Communication device transforming text message into speech

• US 9,355,633 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Huh, Ji Young, Kim, Sun Ryang, Kim, Woong Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US14/327,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

The application discloses a communication device and method of processing a text message in the communication device. An aspect of the present application is a method of receiving text messages from a counterpart; determining whether to transform the received text messages into voice data according to control information, wherein the control information corresponds to a condition for transforming the text messages into the voice data; selectively transforming a text message among the text messages into the voice data of the counterpart according to a result of the determining step; and transmitting the transformed voice data to a sound reproduction device.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a text message from an external sender; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether user control information indicates whether or not to transform the received text message into voice data,

selectively transform the received text message into the voice data according to the user control information, and

transmit the voice data to an external sound reproduction device.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

transform stored caller information corresponding to the received text message into voice data, and

transmit the caller information voice data to the external sound reproduction device.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the caller information includes at least one of a phone number and a name of a user who sent the text message to the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio output unit configured to output audio data,

wherein the controller is further configured to reduce a volume of the output audio data, mute the volume of the output audio data or pause the outputting of the audio data when the voice data is transmitted to the external sound reproduction device.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to reproduce image data on the mobile terminal,

wherein the controller is further configured not to transform the text message when the display unit is currently reproducing the image data.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein controller is further configured to:

not transform the received text message into voice data when the user control information indicates that a sender of the text message is filtered and not to be transformed into the voice data.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the received text message is a concatenated text message including multiple short text messages, reorder the multiple short text messages in order, starting from a first short text message received first,

selectively transform the reordered short text messages into the voice data, and

transmit the voice data to the external sound reproduction device.

8. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a sound reproduction device configured to output audio data;

a receiver configured to receive a text message from an external sender; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether or not the sound reproduction device is currently outputting the audio data, and

selectively transform the received text message into voice data according to a result of the determining, and

transmit the voice data to the sound reproduction device.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

reduce a volume of the audio data when the sound reproduction device is currently reproducing the audio data.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

mute a volume of the audio data when the sound reproduction device is currently reproducing the audio data.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

pause the audio data when the sound reproduction device is currently reproducing the audio data.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

transform stored caller information corresponding to the received text message into voice data, and

transmit the caller information voice data to the sound reproduction device.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the caller information includes at least one of a phone number and a name of a user who sent the message to the mobile terminal.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

not transform the received text message into voice data when the user control information indicates that a sender of the text message is filtered and not to be transformed into the voice data.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when the received text message is a concatenated text message including multiple short text messages, reorder the multiple short text messages in order, starting from a first short text message received first,

selectively transform the reordered short text messages into the voice data, and

transmit the voice data to the sound reproduction device.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein controller is further configured to:

transmit the voice data to a first speaker of the sound reproduction device, and

transmit currently played audio data to a second speaker of the sound reproduction device.

17. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a display configured to reproduce image data on the mobile terminal;

a receiver configured to receive a text message from an external sender; and

a controller configured to;

determine whether or not the display is currently reproducing the image data,

selectively transform the received text message into voice data according to a result of the determining, and

transmit the voice data to an external sound reproduction device.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to:

not transform the text message when the display is currently reproducing the image data.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to:

transform the text message when the display is not currently reproducing the image data.