Shared text-to-speech resource

• US 6,466,909 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Didcock, Cliff
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US09/340,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 379/52, 379/88.16
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/047 Architecture of speech synthesisers

Abstract

An architecture is provided for sharing text-to-speech (TTS) resources. A TTS controller manages the allocation of the TTS resources. An application provides a conversion request which is provided to a first queue. An available TTS resource begins a conversion upon sentence boundaries and converts a predetermined minimum amount of text. Once a sufficient amount of text is converted, the digitized speech data is played to a user. The amount of converted data is monitored during the playback operation. As the totality of the converted data falls below a predetermined minimum the TTS controller is notified. If more text remains in a message being converted, the TTS controller places a request into a second queue. The second queue has a higher priority so that continuing conversions are completed before subsequent conversions begin. The user is able to cancel this conversion operation at any time. By cancelling this conversion operation, TTS resources are conserved by not unnecessarily converting the whole text message.

Claims

1. An architecture for managing a plurality of text-to-speech (TTS) resources, the TTS resources for converting text provided by an application for subsequent presentation as audio speech to a user, the architecture comprising:

a. TTS controller coupled to allocate the TTS resources, the TTS controller further coupled to receive a new conversion request from the application;

b. a first queue coupled to receive each new conversion request from the TTS controller;

c. a shareable storage element coupled to receive and for storing a converted message, wherein the shareable storage element is coupled for access to both the application and the TTS resource;

d. the TTS controller including means for determining when a TTS resource becomes available and for instructing an available TTS resource to convert the text message according to sentence boundaries; and

e. a second queue coupled to receive a continuing conversion request, wherein the continuing conversion request has a higher priority that the new conversion request.

2. The architecture according to claim 1 further comprising means for determining an amount of unplayed converted data wherein a conversion operation ceases upon reaching a predetermined upper threshold of the amount of unplayed converted data.

3. The architecture according to claim 1 wherein the application is a unified messaging system.

4. The architecture according to claim 2 wherein a conversion operation will resume after the amount of unplayed converted data falls below a predetermined lower threshold of the amount of unplayed converted data.

5. A TTS controller coupled for managing a plurality of text-to-speech (TTS) resources, the TTS resources for converting text provided by an application for subsequent presentation as audio speech to a user, the TTS comprising:

a. means for determining whether a new conversion is required and for providing an indication in a first queue in response thereto;

b. means for determining whether a TTS resource is available, and for instructing a resource to initiate a conversion upon such a determination;

c. means for controlling the conversion to continue until at least a predetermined amount of text is converted, but for continuing until completion of a grammatical boundary;

d. means for stopping the conversion upon determining that the predetermined amount of text was converted, and for causing the application to playback a converted audio message;

e. means for determining whether a continuing conversion is required and for providing an indication to a second queue in response thereto, wherein an indication in the second queue has a higher priority than an indication in the first queue.

6. The architecture according to claim 5 further comprising means for determining an amount of unplayed converted data wherein a conversion operation ceases upon reaching a predetermined upper threshold of the amount of unplayed converted data.

7. The architecture according to claim 5 wherein the application is a unified messaging system.

8. The architecture according to claim 7 wherein a conversion operation will resume after the amount of unplayed converted data falls below a predetermined lower threshold of the amount of unplayed converted data.

9. A method of managing a plurality of text-to-speech (TTS) resources, the TTS resources for converting text provided by an application for subsequent presentation as audio speech to a user, the TTS comprising:

a. determining whether a new conversion is required and for providing an indication in a first queue in response thereto;

b. determining whether a TTS resource is available, and for instructing a resource to initiate a conversion upon such a determination;

c. controlling the conversion to continue until at least a predetermined amount of text is converted, but for continuing until completion of a grammatical boundary;

d. stopping the conversion upon determining that the predetermined amount of text was converted, and for causing the application to playback a converted audio message;

e. determining whether a continuing conversion is required and for providing an indication to a second queue in response thereto, wherein an indication in the second queue has a higher priority than an indication in the first queue.