Message processing system, method for processing messages and computer readable medium

• US 6,625,257 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1998
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Naoki, Yamashita, Masanobu, Kanemitsu, Hiroyuki, Asaoka, Taizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/126,721
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88-1-, 379/88.07, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.13, 379/67.1, 379/71, 379/76, 701/27, 701/202, 701/209, 701/98, 701/211, 701/214, 701/301, 704/243, 704/246, 704/260, 704/270, 704/272, 704/275, 704/278, 455/70, 455/500, 455/517
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser

Abstract

A message processing device is adapted to obtain text data and read aloud the text data aloud by using a voice synthesizer. A loudspeaker device is connected to the message processing device to output or read aloud the text data. The text data can be received through a receiving device that receives outside information data or e-mail message data. The voice synthesizer can be controlled by an outside information controller, with the outside information controller being able to distinguish senders of the text data and being able to select one voice tone data to read aloud messages sent by one sender. If the controller recognizes that there are other messages sent by another sender, the controller allots different voice tone data for the other sender'"'"'s messages. The message processing device can include a voice navigation device to generate voice signals for giving route guidance messages or information to a driver of a vehicle. The voice tone used for the route guidance message is preferably different from the voice tone used to read aloud the outside information message. It is thus possible for the driver to recognize the source or senders of different messages being read aloud. It is also possible to adjust the output timing of the route guidance message and the outside information message.

Claims

1. A message processing device comprising:

receiving means for receiving electronic messages sent from outside by senders;

a voice tone memory for storing a plurality of different voice tones;

sorting means for sorting all electronic messages received by said receiving means into groups;

allotting means for allotting one of said plurality of voice tones stored in said voice tone memory to each of the electronic messages in one group and allotting a different one of said plurality of voice tones stored in said voice tone memory to each of the electronic messages in another of the groups;

comparing means for comparing the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory with the number of different groups of received electronic messages;

voice reading means for reading aloud electronic messages sequentially that are able to be read aloud without repeating use of the same voice tone for different groups, with said electronic messages in the one group being read aloud in the one voice tone and said electronic messages in the another group being read aloud in the different voice tone.

2. A message processing device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a sender'"'"'s address data is associated with each of the electronic messages received by the receiving means, said sorting means being adapted to detect the address data of each electronic message and sort the electronic messages based on the sender'"'"'s address data.

3. A message processing device in accordance with claim 1, including means for memorizing an assigned relation between the one voice tone and the sender of the electronic messages in the one group after the allotting means has assigned a voice tone to all electronic messages received from said sender, means for prioritizing use of a voice tone for all subsequent messages received from the same sender after said memorizing means has memorized the assigned relation between the one voice tone and the sender.

4. A message processing device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said voice reading means reads a message sent from outside and a guidance message related to positioning on a navigation, and said sorting means sorts the message sent from outside and the guidance message related to positioning on the navigation into groups.

5. A message processing device according to claim 1, wherein if the comparing means determines that the number of different groups of received electronic messages is equal to or smaller than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a respective different voice tone is allotted to each group of electronic messages and the electronic messages in each group are read aloud in said respective tone.

6. A message processing device according to claim 1, wherein if the comparing means determines that the number of different groups of received electronic messages is greater than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a number of groups equal to the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory is extracted from all of the groups of received electronic messages and a respective different voice tone is allotted to each of the extracted groups, and the number of remaining groups not extracted is compared with the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory.

7. A message processing device according to claim 1, wherein each group of electronic messages contains electronic messages sent by at least the same sender.

21. A computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the messages are sorted into the groups based on the source so that at least all messages from the same source are in the same group.

8. A message processing method, comprising:

receiving messages sent from outside by senders;

sorting all received messages into groups;

comparing the number of voice tones stored in a voice tone memory with the number of different groups of received messages;

allotting one of the voice tones stored in the voice tone memory to said messages in one group and allotting a different one of the voice tones stored in the voice tone memory to the messages in a second one of the groups;

reading aloud messages sequentially that are able to be read aloud without repeating use of the same voice tone for different groups, with said messages in the one group being read aloud in said one voice tone and said messages in the second group being read aloud in said different voice tone.

9. A message processing method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said messages each have associated therewith address data indicating an address of the sender, said step of sorting including sorting the messages into groups based on the address of the sender.

10. A message processing method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said step of allotting one voice tone to the at least one message includes allotting the one voice tone to a sender of the at least one message, and including memorizing an assigned relation between the one voice tone and said sender after the one voice tone has been allotted to the sender, and prioritizing allotment of said one voice tone to messages received from said sender after the assigned relation between the one voice tone and said sender has been memorized.

11. A message processing method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said step of reading includes reading a message sent from outside and a guidance message related to positioning on a navigation, and said step of sorting includes sorting the message sent from outside and the guidance message related to positioning on the navigation into groups.

12. A message processing method according to claim 8, wherein if the number of different groups of received messages is equal to or smaller than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a respective different voice tone is allotted to each group of electronic messages and the electronic messages in each group are read aloud in said respective tone.

13. A message processing method according to claim 8, wherein if the number of different groups of received messages is greater than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a number of groups equal to the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory is extracted from all of the groups of received messages and a respective different voice tone is allotted to each of the extracted groups, and the number of remaining groups not extracted is compared with the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory.

14. A message processing method according to claim 8, wherein each group of messages contains messages sent by at least the same sender.

15. A computer readable medium including a message processing program that performs the steps of:

receiving a plurality of messages from different sources;

sorting the messages into different groups;

comparing the number of voice tones stored in a voice tone memory with the number of different groups of received messages;

allotting a first of the voice tones stored in the voice tone memory to a first one of the groups of received messages and allotting a second one of the voice tones stored in the voice tone memory that is different from the first voice tone to a second one of the groups of received messages;

reading aloud messages sequentially that are able to be read aloud without repeating use of the same voice tone for different groups, with the messages in the first group being read aloud using the first voice tone and the messages in the second group being read aloud using the second voice tone.

16. A computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the reading aloud of the messages in the first group includes reading aloud electronic messages sent from a first sender, and the reading aloud of the messages in the second group includes reading aloud electronic messages sent from a second sender that is different from the first sender.

17. A computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the reading aloud of the messages in the first group includes reading aloud electronic messages sent from outside and the step of reading aloud the messages in the second group includes reading aloud vehicle navigation guidance messages.

18. A computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the message processing program allots the first voice tone to the messages in the first group prior to reading aloud said messages in the first group, and allots the second voice tone to the messages in the second group prior to reading aloud said messages in the second group.

19. A computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein if it is determined that the number of different groups of received messages is equal to or smaller than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a respective different voice tone is allotted to each group of electronic messages and the electronic messages in each group are read aloud in said respective different tone.

20. A computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein if it is determined that the number of different groups is greater than the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory, a number of groups equal to the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory is extracted from all of the groups of received messages and a respective different voice tone is allotted to each of the extracted groups, and the number of remaining groups not extracted is compared with the number of voice tones stored in the voice tone memory.