Automatic Reading : what for ?
Each and every synthesizer is the result of a particular and original imitation of the human reading capability, submitted to technological and imaginative constraints that are characteristic of the time of its creation. The concept of high quality TTS synthesis appeared in the mid eighties, as a result of important developments in speech synthesis and natural language processing techniques, mostly due to the emergence of new technologies (Digital Signal and Logical Inference Processors). It is now a must for the speech products family expansion. Potential applications of High Quality TTS Systems are indeed numerous. Here are some examples : Telecommunications services. TTS systems make it possible to access textual information over the telephone. Knowing that about 70 % of the telephone calls actually require very little interactivity, such a prospect is worth being considered. Texts might range from simple messages, such as local cultural events not to miss (cinemas, theatres,… ),
