Speech synthesis method and information providing apparatus
First Claim
1. A speech synthesis method comprising:
- predicting a playback duration of synthesized speech to be generated based on text;
judging whether a constraint condition concerning a playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration;
in the case where said judging shows that the constraint condition is not satisfied, shifting a playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modifying contents indicating time or distance in the text, in accordance with a duration by which the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech is shifted; and
generating synthesized speech based on the text with the modified contents, and playing back the synthesized speech.
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Abstract
To provide a speech synthesis method of reading out units of synthesized speech without fail and in an easy to understand manner, even when playback of the units of synthesized speech are simultaneously requested. The duration prediction unit predicts the playback duration of synthesized speech to be synthesized based on text. The time constraint satisfaction judgment unit judges whether a constraint condition concerning the playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration. If it judged that the constraint condition is not satisfied, the content modification unit shifts the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modifies the contents of the text indicating time and distance in accordance with the shifted time. The synthesized speech generation unit generates synthesized speech based on the text having the modified contents and plays it back.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A speech synthesis method comprising:
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predicting a playback duration of synthesized speech to be generated based on text;
judging whether a constraint condition concerning a playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration;
in the case where said judging shows that the constraint condition is not satisfied, shifting a playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modifying contents indicating time or distance in the text, in accordance with a duration by which the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech is shifted; and
generating synthesized speech based on the text with the modified contents, and playing back the synthesized speech. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An information providing apparatus comprising:
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a duration prediction unit operable to predict a playback duration of synthesized speech to be generated based on text;
a time constraint satisfaction judgment unit operable to judge whether a constraint condition concerning a playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration;
a content modification unit operable to shift a playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modify contents indicating time or distance in the text, in accordance with a duration by which the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech is shifted, in the case where said time constraint satisfaction judgment unit judges that the constraint condition is not satisfied; and
a synthesized speech generation unit operable to generate synthesized speech based on the text with the modified contents, and play back the synthesized speech. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A program intended for an information providing apparatus, said program causing a computer to execute:
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predicting a playback duration of synthesized speech to be generated based on text;
judging whether a constraint condition concerning a playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration;
in the case where said judging shows that the constraint condition is not satisfied, shifting a playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modifying contents indicating time or distance in the text, in accordance with a duration by which the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech is shifted; and
generating synthesized speech based on the text with the modified contents, and playing back the synthesized speech.
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Specification