Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Synthesis
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-13
2001-03-20
Hudspeth, David R. (Department: 2741)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Synthesis
C704S258000, C704S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205427
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a voice output apparatus and a method thereof in which the leading portion of each of a plurality of sentences included in text data is converted to a voice output at a speed at which the data content is understandable to a user while converting other portions to a voice output at a faster speed to enable the user listening to the voice output to quickly grasp the content of a sentence with a feel of quickly reading the sentence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Text voice synthesizing apparatus has been used in the prior art for converting text data to a voice signal to read aloud the content. In order to read the content of the text data quickly with such apparatus, a method of converting the text data to a voice signal faster than a normal speed is employed. In this method, however, the faster the reading of the text data by the voice, the more difficult it is to follow the data content. Specifically, it is very difficult to follow the data content once the text data is read about 3 times or more as fast as conventional radio broadcasting. (This depends on the degree of training of the listener.)
Another method is to convert only a portion of the text data to a voice signal while skipping other portions. In this method, however, the listener cannot grasp the length of the skipped portion of the text data. For example, the listener cannot determine which portion of the text data is being read. In addition, since portions of the text data is not be read aloud at all, in that that portion cannot be read aloud again at an audible speed.
Such inexperience impedes, for example, a blind person from grasping the content of text data using text synthesizing apparatus to quickly “read” a document.
Converting digital data to a voices signals is disclosed, in PUPA8-83089, PUPA6-308998, PUPA7-69715, PUPA9-50294, PUPA8-171395, PUPA6-337976, PUPA6-35913, PUPA5-265695, PUPA4-268631, PUPA4-199420, PUPA1-88599, PUPA63-62032, PUPA62-219066, PUPA62-156730, PUPA61-43778, PUPA7-152532, PUPA4-51099 and PUPA8-191254.
However, none of the methods described in these references provides a sufficient capability of reading aloud the content of text data in a short time in a manner it can be followed while supporting a listener's ability to grasp the content of the text data.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide voice output apparatus and method which provides a sufficient capability of reading aloud the content of text data in a short time in a manner that can be followed while supporting a listener's ability to grasp the content of the text data.
It is another object of this invention to provide voice output apparatus and method which is capable of having a listener grasp which portion of text data is read aloud at the time when the text data is read aloud for a short time while giving the listener the ability to repeat listening important portions of text data.
It is a further object of this invention to provide voice output apparatus and method which enables a blind person to grasp the content of text data as if normally sighted
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above described objects, the voice output apparatus of this invention comprises dividing text data into a plurality of sections and converting each of said plurality of sections to a voice signal at different speeds.
Preferably, the dividing means divides text data into one or more first and second section(s) and said voice output means converts the first section(s) of the divided text data to a voice signal of a first speed while converting said second section(s) of said divided text data to a voice signal of a second speed which is faster than said first speed.
Preferably, the text data comprises character strings of data and boundary data indicating the boundary between the character strings and said dividing means divides the text data at the portion of the boundary data into the plurality of character strings of data and further divides said plurality of divided character strings of data into the first section(s) and the second section(s).
Preferably, the dividing means divides a predetermined portion from the beginning of each of the plurality of divided character strings of data into the first section(s) and divides a portion other than the predetermined portion from the beginning of each of the plurality of divided character string of data into the second section(s).
Preferably, the voice output means converts at least the first section(s) of the text data to a voice signal at an audible first speed.
In converting text data to a voice signal, the voice output apparatus of this invention divides the text data at the portion punctuating the sentence such as a punctuation mark, a space and a carrier return and converts a predetermined range (the first section) from the top of each divided text data to a voice signal at the slow first speed at which a listener can easily follow for outputting while converting the other portion (second section) to a voice signal at a speed which is a high (not necessarily audible) speed), but still allows the listener to grasp the length of the text.
In this invention, the dividing means divides the text data at a symbol, such as a punctuation mark, indicating a delineation (boundary of character string) of a sentence, into a plurality of character strings of data (beside data indicating characters, data indicating a symbol is included when, for example, data indicating a punctuation “,” of the text data is voice outputted as “comma”).
Further, the dividing means divides a leading few seconds portion of each character string resulting from the division into the first section which is voiced so that the content is audible while dividing a portion of the character string other than the first section into the second section which is voiced at a faster speed.
The voice output means converts the first section of each character string resulting from the division of the text data by the dividing means to a voice signal at a speed which is, for example, same as the speed at which a sentence is read aloud in a conventional radio broadcasting or a speed which is high but low enough to allow a listener to easily follow the content. By providing the first section of the voice signal in this manner, the listener can grasp the content of the sentence of the text data as if the sentence is quickly read.
Further, the voice output means converts the second section of each character string resulting from the division of the text data by the dividing means to a voice signal at a speed (not necessarily audible) which a listener can grasp the length, and the tone of the voice signal reading aloud this section. By providing a voice signal of the second section in such a manner, allows the listener to catch the rhythm or atmosphere of the sentence in the text data thereby providing the listener with a hint to replay important portions with an audible voice signal.
A computer readable recording medium of this invention records therein a program to cause a computer to execute a step of dividing text data into a plurality of sections and a step of converting each of said plurality of sections at least to a voice signal of a speed differing from other sections.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4817161 (1989-03-01), Kaneko
patent: 5500919 (1996-03-01), Luther
patent: 5850629 (1998-12-01), Holm et al.
patent: 5873059 (1999-02-01), Iijima et al.
patent: 5890117 (1999-03-01), Silverman
Asakawa Chieko
Itoh Takashi
Abebe Daniel
Hudspeth David R.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Tassinari, Jr. Robert P.
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