IP Library Granted Patent US 7,711,562
Granted Patent B1
US 7,711,562 · App. 11/235,822 · Granted May 4, 2010

System and method for testing a TTS voice

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,711,562
App. No.
11/235,822
Granted
May 4, 2010
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed are various elements of a toolkit used for generating a TTS voice for use in a spoken dialog system. The invention in each case may be in the form of the system, a computer-readable medium or a method for generating the TTS voice. An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification. The method comprises processing a TTS voice to be ready for testing, synthesizing words utilizing the TTS voice, presenting to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice, receiving information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice and making corrections to the TTS voice according to the received information.

Claims (30)

1. A method for preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification via a computing device, the method comprising:

processing a TTS voice to be ready for testing;

synthesizing words utilizing the TTS voice;

presenting to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice;

receiving information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice; and

making corrections with the computing device to the TTS voice according to the received information, wherein each phonetic unit in the TTS voice is exercised.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein synthesizing words further comprises synthesizing at least a million words.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein N equals 1.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein N equals 2.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein all mislabeled units are found and all examples of gross misalignment are found in the TTS voice.

6. A computing device for preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification, the computing device comprising:

a module configured to process a TTS voice to be ready for testing;

a module configured to synthesize words utilizing the TTS voice;

a module configured to present to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice;

a module configured to receive information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice; and

a module configured to make corrections to the TTS voice according to the received information, wherein each phonetic unit in the TTS voice is exercised.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein synthesizing words further comprises synthesizing at least a million words.

8. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein N equals 1.

9. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein N equals at least 2.

10. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein all mislabeled units are found and all examples of gross misalignment are found in the TTS voice.

11. A tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device to preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification, the instructions comprising:

processing a TTS voice to be ready for testing;

synthesizing via a processor words utilizing the TTS voice;

presenting to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice;

receiving information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice; and

making corrections to the TTS voice according to the received information, wherein each phonetic unit in the TTS voice is exercised.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein synthesizing words further comprises synthesizing at least a million words.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein N equals 1.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein N equals 2.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein all mislabeled units are found and all examples of gross misalignment are found in the TTS voice.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 052935 / FRAME 0584) Recorded Jan 2, 2025
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069797/0818 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE THE CONVEYANCE DOCUMENT WITH THE NEW ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 19, 2022
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059804/0186 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 15, 2020
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 052935/0584 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2020
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 052927/0335 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 050953/0133 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 050871/0001 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 23, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE INC.
Reel/Frame 050836/0191 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041512/0608 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2016
From: AT&T CORP.
To: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 038275/0238 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2016
From: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038275/0310 →