Client/server architecture for text-to-speech synthesis
AssigneeSensory, Incorporated
InventorsPieter Vermeulen, Todd F. Mozer
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Abstract
A client/server text-to-speech synthesis system and method divides the method optimally between client and server. The server stores large databases for pronunciation analysis, prosody generation, and acoustic unit selection corresponding to a normalized text, while the client performs computationally intensive decompression and concatenation of selected acoustic units to generate speech. The units are transmitted from the client to the server in a highly compressed format, with a compression method selected based on the predetermined set of potential acoustic units. This compression method allows for very high-quality and natural-sounding speech to be output at the client machine.
Claims32
In a computer system comprising a server machine and a client machine, a text-to-speech synthesis method comprising:
- describing a finite number of possible acoustic units;
- optimizing a compression method selected in dependence of said finite number of possible acoustic units, wherein said optimizing step further comprises selecting parameters of said compression method utilizing a directed optimized search to minimize the amount of data transmitted between said server machine and said client machine;
- compressing said finite number of possible acoustic units via said optimized compression method;
- storing said finite number of possible acoustic units as compressed acoustic units in an acoustic unit database accessible to said server machine;
- in said server machine, obtaining a normalized text and generating prosody data thereof;
- selecting from said acoustic unit database compressed acoustic units that correspond to said normalized text;
- transmitting said prosody data and said selected compressed acoustic units from said server machine to said client machine;
- and
- in said client machine, decompressing said transmitted acoustic units and concatenating said decompressed acoustic units in accordance with said prosody data.
In a computer system comprising a server machine and a client machine, a text-to-speech synthesis method comprising:
- in said server machine, obtaining a normalized text;
- selecting compressed acoustic units corresponding to said normalized text from a database storing a predetermined number of possible acoustic units that have been optimally compressed;
- transmitting said selected compressed acoustic units to said client machine;
- generating prosody data corresponding to said normalized text and transmitting said prosody data to said client machine;
- in said client machine, decompressing said transmitted acoustic units;
- and
- concatenating said decompressed acoustic units.
In a client machine, a text-to-speech synthesis method comprising:
- a) receiving compressed acoustic units corresponding to a normalized text from a server machine, said compressed acoustic units being selected from a predetermined number of possible acoustic units and compressed using a compression method selected in dependence on said predetermined number of possible acoustic units;
- b) decompressing said compressed acoustic units to obtain decompressed acoustic units;
- c) receiving prosody data corresponding to said normalized text from said server machine;
- and
- d) concatenating said decompressed acoustic units in dependence of said prosody data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.