Abstract: Methodology for voice-enabling an application minimizes code add-ons or code insertions. As an example, in applications used by a plurality of remote devices, the method may include dividing a master wordlist associated with the application into a plurality of wordlists respectively associated with the plurality of remote devices, and then converting the plurality of wordlists to a plurality of grammar lists respectively associated with the plurality of remote devices. Accordingly, the methodology voice enables applications with minimal alteration of the code of the applications.

Abstract: Substantial pitch variations in artificial speech produced by dialing out a sequence of stored digital waveforms are made possible without significant distortion by varying pitch both by truncation or extension of pitch period waveforms, and by varying the dialout rate. In another aspect of the invention, pitch changes are made more natural by distributing each pitch change evenly over a large number of pitch periods during voiced phonemes.

Abstract: Artificial speech is produced with minimized memory requirements by using a bank of digital oscillators to produce voiced sounds by combining multiple harmonies of a fundamental-frequency sine wave, and using only one of these oscillators to reproduce stored nonsinusoidal waveforms for unvoiced sounds. Sufficient dynamic range is achieved with a minimum number of oscillators by generating only every other harmonic at the higher frequencies. All harmonics are derived from a single stored digitized sine wave by using stored sets of skip counts and amplitude codes corresponding to various voiced sounds to be produced.

Abstract: Improved speech sounds are produced from an all-software speech generating program on a computer which does not have a digital-to-analog converter by polling a first timer connected to the computer's speaker until a time-out is found, then applying a sample time value to a second timer so connected, and restarting the first timer. This results in the generation of a variable-duty-cycle carrier without interfering with the computer's operation. In an alternative embodiment, the first timer is used to generate an interrupt at regular intervals, and a sample time value from a storage buffer is then applied to the second timer.