Synthesized audio message over communication links

Abstract

A communication device establishes an audio connection with a far-end user via a communication network. The communication device receives text input from a near-end user, and converts the text input into speech signals. The speech signals are transmitted to the far-end user using the established audio connection while muting audio input to its microphone. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

1 . A method of a communication device, the method comprising:
 establishing an audio connection between a near-end user of the communication device and a far-end user via a communication network;   receiving text input from the near-end user and converting the text input into speech signals; and   transmitting the speech signals to the far-end user using the audio connection while muting audio input to the communication device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a noise level in the audio input to the communication device; and   in response to the noise level exceeding a threshold, causing one of activation of and a recommendation to activate text-to-speech conversion.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said detecting a noise level comprises:
 detecting the noise level based on a combination of signal to noise ratio, noise volume and combined signal and noise volume.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 detecting the noise level as below the threshold after the text-to-speech conversion is activated; and   in response to the noise level below the threshold, deactivating the text-to-speech conversion.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a noise level in the audio input to the communication device; and   in response to the noise level exceeding a threshold, causing one of activation of and a recommendation to activate speech-to-text conversion to convert voice of the far-end user into text.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 activating speech-to-text conversion after establishment of the audio connection between the near-end user and the far-end user;   converting voice of the far-end user transmitted over the audio connection into text; and   displaying the text on a display of the communication device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         8 . A communication device, comprising:
 a microphone;   a processor coupled to the microphone to detect a noise level and to determine whether the noise level exceeds a threshold; and   a communication network interface to transmit an audio signal to a far-end user using an audio connection that has been established between a near-end user and the far-end user via a communication network, wherein the processor is to cause audio input from the microphone to be muted when the noise level is above the threshold and while the audio signal conveys a message of the near-end user that is generated internally by the communication device.   
     
     
         9 . The communication device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a text-to-speech converter to convert text input of the near-end user into the message that is conveyed by the audio signal.   
     
     
         10 . The communication device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a speech-to-text converter to convert voice of the far-end user transmitted over the audio connection into text; and   a display screen to show the text to the near-end user.   
     
     
         11 . The communication device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a user interface to enable the near-end user of the communication device to activate text-to-speech conversion of a text message one of selected and written by the near-end user for conveyance to the far-end user over the audio connection.   
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a user interface to enable the near-end user of the communication device to playback a pre-recorded message stored in memory for conveyance to the far-end user over the audio connection.   
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 8 , wherein the display screen is enabled to show a noise meter that indicates to the near-end user the noise level in the environment. 
     
     
         14 . The communication device of  claim 8 , wherein communication device is portable. 
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 8 , wherein communication device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         16 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 machine-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that when executed cause a communication device to:
 establish an audio connection between a near-end user of the communication device and a far-end user via a communication network, 
 indicate audio noise level of an environment surrounding the communication device, 
 in response to a detected noise level, generate an audio signal that conveys a message of the near-end user, and 
 transmit the audio signal to the far-end user using the audio connection while muting audio input to the communication device. 
   
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the communication device to:
 automatically activate text-to-speech conversion when the detected noise level exceeds a threshold; and   prompt the near-end user to enter text input.   
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further program the communication device to:
 enable the near-end user to activate text-to-speech conversion independently of the detected noise level.   
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further program the communication device to:
 activate speech-to-text conversion to convert voice of the far-end user into text for display on the communication device.   
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further program the communication device to:
 playback a pre-recorded message for conveyance to the far-end user over the audio connection.