Device including a digital assistant for personalized speech playback and method of using same

• US 10,592,203 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Lal, Sachin Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): McFadden, Susan I
• Application Number:
  US15/845,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20190187952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 704251
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/63 for estimating an emotional state

Abstract

A method and device for reviewing audio content are provided. The method includes using a digital assistant on a device to review audio content (e.g., recorded audio information and/or text converted to speech) in a preferred tone and/or at a preferred rate. The digital assistant can also provide video, images, and/or web links during playback of the audio information to further assist a listener.

Claims

1. A method of reviewing audio content, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a device comprising digital assistant;

forming a personal vocabulary repository using the digital assistant;

using a vocabulary module of the digital assistant, determining one or more of a desired speed and a desired tone of playback of the audio content to a user; and

using a user interaction module of the digital assistant, playing audio content to the user using the one or more of the desired speed and the desired tone of for the user;

wherein the vocabulary module updates the personal vocabulary repository based on information received from the user interaction module.

2. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, wherein the user interaction module analyzes commonly-used words of the user and provides corresponding information to the vocabulary module.

3. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, wherein the user interaction module presents questions to a user and the device receives audible answers from the user.

4. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, wherein the vocabulary module accesses a dictionary module to access one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content corresponding to the audio content and wherein the one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content is provided to a user via a user interface of the device during playback of the audio content.

5. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 4, wherein the vocabulary module replaces one or more words with more-common words and wherein the user interaction module causes the more-common words to be played as part of the audio content.

6. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 4, wherein the user interaction module provides the images to a user interface during the step of playing audio content to the user.

7. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, further comprises a step of using a content analyzer module to review electronic communication on a user'"'"'s device to provide information to the vocabulary module.

8. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, wherein the audio content comprises recorded audio information.

9. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 1, wherein the audio content comprises audio information converted from text.

10. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 9, wherein the audio information is converted from text using the digital assistant.

11. A device for reviewing audio content, the device comprising:

a processor;

a speaker coupled to the processor;

a microphone coupled to the processor; and

a computer usable medium comprising a computer readable program code recorded or storable in the computer useable medium, the computer readable program code comprising;

a user interaction module to analyze one or more of a tone and a speed of spoken content received from a user through the microphone and to use the speaker to play the audio content;

a vocabulary module to update a personal vocabulary repository based on information received from the user interaction module; and

a content analyzer to analyze information on the device accessible by the device.

12. The device for reviewing audio content of claim 11, wherein the computer usable medium further comprises a web dictionary to fetch one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content corresponding to the audio content and wherein the one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content is provided to a user via a user interface of the device during playback of the audio content.

13. The device for reviewing audio content of claim 11, wherein the user interaction module further analyzes words that are received by the microphone.

14. The device for reviewing audio content of claim 11, wherein the vocabulary module updates the personal vocabulary repository based on information received from the user interaction module.

15. The device for reviewing audio content of claim 11, wherein the user interaction module analyzes commonly-used words of the user and provides corresponding information to the vocabulary module.

16. The device for reviewing audio content of claim 11, wherein the user interaction module presents questions to a user using the speaker and receives audible answers from the user via the microphone.

17. A method of reviewing audio content, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a device comprising digital assistant;

forming a personal vocabulary repository using the digital assistant;

using a vocabulary module of the digital assistant, determining one or more of a desired speed and a desired tone of for a user;

using a user interaction module of the digital assistant, playing audio content to the user using the one or more of the desired speed and the desired tone of for the user;

using a content analyzer module to review electronic communication on a user'"'"'s device to provide information to the vocabulary module; and

updating the personal vocabulary repository based on information received from the user interaction module.

18. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 17, wherein the vocabulary module accesses a dictionary module to access one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content corresponding to the audio content and wherein the one or more of text, audio content, an image, and video content is provided to a user via a user interface of the device during playback of the audio content.

19. The method of reviewing audio content of claim 17, wherein the user interaction module presents questions to a user and the device receives audible answers from the user.