EMAIL TEXT-TO-SPEECH CONVERSION IN SENDER'S VOICE

摘要

Multiple authors' voices can be used in a text-to-speech (TTS) conversion of an email thread so that each part of the thread is read in that author's voice. A tag is used to identify which text portion corresponds to which author. Voice characteristics can be originated from an author's sending device or can be centrally stored in a voice characteristic database at a unified messaging server and provided to a recipient of the email thread. A similar approach can be used in a single document such as a change-tracked document that is being edited by multiple authors. The different voice characteristics of authors corresponding to different parts of the document can be accessed for TTS conversion so that a person listening on an audio device (e.g., phone, VoIP phone, cell phone, etc.) can identify the author of a specific part without the use of text or other displayed information. Voice characteristics can be centrally stored and delivered to users of audio devices to be used with a variety of text communications.