Information processing apparatus and method with speech synthesis function
First Claim
1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
- playback means for playing back audio data;
speech synthesis means for converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
instruction detection means for detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
detection means for detecting operation states of said playback means and said speech synthesis means;
instruction supply means for supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to one of said playback means and said speech synthesis means in accordance with the operation states; and
control means for controlling said playback means or said speech synthesis means that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction.
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Abstract
With this invention, an information processing apparatus which has an audio data playback function and text-to-speech synthesis function allows the user to input an instruction by a fewer operations and provides a fast-forward/fast-reverse function optimal to speech synthesis. During speech synthesis, an instruction input by a button operation is supplied to a speech synthesis unit. When playback of audio data is underway, but speech synthesis is inactive, an instruction input by a button operation is supplied to an audio data playback unit. In a fast-forward mode, an abstract is read aloud or head parts of sentences are read aloud. In a fast-reverse mode, head parts of sentences are read aloud. Also, given tones are generated in correspondence with skipped parts.
228 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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playback means for playing back audio data;
speech synthesis means for converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
instruction detection means for detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
detection means for detecting operation states of said playback means and said speech synthesis means;
instruction supply means for supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to one of said playback means and said speech synthesis means in accordance with the operation states; and
control means for controlling said playback means or said speech synthesis means that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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speech synthesis means for converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
input means used to input a user'"'"'s instruction;
status detection means for detecting a state of the input means; and
control means for controlling said speech synthesis means to output synthetic speech of the text data in a fast-forward mode or a fast-reverse mode in accordance with the detected state of the input means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An information processing method comprising:
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a playback step of playing back audio data;
a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
an instruction detection step of detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
a detection step of detecting operation states of the playback step and the speech synthesis step;
an instruction supply step of supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to one of the playback step and the speech synthesis step in accordance with the operation states; and
a control step of controlling the playback step or the speech synthesis step that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction.
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20. An information processing method comprising:
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a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
a status detection step of detecting a state of a input means used to input a user'"'"'s instruction; and
a control step of controlling the speech synthesis step to output synthetic speech of the text data in a fast-forward mode or a fast-reverse mode in accordance with the detected state of the input means.
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21. A program for making a computer execute:
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a playback step of playing back audio data;
a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
an instruction detection step of detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
a detection step of detecting operation states of the playback step and the speech synthesis step;
an instruction supply step of supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to one of the playback step and the speech synthesis step in accordance with the operation states; and
a control step of controlling the playback step or the speech synthesis step that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction.
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22. A computer readable storage medium that stores a program for making a computer execute:
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a playback step of playing back audio data;
a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
an instruction detection step of detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
a detection step of detecting operation states of the playback step and the speech synthesis step;
an instruction supply step of supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to one of the playback step and the speech synthesis step in accordance with the operation states; and
a control step of controlling the playback step or the speech synthesis step that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction.
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23. A program for controlling an information processing apparatus which has an input means used to input a user'"'"'s instruction,
said program making a computer execute: -
a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
a status detection step of detecting a state of the input means; and
a control step of controlling the speech synthesis step to output synthetic speech of the text data in a fast-forward mode or a fast-reverse mode in accordance with the detected state of the input means.
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24. A computer readable storage medium that stores a control program for controlling an information processing apparatus which has an input means used to input a user'"'"'s instruction,
said control program making a computer execute: -
a speech synthesis step of converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
a status detection step of detecting a state of the input means; and
a control step of controlling the speech synthesis step to output synthetic speech of the text data in a fast-forward mode or a fast-reverse mode in accordance with the detected state of the input means.
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25. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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speech synthesis means for converting text data into synthetic speech, and outputting the synthetic speech;
instruction detection means for detecting a user'"'"'s instruction;
detection means for detecting an operation state of said speech synthesis means;
instruction supply means for supplying the user'"'"'s instruction to said speech synthesis means in accordance with the operation state; and
control means for controlling said speech synthesis means that has received the user'"'"'s instruction to execute a process based on the user'"'"'s instruction. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A program for making a computer implement text-to-speech reading using speech synthesis,
said program making the computer execute: -
a control step of controlling start/stop of text-to-speech reading of text;
a measurement step of measuring a time period between reading stop and restart timings; and
a determination step of determining a reading restart position of the text upon restarting the text-to-speech reading in accordance with the measured time period. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A text-to-speech reading apparatus for implementing text-to-speech reading using speech synthesis, comprising:
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control means for controlling start/stop of text-to-speech reading of text; and
measurement means for measuring a time period between reading stop and restart timings, wherein said control means controls a reading restart position of the text upon restarting the text-to-speech reading in accordance with the measured time period. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of controlling a text-to-speech reading apparatus for implementing text-to-speech reading using speech synthesis, comprising:
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a control step of controlling start/stop of text-to-speech reading of text;
a measurement step of measuring a time period between reading stop and restart timings; and
a determination step of determining a reading restart position of the text upon restarting the text-to-speech reading in accordance with the measured time period.
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Specification