Text-to-speech and image generation of multimedia attachments to e-mail

• US 20060041430A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gabmail IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Adam Roth, Barclay A. Dunn, Geoffrey O'Sullivan
• Inventors: Roth, Adam, Dunn, Barclay A., O'Sullivan, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A multi-mail system and method is disclosed in which a sender may convey and a recipient can realize emotional aspects associated with substantive content of a multi-mail message by receiving a message that is more than textual in nature. Voice recognition technology and programmatic relation of sound and graphics may be used to produce a talking image. In one embodiment, the image may include the user'"'"'s own visual and/or audio likeness. In an alternate embodiment, the image may comprise any available visual and/or audio display selected by the user. The multi-mail message may be inputted by a user in a text format and transposed into a format including the selected image and/or voice. In an alternate embodiment, a spoken message may be converted into a format including the selected image and/or voice. The formatted messages are then stored and/or transmitted via an email system or some other electronic network.

Claims

1. The method for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

receiving audio information relating to content of said message;

translating said audio information to text information; and

combining said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio information is similar to sound generated by the user'"'"'s voice.

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

generating sound similar to a generic voice sample based on the received audio information.

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

generating one or more stored sounds based on the received audio information.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

creating one or more multimedia components associated with said message content.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the multimedia component comprises image information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the image information may be static or dynamic.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the synthesis of the image multimedia component further comprises:

identifying speech movement image feature; and

generating frames representing movement of said image features.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia component comprises audio information and image information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the synthesis of the audio and image multimedia components further comprises:

composing a phoneme sequence;

composing a mouth frame time sequence which matches the phoneme time sequence;

composing speech movement image frame sequence; and

combining the image and phoneme sequences.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

varying one or more of said components to convey one or more senses of said message content.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the senses of said message content correspond to one or more sender emotions associated with said message.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sender emotions are conveyed by manipulating one or more said image components.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sender emotions are conveyed by manipulating one or more said audio information.

15. The system for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

means for receiving audio information relating to content of said message;

means for translating said audio information to text information; and

means for combining said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the audio information is similar to sound generated by the user'"'"'s voice.

17. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for generating sound similar to a generic voice sample based on the received audio information.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for generating one or more stored sounds based on the received audio information.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for creating one or more multimedia components associated with said message content.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the multimedia component comprises image information.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the image information may be static or dynamic.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the synthesis of the image multimedia component further comprises:

means for identifying speech movement image feature; and

means for generating frames representing movement of said image features.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the multimedia component comprises audio information and image information.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the synthesis of the audio and image multimedia components further comprises:

means for composing a phoneme sequence;

means for composing a mouth frame time sequence which matches the phoneme time sequence;

means for composing speech movement image frame sequence; and

means for combining the image and phoneme sequences.

25. The system according to claim 23, further comprising:

means for varying one or more of said components to convey one or more senses of said message content.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein the senses of said message content correspond to one or more sender emotions associated with said message.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the sender emotions are conveyed by manipulating one or more said image components.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the sender emotions are conveyed by manipulating one or more said audio information.

29. The system for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

a database for receiving audio information relating to content of said message; and

a central processing unit for translating said audio information to text information, and for combining said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the audio information is similar to sound generated by the user'"'"'s voice.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for generating sound similar to a generic voice sample based on the received audio information.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for generating one or more stored sounds based on the received audio information.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for creating one or more multimedia components associated with said message content.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the multimedia component comprises image information.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the image information may be static or dynamic.

36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for identifying speech movement image feature, and for generating frames representing movement of said image features.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein the multimedia component comprises audio information and image information.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for composing a phoneme sequence, for composing a mouth frame time sequence which matches the phoneme time sequence, for composing speech movement image frame sequence, and for combining the image and phoneme sequences.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for varying one or more of said components to convey one or more senses of said message content.

40. The system according to claim 37, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for varying one or more of said components to convey one or more senses of said message content.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the senses of said message content correspond to one or more sender emotions associated with said message.

42. The system according to claim 40, wherein the central processing unit is further configured for manipulating one or more said image components to convey said sender emotions.

43. Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium, the code for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

code to receive audio information relating to content of said message;

code to translate said audio information to text information; and

code to combine said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.

44. A programmed computer for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

a memory having at least one region for storing computer executable program code; and

a processor for executing the program code stored in memory, wherein the program code includes;

code to receive audio information relating to content of said message;

code to translate said audio information to text information; and

code to combine said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.

45. A computer readable medium having computer executable software code stored thereon, the code for preparing a multi-mail message for transmission over a network, comprising:

code to receive audio information relating to content of said message;

code to translate said audio information to text information; and

code to combine said audio information and text information in preparation of said transmission.