Apparatus and method for outputting voice

• US 20080162139A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Seong-woon, Kim, Yeun-bae, Yoo, Byung-in
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for output voice, which receives an information item suitable to a user'"'"'s taste among information items existing on a network such as the Internet in a text format, converts the information item into voice, and then outputs the voice. The apparatus to output voice includes an information search unit searching at least one first information item corresponding to a preset information class among information items existing on a network, an information processing unit extracting a core information item from the first information items in such a manner as to correspond with a preset reproducing time period, a voice generating unit converting the core information into voice, and an output unit outputting the converted voice.

Claims

1. An apparatus to output voice, comprising:

an information search unit searching at least one first information item corresponding to a preset information class among information items existing on a network;

an information processing unit extracting a core information item from the first information item such that an estimated voice reproducing time period for the first information item corresponds to a preset reproducing time period;

a voice generating unit converting the core information into voice; and

an output unit outputting the converted voice.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit comprises at least one of:

an information analyzing unit extracting at least one core word included in the first information item;

a core information generating unit generating the core information item in which the core word is included; and

a reproducing time control unit comparing the estimated voice reproducing time period for the first information item and the preset reproducing time period to determine whether to regenerate the core information item.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reproducing time control unit comparing an estimated voice reproducing time period for the synthesized information item and the preset reproducing time period to determine whether to regenerate a synthesized information item which is composed of the core information item and a second information item.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the synthesized information item is regenerated if the estimated reproducing time period for the synthesized information item is larger than the preset reproducing time period.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the synthesized information item is not regenerated if the estimated reproducing time period for the synthesized information item is equal to or smaller than the preset reproducing time period and is processed in order to be treated by the voice generating unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second information item comprises one or more information items existing on the network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the format of the synthesized information item comprises text.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a background music selecting unit selecting background music while the synthesized information item is outputted in voice.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the background music selecting unit selects the background music to correspond to a category of the synthesized information item.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the voice generating unit generates voice corresponding to the synthesized information item.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset reproducing time period comprises a time interval between a starting time and a terminating time when the starting time and the terminating time are inputted.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset reproducing time period comprises an estimated time period required for moving from a starting place to a destination when positional information items of the starting place and the destination are inputted.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one core word comprises a plurality of core words, and the core information generating unit assigns priority to portions of the first information item based on an appearance frequency of the core words to generate the core information item or a number of the portions that use the code words to generate the core information item.

14. A method of outputting voice, comprising:

searching at least one first information item corresponding to a preset information category among information items existing on a network;

extracting a core information item from the first information item such that an estimated voice reproducing time period for the first information item corresponds to a preset reproducing time period;

converting the core information item into voice; and

outputting the converted voice.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the extracting the core information item comprises at least one of:

extracting at least one core word included in the first information item;

generating the core information item in which the core word is included; and

comparing the estimated voice reproducing time period for the first information item and the preset reproducing time period and determining whether to regenerate the core information.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the determining whether to regenerate the core information item comprises comparing an estimated voice reproducing time period for the synthesized information item and the preset reproducing time period to determine whether to regenerate a synthesized information item which is composed of the core information item and a second information item.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the synthesized information item is regenerated if the estimated reproducing time period for the synthesized information item is larger than the preset reproducing time period.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the synthesized information item is not regenerated if the estimated reproducing time period for the synthesized information item is equal to or smaller than the preset reproducing time period.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second information item comprises one or more information items existing on the network;

and

the format of the synthesized information item comprises text.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising selecting background music while the synthesized information item is outputted in voice.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the selecting the background music selects the background music to correspond to a category of the synthesized information item.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the converting the core information item comprises generating voice corresponding to the synthesized information item.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the preset reproducing time period comprises a time interval between a starting time and a terminating time when the starting time and the terminating time are inputted.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the preset reproducing time period comprises an estimated time period required for moving from a starting place to a destination when positional information items of the starting place and the destination are inputted.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one core word comprises a plurality of core words, and priority is assigned to portions of the first information item based on an appearance frequency of the core words to generate the core information item.