IP Library Granted Patent US 7,996,226
Granted Patent B2
US 7,996,226 · App. 12/638,648 · Granted Aug 9, 2011

System and method of developing a TTS voice

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,996,226
App. No.
12/638,648
Granted
Aug 9, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are various aspects of a toolkit used for generating a TTS voice for use in a spoken dialog system. The embodiments 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 of tracking progress in developing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice. The method comprises insuring that a corpus of recorded speech contains reading errors and matches an associated written text, creating a tuple for each utterance in the corpus and tracking progress for each utterance utilizing the tuple. Various parameters may be tracked using the tuple but the tuple provides a means for enabling multiple workers to efficiently process a database of utterance in preparation of a TTS voice.

Claims (22)

1. A method of tracking progress in developing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice, the method causing a computing device to perform steps comprising:

checking a corpus of recorded speech for conformity between the corpus and a text;

creating, via a processor of the computing device, a tuple of files for each utterance in the corpus, wherein the tuple is used to track work on each utterance for developing the TTS voice; and

tracking progress of developing the TTS voice with respect to the each utterance using at least the tuple of files created for the each utterance, wherein each tuple comprises automatic speech recognition generated phonemes, pronunciation lists, confidence scores and a progress matrix.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the progress matrix stores and tracks work performed on the tuple.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the progress matrix further stores information about which person has performed work on the tuple.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein work-tracking information is stored in the progress matrix such that several people may simultaneously work on the corpus.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to track progress in developing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice, the instructions comprising:

checking a corpus of recorded speech for conformity between the corpus and a text;

creating, via a processor, a tuple of files for each utterance in the corpus, wherein the tuple is used to track work on each utterance for developing the TTS voice; and

tracking progress of developing the TTS voice with respect to the each utterance using at least the tuple of files created for the each utterance, wherein each tuple comprises automatic speech recognition generated phonemes, pronunciation lists, confidence scores and a progress matrix.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the progress matrix stores and tracks work performed on the tuple.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the progress matrix further stores information about which person has performed work on the tuple.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein work-tracking information is stored in the progress matrix such that several people may simultaneously work on the corpus.

9. A computing device that tracks progress in developing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice, the computing device comprising:

a processor;

a module controlling the processor to check a corpus of recorded speech for conformity between the corpus and a text;

a module controlling the processor to create a tuple of files for each utterance in the corpus, wherein the tuple is used to track work on each utterance for developing the TTS voice; and

tracking progress of developing TTS voice with respect to the each utterance using at least the tuple of files created for the each utterance, wherein each tuple comprises automatic speech recognition generated phonemes, pronunciation lists, confidence scores and a progress matrix.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the progress matrix stores and tracks work performed on the tuple.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the progress matrix further stores information about which person has performed work on the tuple.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein work-tracking information is stored in the progress matrix such that several people may simultaneously work on the corpus.

Assignments (11)
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 Apr 26, 2016
From: DAVIS, STEVEN LAWRENCE; FETTERS, SHANE; SCHULZ, DAVID EUGENE; GUSTAFSON, BEVERLY; LONEY, LOUISE
To: AT&T CORP.
Reel/Frame 038382/0411 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2016
From: AT&T CORP.
To: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 038529/0164 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2016
From: AT&T PROPERTIES, LLC
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038529/0240 →