Information processing system

• US 20020039098A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirota, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/205 driven by audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/105 Synthesis of the lips movements from speech, e.g. for talking heads

Abstract

The system includes a computer for transmitting news information and a computer communicably connected to the computer for receiving the news information. The computer outputs the content of the news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the received news information, and displays an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the voice output. The user is thus capable of acquiring desired news information with facility.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a transmitting apparatus for transmitting news information, and a receiving apparatus communicably connected to said transmitting apparatus for receiving the news information, wherein said receiving apparatus includes:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the news information; and

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice.

2. A receiving apparatus, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, for receiving the news information from said transmitting apparatus, comprising:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the news information; and

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said voice output means outputs the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined for every genre of the news information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said receiving apparatus receives the news information from said transmitting apparatus periodically;

said receiving apparatus further including storage means for storing the received news information;

wherein only fresh news information from among the received news information is stored in said storage means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

means for determining, whenever content of the news information is output by said voice output means, whether fresh news information has been stored in said storage means; and

means for determining degree of importance of content of the fresh news information if it is determined that the fresh news information has been stored;

wherein said voice output means outputs content of the fresh news information as voice preferentially if the degree of importance of the content of the fresh news information is higher than that of the content of other news information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the order is capable of being set by a user.

7. An information processing method comprising:

a step of transmitting news information via a communication path;

a step of receiving the news information;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the news information; and

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice.

8. An information processing method comprising:

a step of receiving, via a communication path, news information from a transmitting apparatus that transmits the news information;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the news information; and

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as the following means, wherein said computer, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, receives the news information from said transmitting apparatus:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice in an order predetermined based upon the content of the news information; and

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice.

10. An information processing system having a first communication apparatus for transmitting news information, and a second communication apparatus communicably connected to said first communication apparatus for receiving the news information from said first communication apparatus, wherein said second communication apparatus includes:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice; and

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of the news information by voice;

wherein said voice output means outputs content of the news information, which belongs to the designated type, as voice preferentially.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein said second communication means has means for creating a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said display means and said acceptance means, said document incorporating the received news information.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein said second communication means has means for creating a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said display means and said acceptance means, said document incorporating the received news information.

20. The system according to claim 10, wherein said first communication means transmits the news information by transmitting a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said voice output means, said document incorporating the news information transmitted.

21. The system according to claim 10, wherein said first communication means transmits the news information by transmitting a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said voice output means, said document incorporating the news information transmitted.

11. An information processing system having a first communication apparatus for transmitting news information, and a second communication apparatus communicably connected to said first communication apparatus for receiving the news information from said first communication apparatus, wherein said second communication apparatus includes:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice;

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of the news information by voice; and

notification means for notifying said first communication apparatus of the type of news information designated;

wherein said first communication apparatus transmits the news information, which belongs to the designated type of which it has been notified by said second communication apparatus, to said second communication apparatus preferentially.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising storage means in which the received news information is stored upon being classified by type.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said voice output means outputs the content of the news information, which has been stored in said storage means, as voice in an order predetermined for every type thereof.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprises means for determining, whenever content of the news information is output by said voice output means, whether the designation of the type of news information has been made;

wherein said voice output means outputs content of the news information, which belongs to the type designated, as voice preferentially if the designation has been made.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the order is capable of being set by a user.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein said communication apparatus has means for creating a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said display means and said acceptance means, said document incorporating the received news information.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein said communication has means for creating a document, which is described by operation description language, that defines processing executed by said display means and said acceptance means, said document incorporating the received news information.

12. A communication apparatus, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, for receiving the news information from said transmitting apparatus, comprising:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice;

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of the news information by voice; and

notification means for notifying said first communication apparatus of the type of news information designated;

wherein said voice output means outputs content of the news information, which belongs to the designated type, as voice preferentially.

17. A communication apparatus, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, for receiving the news information from said transmitting apparatus, comprising:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice;

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of said news information by voice;

notification means for notifying said communication apparatus of the type of news information designated.

24. An information processing method comprising:

a step of transmitting news information via a communication path;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice; and

an acceptance step of accepting a designation of type of the news information by voice;

wherein content of the news information that belongs to the designated type is output as voice preferentially at said voice output step.

25. An information processing method comprising:

a transmitting step of transmitting news information via a communication path;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of said voice;

a step of accepting a designation of type of said news information by voice; and

a notification step of notifying the source of transmission of the news information of the type of news information designated;

wherein the news information that that belongs to the type designated in said notification step is transmitted preferentially at said transmitting step.

26. An information processing method comprising:

a step of receiving news information, via a communication path, from a transmitting apparatus that transmits the news information;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice; and

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of the voice;

an acceptance step of accepting a designation of type of said news information by voice; and

wherein content of the news information that belongs to the designated type is output as voice preferentially at said voice output step.

27. An information processing method comprising:

a step of receiving news information, via a communication path, from a transmitting apparatus that transmits the news information;

a voice output step of outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

a display step of displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of the voice;

an acceptance step of accepting a designation of type of said news information by voice; and

a step of notifying the transmitting apparatus of the type of news information designated.

28. A program for causing a computer to function as the following means, wherein said computer, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, receives the news information from said transmitting apparatus:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of the voice; and

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of the news information by voice;

wherein said voice output means outputs content of the news information, which belongs to the designated type, as voice preferentially.

29. A program for causing a computer to function as the following means, wherein said computer, which is communicably connected to a transmitting apparatus that transmits news information, receives the news information from said transmitting apparatus:

voice output means for outputting the content of the received news information as voice;

display means for displaying an animation, which imitates a speaking individual, in conformity with the output of the voice;

acceptance means for accepting a designation of type of said news information by voice; and

means for notifying the transmitting apparatus of the type of news information designated.