Digital Assistant Personalizing Speech Playback Speed and Tone

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in understanding recorded audible information due to language, accent, and cultural barriers, leading to delayed comprehension as they struggle with playback speed and tone, especially when unfamiliar with the dialect or language.

Innovation Solution

A digital assistant that learns a user's preferred speech speed and tone, and vocabulary, personalizing playback by analyzing user interactions, including voice and text data, to adapt playback to the user's familiarity with the language, using a device with a processor, microphone, and computer-readable program code to create a personalized repository.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the playback speed is increased to improve productivity, then the listening speed increases, but the user's understanding of the content deteriorates due to language and accent barriers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelistening speedVSAvoidunderstanding accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts playback speed based on real-time analysis of user comprehension. The digital assistant monitors user interactions and automatically modulates the playback rate to optimize both listening speed and understanding accuracy, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the digital assistant analyzes user responses and comprehension levels, then adjusts playback parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to maintain optimal listening speed while ensuring accurate understanding by adapting to user performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the playback speed is slowed down to improve understanding, then the user's comprehension improves, but the time required to listen to the information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunderstanding accuracyVSAvoidlistening time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts playback speed based on real-time analysis of user comprehension. The digital assistant monitors user interactions and automatically modulates the playback rate to optimize both listening speed and understanding accuracy, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes playback parameters such as speed and tone based on user profile and content analysis. By adapting these parameters dynamically, the system can maintain fast listening speeds while ensuring accurate understanding, eliminating the need to slow down for comprehension

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the system provides personalized playback to improve understanding, then the user's language comprehension improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelanguage comprehensionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The digital assistant performs self-learning and self-adjustment by analyzing user interactions and automatically adapting playback parameters. This self-service capability reduces the need for complex manual configuration while achieving personalized comprehension optimization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the digital assistant analyzes user responses and comprehension levels, then adjusts playback parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to maintain optimal listening speed while ensuring accurate understanding by adapting to user performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3499500B1Device including a digital assistant for personalized speech playback and method of using same
Publication Date: 2021.12.29 MITEL CORP
  • EP3499500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3499500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3499500B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and device for reviewing audio content are provided. The method includes using a digital assistant on a device to review audio content (e.g., recorded audio information and/or text converted to speech) in a preferred tone and/or at a preferred rate. The digital assistant can also provide video, images, and/or web links during playback of the audio information to further assist a listener.