Synthesising speech by converting phonemes to digital waveforms

• US 5,987,412 A
• Filed: 02/06/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Breen, Andrew Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US08/796,818
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 704/200, 704/201, 704/254, 704/249, 704/203, 704/258, 704/266, 704/269
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/07 Concatenation rules

Abstract

Synthetic speech is generated by production of a digital waveform from a text in phonemes. A linked database is used which comprises an extended text in phonemes and its equivalent in the form of a digital waveform. The two portions of the database are linked by a parameter which establishes equivalent points in both the phoneme text and the digital waveform. The input text (in phonemes) is analyzed to locate a matching portion in the phoneme portion of the database. This matching utilizes exact equivalence of phonemes where this is possible; otherwise relation between phonemes is utilized. The selection process identifies input phonemes in context whereby improved conversions are obtained. Having analyzed the input exit into matching strings in the input form of the database beginning and ending parameters for the sections are established. The output text is produced by abutting sections of the digital waveform and defined by the beginning and ending parameters.

Claims

1. A database for use as a component of a speech engine said database comprising:

an output section containing an extended digital waveform,

an access section containing signals representing said extended digital waveform in phonemes, and

a common address parameter identifying common points in both sections, whereby identification of a segment of the signals representing said extended digital waveform in phonemes in the access section establishes beginning and ending values for the parameter and hence identifies the corresponding segment of the extended digital waveform.

2. A speech engine which comprises:

a primary processor for converting a text in graphemes into an equivalent text in phonemes, and

a converter for converting said text in phonemes into a digital waveform,

the converter including a database according to claim 1.

3. A telephone network which includes a speech engine according to claim 2,

said speech engine being connected to the network for the transmission of the output of the speech engine to a remote location.

4. A database for use as a component of a speech engine said database comprising:

an output section containing an extended digital waveform,

an access section containing signals representing said extended digital waveform in phonemes, and

a common address parameter identifying common points in both sections. whereby identification of a segment of the signals representing said extended digital waveform in phonemes in the access section establishes beginning and ending values for the parameter and hence identifies the corresponding segment of the extended digital waveform;

the access portion contains windows of five phoneme length,

said access section having a hierarchical higher level accessed by the center phoneme of a window to identify the second and fourth phonemes of a windows whereby entries in the higher hierarchical level are equivalent to strings of three phonemes, and

said access portion also comprises a lower hierarchical level accessed by a string of three phonemes to identify the first and fifth phonemes whereby entries in the lower hierarchical level are equivalent to strings of five phonemes.

5. A speech engine which comprises:

a primary processor for converting a text in graphemes into an equivalent text in phonemes, and

a converter for converting said text in phonemes into a digital waveform,

the converter including a database according to claim 4.