Method and system for user-interface adaptation of text-to-speech synthesis

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for adapting speech synthesis according to user-interface input. While synthesizing speech from a text segment with a text-to-speech (TTS) system and concurrently displaying the text segment in a display device, the system may receive tracking operation input tracking a portion of text undergoing synthesis and identifying a context portion of the text for which prior-synthesized speech has been synthesized at a canonical speech-pace. The tracking information may be used to adjust a speech-pace of TTS synthesis of the portion from the canonical speech-pace to an adapted speech-pace, and speech characteristics of synthesized speech of the portion may be adapted by applying both the adapted speech-pace and synthesized speech characteristics of the prior-synthesized speech of the context portion to TTS synthesis processing of the portion. The synthesized speech of the identified portion may be output at the adapted speech-pace and with the adapted speech characteristics.