Text-to-speech apparatus and method for processing multiple languages

• US 6,141,642 A
• Filed: 10/16/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Chang-hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/173,552
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/5, 704/7, 704/9, 704/10, 704/260, 704/277
• US Class Current: 704/260
• 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 multiple language text-to-speech (TTS) processing apparatus capable of processing a text expressed in multiple languages, and a multiple language text-to-speech processing method. The multiple language text-to-speech processing apparatus includes a multiple language processing portion receiving multiple language text and dividing the input text into sub-texts according to language and a text-to-speech engine portion having a plurality of text-to-speech engines, one for each language, for converting the sub-texts divided by the multiple language processing portion into audio wave data. The processing apparatus also includes an audio processor for converting the audio wave data converted by the text-to-speech engine portion into an analog audio signal, and a speaker for converting the analog audio signal converted by the audio processor into sound and outputting the sound. Thus, the text expressed in multiple languages, which is common in dictionaries or the Internet, can be properly converted into sound.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing system receiving multiple language text corresponding to text of a plurality of languages including first and second text characters;

a text-to-speech engine system receiving said text from said processing system, said text-to-speech engine system having a plurality of text-to-speech engines including a first language engine and a second language engine, each one text-to-speech engine among said plurality of text-to-speech engines corresponding to one language selected from among said plurality of languages, said text-to-speech engine system converting said text into audio wave data;

an audio processor unit receiving said audio wave data and converting said audio wave data into analog audio signals;

a speaker receiving said analog audio signals and converting said analog audio signals into sounds and outputting the sounds, wherein the sounds correspond to human speech;

said processing system receiving said first text character and determining a first language corresponding to said first character, said first language being selected from among said plurality of languages;

said first language engine receiving said first character outputted from said processing system and adding said first character to a buffer;

said processing system receiving said second text character and determining a second language corresponding to said second character, said second language being selected from among said plurality of languages;

said speaker outputting contents of said memory in form of the sounds corresponding to human speech when said first language of said first text character does not correspond to said second language of said second text character; and

said second language engine receiving said second character outputted from said processing system and deleting contents of the buffer and adding said second character to the buffer, when said first language does not correspond to said second language.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing system further comprises a plurality of language processing units including first and second language processing units, each one language processing unit among said plurality of language processing units receiving one language selected from among said plurality of languages, said first language processing unit receiving said multiple language text when said multiple language text corresponds to the language of said first language processing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said processing system transfers control to said second language processing unit when said multiple language text corresponds to the language of said second language processing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multiple language text further comprises a plurality of characters.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said processing system further comprises a plurality of language processing units including first, second, and third language processing units, each one language processing unit among said plurality of language processing units receiving one language selected from among said plurality of languages, said first language processing unit receiving said plurality of characters of said multiple language text when said plurality of characters corresponds to the language of said first language processing unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said processing system transfers control to said second language processing unit when said plurality of characters of said multiple language text corresponds to the language of said second language processing unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said processing system transfers control to said third language processing unit when said plurality of characters of said multiple language text corresponds to the language of said third language processing unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first language processing unit corresponds to Korean language, said second language processing unit corresponds to English language, and said third language processing unit corresponds to Japanese language.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of languages includes languages selected from among Korean, English, Japanese, Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Swedish.

10. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first character of multiple language text and storing said first character in a buffer, said multiple language text of a plurality of languages including first and second languages;

determining that said first language corresponds to said first character, and setting said first language as a current language;

receiving a second character of said multiple language text, and determining that said second language corresponds to said second character;

when said second language does correspond to the current language, storing said second character in said buffer; and

when said second language does not correspond to the current language, converting said first character stored in said buffer into corresponding audio wave data and converting said audio wave data into sound corresponding to human speech and outputting the sound, and then clearing said buffer and storing said second character in said buffer and setting said second language as the current language.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of languages includes languages selected from among Korean, English, Japanese, Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of storing said second character in said buffer when said second language does correspond to the current language further comprises:

receiving a third character among said plurality of characters, and identifying a third language among said plurality of languages corresponding to said third character, wherein said third character is among said plurality of characters of said multiple language text;

when said third language does correspond to the current language, storing said third character in said buffer; and

when said third language does not correspond to the current language, converting said first and second characters stored in said buffer into corresponding audio wave data and converting said audio wave data into sound corresponding to human speech and outputting the sound, and then clearing said buffer and storing said third character in said buffer and causing said third language to be considered as the current language.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of language processing units, each one of said language processing units receiving one language selected from among said plurality of languages, a first language processing unit receiving said multiple language text when said multiple language text corresponds to the language of said first language processing unit, said first language processing unit being among said plurality of language processing units.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of storing said second character in said buffer when said second language does correspond to the current language further comprises:

receiving a third character among said plurality of characters, and identifying a third language among said plurality of languages corresponding to said third character, wherein said third character is among said plurality of characters of said multiple language text;

when said third language does correspond to the current language, storing said third character in said buffer; and

when said third language does not correspond to the current language, converting said first and second characters stored in said buffer into corresponding audio wave data and converting said audio wave data into sound corresponding to human speech and outputting the sound, and then clearing said buffer and storing said third character in said buffer and causing said third language to be considered as the current language.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising converting said audio wave data into analog audio signals.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving said analog audio signals and converting said analog audio signals into sound and then outputting the sound.

17. A converting text of method, comprising the steps of:

temporarily storing a first plurality of received characters corresponding to a first language in a first predetermined buffer until a new character corresponding to a second language is input, wherein a first character of an input multiple language text corresponds to said first language, said multiple language text including text of said first and second languages;

when said new character corresponding to said second language distinguishable from said first language is input, converting said first plurality of received characters corresponding to said first language into sound using a first language text-to-speech unit;

temporarily storing a second plurality of received characters corresponding to said second language in a second predetermined buffer until a character corresponding to said first language is input, said new character being among said second plurality of received characters; and

converting said second plurality of received characters corresponding to said second language into sound using a second language text-to-speech unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first and second languages are selected from among Korean, English, Japanese, Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising an audio processor unit receiving audio wave data from said first and second language text-to-speech units and converting said audio wave data into analog audio signals.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising converting said analog audio signals into sound and then outputting the sound.

21. A method, comprising the sequential steps of:

setting a speech unit to process an initial language selected from among a plurality of human languages;

receiving a first text character;

determining a first language corresponding to said first received character;

when said first language does correspond to said initial language, adding said first character to a memory;

when said first language does not correspond to said initial language, setting said speech unit to process said first language and adding said first character to said memory;

receiving a second text character;

determining a second language corresponding to said second received character;

when said second language does correspond to said first language, adding said second character to said memory;

when said second language does not correspond to said first language, outputting contents of said memory in form of audible speech corresponding to said contents of memory and deleting said contents of said memory and setting said speech unit to process said second language and adding said second character to said memory;

receiving a third text character;

determining a third language corresponding to said third received character;

when said third language does correspond to said second language, adding said third character to said memory; and

when said third language does not correspond to said second language, outputting contents of said memory in form of audible speech corresponding to said contents of said memory and deleting said contents of said memory and setting said speech unit to process said third language and adding said third character to said memory, said first, second, and third languages being selected from among said plurality of human languages.

22. A method of receiving text including characters of multiple languages and converting the text into sounds corresponding to human speech, comprising:

receiving a first text character;

determining a first language corresponding to said first received character, said first language corresponding to a language selected from among a plurality of languages of humans;

when said first language does correspond to an initial language setting of a speech unit, adding said first character to a memory;

when said first language does not correspond to said initial language, setting said speech unit to process said first language and adding said first character to said memory;

receiving a second text character;

determining a second language corresponding to said second received character, said second language corresponding to a language selected from among said plurality of languages of humans;

when said second language does correspond to said first language, adding said second character to said memory; and

when said second language does not correspond to said first language, outputting contents of said memory in form of audible speech corresponding to said contents of memory and deleting said contents of said memory and setting said speech unit to process said second language and adding said second character to said memory.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a text-to-speech system receiving text including characters of multiple human languages and converting the text into sounds corresponding to human speech, said system comprising;

a language processing unit receiving a first text character and determining a first language corresponding to said first received character, said first language being selected from among a plurality of human languages;

a first language engine receiving said first character outputted from said language processing unit and adding said first character to a buffer;

said language processing unit receiving a second text character and determining a second language corresponding to said second character, said second language being selected from among said plurality of human languages;

a speaker outputting contents of said memory in form of audible speech when said first language of said first text character does not correspond to said second language of said second text character; and

a second language engine receiving said second character outputted from said language processing unit and deleting contents ofthe buffer and adding said second character to the buffer, when said first language does not correspond to said second language.