Abstract: A method for determining the prosody of a tag question in human speech and preserving said prosody as the human speech is translated into a different language.

Abstract: Systems and processes for disambiguating heteronyms in speech synthesis are provided. In one example process, a speech input containing a heteronym can be received from a user. The speech input can be processed using an automatic speech recognition system to determine a phonemic string corresponding to the heteronym as pronounced by the user in the speech input. A correct pronunciation of the heteronym can be determined based on at least one of the phonemic string or using an n-gram language model of the automatic speech recognition system. A dialogue response to the speech input can be generated where the dialogue response can include the heteronym. The dialogue response can be outputted as a speech output. The heteronym in the dialogue response can be pronounced in the speech output according to the correct pronunciation.

Abstract: A method for determining the prosody of a tag question in human speech and preserving said prosody as the human speech is translated into a different language.

Abstract: A method of transferring the prosody of tag questions across languages includes extracting prosodic parameters of speech in a first language having a tag question and mapping the prosodic parameters to speech segments in a second language corresponding to the tag question. Accordingly, semantic and pragmatic intent of the tag question in the first language may be correctly conveyed in the second language.

Abstract: Systems and processes for disambiguating heteronyms in speech synthesis are provided. In one example process, a speech input containing a heteronym can be received from a user. The speech input can be processed using an automatic speech recognition system to determine a phonemic string corresponding to the heteronym as pronounced by the user in the speech input. A correct pronunciation of the heteronym can be determined based on at least one of the phonemic string or using an n-gram language model of the automatic speech recognition system. A dialogue response to the speech input can be generated where the dialogue response can include the heteronym. The dialogue response can be outputted as a speech output. The heteronym in the dialogue response can be pronounced in the speech output according to the correct pronunciation.

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.