Method and system for text to speech conversion

• US 8,645,141 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wong, Ling Jun, Xiong, True
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESTES, ERNEST LANGSTON
• Application Number:
  US12/881,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20120065979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704258-269, 704/271
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management

Abstract

A system and method for text to speech conversion. The method of performing text to speech conversion on a portable device includes: identifying a portion of text for conversion to speech format, wherein the identifying includes performing a prediction based on information associated with a user. While the portable device is connected to a power source, a text to speech conversion is performed on the portion of text to produce converted speech. The converted speech is stored into a memory device of the portable device. A reader application is executed, wherein a user request is received for narration of the portion of text. During the executing, the converted speech is accessed from the memory device and rendered to the user, responsive to the user request.

Claims

1. A method of performing text to speech conversion on a portable device, said method comprising:

predicting, based at least in part on prior user selection of at least one second book and on a first book being newly released and prior to user selection of listening to an audio version of the first book, the first book being different from the second book, the first book for conversion to speech format, by anticipating the first book based on at least one feature of the first book, the at least one feature being new release of the first book;

responsive to the predicting and prior to user selection to listen to the audio version of the first book, performing a text to speech conversion on said book to produce converted speech;

storing said converted speech into a memory device of said portable device;

executing a reader application wherein a user request is received for narration of said book; and

during said executing, accessing said converted speech from said memory device and rendering said converted speech on said portable device responsive to said user request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature further comprises identifications of newly added books and wherein said first book is taken from said newly added books.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one feature further comprises a playlist of books.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said playlist of books is user created.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said playlist of books is created by other users with similar attributes to said user.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to said processor;

an input device coupled to said processor;

an audio output device coupled to said processor;

memory coupled to said processor, wherein said memory comprises instructions that when executed cause said system to perform text to speech conversion, said method comprising;

prior to a user selection to play an audible version of a portion of text, predictively identifying the portion of text for conversion to speech format, wherein said identifying comprises performing a prediction based on information associated with a user'"'"'s prior reading of at least one prior-read book and based on the portion of text being newly released for access, the prior-read book being different from the portion of text being newly released for access;

performing a text to speech conversion on said portion of text to produce converted speech;

storing said converted speech into a memory device of said portable device;

executing a reader application wherein a user request is received for narration of said portion of text; and

during said executing, accessing said converted speech from said memory device and rendering said converted speech on said audio output device responsive to said user request.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said portion of text comprises an audio-converted book.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said information comprises identifications of newly added books and wherein said portion of text is taken from said newly added books.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said text comprises an audio-converted book, and said performing a prediction comprises anticipating a succeeding book based on features of said audio-converted book.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said information comprises a user created playlist of books.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein said information comprises a playlist of books that is created by other users with similar attributes to said user.