# US 10,311,857 B2 · Session text-to-speech conversion

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,311,857 B2
- Document ID: US10311857B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/491,854
- Filed: 2017-04-19
- Published: 2018-06-14
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-09
- Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Inventors: Jason Kepner; Evelyn R. Thomas; David Ruzyski; Jeremy L. Dewey; Martin Hall; Joshua R. McCammon; Stephen E. Giscombe; Thomas Cooper; Dana Ludwig
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311857B2

## CPC

- G10L 13/08: Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
- A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
- A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
- A63F 13/87: Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
- G10L 13/033: Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/046: Interoperability with other network applications or services
- H04L 51/066: Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
- G10L 13/00: Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Examples described herein provide various devices that enable users to participate in a multiplayer session. The examples allow a user that is unable to speak, or that is incapable of speaking, to participate in an in-session voice chat by inputting text and having the text converted to speech (e.g., synthesized voice data) that can then be sent to other devices participating in the session. The user enables a text-to-speech conversion feature on his or her own device. Based on the enabled feature, functionality enabling text to be entered is activated and the entered text is converted into speech data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for converting text to speech within a session comprising:
receiving data indicating that a feature that converts text to speech has been enabled for a first player using a first device to participate in the session;
receiving, from the first device, text data that is included in a category of words or phrases that captures responses to one or more actions performed by other players using other devices to participate in the session;
determining a title of the session;
accessing, based on the category of words or phrases, a conversion model that includes a library of utterances commonly spoken by players while participating in the title of the session;
using the conversion model to convert, by one or more processors, the text data into speech data; and
sending the speech data to at least one of the first device or the other devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a setting associated with the enabled feature indicates whether synthesized voice communications comprises a female synthesized voice or a male synthesized voice.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising using machine learning techniques to update the conversion model based on the text data converted into the speech data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the speech data comprises synthesized voice.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicating that the feature that converts text to speech has been enabled is received from a voice chat component of the first device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the voice chat component is an operating system component called upon, via an application programming interface, by program code of the title to provide voice chat communications during the session.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the category of words or phrases comprises common replies to a specific action performed by one of the other players.

### Claim 8

A device for converting text to speech within a session, the device comprising:
one or more processing units; and
a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to configure the one or more processing units to:
receive data indicating that a feature that converts text to speech has been enabled for a first player using a first device to participate in the session;
receive, from the first device, text data that is included in a category of words or phrases that captures responses to one or more actions performed by other players using other devices to participate in the session;
determine a title of the session;
access, based on the category of words or phrases, a conversion model that includes a library of utterances commonly spoken by players while participating in the title of the session;
use the conversion model to convert the text data into speech data; and
send the speech data to at least one of the first device or the other devices.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processing units to use machine learning techniques to update the conversion model based on the text data converted into the speech data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the speech data comprises synthesized voice.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein a setting associated with the enabled feature indicates whether synthesized voice communications comprises a female synthesized voice or a male synthesized voice.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the data indicating that the feature that converts text to speech has been enabled is received from a voice chat component of the first device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the voice chat component is an operating system component called upon, via an application programming interface, by program code of the title to provide voice chat communications during the session.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the category of words or phrases comprises common replies to a specific action performed by one of the other players.

### Claim 15

One or more computer-readable storage media having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause a system to:
receive data indicating that a feature that converts text to speech has been enabled for a first player using a first device to participate in a session;
receive, from the first device, text data that is included in a category of words or phrases that captures responses to one or more actions performed by other players using other devices to participate in the session;
determine a title of the session;
access, based on the category of words or phrases, a conversion model that includes a library of utterances commonly spoken by players while participating in the title of the session;
use the conversion model to convert the text data into speech data; and
send the speech data to at least one of the first device or the other devices.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the system to use machine learning techniques to update the conversion model based on the text data converted into the speech data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the speech data comprises synthesized voice.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the data indicating that the feature that converts text to speech has been enabled is received from a voice chat component of the first device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the voice chat component is an operating system component called upon, via an application programming interface, by program code of the title to provide voice chat communications during the session.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein a setting associated with the enabled feature indicates whether synthesized voice communications comprises a female synthesized voice or a male synthesized voice.