Adaptive methods for controlling the annunciation rate of synthesized speech
First Claim
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1. A method of synthesizing human audible speech from a plurality of text segments represented in electronic form, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating audible speech from a first text segment using an initial annunciation rate;
in response to a first number of requests from a first listener to repeat the audible speech generated from the first text segment,adjusting the initial annunciation rate to produce a repeat annunciation rate; and
generating audible speech from the first text segment using the repeat annunciation rate.
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Abstract
Improved automated synthesis of human audible speech from text is disclosed. Performance enhancement of the underlying text comprehensibility is obtained through prosodic treatment of the synthesized material, improved speaking rate treatment, and improved methods of spelling words or terms for the sysstem user. Prosodic shaping of text sequences appropriate for the discourse in large groupings of text segments, with prosodic boundaries developed to indicate conceptual units within the text groupings, is implemented in a preferred embodiment.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of synthesizing human audible speech from a plurality of text segments represented in electronic form, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating audible speech from a first text segment using an initial annunciation rate; in response to a first number of requests from a first listener to repeat the audible speech generated from the first text segment, adjusting the initial annunciation rate to produce a repeat annunciation rate; and generating audible speech from the first text segment using the repeat annunciation rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of synthesizing human audible speech from a plurality of text segments represented in electronic form, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating audible speech from a first text segment using an initial annunciation rate; in response to a first number of requests from a first listener to repeat the audible speech generated from the first text segment, adjusting the initial annunciation rate to produce a repeat annunciation rate; generating audible speech from the first text segment using the repeat annunciation rate; generating audible speech from subsequent text segments in the plurality of text segments using the initial annunciation rate; in response to requests from the first user to repeat the audible speech generated from multiple ones of the subsequent text segments, modifying the initial annunciation rate to generate a modified initial annunciation rate which is slower than the initial annunciation rate; and using the modified initial annunciation rate to generate audible speech from at least one additional text segment in the plurality of text segments. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method of generating speech from a text segment represented in electronic form for a plurality of different listeners, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating speech from the first text segment for each of a first subset of the plurality of different listeners using an initial annunciation rate; if a first number of requests are received from the first subset of listeners to repeat the speech generated from the first text segment; performing the step of modifying the initial annunciation rate by decreasing the speed of the initial annunciation rate; otherwise, upon completing the generation of speech from the first text segment for the first subset of listeners, modifying the initial annunciation rate by increasing the speed of the initial annunciation rate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of synthesizing human audible speech, comprising the step of:
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embedding a first text segment represented in electronic form in a carrier phrase; generating audible speech from the first text segment and the carrier phase using a first annunciation rate to generate the speech from the first text segment and a second annunciation rate to generate the speech from the carrier phrase, the second annunciation rate being faster than the first annunciation rate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of repeatedly synthesizing human audible speech from a segment of text, comprising the step of:
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generating audible speech from the segment of text for a first plurality of different listeners; dynamically adjusting an annunciation rate used to generate audible speech from the segment of text as a function of feedback from the first plurality of different users; and using the adjusted annunciation rate to generate audible speech for a second plurality of listeners. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of adjusting the annunciation rate of speech, comprising the steps of:
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generating, for a first user, speech from a first text segment; dynamically adjusting the annunciation rate of additional speech generated in response to feedback from the first user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of generating speech, comprising the steps of:
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generating a first speech segment from text for a first user using a first annunciation rate and a speech generation system; repeatedly using the speech generation system to generate the first speech segment; and adjusting the annunciation rate of the speech system when repeatedly generating the first speech segment so that at least a second annunciation rate which is different than the first annunciation rate is used when generating the first speech segment for a repeated time. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method of generating speech, comprising the steps of:
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generating speech for a plurality of different users, some of the generated speech being repeated for at least some of the plurality of users; and dynamically adjusting an annunciation rate used in generating speech for a subsequent user, as a function of the number of times generated speech is repeated for at least some of the plurality of different users, the subsequent user being a different user than the users included in the plurality of users.
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Specification