International Business Machines Corporation

Peter W Farrett

Daniel J Moore

A system and method for searching a knowledge base for a match answer and an alternative answer. The method includes the steps of: inputting a search term; beginning a search at a random location in the knowledge base to identify the match answer; determining a match answer category from the match answer; determining a look-up association based on the match answer category and a search history; plugging the look-up association into an alternative answer probability table to identify an alternative answer category; and performing a secondary search at a second random location in the knowledge base to find the alternative answer that belongs to the alternative answer category.

Search engine providing match and alternative answers using cumulative probability values

A search engine that is client-side, provides high performance and creates a user preference history record relative to a knowledge base is provided. The more time the user spends using the search engine, the more the history record is updated, refined, and translated into personal preferences relative to that knowledge base. The invention is natural language based. In addition, it is applicable to a variety of knowledge bases, each which may have their own associated history record, and can be adapted to other applications such as on-line help, interactive training, wizard functions, virtual chat sessions, intelligent bots, etc.

Search engine providing match and alternative answer

A set of intonation intervals for a chosen dialect are applied to the intonational contour of a phomene string derived from a single set of stored linguistic units, e.g., phonemes. Sets of intonational intervals are stored to simulate or recognize different dialects or languages from a single set of stored phonemes. The interval rules preferably use a prosodic analysis of the phoneme string or other cues to apply a given interval to the phoneme string. A second set of interval data is provided for semantic information. The speech system is based on the observation that each dialect and language possess its own set of musical relationships or intonation intervals. These musical relationships are used by a human listener to identify the particular dialect or language. The speech system may be either a speech synthesis or speech analysis tool or may be a combined speech synthesis/analysis system.

Speech synthesis and analysis of dialects

Method, product and system alters audio data for a synthesized voice so that when it is produced on a speaker system, it appears to emanate from a spatial position. First, the voice is synthesized into a speech waveform from a set of stored data representative of a text string using standard techniques. The speech waveform is converted into analog signals for a right and left channel. According to the invention, the analog signals to the right and left channels are altered according to position data stored with the text string so that the synthesized voice appears to originate at the apparent spatial position when the analog signals are sent to a speaker system.

Three dimensional speech synthesis

A technique for producing a sound of a plurality of a selected instrument from a digitized audio sample of the selected instrument. The digitized audio sample of the single selected instrument is stored in a memory. Next, copies of the digitized audio sample are micromanipulated in parallel in a plurality of digital processors corresponding in number to the plurality of the selected instrument. Each of the digital processors processes the digital audio sample in a slightly different time variant manner to produce the effect of a plurality of instruments. The processed digital audio samples are summed into a single digital sample. The summed digital audio sample is converted to an analog signal which is sent to a speaker to produce the sound of the plurality of the selected instrument.

Micromanipulation of waveforms in a sampling music synthesizer

A method, system and process to improve the formant composition in a speech synthesis system so that the formants are more intelligible. The system employs a process in the memory of a processor to change the starting and ending frequency of phonemes from the frequency of the independent phonemes. The process examines preceding and succeeding ending phoneme frequency values to detect similar phoneme frequency values. If a dissimilar value is detected, then the invention provides for exchange of the formants to render the resulting speech more intelligible.

System and method for speech synthesis employing improved formant

A method and system for automatically generating an entire musical arrangement including melody and accompaniment on a computer. The invention combines predetermined, short musical phrases modified by selection of random parameters to produce a data stream that can be used to drive a MIDI synthesizer and generate music.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Peter W Farrett