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Speech Synthesis-By-Rule Using High-Level Parameters

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 22457
Amount: $600,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1995
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
26 Landsdowne Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David R. Williams
 (617) 225-2442
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The purpose is to assess the feasibility of developing a speech synthesis-by-rule system based on a new method for controlling formant synthesizers such as KLSYN88. The new method uses a small set (about 10) of high-level (HL) parameters which, in conjunction with calculated aerodynamic quantities, are mapped into values for the much larger set of KLSYN88 parameters. Previous research has shown that the HL method simplifies the specification of speech sounds, yet yields highly intelligible synthesis output. In addition, numerous regularities have been observed for the HL specifications of different types of speech sounds; this may raise the possibility that an efficient set of rules could be defined for synthesizing sound sequences automatically from symbolic input. The proposal seeks support for development of a subset of the rules that would be needed for a complete synthesis-by-rule system in order to evaluate the extent to which there may be increases in the efficiency of the synthesis rules and in the accuracy of the speech representation as a consequence of using HL parameters.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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