System and method for client voice building

• US 8,311,830 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Third Pillar, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cepstral, LLC
• Inventors: Campbell, Craig F., Lenzo, Kevin A., Cox, Alexandre D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/311,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260, 704/E13.001, 704/E13.002, 704/E13.005, 704/E13.006, 704/E13.008, 704/E13.009, 704/E13.01
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for building and managing a customized voice of an end-user, comprising the steps of designing a set of prompts for collection from the user, wherein the prompts are selected from both an analysis tool and by the user'"'"'s own choosing to capture voice characteristics unique to the user. The prompts are delivered to the user over a network to allow the user to save a user recording on a server of a service provider. This recording is then retrieved and stored on the server and then set up on the server to build a voice database using text-to-speech synthesis tools. A graphical interface allows the user to continuously refine the data file to improve the voice and customize parameter and configuration settings, thereby forming a customized voice database which can be deployed or accessed.

Claims

1. A system for building and managing a customized voice of a client for a target, comprising:

a set of prompts for collection from said client, said prompts being selectable from both an analysis tool and by the client'"'"'s own choosing, wherein a number of sentences of the client'"'"'s own choosing can be added to said set of prompts for selection by said client to capture voice characteristics unique to said client;

means for delivering said prompts to said client over a network to allow said client to save a client recording on a server of a service provider;

means for storing said client recording on said server;

means for setting up said client recording on said server to build a talking voice using text-to-speech synthesis tools, wherein said talking voice is a data file built into a voice database which said client may retrieve over said network and continuously access;

means for hand-correcting said data file to improve said data file wherein annotations, pitch marks, and text processing can be corrected by said service provider;

means for allowing said client to refine said data file to improve said talking voice and customize parameter and configuration settings, wherein said client can add or edit custom pronunciation of specific words, thereby forming a customized voice; and

,

means for deploying said customized voice to a target, wherein said target is said service provider, a customer of said service provider, or an alternative platform managed by said client such that said client can apply said customized voice from said voice database to any online environment.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising workshop space on said server such that said client can post blogs and receive comments from other users concerning said talking voice.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a forum for providing suggestions to said client to improve the quality of said talking voice.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reverse search engine for allowing said customer to perform reverse searches for voices that will perform ell on customer-desired text.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a proxy program for local access to said customize voice, wherein said program is installed on a machine of said client and said proxy program allows said voice database to appear and function the same on said machine of said client as if it were on said server of said service provider.