Text-to-speech converter

• US 6,546,366 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Incorporated (MLN TopCo Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ronca, David Randall, Ruhl, Stephen Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/258,507
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/262, 704/263, 704/264, 704/265, 704/266, 704/267, 704/269, 704/270
• 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: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A text-to-speech converter includes a text-to-speech engine receiving source text and converting the source text into speech data. A read mechanism reads speech data from the text-to-speech engine and writes the speech data to a buffer. A throttle mechanism reads speech data from the buffer and conveys the speech data to a playback operation. The throttle mechanism triggers the read mechanism to read data from the text-to-speech engine and writes the speech data to the buffer so that unread speech data in the buffer remains ahead of speech data read by the throttle mechanism by at least a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A text-to-speech converter comprising:

a text-to-speech engine receiving source text and converting said source text into speech data;

a read mechanism reading speech data from said text-to-speech engine and writing said speech data to a buffer; and

a throttle mechanism reading speech data from said buffer and conveying said speech data to a playback operation, said throttle mechanism triggering said read mechanism to read data from said text-to-speech engine and write said speech data to said buffer so that unread speech data in said buffer remains ahead of speech data read by said throttle mechanism by at least a threshold amount, said buffer being unavailable to said throttle mechanism during writing of speech data to said buffer.

2. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 1 wherein said threshold amount is programmable.

3. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 2 wherein said read mechanism pre-fills said buffer during initialization to include a threshold amount of unread speech data before said throttle mechanism is permitted to read speech data from said buffer.

4. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 3 wherein after said throttle mechanism reads speech data from said buffer, said throttle mechanism examines said buffer to determine if unread speech data remaining in said buffer is at least equal to said threshold amount, said throttle mechanism triggering said read mechanism if unread speech data in said buffer is less than said threshold amount.

5. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 4 wherein during reading of data from said buffer by said throttle mechanism, said buffer is unavailable to said read mechanism for writing of speech data to said buffer.

6. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 5 wherein said read mechanism comprises a fill thread invoked by a central processing unit, said fill thread being responsive to read events generated by said throttle mechanism when unread speech data in said buffer falls below said threshold amount.

7. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 2 wherein said buffer retains said speech data until the text-to-speech conversion process is terminated.

8. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 2 wherein during reading of data from said buffer by said throttle mechanism, said buffer is unavailable to said read mechanism for writing of speech data to said buffer.

9. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 8 wherein said read mechanism comprises a fill thread invoked by a central processing unit, said fill thread being responsive to read events generated by said throttle mechanism when unread speech data in said buffer falls below said threshold amount.

10. A text-to-speech converter comprising:

a text-to-speech engine receiving source text and converting said source text into speech data;

a read mechanism reading speech data from said text-to-speech engine and writing said speech data to a buffer; and

a throttle mechanism reading speech data from said buffer and conveying said speech data to a playback operation, said throttle mechanism triggering said read mechanism to read said speech data from said text-to-speech engine and write said speech data to said buffer so that to the extent available at least a threshold amount of unread speech data remains in said buffer, said buffer being unavailable to said read mechanism during reading of speech data from said buffer.

11. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 10 wherein said threshold amount is programmable.

12. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 11 wherein said read mechanism pre-fills said buffer during initialization to include a threshold amount of unread speech data that is substantially less than all of the speech data before said throttle mechanism is permitted to read speech data from said buffer.

13. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 12 wherein said buffer is unavailable to said throttle mechanism during writing of speech data to said buffer.

14. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 11 wherein after said throttle mechanism reads speech data from said buffer, said throttle mechanism examines said buffer to determine if unread speech data remaining in said buffer is at least equal to said threshold amount, said throttle mechanism triggering said read mechanism if unread speech data in said buffer is less than said threshold amount.

15. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 11 wherein said throttle mechanism operates to trigger said read mechanism as needed so that to the extent available approximately the threshold amount of the unread speech data remains in said buffer.

16. A text-to-speech converter as defined in claim 15 wherein said buffer is unavailable to said throttle mechanism during writing of speech data to said buffer.

17. A text-to-speech converter comprising:

an engine receiving text and converting said text into speech data;

a read mechanism reading speech data from said engine and writing the speech data to a buffer; and

a throttle reading speech data from said buffer and conveying the speech data to a playback operation, wherein said buffer is unavailable to said throttle during writing of speech data to said buffer and wherein said buffer is unavailable to said read mechanism during reading of speech data from said buffer.

18. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 17 wherein said buffer maintains a threshold amount of speech data therein.

19. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 18 wherein said read mechanism is responsive to said throttle to maintain the speech data in said buffer at least at said threshold amount.

20. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 19 wherein said threshold amount is programmable.

21. A text-to-speech converter comprising:

an engine receiving text and converting said text into speech data;

a read mechanism reading speech data from said engine and writing the speech data to a buffer; and

a throttle reading speech data from said buffer and conveying the speech data to a playback operation, wherein said read mechanism and throttle are inhibited from accessing said buffer simultaneously.

22. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 21 wherein said buffer maintains a threshold amount of speech data therein.

23. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 22 wherein said read mechanism is responsive to said throttle to maintain the speech data in said buffer at least at said threshold amount.

24. A text-to-speech converter according to claim 23 wherein said threshold amount is programmable.