Patent EA-004079-B1 (EA)
Title: System and method of templating specific human voices
IPC: G10L13/033
Filed: 2000-11-23
Abstract: 1. A system for capturing an enabling portion of a specific voice sufficient for using that portion as a template in further use of the voice, comprising: a. means for capturing an enabling portion of a voice in a form useful for analysis as to voice characteristics; b. analysis means for receiving and analyzing the captured voice and for characterizing elements of the captured voice as characterization data so that the characterization data is sufficient to uniquely characterize and re-create the captured voice as previously unspoken utterances by said captured voice; c. storage means for receiving characterization data from the analysis means for a specific voice; and d. retrieval means for retrieving the analysis and characterization data for further use in generating intelligible utterances sounding like, but never previously spoken by, the captured voice. 2. The system of claim 1 in which the means for capturing the voice comprises digital recording means. 3. The system of claim 1 in which the means for capturing the voice comprises a flash memory card. 4. The system of claim 1 in which the means for capturing the voice comprises analog recording means. 5. The system of claim 1 in which the means for capturing the voice comprises input means for receiving a live voice and for transmitting that live voice to the analysis means. 6. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises digital data storage means. 7. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises means for identifying specific patterns, syntax, frequency, pitch and tones of speech in the captured voice data. 8. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises means for identifying specific vocabulary, pronunciation, or accent unique to the captured voice. 9. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises means for identifying specific features unique to the captured voice deriving principally from specific anatomic structures of the originator of the voice. 10. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises means for determining the vocabulary of the originator of the captured voice. 11. The system of claim 10 in which the analysis means comprises means for setting the vocabulary as characterization data for use in forming a future templated voice. 12. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises digital processing apparatus for digitally processing input data in the form of a voice or digital representation of a recorded voice. 13. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises second input means for receiving additional data regarding the physiology of the voice originator. 14. The system of claim 13 in which the analysis means second input means comprises digital signal processor means suitable for selectively receiving audio or other data comprising visualization information on the morphology of the voice originator. 15. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises comparison means for comparing an input voice data set with stored data comprising age data, language data, educational data, gender data, occupation data, accent data, nationality data, ethnic data, voice type data, custom data and setting data. 16. The system of claim 1 in which the analysis means comprises third input means for receiving data regarding the voice originator comprising age data, educational data, gender data, occupation data, accent data, nationality data, ethnic data, voice type data, custom data, language data and setting data. 17. A method of creating a voice-like noise which is identical in sound to an actual specific human's voice, comprising the steps of: a. capturing an enabling portion of a specific human's voice for storage and use; b. storing the enabling portion of the specific human's voice; c. analyzing the enabling portion to identify essential components or characteristics of the captured voice; and d. utilizing the identified essential components or characteristics to create a new voice which, when assigned data from one or more database means and when heard, sounds identical in all respects to the voice of the specific human's voice to a listener having normal aural discretion abilities. 18. The method of claim 17 in which the analyzing step comprises the steps of identifying the components in the captured enabling portion of the specific human's voice relating to at least one of the components including frequency, tone, pitch, volume, accent, gender, harmonic structure, acoustic power, phonetic or timing accent, power and periodicity. 19. The method of claim 18 in which the step of capturing an enabling portion of a specific human's voice for storage and use includes capturing either larynx generated noise or turbulence generated noise of the specific human's voice. 20. A method of accurately replicating a human voice comprising the steps of: a. identifying a minimum size data set comprising a combination of words, sounds or phrases which must be emitted by the originator of a voice to be replicated; b. capturing the emission of the combination of words, sounds or phrases by the originator of the voice to be replicated in a medium; c. analyzing the captured emission to identify voice characteristics of the originator of the voice sufficient to allow artificial generation of the voice, using the identified characteristics, so that the artificially generated voice is substantially identical in all respects to a listener having normal aural discretion abilities when the listener hears the generated voice utilizing some language components not contained in the captured emission of the originator's actual voice. 21. An article of manufacture comprising: a. a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing replication of a human voice, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising: b. computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an analysis of a captured enabling portion of an originator's voice to identify voice characteristics data sufficient to allow artificial generation of the voice; and c. computer readable program code means for causing use of the identified voice characteristics data to artificially generate a voice, so that the artificially generated voice is substantially identical in sound and usage to a listener when the listener hears the generated voice utilizing some language components not contained in the captured emission of the originator's actual voice. 22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 further comprising computer readable program code means for storing the generated voice for later use. 23. The article of manufacture of claim 21 further comprising computer readable program code means for using the voice characteristics data to create a voice profile of the originator of the voice. 24. The article of manufacture of claim 21 further comprising computer readable program code means for accessing data base means for storing data comprising age data, educational data, gender data, occupation data, accent data, language, nationality data, ethnic data, voice type data, custom data, general data and setting data. 25. A computer program product for use with an aural output device, said computer program product comprising: a. a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing replication of a human voice via an output aural device, the computer program product comprising: b. computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an analysis of a captured enabling portion of an originator's voice to identify voice characteristics data sufficient to allow artificial generation of the voice; and c. computer readable program code means for causing use of the identified voice characteristics data to artificially generate and output a voice via an aural output device, so that the artificially generated voice is substantially identical in sound and usage to a listener when the listener hears the generated voice utilizing some language components not contained in the captured emission of the originator's actual voice. 26. A computer program product for use with a display device, said computer program product comprising: a. a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing replication of a human voice and verification of the accuracy of the replicated voice displayed on the display device, the computer program product comprising: d. computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect an analysis of a captured enabling portion of an originator's voice to identify voice characteristics data sufficient to allow artificial generation of the voice; and e. computer readable program code means for causing use of the identified voice characteristics data to artificially generate a voice and to compare the characteristics of the generated voice to the originator's voice on a display device, so that the artificially generated voice is substantially identical in sound to a listener when the display device so indicates and when a listener actually hears the generated voice utilizing some language components not contained in the captured emission of the originator's actual voice. 27. A computer program product for use with an aural output device, said computer program product comprising: a. a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for initiating replication of a human voice via an output aural device, the computer program product comprising: b. computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive and activate a voice characteristics data file unique to a specific voice sufficient to allow artificial generation of the voice; and c. computer readable program code means for causing use of the identified voice characteristics data to artificially generate and ou