Method for producing acoustic speech output

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for generating acoustic voice output in household appliances, such as food processors, are technically complex and expensive, requiring significant hardware resources that are often not feasible in these devices, leading to reduced operational comfort and difficulty for visually impaired users.

Innovation Solution

A method that pre-stores voice segments in a persistent information object using position information for identification and retrieval, allowing for efficient generation of voice output even with limited hardware capabilities, utilizing a file system or database for data management and storage, and enabling local or remote identification and generation of speech segments as needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If modern text-to-speech systems are used for speech synthesis, then high-quality and flexible voice output is achieved, but hardware requirements and production costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice output qualityVSAvoidhardware requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the speech output into pre-recorded voice segments stored in an information object, rather than generating speech synthetically in real-time. This segmentation allows the system to use simple playback functionality instead of complex text-to-speech synthesis hardware, resolving the contradiction between voice quality and hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-recording and storing voice segments in an information object before runtime. The system identifies and retrieves relevant segments based on position information during operation, eliminating the need for complex real-time speech synthesis while maintaining high-quality voice output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If speech synthesis methods are implemented in household appliances, then operational comfort and accessibility are improved, but production outlay and expense increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational comfortVSAvoidproduction outlay
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses copying by storing pre-recorded voice segments in an information object that can be efficiently retrieved and played back. This approach copies actual human speech recordings rather than synthesizing them, providing natural-sounding voice output with minimal hardware requirements, thus improving ease of operation without increasing production costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If voice segments are stored in a distributed manner, then flexibility is maintained, but management effort and retrieval complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice segment availabilityVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple voice segments into a single information object with an organized structure. Position information within this unified structure enables efficient identification and retrieval of specific segments without the overhead of managing distributed files, reducing data management complexity while maintaining full adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3353775B1Method for producing acoustic speech output
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3353775B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3353775B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3353775B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method (100) for producing acoustic speech output, in particular in a domestic appliance (10), preferably in an electric motor-driven food processor (10) having a stirring vessel (24) and a stirring mechanism inside said stirring vessel (24).