Abstract: A method for generating synthetic speech uses detection of natural timing boundaries in words to be spoken by the synthetic speech system, to produce natural timing intervals. Phonemes are identified in the natural timing intervals. Time durations are assigned for each of the phonemes. A time duration of a selected phoneme is changed to achieve a desired time duration for a selected natural timing interval containing the phoneme. The natural timing interval may be selected to be a syllable. The natural timing interval may be selected to be the interval between two stressed phonemes. The natural timing intervals may be set to substantially the same duration between timing boundaries by changing the phoneme durations in accordance with rhythm of the language of synthesized speech. Durations of preselected phonemes, however, may remain unchanged.

Abstract: 36 Telephone interface option module circuit for interfacing an electronic device to a telephone network. Most electronic devices, for example, modems, telephone message systems and text-to-speech systems, when coupled to a telephone network must conform to specific telephone interconnect regulations. These regulations generally vary from country to country, and therefore, the electronic device generally has to be modified to conform to a specific countries telephone regulations. The option module circuit contains the country specific telephone regulations, and when plugged into the electronic device, ensures that the electronic device conforms to those regulations.

Abstract: The present system employs a high speed digital signal processor which is programmed to generate pairs of digitized waveforms, each pair representing a pair of different frequencies in response to coded input signals. Each pair of different digitized waveforms, when converted and combined into an analog signal, represents a "tone pair" as used in major telephone systems. The tone pairs are transmitted through an anti-aliasing filter circuit and therefrom through amplification circuitry to a tone pair decoder of the type used in major telephone systems. At the tone pair decoder the tone pair signals are reconverted into binary signals. The binary signals from the tone pair decoder are transmitted to a data processor in the system under test, whereat they may or may not be further decoded. Ultimately the binary signals are compared with the coded input signals originally sent.