Systems and methods for selective rate of speech and speech preferences for text to speech synthesis

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• generate a speech segment from one or more text strings describing or identifying a media asset having audio data distinct from the generated speech segment;
• obtain user input requesting a variation in speech delivery accompanying the media asset;
• in response to the user input, customize the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment at a server device, wherein the customizing further comprises:
• automatically detecting one or more repeated portions in the speech segment;
• and
• automatically modifying the speech segment by performing one or more of:
• (1) omitting at least one of the repeated portions from the speech segment, (2) using faster speech patterns for at least one of the repeated portions, (3) shortening breaks between words in at least one of the repeated portions, and (4) truncating one or more phrases in at least one of the repeated portions;
• and
• provide the customized speech segment from the server device to a user device for playback with the media asset.

A system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory, the memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• generate a speech segment from one or more text strings describing or identifying a media asset having audio data distinct from the generated speech segment;
• obtain user input requesting a variation in speech delivery accompanying the media asset;
• in response to the user input, customize the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment at a server device, wherein the customizing further comprises:
• automatically detecting one or more repeated portions in the speech segment;
• and
• automatically modifying the speech segment by performing one or more of:
• (1) omitting at least one of the repeated portions from the speech segment, (2) using faster speech patterns for at least one of the repeated portions, (3) shortening breaks between words in at least one of the repeated portions, and (4) truncating one or more phrases in at least one of the repeated portions;
• and
• provide the customized speech segment from the server device to a user device for playback with the media asset.

A method for customizing delivery of synthesized speech, the method comprising:

• generating a speech segment from one or more text strings associated with or identifying a media asset;
• obtaining user input requesting a variation in speech delivery accompanying the media asset;
• in response to the user input, customizing the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment at a server device;
• and
• providing the customized speech segment from the server device to a user device for playback with the media asset,
• wherein customizing the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment further comprises:
• automatically detecting one or more repeated portions in the speech segment;
• and
• automatically modifying the speech segment by performing one or more of:
• (1) omitting at least one of the repeated portions from the speech segment, (2) using faster speech patterns for at least one of the repeated portions, (3) shortening breaks between words in at least one of the repeated portions, and (4) truncating one or more phrases in at least one of the repeated portions.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• generate a speech segment from one or more text strings associated with or identifying a media asset;
• obtain user input requesting a variation in speech delivery accompanying the media asset;
• in response to the user input, customize the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment at a server device;
• and
• provide the customized speech segment from the server device to a user device for playback with the media asset,
• wherein customizing the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment further comprises:
• automatically detecting one or more repeated portions in the speech segment;
• and
• automatically modifying the speech segment by performing one or more of:
• (1) omitting at least one of the repeated portions from the speech segment, (2) using faster speech patterns for at least one of the repeated portions, (3) shortening breaks between words in at least one of the repeated portions, and (4) truncating one or more phrases in at least one of the repeated portions.

A system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory, the memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• generate a speech segment from one or more text strings associated with or identifying a media asset;
• obtain user input requesting a variation in speech delivery accompanying the media asset;
• in response to the user input, customize the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment at a server device;
• and
• provide the customized speech segment from the server device to a user device for playback with the media asset,
• wherein customizing the speech segment by modifying selected portions of the speech segment further comprises:
• automatically detecting one or more repeated portions in the speech segment;
• and
• automatically modifying the speech segment by performing one or more of:
• (1) omitting at least one of the repeated portions from the speech segment, (2) using faster speech patterns for at least one of the repeated portions, (3) shortening breaks between words in at least one of the repeated portions, and (4) truncating one or more phrases in at least one of the repeated portions.