, second means for intermittently operating said vocal tract means responsive to said control signals, and third means for controlling operation of said first and second means in alternating sequence at intervals of predetermined fixed time duration wherein said vocal tract means includes lattice filter means responsive to said control signals for determining amplitude and frequency characteristics of phonemes to be synthesized.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A phonetically-driven speech synthesizer and method substantially entirely embodied in a programmed microprocessor. Information indicative of control parameters for each of a plurality of phonemes is stored in a phoneme parameter matrix and selectable by phoneme code. Time-invariant programming controls operation during successive operating cycles of equal time duration to obtain parameter information in a predetermined sequence for each selected phoneme, update control signals as a function of such parameter information, and operate a lattice filter vocal tract as a function of updated control signals to generate phonetic sounds. Separate sources of vocal and fricative sounds comprise corresponding look-up tables which are accessed are required during each operating cycle.
20 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A phonetically driven speech synthesizer comprising:
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vocal tract means; means for providing a plurality of parameter signals indicative of frequency, amplidtude and timing characteristics of a selected phoneme to be synthesized, means responsive to said vocal tract means for generating audible sounds, and control means including first means responsive to each of said parameter signals in turn for generating corresponding control signals, second means for intermittently operating said vocal tract means responsive to said control signals, and third means for controlling operation of said first and second means in alternating sequence at intervals of predetermined fixed time duration wherein said vocal tract means includes lattice filter means responsive to said control signals for determining amplitude and frequency characteristics of phonemes to be synthesized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A phonetically driven speech synthesizer comprising
matrix means having prestored therein a multiplicity of parameters individually associated with and selectable as a function of phonemes to be synthesized, said parameters being a function of desired frequency, amplitude and timing characteristics of individual phonemes, means for receiving coded digital data indicative of a selected speech phoneme to be synthesized and for reading a plurality of said parameters from said matrix means associated with said selected phoneme, vocal tract means responsive to a plurality of control signals for generating vocal and fricative sounds, and control means including first means responsive to said digital data for obtaining a corresponding plurality of parameters from said matrix means, second means responsive to each said parameter for generating corresponding control signals in a predetermined sequence of individual successive operations, and third means for intermittently and alternately operating said second means and said vocal tract means in successive operating cycles of predetermined fixed time duration.
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21. A method of synthesizing speech phonemes, the method utilizing a lattice filter vocal tract means responsive to a multiplicity of individual control signals for controlling output characteristics of synthesized sounds, the method comprises the steps of:
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(a) generating a series of parameter signals indicative of amplitude, frequency and timing control parameters of each phoneme to be synthesized, (b) generating corresponding control signals to said vocal tract means as a function of at least one of said parameter signals, (c) generating synthetic sound at said vocal tract means responsive to said control signals, and (d) alternately repeating said steps (c) and (b) in a series of operating cycles of predetermined fixed time duration. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A microprocessor-based method of phonetic speed synthesis as a function of predetermined sound control parameters corresponding to each of a series predetermined program routines including first routines and second routines, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing said predetermined parameters in a memory device such that such parameters are readable as a function of a phonetic sound to be synthesized, (b) generating control data as a function of each parameter for controlling amplitude, frequency and timing of a corresponding elected phoneme, (c) continuously cycling through said first and second routines in a series of predetermined operating cycles of fixed time duration, each said operating cycle including one of said first routines selected in a predetermined sequence in successive ones of said operating cycles and all of said second routines.
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Specification