Patent ID: 6094633
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
Apparatus for use in a speech engine for producing synthetic speech from a digital signal which corresponds to a text in graphemes, said apparatus comprising:a first module for converting the data representations corresponding to a text in graphemes into data representations corresponding to the same text in phonemes, said first module comprising:a memory for storing onsets in graphemes and phonemes equivalent to the onsets and for storing rimes in graphemes and phonemes equivalent to the rimes, the onsets each consisting of a string of one or more consonants and the rimes each consisting of either a string of one or more vowels or a string of one or more vowels followed by a string of one or more consonants; anda control circuit for processing words of the text in graphemes by dividing the words into onsets and rimes in graphemes and then converting the onsets and rimes into phonemes using the stored phonemes equivalent to the onsets and rimes, wherein said control circuit is configured to process the words of the text in graphemes such that the end of each word is a rime; anda second module for converting the phonemes output by said first module into the digital signal used by said speech engine to produce synthetic speech.