Abstract: A speech synthesizer and a method for synthesizing speech are disclosed. The synthesizer has an output stage for converting a phonetic description to an acoustic output. The output stage includes a database of recorded utterance segments. The output stage operates: a. to convert the phonetic description to a plurality of time-varying parameters; and b. to interpret the parameters as a key for accessing the database to identify an utterance segment in the database. The output stage then outputs the identified utterance segment. The output stage further comprises an output waveform synthesizer that can generate an output signal from the parameters. Therefore, in the event that the parameters describe an utterance segment for which there is no corresponding recording in the database, the parameters are passed to the output waveform synthesizer to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A method and system for synthesising a moving image, most particularly in synchronism with synthesised audio output, is disclosed. A configuration of a feature (e.g. a facial feature) in an image is defined by one or more parameters and the progress of transition of one value of a parameter to another is controlled by one or more predefined rules. The parameters for the audio and the video output are generated by respective transition tables from a source of sub-phonetic segment descriptors. The audio parameter transition table may be constructed in accordance with HMS principles. The video parameter transition table may be similarly constructed. The respective parameters are processed an audio engine and a video engine to generate an audio and an animated video output. A typical application is to produce a so-called talking head that might be used as a virtual television presenter.