Abstract: A tensile specimen, in particular a fiber-composite-material tensile specimen, includes a test portion which comprises a fiber material and a tensile stress direction which is predetermined for a material test, and a force-introduction portion, wherein the fiber material in the force-introduction portion extends at least in part along a face which is oriented obliquely to the tensile stress direction.

Abstract: A tensile specimen, in particular a fiber-composite-material tensile specimen, includes a test portion which comprises a fiber material and a tensile stress direction which is predetermined for a material test, and a force-introduction portion, wherein the fiber material in the force-introduction portion extends at least in part along a face which is oriented obliquely to the tensile stress direction.

Abstract: A neural network is used to obtain more robust performance in determining prosodic markers on the basis of linguistic categories.

Abstract: Predetermined macrosegments of the fundamental frequency are determined by a neural network, and these predefined macrosegments are reproduced by fundamental-frequency sequences stored in a database. The fundamental frequency is generated on the basis of a relatively large text section which is analyzed by the neural network. Microstructures from the database are received in the fundamental frequency. The fundamental frequency thus formed is thus optimized both with regard to its macrostructure and to its microstructure. As a result, an extremely natural sound is achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for defining a sequence of sound modules for synthesis of a speech signal in a tonal language corresponding to a sequence of speech modules. The method according to the invention differs from known methods in that the speech modules represent triphones, which each comprise one phoneme with the respective context, and with syllables in the tonal language being composed of one or more triphones. This results in a high level of flexibility for the synthesis of tonal languages.

Abstract: A statistic for phone lengths is generated by determining the length of individual phones for speech synthesis. A primary statistic is based on primary clusters (for example triphones), and a secondary statistic is based on secondary clusters (for example phonemes of entire words). Both statistics include average phone lengths and, for example, the standard variation of the average phone lengths. During the determination of phone lengths, it is firstly attempted to determine the average phone lengths and standard variation of the average phone lengths by reference to the secondary statistic which is more language-specific. If this is not the case, the primary statistic, which can always be applied, is resorted to. By this two stage method, a phone length is determined which corresponds significantly better to a natural language than has been possible with the conventional single stage method.

Abstract: A method and also a configuration for determining a descriptive feature of a speech signal, in which a first speech model is trained with a first time pattern and a second speech model is trained with a second time pattern. The second speech model is initialized with the first speech model.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for defining a sequence of sound modules for synthesis of a speech signal in a tonal language corresponding to a sequence of speech modules. The method according to the invention differs from known methods in that the speech modules represent triphones, which each comprise one phoneme with the respective context, and with syllables in the tonal language being composed of one or more triphones. This results in a high level of flexibility for the synthesis of tonal languages.

Abstract: A method determines a representative sound on the basis of a structure which includes a set of sound models. Each sound model has at least one representative for the modeled sound. In the structure, a first sound model, matching with regard to a first quality criterion, is determined from the set of sound models. At least one second sound model is determined from the set of sound models dependent on a characteristic state criterion of the structure. At least some of the representatives of the first sound model and of the at least one second sound model are assessed in addition to the first quality criterion with regard to a second quality criterion. The at least one representative which has an adequate overall quality criterion with regard to the first and second quality criteria is determined as a representative sound from the representatives of the first sound model and the at least one second sound model.

Abstract: A method and also a configuration for determining a descriptive feature of a speech signal, in which a first speech model is trained with a first time pattern and a second speech model is trained with a second time pattern. The second speech model is initialized with the first speech model.

Abstract: A statistic for phone lengths is generated by determining the length of individual phones for speech synthesis. A primary statistic is based on primary clusters (for example triphones), and a secondary statistic is based on secondary clusters (for example phonemes of entire words). Both statistics include average phone lengths and, for example, the standard variation of the average phone lengths. During the determination of phone lengths, it is firstly attempted to determine the average phone lengths and standard variation of the average phone lengths by reference to the secondary statistic which is more language-specific. If this is not the case, the primary statistic, which can always be applied, is resorted to. By this two stage method, a phone length is determined which corresponds significantly better to a natural language than has been possible with the conventional single stage method.

Abstract: A method determines a representative sound on the basis of a structure which includes a set of sound models. Each sound model has at least one representative for the modeled sound. In the structure, a first sound model, matching with regard to a first quality criterion, is determined from the set of sound models. At least one second sound model is determined from the set of sound models dependent on a characteristic state criterion of the structure. At least some of the representatives of the first sound model and of the at least one second sound model are assessed in addition to the first quality criterion with regard to a second quality criterion. The at least one representative which has an adequate overall quality criterion with regard to the first and second quality criteria is determined as a representative sound from the representatives of the first sound model and the at least one second sound model.