Mobile communication terminal and text-to-speech method

• US 8,560,005 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yong Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US13/666,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-356, 4554121-420, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 4555501-560, 4555751-5759, 455 901- 903, 704270-278, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal and text-to-speech method. The mobile communication terminal includes a display unit for displaying at least one object on a screen; a controller for identifying a depth of an activated object on the screen and finding a speech data set mapped to the identified depth; a speech synthesizer for converting textual contents of the activated object into audio wave data using the found speech data set; and an audio processor for outputting the audio wave data in speech sounds. As a result, textual contents of different objects are output in different voices so the user can easily distinguish one object from another object.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal capable of text-to-speech synthesis, the terminal comprising:

a display unit for displaying at least one object on a screen;

a controller for identifying a characteristic of an activated object on the screen and finding a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic;

a speech synthesizer for converting textual contents of the activated object into audio data using the speech data; and

an audio processor for outputting the audio data in speech sounds.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising an input unit for receiving a command of object addition or removal from a user,

wherein the controller activates, in response to a command of object addition or removal received by the input unit, a newly selected object, identifies a characteristic of the newly activated object, and finds a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic of the newly activated object.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing a plurality of speech data and information regarding mappings between characteristics of objects and the speech data.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, further comprising a pitch modifier for creating a plurality of pitch-modified speech data by applying pitch modification to one of the stored speech data,

wherein the memory unit stores mapping information in which the characteristics of objects are mapped to the pitch-modified speech data in a one-to-one manner according to a user selection.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the memory unit stores mapping information in which characteristics of objects are mapped to the stored speech data in a one-to-one manner according to a user selection.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller obtains information on an attached object, and identifies characteristics of the activated object and the attached object when the activated object includes an attached object.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller finds speech data mapped to the identified characteristics of the activated and attached objects, and controls output of audible signals corresponding to textual contents of the activated and attached objects using corresponding mapped speech data.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller controls, in response to a request for state information input through an input unit, output of an audible signal corresponding to current state information of the mobile communication terminal using a preset speech data.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the state information is related to at least one of the current time, received signal strength, remaining battery power, and message reception.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller periodically checks preset state report times, and, at each state report time, controls output of an audible signal corresponding to the current state information of the mobile communication terminal using the preset speech data.

11. A text-to-speech method for a mobile communication terminal that is capable of displaying multiple objects on a screen in an overlapping manner, the method comprising:

identifying a characteristic of an activated object on the screen;

finding a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic; and

outputting an audible signal corresponding to textual contents of the activated object using the speech data.

12. The text-to-speech method of claim 11, further comprising identifying a characteristic of a newly activated object, and finding a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic of the newly activated object when the activated object is replaced in response to input of a command of object addition or removal.

13. The text-to-speech method of claim 11, further comprising storing a plurality of speech data and information regarding mappings between characteristics of objects and the speech data.

14. The text-to-speech method of claim 13, further comprising creating a plurality of pitch-modified speech data by applying pitch modification to one of the stored speech data,

wherein storing information regarding mappings comprises storing mapping information in which characteristics of objects are mapped to the pitch-modified speech data in a one-to-one manner.

15. The text-to-speech method of claim 13, wherein storing information regarding mappings comprises mapping information in which characteristics of objects are mapped to the stored speech data in a one-to-one manner.

16. The text-to-speech method of claim 11, wherein identifying a characteristic comprises obtaining information on an attached object, and identifying characteristics of the activated object and the attached object when the activated object includes an attached object, and

wherein finding a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic comprises finding speech data mapped to identified characteristics of activated and attached objects, and outputting audible signals corresponding to textual contents of the activated and attached objects using corresponding mapped speech data.

17. The text-to-speech method of claim 11, further comprising outputting, in response to input of a request for state information, an audible signal corresponding to current state information of the mobile communication terminal using a preset speech data.

18. The text-to-speech method of claim 17, wherein the state information is related to at least one of the current time, received signal strength, remaining battery power, and message reception.

19. The text-to-speech method of claim 17, wherein outputting an audible signal comprises periodically checking preset state report times, and outputting an audible signal corresponding to the current state information of the mobile communication terminal using the preset speech data at each state report time.

20. A mobile communication terminal capable of text-to-speech synthesis, the terminal comprising:

a display unit for displaying at least one object on a screen;

a controller for identifying a characteristic of an activated object on the screen and finding a speech data mapped to the identified characteristic, the characteristic being used to decide which object should be hidden when a plurality of objects overlap;

a speech synthesizer for converting textual contents of the activated object into audio data using the speech data; and

an audio processor for outputting the audio data in speech sounds.