Personality-based device

• US 8,131,549 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Teegan, Hugh A., Badger, Eric N., Linerud, Drew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US11/752,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/0135 Voice conversion or morphing

Abstract

A personality-based theme may be provided to a device. An application program may query a personality resource file for a prompt corresponding to a personality. Then the prompt may be received at a text to speech synthesis engine. Next, the speech synthesis engine may query a personality voice font and recorded phrases database for a voice font corresponding to the personality and may alter the prompt text to conform with the grammatical style of the personality. Then the speech synthesis engine may apply the voice font to the prompt, which is then produced at an output device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a personality-based theme, the method comprising:

querying, by an application program, a personality resource file for a prompt;

receiving the prompt at a speech synthesis engine;

querying, by the speech synthesis engine, a personality voice font database for a voice font corresponding to a personality to be associated with the prompt;

applying, by the speech synthesis engine, the voice font to the prompt, wherein applying the voice font to the prompt further comprises augmenting the voice font applied prompt with recorded phrases of the personality; and

producing the voice font applied prompt at an output device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the personality resource file for the prompt corresponding to the personality comprises querying the personality resource file for the prompt corresponding to the personality being predetermined by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the personality voice font database for the voice font comprises querying the personality voice font database for the voice font being created based on recordings of the personality'"'"'s voice.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the personality voice font database for the voice font comprises querying the personality voice font database for the voice font configured to make the prompt sound like the personality when produced.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device comprises producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device disposed within a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device comprises producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device disposed within one of the following:

a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a wireless device, a hand-held personal computer, a hand-held computing device, a multiprocessor system, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronic device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a telephone, and a pager.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering the prompt to conform with a grammatical style of the personality.

8. A system for providing a personality-based theme, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

produce at least one audio content corresponding to a predetermined personality, wherein the at least one audio content comprises a synthesized voice configured to sound like the predetermined personality, the synthesized voice being altered to conform with a grammatical style of the predetermined personality; and

produce at least one video content corresponding to the predetermined personality.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one audio content comprises a ring tone.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one audio content comprises content recoded from the predetermined personality.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one audio content comprises a synthesized voice configured to sound like the predetermined personality.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one audio content comprises at least one of the following:

sound content performed by the predetermined personality, sound content composed by the predetermined personality, sound content written by the predetermined personality, sound content recorded by the predetermined personality, sound content associated with a movie associated with the predetermined personality, and sound content associated with a television program associated with the predetermined personality.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one video content comprises at least one of the following:

an image associated with the predetermined personality and a video clip associated with the predetermined personality.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one video content comprises at least one of the following:

an object associated with the predetermined personality, a likeness of the predetermined personality, and a color scheme associated with the predetermined personality.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one video content comprises at least one of the following:

video content performed by the predetermined personality, video content composed by the predetermined personality, video content written by the predetermined personality, video content recorded by the predetermined personality, video content associated with a movie associated with the predetermined personality, and video content associated with a television program associated with the predetermined personality.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of an exterior of the system comprises a cover associated with the predetermined personality.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

produce at least one audio content corresponding to another personality; and

produce at least one video content corresponding to the another personality.

18. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a personality-based theme, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

querying, by an application program, a personality resource file for a prompt;

receiving the prompt at a speech synthesis engine;

querying, by the speech synthesis engine, a personality voice font database for a voice font corresponding to personality to be associated with the prompt;

applying, by the speech synthesis engine, the voice font to the prompt;

altering the prompt to conform with a grammatical style of the personality; and

producing the voice font applied prompt at an output device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein applying the voice font to the prompt further comprises augmenting the voice font applied prompt with recorded phrases of the personality.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device comprises producing the voice font applied prompt at the output device disposed within a mobile device.