CVP VXML Application directing ScanSoft TTS to change language - how?

[geoff]

Greetings,

I am unable to determine exactly how I can instruct the IOS Voice Browser that it should pass on language directives to the TTS engine to switch to a different voice.

I have ScanSoft TTS with two voices (Jill in en-US and Pauline in es-MX) and I want to switch between reading back information in English or Spanish according to the caller's wishes.

It's no problem with the WAV files, as the URLs are nicely constructed to allow this to work. But with TTS, I don't seem to be able to make it happen.

My understanding was that I need to set the VoiceVXML Property on the audio element. I set "xml:lang" to the value "es-MX". It made no difference and I still heard the greeting in English.

The interplay of a Cisco Voice Browser on the gateway, voice XML being generated from Audium classes, and ScanSoft's TTS engine being invoked through an MRCP client-server, it's difficult to even know who to ask!

Any assistance appreciated.

Regards,

Geoff Thompson

[geoff]

I have trace on the OSMS (ScanSoft's MRCP server) and I can see that the greeting is being requested as "Speech-Language: en-US", so it's clear that the directive to go to Spanish/MX has not made it to TTS.

I do have tts-en-us, tts-en-us-backup and tts-es-mx, tts-es-mx-backup configured on the voice gateways.

Regards,

Geoff

[liszhang]

Depending on which components you are using to play out the TTS, there are a few locations to place the "es-MX" value.

If you are using a Standalone Model, where there is no Cisco ICM involved:

1. On the IOS Voice Browser – you need to define the following:

ip host tts-es-mx 12.34.56.789 (IP address of your TTS or MRCP for this language)

ip host asr-es-mx 12.34.56.789 (if using ASR)

ivr asr-server rtsp://asr-es-mx/media/recognizer (if using ASR)

ivr tts-server rtsp://tts-es-mx/media/synthesizer

2. On the VoiceXML Studio, when you create the Application you will need to specify a “Language” in the Cisco CVP VoiceXML Studio – General Settings. Place in the Language value “es-mx” (note: without the quotes).

If you are using Cisco ICM scripts, please also set the locale node to “es-mx”.

Please note, in order to use VXML Application with multiple languages, you may need to use hotlinks. The reason is each VoiceXML Application created using VoiceXML Studio will only be able to have one Language value.

[jwolfeld]

Normally, a VoiceXML Server application can only have one locale associated with it, in the application's property page. But I believe you can change the locale on the fly by setting the Cisco-proprietary VoiceXML property com.cisco.tts-server. You will have to do some fancy coding though to provide different TTS text strings for different languages.

[geoff]

Thanks Jeff, I now see that note in the manual on page E-9.

If I override it, what do I set it to?? Is it an IP address? How would this change langauges?

Curious.

Regards,

Geoff

[geoff]

Thanks, liszhang. As noted, I have attended to your first point (I'm not using ASR). Just a note - although ScanSoft says that the rtsp expression should be:

ivr tts-server rtsp://11.22.33.44/media/synthesizer

it also supports what Cisco say in the CVP doco:

ivr tts-server rtsp://11.22.33.44/synthesizer

Thanks for the advice on Langauge in studio. I'll see if I can make it work. I'm not using the microapps for TTS so no need to change the locale.

The limitation of VoiceXML applications to just one langauge is a bit poor!

Regards,

Geoff

[liszhang]

Hi Geoff,

Thank you for this note.

Lisa

[geoff]

liszhang, thank you so much for the advice on setting the Language on the properties (General Settings) of the application. Worked like a charm. 10 points!

Now to sort out Jeff's idea - or to have two different apps (easy).

Regards,

Geoff

[david.macias]

I know this is old, but I'm trying to play two different voices with the same locale (e.g. Jill and Tom). Geoff, did you ever try that using a microapp?

Thanks,

david

[geoff]

Hi David,

No, I never tried that. I was using Audium.

Regards,

Geoff

[c.tezgel1]

Hi david,

I know this is old, did you achieve that? we need to play two different voices with same locale.

Thanks,

Cagri.

[david.macias]

I believe we never got it to work or the customer decided to go a different route.

david