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Audio-visual dialogue system and method

  • US 9,837,091 B2
  • Filed: 08/19/2014
  • Issued: 12/05/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An audio-visual dialogue system, comprising:

  • an audio input device;

    an audio output device;

    a visual output device; and

    a processor, the processor being arranged to;

    receive an input audio signal representing a source voice from the audio input device;

    perform substantially real-time voice conversion on the input audio signal to produce an output audio signal representing a target voice, wherein the output audio signal is provided to the audio output device, and wherein the real-time voice conversion process includes;

    i) decomposing the input audio signal into a set of time-varying filter characteristics and a residual excitation signal;

    ii) spectrally transforming the time-varying filter characteristics, and/or modifying a pitch of the residual excitation signal; and

    iii) synthesising the output audio signal in dependence on the transformed time-varying filter characteristics and/or the pitch modified residual excitation signal;

    generate an avatar, wherein the avatar is visually displayed on the visual output device; and

    facially animate the generated avatar, wherein the animation is synchronised with the output audio signal,wherein the processor is further arranged to customise the real-time voice conversion including1) selecting one of a plurality of predefined target voices, wherein the predefined target voices are represented by a set of respective linear transformations which include a set of time-varying filter characteristics and a pitch scaling factor and2) adjusting the transformation time-varying filter characteristics and/or the pitch scaling factor of the selected predefined target voice to give customised target voice parameters,wherein transform vectors of the set of linear transformations are reduced to a mean transform vector and a plurality of orthogonal change vectors and a user interface control is used to adjust a change amount by which a change vector is added into the mean transform vector such that the time-varying filter characteristics are adjusted.

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