Reconciling recognition and text to speech vocabularies

• US 6,119,085 A
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, James R., Ortega, Kerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US09/049,730
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 704/200, 704/231, 704/266, 704/251, 704/252, 704/255, 704/256, 704/257, 704/258
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management

Abstract

A method for reconciling pronunciation differences between respective vocabularies of recognition and text to speech (TTS) engines in a speech application, first compares respective pronunciations of each word in the recognition engine'"'"'s vocabulary with each word'"'"'s pronunciation by the TTS engine, second, for each word for which the pronunciations are different, the recognition engine'"'"'s pronunciation of the different word is added to an exception dictionary of the TTS engine. Before adding the recognition engine'"'"'s pronunciation of the different word to the exception dictionary, each different word is tested for form consistent with the exception dictionary. Each different word which is not consistent in form with the exception dictionary is converted to a suitable form prior to being added to the exception dictionary. The pronunciations are compared by comparing baseforms of the pronunciations.

Claims

1. A method for reconciling pronunciation differences between a vocabulary of a recognition engine and a vocabulary of a text to speech (TTS) engine in a speech application, comprising the steps of:

comparing a pronunciation of each word in said vocabulary of said recognition engine with a corresponding pronunciation of each said word in said vocabulary of said TTS engine; and

,

for each word for which said pronunciations are different, adding said recognition engine pronunciation of said word having a different pronunciation to an exception dictionary of said TTS engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein before adding said recognition engine pronunciation of said word having a different pronunciation to said exception dictionary, said method further comprises the step of testing each said word having a different pronunciation for form consistent with said exception dictionary.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each said word having a different pronunciation which is not consistent in form with said exception dictionary is converted to a suitable form prior to being added to said exception dictionary.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said pronunciations are compared by comparing baseforms of said pronunciations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said pronunciations are compared by comparing baseforms of said pronunciations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said pronunciations are compared by comparing baseforms of said pronunciations.

7. A method for reconciling pronunciation differences between a vocabulary of a recognition engine and a vocabulary of a text to speech (TTS) engine in a speech application, comprising the steps of:

comparing a pronunciation of each word in said vocabulary of said recognition engine with a corresponding pronunciation of each said word in said vocabulary of said TTS engine;

for each word for which said pronunciations are substantially the same, repeating said comparing step for a different word in said vocabulary;

for each word for which said pronunciations are different, determining if said pronunciation of said word in said vocabulary of said recognition engine is in a form compatible with an exception dictionary of said TTS system;

for each word having a different pronunciation which is in a form compatible with said exception dictionary of said TTS system, adding said recognition engine pronunciation of said word having a different pronunciation directly to said exception dictionary and repeating said comparing step for a different word in said vocabulary; and

,

for each word having a different pronunciation which is in a form incompatible with said exception dictionary of said TTS system, converting said word having a different pronunciation in an incompatible form to a compatible form, adding said converted pronunciation of said word having a different pronunciation to said exception dictionary, and repeating said comparing step for a different word in said vocabulary.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said pronunciations are compared by comparing baseforms of said pronunciations.