Electronic Collaboration Communication Using TTS, STT, and Visual Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic communication systems do not effectively allow hearing or speech impaired participants to interact with others in a human-like manner, lacking means to respond efficiently or offer communications that resemble those of non-impaired participants.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) engines to convert text inputs to audio and vice versa, combined with sentiment analysis to provide visual cues like pictograms and animations, enabling seamless interaction in collaborative environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If text-based communication systems are used for hearing or speech impaired participants, then communication accessibility is improved, but interaction efficiency and human-like communication capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces text-to-speech synthesis as an intermediary mechanism that converts text inputs into natural-sounding speech outputs. This mediator enables hearing impaired participants to communicate effectively by transforming their text-based messages into audible speech, thereby maintaining both accessibility and interaction efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical audio input methods with electronic text-to-speech conversion. Instead of requiring participants to physically produce speech, the system uses computational text-to-speech engines to generate audible responses, enabling impaired participants to communicate as naturally as non-impaired participants.
2Ease of operation
If traditional audio-based communication is used, then interaction naturalness is improved, but accessibility for hearing or speech impaired participants deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is designed to serve multiple participant types universally. It provides both audio-based communication for non-impaired participants and text-to-speech conversion for hearing or speech impaired participants. The system automatically detects participant capabilities and delivers appropriate communication modes, ensuring both accessibility and naturalness coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its communication mode based on real-time detection of participant impairments. When a hearing or speech impaired participant is detected, the system switches to text-to-speech mode; when able-bodied participants are detected, it uses traditional audio mode. This dynamic adaptation ensures optimal communication for each participant type while maintaining overall system naturalness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If text input methods are used by impaired participants, then communication accessibility is improved, but response time and interaction speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing text inputs through text-to-speech conversion before actual communication occurs. The text is converted to speech in advance, and the system anticipates potential delays by preparing multiple response options and pre-loading speech synthesis resources, thereby reducing overall response time while maintaining accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic communication method and system are disclosed. Exemplary methods can be used by hearing or speech-impaired participants in a conference, e.g., collaboration, environment to facilitate communication between conference participants.