Voice models for document narration

• US 8,364,488 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T Play Holdings LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: K-NFB Reading Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Kurzweil, Raymond C., Albrecht, Paul, Chapman, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDER, JUSTIN W
• Application Number:
  US12/687,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text in multiple different voices. Further disclosed are techniques and systems for modifying a voice model associated with a selected character based on data received from a user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

providing by a computer, a user interface that displays a plurality of representations of characters, the characters each including the representation as a graphic image of an entity corresponding to the character and at least one associated voice model, the voice model characterized by a set of attributes;

receiving a user selection of one of the representations from the plurality of representations to associate with one or more portions of a sequence of words in an electronic document that is rendered on a user display device;

associating by the computer the selected character corresponding to the representation with the selected one or more portions of the sequence of words; and

modifying by the computer the at least one voice model associated with the selected character, with modifying applying data received from the user through the user interface to change one or more attributes of the set of attributes of the voice model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying the voice as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying a reading speed as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying a volume as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model further comprises modifying the gender of the character as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying the age of the character of the voice model as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying a language of the voice model as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating an indicium to the representation of the selected character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying a pitch of the voice model as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying an emotion of the voice model as one of the attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the voice model comprises modifying a pair of attributes in the set of attributes associated with the voice model.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the one or more computers, an audible output corresponding to the one or more portions of a sequence of words using the voice model associated with one or more portions of a sequence of words.

13. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

provide a user interface that displays a plurality of representations of characters, the characters each including the representation as a graphic image of an entity corresponding to the character and at least one associated voice model, the voice model characterized by a set of attributes;

receive a user selection of one of the representations from the plurality of representations to associate with one or more portions of a sequence of words in an electronic document that is rendered on a user display device;

associate the selected character corresponding to the representation with the selected one or more portions of the sequence of words; and

modify the voice model associated with the selected character based on data received from the user through the user interface to change one or more attributes of the set of attributes of the voice model.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions to modify the voice model comprise instructions to:

modify one or more attributes associated with the voice model with the attributes including at least one of the voice associated with the voice model, a reading speed associated with the voice model, a volume associated with the voice model, the gender of the character associated with the voice model, the age of the character associated with the voice model, a pitch of the voice model, an emotion of the voice model and a language of the voice model.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to associate an indicium to the representation of the selected character.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

generate an audible output corresponding to the one or more portions of a sequence of words using the voice model associated with one or more portions of a sequence of words.

17. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a computing device configured to;

provide a user interface that displays a plurality of representations of characters, the characters each including the representation as a graphic image of an entity corresponding to the character and at least one associated voice model, the voice model characterized by a set of attributes;

receive a user selection of one of the representations from the plurality of representations to associate with one or more portions of a sequence of words in an electronic document that is rendered on a user display device;

associate the selected character corresponding to the representation with the selected one or more portions of the sequence of words; and

modify the voice model associated with the selected character based on data received from the user through the user interface to change one or more attributes of the set of attributes of the voice model.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the configurations to cause the processor to modify the voice model comprise configurations to cause the processor to:

modify one or more attributes associated with the voice model with the attributes including at least one of the voice of the voice model, a volume associated with the voice model, the gender of the character associated with the voice model, the age of the character, a pitch of the voice model, an intensity of the voice model, an emotion of the voice model and a language of the voice model.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to associate an indicium to the representation of the selected character.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate an audible output corresponding to the one or more portions of a sequence of words using the voice model associated with one or more portions of a sequence of words.