Patent ID: 6502074
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
A method of converting an input signal representing a text in phonemes into an output digital waveform signal convertible into an acoustic waveform corresponding to said text, wherein said method comprises:(a) dividing said input signal into input segments, each of which is stored in an access section of a linked dtabase; (b) for each input segment identified in step (a), retrieving an output segment of said digital waveform from an output section of the database, said output segment being that which is linked to the input segment; and (c) joining the digital output segments retrieved in step (b), said output segments being kept in the same order as the respectively associated input segments whereby the resulting output digital signal is a waveform corresponding to the input signal waveform; the output section of the database containing an extended digital waveform containing plural contextual occurrences of each of plural phonemes in extended speech representing signals of the phonemes to be converted and having a location parameter for identifying any point therein whereby the establishment of beginning and ending location parameters defines a portion of said extended digital waveform; step (a) including establishing beginning and ending location parameters for segments of the input signal; and step (c) including utilizing the parameters established in step (a) for retrieving a portion of stored digital waveform.