Abstract: Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text in multiple different voices where the portions of the text narrated using the different voices are selected by a user.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text in multiple different voices. Further disclosed are techniques and systems for processing indicia in a document to determine a portion of words and associating a particular a voice model with the portion of words based on the indicia. During a readback process, an audible output corresponding to the words in the portion of words is generated using the voice model associated with the portion of words.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques and systems to provide a narration of a text in multiple different voices where the portions of the text narrated using the different voices are selected by a user. Also disclosed are techniques and systems for associating characters with portions of a sequence of words selected by a user. Different characters having different voice models can be associated with different portions of a sequence of words.

Abstract: A product information request is received via of the internet by way of a webform. The webform is parsed to extract requestor information which includes information about the product and the requestor. A database of salespeople is queried to find the most appropriate salespeople to be called based on the product request and requestor's information. These salespeople are called until one of them answers. Upon answering, the requestor's information is spoken to the salesperson by electronically converting text to speech, and the salesperson is placed on hold. Around this time, the requestor is called. The salesperson can hear the requestor being called. When the requestor answers, the salesperson's hold is removed and the salesperson and requestor can speak.

Abstract: A mobile computing system includes an image capture device and an image-analysis module to receive a live stream of images from the image capture device. The image-analysis module includes a text-recognition module to identify a textual image in the live stream of images, and a text-conversion module to convert the textual image identified by the text-recognition module into textual data. The mobile computing system further includes a context module to determine a context of the textual image, and a commentary module to formulate a contextual commentary for the textual data based on the context of the textual image.

Abstract: A communication system includes a portable communication device. The portable communication device includes a receiver module, a GPS module, a message generating module, and a message sending module. The GPS module is capable of determining location information of the portable communication device and a remote receiver whose information stored in the receiver module. The message generating module is capable of automatically generating a message according to the remote receiver information, the message comprising the location information. The message sending module capable of automatically sends the message to the remote receiver. A method is further provided to automatically sending a message to a receiver from a portable communication device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or techniques (“tools”) for determining Unicode points from glyph elements are provided. The tools may receive indications of commands that relate to text containing glyphs. Responding to the commands, the tools may convert the glyphs to corresponding Unicode representations. The tools may also provide glyph substitution tables that include Unicode fields for storing Unicode representations of characters, along with first and second glyph fields for storing glyphs of the characters. The glyph substitution tables may include links pointing from the second glyph fields to the first glyph fields, and may also include links pointing from the first glyph fields to the Unicode fields. The tools may provide character mapping tables that include Unicode fields for storing Unicode representations of characters. The character mapping tables may also include glyph fields for storing glyphs of the characters, and may include links pointing from the glyph fields to the Unicode fields.

Abstract: A speech synthesis system can select recorded speech fragments, or acoustic units, from a very large database of acoustic units to produce artificial speech. The selected acoustic units are chosen to minimize a combination of target and concatenation costs for a given sentence. However, as concatenation costs, which are measures of the mismatch between sequential pairs of acoustic units, are expensive to compute, processing can be greatly reduced by pre-computing and aching the concatenation costs. Unfortunately, the number of possible sequential pairs of acoustic units makes such caching prohibitive. However, statistical experiments reveal that while about 85% of the acoustic units are typically used in common speech, less than 1% of the possible sequential pairs of acoustic units occur in practice.

Abstract: A spell checking system includes a letter spelling engine. The letter spelling engine is configured to select a plurality of candidate letter target strings that closely match a misspelled source string. The spell checking system includes a phoneme spelling engine. The phoneme spelling engine is configured to select a plurality of candidate phoneme target strings that closely match the misspelled source string. A ranker module is configured to combine the candidate letter target strings and the candidate phoneme target strings into a combined list of candidate target strings. The ranker module is also configured to rank the list of candidate target strings to provide a list of best candidate target strings for the misspelled source string.

Abstract: A method and system for distributed text-to-speech synthesis and intelligibility, and more particularly to distributed text-to-speech synthesis on handheld portable computing devices that can be used for example to generate intelligible audio prompts that help a user interact with a user interface of the handheld portable computing device. The text-to-speech distributed system 70 receives a text string from the guest devices and comprises a text analyzer 72, a prosody analyzer 74, a database 14 that the text analyzer and prosody analyzer refer to, and a speech synthesizer 80. Elements of the speech synthesizer 80 are resident on the host device and the guest device and an audio index representation of the audio file associated with the text string is produced at the host device and transmitted to the guest device for producing the audio file at the guest device.

Abstract: A method for enabling a person, who cannot talk but who is familiar with use of anonym moveable picture communication, to autonomously communicate speech sound automatically in a sequence.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system may retrieve “in case of emergency” (ICE) information from a wireless device. The ICE information may include contact information, medical information, etc., and may be transferred to an emergency provider, if the vehicle communication system places an emergency call. The information may also be retrieved at some point before an emergency call is placed and stored in a memory circuit of the vehicle communication system.

Abstract: Apparatus for communicating includes a processor, a memory, a storage, a display, a manual input arrangement and audio output. Image data elements are stored in the storage and the processor is configured to output a plurality of the image data elements to the display, receive manual input selecting at least one of the image data elements and receive manual input indicating that selection is completed. For each selected image data element, the processor produces and outputs a further data element.

Abstract: An audio signal interpolation method includes: a step of inputting an audio signal in which a higher range component has been cut off; a step of dividing the inputted audio signal into an in-phase component signal and a differential phase component signal; a step of combining the in-phase component signal and a differential phase component signal having a high range component interpolated; a step of performing a high-pass filtering on the combined audio signal and outputting the audio signal formed by a high range component; a step of delaying the inputted audio signal by a time corresponding to a phase delay caused by the interpolation; and a step of adding the delayed audio signal to the audio signal subjected to the high-pass filtering.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized from text strings associated with media assets, where each text string can be associated with a native string language (e.g., the language of the string). When several text strings are associated with at least two distinct languages, a series of rules can be applied to the strings to identify a single voice language to use for synthesizing the speech content from the text strings. In some embodiments, a prioritization scheme can be applied to the text strings to identify the more important text strings. The rules can include, for example, selecting a voice language based on the prioritization scheme, a default language associated with an electronic device, the ability of a voice language to speak text in a different language, or any other suitable rule.

Abstract: A method of associating a voice font with a contact for text-to-speech conversion at an electronic device includes obtaining, at the electronic device, the voice font for the contact, and storing the voice font in association with a contact data record stored in a contacts database at the electronic device. The contact data record includes contact data for the contact.

Abstract: A speech analysis device which accurately analyzes an aperiodic component included in speech in a practical environment where there is background noise includes: a frequency band division unit which divides, into bandpass signals each associated with a corresponding one of frequency bands, an input signal representing a mixed sound of background noise and speech; a noise interval identification unit which identifies a noise interval and a speech interval of the input signal; an SNR calculation unit which calculates an SN ratio; a correlation function calculation unit which calculates an autocorrelation function of each bandpass signal; a correction amount determination unit which determines a correction amount for an aperiodic component ratio, based on the calculated SN ratio; and an aperiodic component ratio calculation unit which calculates, for each frequency band, an aperiodic component ratio of the aperiodic component, based on the determined correction amount and the calculated autocorrelation function.

Abstract: The disclosed invention comprises a method of communication that integrates both speech to text technology and text to speech technology. In its simplest form, one user employs a communication device having means for converting vocal signals into text; this converted text is then sent to the other user. This recipient is presented with the sender's text and to respond, he can enter text which is then output to the first user as speech sounds. This system creates an opportunity for two users to carry on a conversation, one using his voice (and hearing a synthesized voice in response) and the other using text (and receiving speech rendered as text): the first user has a voice conversation; the second user has a text based conversation. This system allows a user to select his preferred method of communication, regardless of the selection of his communication partner.

Abstract: The speech synthesizing device acquires numerical data at regular time intervals, each piece of the numerical data representing a value having a plurality of digits, detects a change between two values represented by the numerical data that is acquired at two consecutive times, determines which digit of the value represented by the numerical data is used to generate speech data depending on the detected change, generates numerical information that indicates the determined digit of the value represented by the numerical data, and generates speech data from the digit indicated by the numerical information.

Abstract: In a display apparatus, a text code input section outputs externally-supplied text code information to a font conversion section and a voice synthesizer section. The font conversion section converts the input text code into a corresponding font, and transmits the font to a display drive section via a video signal input section, and the display drive section causes a display section to display the font. Meanwhile, the voice synthesizer section converts the input text code into corresponding voice data, and transmits the voice data to a voice device where the voice data is outputted. With this structure, superior convenience is ensured for a display apparatus which serves only as an individual displaying apparatus and relies on an external device (server) for the major functions of the system.

Abstract: The text information presentation device calculates an optimum readout speed on the basis of the content of text information being input, its arriving time, and its previous arriving time; speech-synthesizes text information being input, at the readout speed calculated; and outputs it as an audio signal, or alternatively controls the speed at which a video signal is output according to an output state of the speech synthesizing unit.

Abstract: A customer service issue prediction engine uses one or more models of issue probability. A method of multi-phase customer issue prediction includes a modeling phase, an application phase, and a learning phase. A telephonic interactive voice response (IVR) system predicts customer issues.

Abstract: System and method for receiving documents of different formats from external sources, analyzing the documents and transforming them into an internal format comprising tokens for effective browsing and referencing, communicating data volumes of transformed documents to a user device, browsing and vocalizing tokens from the documents to the user, receiving and processing verbal user commands pertaining to said vocalized tokens, retrieving documents pertaining to the user command and vocalizing the retrieved documents to said user.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus for playing back data includes an oral reading unit, a storage unit storing text templates for responses to questions from a user and text template conversion rules, an input unit for inputting a question from a user, and a control unit for retrieving data and items of information associated with the data. The control unit analyzes a question about a data from a user, for example, a question about a tune, to select a text template for a response to the question and detects the characters in items of tune information of the tune. The characters are designated to replace replacement symbols included in the text template. The control unit also converts the text template based on whether the characters can be read aloud, generates a text to be read aloud using the converted text template, and causes the oral reading unit to read the text aloud.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to an instant communication method, an instant communication server, a speech server and a system thereof. The instant communication method includes: receiving, by a speech server, text data sent via instant communication software by a first user terminal; transforming, by the speech server, the text data into first speech data; sending, by the speech server, the first speech data via a preconfigured phone number to a corresponding second user terminal; receiving, by the speech server, second speech data sent by the second user terminal; and sending, by the speech server, the second speech data to the first user terminal via the instant communication software. Using embodiments of the invention, website owners can communicate with visitors via a mobile phone or a fixed telephone anytime and anywhere, which may improve the reception of Internet marketing, reduce prerequisite requirements for e-commerce; and connect the Internet and the telecommunication network.

Abstract: A system and method for creation and automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services relating to subscriber entertainment, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method that enable personalized delivery of entertainment-related information in real-time, via natural language voice communication with a voice-enabled terminal device.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for storing text-to-speech files which includes a means for storing a plurality of voice fonts wherein each voice font has associated therewith a universal voice identifier (UVI). The invention includes delivering a voice font to a receiver of a message containing text wherein the message contains the UVI and the receiver requests the voice font associated with the UVI from the means for storing.

Abstract: Pronunciation generation may be provided. First, a pronunciation interface may be provided. The pronunciation interface may be configured to display a word and a plurality of alternatives corresponding to a one of a plurality of parts of the word. The plurality of parts may comprise phonemes or syllables of the word. Next, pronunciation data may be received through the pronunciation interface. The pronunciation data may indicate one of the plurality of alternatives. Then a pronunciation of the word may be generated based upon the received pronunciation data. The pronunciation may correspond to the indicated one of the plurality of alternatives. In addition, the pronunciation data may indicate which one of the plurality of parts of the word is stressed. This stress indication may be received in response to a user sliding a user selectable element to indicate which one of the plurality of parts of the word is stressed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a code recognition voice-outputting device, in which a digital code image of a predetermined compression type is recognized, and the recognized image is converted into voice to be output to the outside. The apparatus includes a reader as a scanning unit for recognizing a compressed digital code image, and a player for processing the digital code image read from the reader, and converting the processed code image into voice to be output to the outside, wherein the reader and the player are configured to be capable of being separated from each other. The present invention further provides a code recognition voice-outputting device which supports a variety of functions and provides a voice guide function for all menus and operating statuses that support the functions for the sake of eyesight handicapped, illiterates, the aged, etc., thereby promoting user convenience.

Abstract: A method of generating audio for a text-only application comprises the steps of adding tag to an input text, said tag is usable for adding sound effect to the generated audio; processing the tag to form instructions for generating the audio; generating audio with said effect based on the instructions, while the text being presented. The present invention adds entertainment value to text applications and provides very compact format compared to conventional multimedia as well as uses entertainment sound to make text-only applications such as SMS and email more fun and entertaining.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for generating a pronunciation model. The method includes identifying a generic model of speech composed of phonemes, identifying a family of interchangeable phonemic alternatives for a phoneme in the generic model of speech, labeling the family of interchangeable phonemic alternatives as referring to the same phoneme, and generating a pronunciation model which substitutes each family for each respective phoneme. In one aspect, the generic model of speech is a vocal tract length normalized acoustic model. Interchangeable phonemic alternatives can represent a same phoneme for different dialectal classes. An interchangeable phonemic alternative can include a string of phonemes.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automating communication and interaction with voice mail systems are described. The systems comprise a platform capable of handling multiple types of communications with multiple users and systems. The platform contains a browser, one or more servers for handling communications between the platform and user devices that are external to the platform, a speech engine for converting text to speech and vice versa, a chat server, an email server, a text server, a data warehouse, a scheduler, a workflow/rules engine, a reports server, and integration APIs that can be integrated with 3rd party systems and allow those systems to be integrated with the platform. The platform is linked to multiple users (and their devices or systems) through a communications network.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide for determining a sequence of words in a TTS system. An input text is analyzed using two models, a word n-gram model and an accent class n-gram model. A list of all possible words for each word in the input is generated for each model. Each word in each list for each model is given a score based on the probability that the word is the correct word in the sequence, based on the particular model. The two lists are combined and the two scores are combined for each word. A set of sequences of words are generated. Each sequence of words comprises a unique combination of an attribute and associated word for each word in the input. The combined score of each of word in the sequence of words is combined. A sequence of words having the highest score is selected and presented to a user.

Abstract: A safety device can provide electrical shock protection for an electrical appliance. Voltage sensors can monitor voltage levels among a power conductor, a neutral conductor, and a ground conductor. When sensed voltages indicate that these conductors are properly wired to an electrical power utility, inline switches can close to allow power to pass through the safety device to the appliance. When one or more of the sensed voltages indicates that the power level is too low to operate the appliance, one or more switches of the safety device can open to block power from passing through to the appliance. When one or more of the sensed voltages indicates that an electrical problem posing a shock hazard exists in the electrical appliance, one or more switches of the safety device can open to interrupt power from transmitting to the appliance.

Abstract: A vocabulary management system for constraining voice recognition processing associated with text-to-speech and speech-to-text rendering associated with use of a voice application in progress between a user accessing a data source through a voice portal has a vocabulary management server connected to a voice application server and to a telephony server, and an instance of vocabulary management software running on the management server for enabling vocabulary establishment and management for voice recognition software. The system is characterized in that an administrator accessing the vocabulary management server uses the software to create unique vocabulary sets that are specific to selected portions of vocabulary associated with target data sources the vocabulary sets differing in content according to administrator direction.

Abstract: A computing device and computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device to customize a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient, the multi-media message comprising a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The instructions comprise receiving from the sender inserted voice emoticons, which may be repeated, into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by an animated entity to deliver the text message; and transmitting the text message such that a recipient device can deliver the multi-media message at a variable level associated with a number of times a respective voice emoticon is repeated.

Abstract: A system and method for provisioning communications services. A remote device controlled by a user is linked with a provisioning system. A verbal selection of a menu associated with a library is received for performing one or more actions within the provisioning system. One or more verbal commands associated with the menu are received. A determination is made of an action within the library associated with the one or more verbal commands. The action associated with the one or more verbal commands is performed in the provisioning system to provision the communications services.

Abstract: An approach is provided for enhancing verbal communication sessions. A verbal component of a communication session is converted into textual information. The converted textual information is scanned for a text string to trigger an application. The application is invoked to provide supplemental information about the textual information or to perform an action in response to the textual information for or on behalf of a party of the communication session. The supplemental information or a confirmation of the action is transmitted to the party.

Abstract: Universal Video Computer Vision Input Virtual Space Mouse-Keyboard Control Panel Robot has computer system use video vision camera sensors, logical vision sensor programming as trainable computer vision seeing objects movements X, Y, Z dimensions' definitions to recognize users commands by their Hands gestures and/or enhance symbols, colors objects combination actions to virtually input data, and commands to operate computer, and machines. The robot has automatically calibrated working space into Space Mouse Zone, Space Keyboard zone, and Hand-Sign Languages Zone between user and itself. The robot automatically translate the receiving coordination users' hand gesture actions combinations on the customizable puzzle-cell positions of working space and mapping to its software mapping lists for each of the puzzle-cell position definition and calibrate these user hand and/or body gestures' virtual space actions into entering data and commands to computer meaningful computer, machine, home appliances operations.

Abstract: A verbal language based output system includes data defining a geometrical region, such as a building, configuration data relative to various detectors in the region, and a plurality of event inputs associated with the detectors. Verbal language generation software, in response to the data and the event inputs, produces verbal descriptions of developing events. Such verbal descriptions can be audibly output for use by personnel needing to enter the region to address the events.

Abstract: A system for visually navigating a document in conjunction with a text-to-speech (“TTS) engine presents a visual display of a region of interest that is related to the text of the document that is being audibly presented as speech to a user. When the TTS engine converts the text to speech and presents the speech to the user, the system presents the corresponding section of text on a display. During the presentation, if the system encounters a linked section of text, the visual display changes to display a linked region of interest that corresponds to the linked section of text.

Abstract: Disclosed are various elements of a toolkit used for generating a TTS voice for use in a spoken dialog system. The invention in each case may be in the form of the system, a computer-readable medium or a method for generating the TTS voice. An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification. The method comprises processing a TTS voice to be ready for testing, synthesizing words utilizing the TTS voice, presenting to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice, receiving information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice and making corrections to the TTS voice according to the received information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for performing an e-commerce transaction between a user and a provider for a service or product by using a wireless communication terminal comprising a contactless reader. The method comprises the step of receiving a transaction request from the communication terminal, the transaction request being initiated by the contactless reader reading primary information about the service or product from an information tag. The transaction request contains also user information retrieved from the secure element. Next, a speech based dialog is initiated with the user through the communication terminal based on the transaction request, resulting in secondary information about the service or product. Next, a transaction is initiated, based on the primary and secondary information. Finally, a confirmation message may be sent to the communication terminal or to the provider.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of creating a face character which corresponds to a voice of a user is provided. To create various facial expressions with fewer key models, a face character is divided in a plurality of areas and a voice sample is parameterized corresponding to pronunciation and emotion. If the user's voice is input, a face character image corresponding to divided face areas is synthesized using key models and data about parameters corresponding to the voice sample to synthesize an overall face character image using the synthesized face character image corresponding to the divided face areas.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.

Abstract: Algorithms for synthesizing speech used to identify media assets are provided. Speech may be selectively synthesized form text strings associated with media assets. A text string may be normalized and its native language determined for obtaining a target phoneme for providing human-sounding speech in a language (e.g., dialect or accent) that is familiar to a user. The algorithms may be implemented on a system including several dedicated render engines. The system may be part of a back end coupled to a front end including storage for media assets and associated synthesized speech, and a request processor for receiving and processing requests that result in providing the synthesized speech. The front end may communicate media assets and associated synthesized speech content over a network to host devices coupled to portable electronic devices on which the media assets and synthesized speech are played back.

Abstract: A method includes providing a user interface, at a mobile communication device, that includes a first area to receive text input and a second area to receive an identifier associated with an addressee device. The text input and the identifier are received via the user interface. A short message service (SMS) message including the text input is transmitted to a Text to Speech (TTS) server for conversion into an audio message and for transmission of the audio message to the addressee device associated with the identifier. An acknowledge message transmitted from the TTS server permits the addressee device to allow delivery of the audio message or to decline delivery of the audio message. The TTS server transmits the audio message in response to the addressee device allowing delivery of the audio message. A confirmation message is received from the TTS server that indicates that a reply voice message has been received from the addressee device in response to the audio message.