Intonation adjustment in text-to-speech systems
US5642466A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 21, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 21, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG10L13/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A software-only real time text-to-speech system includes intonation control which does not introduce discontinuities into output speech stream. The text-to-speech system includes a module for translating text to a sequence of sound segment codes and intonation control signals. A decoder is coupled to the translator to produce sets of digital frames of speech data, which represent sounds for the respective sound segment codes in the sequence. An intonation control system is responsive to intonation control signals for modifying a block of one or more frames in the sets of frames of speech data to generate a modified block. The modified block substantially preserves the continuity of the beginning and ending segments of the block with adjacent frames in the sequence. Thus, when the modified block is inserted in the sequence, no discontinuities are introduced and smooth intonation control is accomplished. The intonation control system provides for both pitch and duration control.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.