Method and apparatus to model and transfer the prosody of tags across languages

摘要

A method of transferring the prosody of tag questions across languages includes extracting prosodic parameters of speech in a first language having a tag question and mapping the prosodic parameters to speech segments in a second language corresponding to the tag question. Accordingly, semantic and pragmatic intent of the tag question in the first language may be correctly conveyed in the second language.

主权项

1. A method to model and transfer the prosody of tag questions across languages, the method comprising:
receiving speech of a first person speaking in a first language; analyzing the speech in the first language using automatic speech recognition; extracting prosodic parameters of the speech in the first language and outputting text in the first language corresponding to the speech in the first language based on the analyzing; searching the speech in the first language for a tag question in the first language; translating the text in the first language to text in a second language; outputting translated speech in the second language that is translated from the speech in the first language based on the translated text in the second language; analyzing the speech in the first language to find speech segments that correspond to the tag question in the first language; extracting a fundamental frequency from the speech segments that correspond to the tag question in the first language based on the extracted prosodic parameters of the speech in the first language; fitting a stylized smooth contour to the fundamental frequency; mapping the stylized smooth contour into a corresponding part of pitch range of the speech in the second language; stretching or contracting the stylized smooth contour over time; aligning the stylized smooth contour with corresponding speech segments in the second language that correspond to the tag question; and applying the smooth contour to the speech in the second language.