Patent ID: 6188983
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
In a system external to a TTS engine, a method for dynamically altering text-to-speech (TTS) playback attributes of the TTS engine during playback of specified text in accordance with at least one TTS engine attribute, wherein the TTS engine is not inherently capable of dynamic attribute alteration, comprising the steps of:representing in said external system a resettable start word position value by a first variable, said resettable start word position indicating a starting offset of said specified text currently loaded in said TTS engine;representing in said external system a current word position value by a second variable, said current word position value indicating an offset relative to said resettable start word position;updating in said external system said second variable each time a word of said specified text is played back;stopping said TTS playback of said TTS engine in response to a user request to alter said at least one TTS attribute;after stopping said TTS playback, altering said at least one TTS engine attribute;also after stopping said TTS playback, replacing in said external system said first variable with a new start word position value corresponding to the next successive unplayed word of said specified text; and,restarting playback of said text in accordance with said new word start position value, said next successive unplayed word being played back by said TTS engine.