Company Filing History:
Years Active: 2000-2002
Title: Thomas Kopec: Innovator in Text-to-Speech Technology
Introduction
Thomas Kopec is a notable inventor based in Amherst, MA (US). He has made significant contributions to the field of text-to-speech synthesis, holding a total of 4 patents. His work focuses on improving the efficiency and accuracy of phoneme generation from grapheme inputs.
Latest Patents
One of his latest patents is titled "Computer method and apparatus for grapheme-to-phoneme rule-set-generation." This invention provides a method for the automatic generation of grapheme-to-phoneme rules, which are essential for text-to-speech synthesis systems. The method utilizes statistical analysis of a subject dictionary that contains words and their corresponding phonemic data representations. By analyzing subgraph patterns within the dictionary, the invention identifies common phoneme substrings, known as subphones, that can be paired with subgraphs to create effective rules for text-to-speech processing. Additionally, separate rule sets for prefixes, infixes, and suffixes can be generated from this analysis.
Another significant patent is the "Computer apparatus for text-to-speech synthesizer dictionary reduction." This computerized apparatus aims to reduce the size of dictionaries used in text-to-speech synthesis systems. The method first determines if dictionary entries can be fully matched using existing rule sets. If so, those entries are marked for deletion. The apparatus also assesses whether root word entries are necessary for supporting phoneme synthesis of other entries. After processing, the entries deemed essential are aggregated to form a reduced dictionary, enhancing the efficiency of the text-to-speech system.
Career Highlights
Thomas Kopec is currently employed at Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc., where he continues to innovate in the realm of speech synthesis technology. His work has had a profound impact on the development of more efficient text-to-speech systems.
Collaborations
Throughout his career, Thomas has collaborated with talented individuals such as Ginger Chun-Che Lin and Anthony J Vitale. These collaborations have contributed to the advancement of his research and the successful development of his patented technologies.
Conclusion
Thomas Kopec is a distinguished inventor whose work in text-to-speech technology has led to significant advancements in the field. His innovative patents demonstrate a commitment to improving the efficiency and accuracy of phoneme generation, making a lasting impact on speech synthesis systems.