Grapheme to phoneme module for synthesizing speech alternately using pairs of four related data bases

Claim 2

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; and a 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; and a second module for converting the phonemes output by said first module into the digital signal used by said speech engine to produce synthetic speech.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dividing of the words of the text in graphemes into onsets and rimes in graphemes is a retrograde operation which begins from the ends of words.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory further stores whole words in graphemes and the phonemes equivalent thereto and wherein said control circuit divides into onsets and rimes in graphemes those whole words of the text in graphemes which are not stored in said memory.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 4, wherein the dividing of the words of the text in graphemes into onsets and rimes in graphemes is a retrograde operation which begins from the ends of words.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 4, further comprising storing in said memory whole words in graphemes and the phoneme equivalents thereto and wherein only those whole words of the text in graphemes which are not stored in said memory are divided into onsets and rimes in graphemes.

Claim 9

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; and a control circuit for processing words of the text in graphemes by dividing the words into onsets and rimes in graphemes, said control circuit being configured to process the words in a retrograde manner using alternating first and second procedures for identifying the rimes and onsets in the words, the alternating first and second procedures being operable such that the end of each word is a rime, said control circuit being further configured to convert the identified onsets and rimes into phonemes using the stored phonemes equivalent to the onsets and rimes; and a second module for converting the phonemes output by said first module into the digital signal which is used by said speech engine to produce synthetic speech.

Claim 10

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; and a control circuit for processing words of the text in graphemes by dividing the words into onsets and rimes in graphemes, said control circuit being configured to process the words in a retrograde manner using alternating first and second procedures for identifying the rimes and onsets in the words, the alternating first and second procedures being operable such that the end of each word is a rime, said control circuit being further configured to convert the identified onsets and rimes into phonemes using the stored phonemes equivalent to the onsets and rimes; and a second module for converting the phonemes output by said first module into the digital signal which is used by said speech engine to produce synthetic speech.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the alternating first and second procedures are operable such that words may comprise adjacent rimes, but no adjacent onsets.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the alternating first and second procedures are operable such that words may begin with either an onset or a rime.

Claim 13

A computerized apparatus for converting data representations corresponding to a text in graphemes, said text comprising words, into data representations corresponding to the same text in phonemes, said apparatus including a memory for storing rimes and onsets in graphemes and for storing phonemes equivalent to the rimes and onsets, and a control circuit for dividing the words of the text in graphemes into onsets in graphemes and rimes in graphemes and converting the onsets and rimes into phonemes; wherein the onsets each consists of strings of one or more constants and the rimes each consist 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.

Claim 14

A computerized apparatus for converting data representations corresponding to a text in graphemes, said text comprising words, into data representations corresponding to the same text in phonemes, said apparatus including a memory for storing rimes and onsets in graphemes and for storing phonemes equivalent to the rimes and onsets, and a control circuit for dividing the words of the text in graphemes into onsets in graphemes and rimes in graphemes and converting the onsets and rimes into phonemes; wherein the onsets each consists of strings of one or more constants and the rimes each consist 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.

Claim 15

The computerized apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the division into onsets and rimes comprises splitting an internal string of consonants into a latter portion which is an onset associated with a following rime thereby identifying an earlier string of consonants for combination with one or more preceding vowels to form a rime.

Claim 16

The computerized apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the computerized apparatus comprises a database containing whole words in graphemes and their conversion into phonemes, words contained in the database being converted using said data base, other words not contained in the database being converted by division into rimes and onsets.

Claim 17

The computerized apparatus according to claim 10, which also converts the data representations corresponding to the phonemes into a digital waveform.