Relay apparatus, display apparatus, and communication system

• US 10,255,266 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takano, Tomohide
• Primary Examiner(s): Leland, III, Edwin S
• Application Number:
  US15/101,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 704251
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology

Abstract

A relay apparatus includes a characteristic information storage unit, a first dictionary information storage unit, a first selection unit, and a first conversion unit. The characteristic information storage unit stores pieces of terminal information in association with respective pieces of characteristic information, each indicating a characteristic of a user. The first dictionary information storage unit stores the pieces of characteristic information in association with respective pieces of first dictionary information used for converting voice data into text data. The first selection unit selects, when voice data is received from a second communication terminal to communicate with a first communication terminal, the characteristic information associated with the terminal information for identifying the second communication terminal and selects the first dictionary information associated with the selected characteristic information. The first conversion unit converts the voice data received from the second communication terminal to text data using the first dictionary information.

Claims

1. A relay apparatus to relay a communication among a plurality of communication terminals including at least a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal, the relay apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

store a plurality of pieces of characteristic information, each indicating a characteristic of a user who uses a corresponding communication terminal, so that each of a plurality of pieces of terminal information for identifying the corresponding communication terminal is associated with a corresponding one of the pieces of characteristic information;

store a plurality of pieces of second dictionary information, each used for converting text data into voice data, so that each piece of the characteristic information is a corresponding one of the pieces of second dictionary information in which the each piece of the characteristic information is incorporated;

when the text data is received from the second communication terminal that is to communicate with the first communication terminal, select a piece of the characteristic information associated with a piece of the terminal information for identifying the second communication terminal, the characteristic information including at least sex, age, and occupation of the user, and select a piece of the second dictionary information associated with the selected piece of the characteristic information; and

convert the text data received from the second communication terminal into the voice data using the piece of the second dictionary information selected, wherein the user selects one of a plurality of texts displayed on a touch screen by touching and the selected text is converted into a preset voice data that expands the selected text with a larger number of words than the selected text.

2. The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when second instruction information for instructing conversion of the text data into the voice data is received, the circuitry is further configured to select the piece of the second dictionary information and, when the second instruction information is not received, the circuitry is further configured to not to select the piece of the second dictionary information.

3. The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control transmitting of the voice data converted to the first communication terminal.

4. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals that include at least a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal; and

the relay apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

store a plurality of pieces of predetermined voice data so that each of a plurality of pieces of status information, each representing a status of the user, is associated with a corresponding one of the pieces of the predetermined voice data; and

when a piece of the status information is received from the second communication terminal, select a piece of the predetermined voice data associated with the received piece of the status information.

6. The relay apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control transmitting of the piece of the predetermined voice data selected to the first communication terminal.

7. The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

store a plurality of pieces of predetermined text data so that each of a plurality of pieces of input information, each indicating a piece of information to be input to the second communication terminal by the user, is associated with a corresponding one of the pieces of the predetermined text data;

when a piece of the input information is received from the second communication terminal, select a piece of the predetermined text data associated with the received piece of the input information.

8. The relay apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control transmitting of the piece of the predetermined text data selected to the first communication terminal.