Electronic device and method of associating a voice font with a contact for text-to-speech conversion at the electronic device

• US 8,645,140 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lobzakov, Yuriy
• Primary Examiner(s): Desir, Pierre-Louis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sirjani, Fariba
• Application Number:
  US12/392,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 704/10, 704/243, 704/258, 704/260, 704/266, 704/270
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A method of associating a voice font with a contact for text-to-speech conversion at an electronic device includes obtaining, at the electronic device, the voice font for the contact, and storing the voice font in association with a contact data record stored in a contacts database at the electronic device. The contact data record includes contact data for the contact.

Claims

1. A method of associating a voice font with a contact, for text-to-speech conversion, the voice font comprising voice units corresponding to speech units of a target language, the method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, an audio stream, comprising speech from the contact;

segmenting a portion of the audio stream into voice units;

obtaining at least one of each speech unit of the target language;

associating the voice units with corresponding speech units of a target language;

storing the voice font in data record associated with the contact;

receiving a telephone call from the contact;

retrieving the voice font for the contact;

determining text for conversion to speech based on profile settings; and

converting the text to speech using the voice font for the contact,

wherein the text for conversion to speech is a notification of identity of the contact making the telephone call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing the voice font in association with a contact data record comprises storing the voice units associated with the speech units as a the voice font in the contact data record.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing predetermined text for speech by the contact prior to receiving the audio stream comprising speech from the contact.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, at the electronic device, an audio stream, comprises receiving, at a microphone at the electronic device, a raw audio stream in the form of speech from the contact.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio stream comprises a digital audio data .

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the digital audio data is transmitted in a phone call from the contact.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an electronic message at the electronic device;

matching, at the electronic device, an identifier for an originator of the electronic message to an identifier of the contact data record;

determining text for conversion to speech for the electronic message;

retrieving the voice font associated with the contact data record;

converting at the electronic device, the text to speech for the electronic message using the voice font associated with the contact data record; and

outputting the speech to a speaker at the electronic device to provide audio voice resembling a voice of the contact.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein retrieving the voice font associated with the contact data record is carried out in response to receipt of a command to open the electronic message.

9. An electronic device for text-to-speech conversion using a voice font comprising voice units corresponding to speech units of a target language, the device comprising:

a memory for storage of data;

a receiver for receiving communications;

a speaker for audio output;

a processor, coupled to the receiver, the memory and the speaker, for execution of an application for;

receiving an audio stream including speech from a contact,

segmenting a portion of the audio stream into voice units;

obtaining at least one of each speech unit of the target language;

associating the voice units with corresponding speech units;

storing the voice font in a data record associated with the contact;

receiving a telephone call from the contact;

retrieving the voice font for the contact;

determining text for conversion to speech based on profile settings; and

converting the text to speech using the voice font for the contact,

wherein the text for conversion to speech is a notification of identity of the contact making the telephone call.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium for text-to-speech conversion using a voice font comprising voice units corresponding to speech units of a target language having computer-readable code embodied therein executable by a processor at an electronic device to:

receive, at the electronic device, an audio stream comprising speech from the contact;

segment a portion of the audio stream into voice units;

obtaining at least one of each speech unit of the target language;

associate the voice units with corresponding speech units;

store the voice font in a contact data record associated with the contact;

receiving a telephone call from the contact;

retrieving the voice font for the contact;

determining text for conversion to speech based on profile settings; and

converting the text to speech using the voice font for the contact,

wherein the text for conversion to speech is a notification of identity of the contact making the telephone call.