Speech synthesis system

• US 5,950,163 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Tatsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US08/841,661
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260, 704/269, 704/270, 704/277, 704/3, 379/88, 379/89, 379/67, 379/100.08, 379/100.13, 379/212, 370/259
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/047 Architecture of speech synthesisers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

The data control unit in the voice synthesizing server of the present invention receives from a client data to be processed to synthesize voice, and determines the type of the received data. If the received data are text data, they are outputted to the pronunciation symbol generating unit to generate pronunciation symbols. If the received data are pronunciation symbols, they are outputted to the acoustic parameter generating unit to generate acoustic parameters. If the received data are acoustic parameters, they are outputted to the waveform generating unit to generate voice waveforms, and the generated voice waveforms are sent from the data sending unit to the client. The client receives the voice waveforms from the voice generating server, and outputs the received voice waveforms as voice from the voice output unit.

Claims

1. A speech synthesis system comprising:

a client comprising;

text input means for inputting text data to be processed to synthesize voice, and

voice output means for outputting voice waveforms as voice,

a plurality of acoustic parameter generating servers specializing in a member of a group comprising voice qualities and languages comprising;

acoustic parameter generating means for generating according to data received from said client acoustic parameters according to the particular voice quality or a language assigned to each acoustic parameter generating server,

acoustic parameter sending means for sending the acoustic parameters; and

a waveform generating server comprising;

waveform generating means for generating voice waveforms according to the acoustic parameters received from said acoustic parameter generating servers.

2. The speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein said client comprises:

text sending means for sending the text data,

waveform receiving means for receiving voice waveforms, and

waveform decoding means for decoding encoded voice waveforms received by said waveform receiving means,

each of said acoustic parameter generating servers comprises;

text receiving means for receiving text data from said client,

pronunciation symbol generating means for generating pronunciation symbols according to the text data, and

said waveform generating server comprises;

acoustic parameter receiving means for receiving acoustic parameters from said acoustic parameter generating server,

waveform encoding means for encoding the voice waveforms, and

waveform sending means for sending the encoded voice waveforms to said client.