System for updating and outputting speech data

• US 7,941,795 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lehmann, Andreas, Wietzke, Joachim, Ruβlies, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Wozniak, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, PARAS D
• Application Number:
  US10/840,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 704/258, 704/275, 717/168, 717/169, 717/170, 701/200, 701/210, 707/203
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/06 Elementary speech units used in speech synthesisers; Concatenation rules

Abstract

A system for outputting speech from speech data that may include an application, an internal speech data module, and an external speech data module is provided. The internal speech module stores default speech data that defines which speech data is compatible with the application. The external speech module, which may include a data carrier, may provide optional speech data, including a sequence identifier, separately from the application. To determine whether optional speech data fits the application, the application generates a sequence of one or more segment designators designating speech segments, and associating with them a sequence identifier. The application may also compare the sequence identifier generated by the application with that of the optional speech data. If a predetermined result occurs, the optional speech data may be used. Otherwise, the default speech data may be used. This method may be used to update default speech data with optional speech data.

Claims

1. A method for updating speech data supplied with an application, the method comprising:

generating a sequence of first segment designators that designate at least one first digitized speech segment of first speech data to define speech;

generating a first sequence identifier to identify the sequence of the first segment designators;

providing second data comprising at least one second digitized speech segment, which are designated by at least one second segment designator identified by a second sequence identifier;

comparing with a computer the first sequence identifier with the second sequence identifier to determine compatibility, where the sequence of the first segment designator partially matches the second sequence identifier; and

adding the second digitized speech data to the first digitized speech data in memory when the second sequence identifier indicates compatibility with the first sequence identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first sequence identifier is generated by the application.

3. The method of claim 1, includes

offering actual speech data for speech output to the application, where the actual speech data comprises a plurality of speech segments associated with the first segment designators, and an actual-speech-data-identifier;

and

accepting the actual speech data as suitable for speech output in accordance with the result.

4. The method of claim 3, where the second sequence identifier is a required-speech-data-identifier and the required-speech-data-identifier and the actual-speech-data-identifier both include a root identifier and a version identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, where the actual speech data are accepted when the result shows that the version identifier in the required-speech-data-identifier is not larger than the version identifier in the actual-speech-data-identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, where the actual speech data are accepted when the result further shows that the root identifier in the required-speech-data-identifier is the same as that in the actual-speech-data-identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, where the actual speech data comprises a composition list that defines a relationship between at least one segment of other speech data with at least one of the plurality of speech segments of the actual speech data;

the root identifier of the actual speech data further comprises the root identifier of the other speech data;

the required-speech-data-identifier comprises a root identifier; and

comparing the required-speech-data-identifier with the actual-speech-data-identifier to produce a result comprises comparing whether the root identifier of the required-speech-data-identifier is the same as one of the root identifiers of the actual-speech-data-identifier.

8. The method of claim 3, where the actual speech data are provided on a data carrier.

9. The method of claim 3, where the actual speech, data are provided through wireless data transmission.

10. The method of claim 3, where the actual speech data are provided through a network.

11. The method of claim 3, where the actual speech data comprises speech content that is equivalent to that of default speech data.

12. The method of claim 3, where the actual speech data comprises speech content that has acoustical characteristics different from that of default speech data.