International Business Machines Corporation

Nuance Communications, Inc.

Jie Z Zeng

Maria Elena Smith

Philip Gleason

John Michael Ganci, Jr

Craig M Trim

Mahesh Viswanathan

Raimo Bakis

Ellen Marie Eide

Roberto Pieraccini

Sean M Fuoco

Paritosh Dinubhai Patel

Roberto Vila

Oscar J Blass

Anatol Blass

A token is extracted from a Natural Language input. A phonetic pattern is computed corresponding to the token, the phonetic pattern including a sound pattern that represents a part of the token when the token is spoken. New data is created from data of the phonetic pattern, the new data including a syllable sequence corresponding to the phonetic pattern. A state of a data storage device is changed by storing the new data in a matrix of syllable sequences corresponding to the token. An option is selected that corresponds to the token by executing a fuzzy matching algorithm using a processor and a memory, the selecting of the option is based on a syllable sequence in the matrix.

Phonetic patterns for fuzzy matching in natural language processing

A method, system and apparatus for grouped radio controls. A grouped radio control can include a listing of elements, each element having a specified grouping. The grouped radio control also can include grouping logic programmed to insert elements into, delete elements from, and select elements within the listing. Finally, a grouped radio control can include a grouped radio control interface configured to accept interface events for processing in the grouping logic.

Group radio control

An embodiment of the invention is a software tool used to convert text, speech synthesis markup language (SSML), and/or extended SSML to synthesized audio. Provisions are provided to create, view, play, and edit the synthesized speech, including editing pitch and duration targets, speaking type, paralinguistic events, and prosody. Prosody can be provided by way of a sample recording. Users can interact with the software tool by way of a graphical user interface (GUI). The software tool can produce synthesized audio file output in many file formats.

System for tuning synthesized speech

An embodiment of the invention is a software tool used to convert text, speech synthesis markup language (SSML), and or extended SSML to synthesized audio. Provisions are provided to create, view, play, and edit the synthesized speech including editing pitch and duration targets, speaking type, paralinguistic events, and prosody. Prosody can be provided by way of a sample recording. Users can interact with the software tool by way of a graphical user interface (GUI). The software tool can produce synthesized audio file output in many file formats.

A method for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise includes the steps of recording the ambient noise in the environment at a certain time interval, analyzing the recorded ambient noise to obtain an average power Por a RMS amplitude Aof the ambient noise, providing a predetermined desired SNR, calculating an average signal power Por a RMS amplitude Aof the message to be delivered based on the Por Aand the desired SNR, and adjusting a volume of the message to be delivered according to the Por A. Alternatively, the actual SNRwill be computed and the message will be repeated if the SNRfalls below the SNR. Systems for delivering a message to a recipient in an environment with ambient noise and computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the methods are also provided.

System and method for improving message delivery in voice systems utilizing microphone and target signal-to-noise ratio

A method, a system, and an apparatus for identifying and correcting sources of problems in synthesized speech which is generated using a concatenative text-to-speech (CTTS) technique. The method can include the step of displaying a waveform corresponding to synthesized speech generated from concatenated phonetic units. The synthesized speech can be generated from text input received from a user. The method further can include the step of displaying parameters corresponding to at least one of the phonetic units. The method can include the step of displaying the original recordings containing selected phonetic units. An editing input can be received from the user and the parameters can be adjusted in accordance with the editing input.

Interactive debugging and tuning of methods for CTTS voice building

Interactive debugging and tuning method for CTTS voice building

A system, method, and apparatus for identifying problematic speech segments is provided. The system includes a clustering module for generating a first cluster of one or more consecutive speech segments if the consecutive speech segments satisfy a predetermined filtering test, and for generating a second cluster comprising at least one different consecutive speech segment selected from the ordered sequence if the at least one different consecutive speech segment satisfies the predetermined filtering test. The system also includes a combining module for combining the first and second clusters as well as the at least one intervening consecutive speech segment to form an aggregated cluster if the aggregated cluster satisfies a predetermined combining criterion. The system can further include a ranking module for ranking aggregated clusters, the ranking reflecting a relative severity of misalignments among problematic speech segments. Once identified, more severely misaligned speech segments can be analyzed more effectively and efficiently.

Speech segment clustering and ranking

A method of filtering phonetic units to be used within a concatenative text-to-speech (CTTS) voice. Initially, a normality threshold can be established. At least one phonetic unit that has been automatically extracted from a speech corpus in order to construct the CTTS voice can be received. An abnormality index can be calculated for the phonetic unit. Then, the abnormality index can be compared to the established normality threshold. If the abnormality index exceeds the normality threshold, the phonetic unit can be marked as a suspect phonetic unit. If the abnormality index does not exceed the normality threshold, the phonetic unit can be marked as a verified phonetic unit. The concatenative text-to-speech voice can be built using the verified phonetic units.

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Palmetto Bay, FL, United States of America

Jie Z Zeng