RE: Question about using TTS via the prompt element in VXML

The good thing about using property element for tts vendor is that when
a script using this property is run on a different platform, this
property would be ignored (assuming that the other platform follows
guidelines as described in VXML 2.0, section 6.3.1) and everything else
would still work fine.

-----Original Message-----
From: www-voice-request@w3.org [mailto:www-voice-request@w3.org] On
Behalf Of Tracy Boehrer
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 2:19 PM
To: Scott Mullen; www-voice@w3.org
Subject: RE: Question about using TTS via the prompt element in VXML


I suppose it all depends on your goals... Obviously, "TTSengine1",
whether specified using the "name" attribute, or a property, could be
radically different from platform to platform.  On Platform A, that
could mean "US English, Female", and on Platform B could mean "GB
English, Male, As-If-Speaking-Through-An-Empty-Paper-Towel-Tube, while
under the influence of helium".
 
But if your script is only ever going to run on Platform A, I think
either would work...  Yes?

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Scott Mullen [mailto:mullen@ascc01.ascc.lucent.com] 
	Sent: Wed 12/3/2003 2:07 PM 
	To: www-voice@w3.org 
	Cc: www-voice@w3.org 
	Subject: Re: Question about using TTS via the prompt element in
VXML
	
	


	You could use can extend the specification and create your own
platform
	specific properties.
	http://www.w3.org/TR/voicexml20/#dml6.3.1
	
	ex.   <property name="com.example.tts_vendor"
value="TTSengine1"/>
	
	Scott Mullen       Senior Software Consultant
	Covansys        
	
	
	
	Tracy Boehrer wrote:
	
	>Well, we would give those different attributes, by using the
"variant" attribute of <voice>.  If the script specifies some set of
attributes we don't have, we pick the closest match.  For example, we
may only have "US English, Female" defined, and the script writer asks
for "US English, Teenage Female".  We would pick the former.
	>
	>I can understand where you are coming from though.  But even if
the spec stated defined vendor values, you would run into a similar
issue if the script was moved to a platform that didn't have that
engine.  Or more likely, because of license costs, or quality, the
platform itself changes vendors.  The script, of course, would have to
change, or somehow the platform would have to default to something...
	>
	>But the <voice> element has the "name" attribute: "optional
attribute indicating a platform-specific voice name to speak the
contained text."  But obviously, since that is platform specific, it's
probably not very portable.
	>
	>       -----Original Message-----
	>       From: Roopa Trivedi [mailto:rotrived@cisco.com]
	>       Sent: Wed 12/3/2003 1:44 PM
	>       To: Tracy Boehrer; www-voice@w3.org
	>       Cc:
	>       Subject: RE: Question about using TTS via the prompt
element in VXML
	>      
	>      
	>
	>       What about the scenario where 2 vendors support the same
gender, age,
	>       language etc and the script writer specifically wants to
use vendor #1?
	>       Is the "name" of the voice recommended to be used as the
distinguishing
	>       factor? Can we assume that this "name" will be unique
across all
	>       vendors?
	>      
	>       -----Original Message-----
	>       From: Tracy Boehrer [mailto:tboehrer@calltower.com]
	>       Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 1:35 PM
	>       To: Roopa Trivedi; www-voice@w3.org
	>       Subject: RE: Question about using TTS via the prompt
element in VXML
	>      
	>      
	>       I can't speak for W3C of course, but I can't imagine how
being able to
	>       specify a TTS vendor would be portable, or even belong
in the spec.  I
	>       would think this is a platform specific extension.
	>      
	>       The way we handle it is our TTS server can be configured
to start an
	>       arbitrary number of TTS engines (from various vendors).
But the script
	>       writer can only access them based on speech markup
elements/attributes.
	>       Namely "voice", "gender", "age", "language", etc...
That way, if we
	>       change the vendor for the "Adult Female", the script
writer doesn't know
	>       (or in most cases care).
	>      
	>               -----Original Message-----
	>               From: Roopa Trivedi [mailto:rotrived@cisco.com]
	>               Sent: Wed 12/3/2003 1:22 PM
	>               To: www-voice@w3.org
	>               Cc:
	>               Subject: Question about using TTS via the prompt
element in VXML
	>             
	>             
	>      
	>      
	>               In VXML, if we're using TTS via the prompt
element, there could
	>       be a
	>               variety of vendors a user could use to perform
TTS. The VXML 2.0
	>       spec
	>               does not provide a mechanism to specify which
vendor/product to
	>       use. Is
	>               there a recommended way to specify this? Are
there plans to add
	>       this to
	>               future VXML versions?
	>             
	>               Thanks,
	>               Roopa
	>             
	>             
	>      
	>      
	>      
	>
	> 
	>

Received on Wednesday, 3 December 2003 17:31:41 UTC