Speech synthesis system

• US 7,143,038 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Katae, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US11/070,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260
• US Class Current: 704/258
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/06 Elementary speech units used in speech synthesisers; Concatenation rules
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/07 Concatenation rules

Abstract

A speech synthesizing system producing a speech of an improved quality of voice by selecting a combination of speech segment most suitable for a synthesis speech unit sequence. The speech synthesizing system comprises a speech segment storage section where speech segment is stored, a speech segment selection information storage section where speech segment selection information including combinations of speech segment constituted of speech segment stored in the speech segment storage section for an arbitrary speech unit sequence and the appropriateness information representing the appropriatenesses of the combinations are stored, a speech segment selecting section for selecting a combination of speech segment most suitable for a synthesis parameter according to the speech segment selection information stored in the speech segment storage section, and a waveform generating section for generating speech waveform data from the combination of speech segment selected by the speech segment selecting section.

Claims

1. A speech synthesis system wherein synthesis parameters necessary for speech synthesis are input, and a speech segment combination matching said synthesis parameters is selected from a speech segment inventory and concatenated, thereby generating and outputting a speech waveform for said synthesis parameters, comprising:

a speech segment storage unit that stores said speech segment;

a speech segment selection information storage unit that, with respect to a given speech unit sequence, correlates with the speech unit sequence information regarding appropriateness of a combination of speech segment data to be selected from among a plurality of speech segment data stored in said speech segment storage unit that synthesizes the speech unit sequence and that stores speech segment selection information;

a speech segment selection unit that selects a speech segment combination that is most appropriate for said synthesis parameters from said speech segment storage unit based on speech segment selection information stored in said speech segment selection information storage unit; and

a speech synthesis unit that generates and outputs speech waveform data based on a speech segment combination selected by said speech segment selection unit.

2. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein said speech segment selection unit, in cases where speech segment selection information to the effect that a speech unit sequence matching the synthesis target speech unit sequence included in the input synthesis parameters and having the most appropriate speech segment combination is included in the speech segment selection information storage unit, selects such speech segment combination, and in cases where speech segment selection information to the effect that a speech unit sequence matching the synthesis target speech unit sequence included in the input synthesis parameters and having the most appropriate speech segment combination is not included in the speech segment selection information storage unit, prescribed selection means is used to create potential combinations of speech segment from the speech segment storage unit.

3. A speech synthesis system according to claim 2, further comprising:

an acceptance/rejection judgment accepting unit that accepts a user'"'"'s judgment of appropriate/inappropriate with respect to a potential speech segment combination created at the speech segment selection unit; and

a speech segment selection information editing unit that stores in the speech segment selection information storage unit speech segment selection information including a speech segment combination created using speech segment stored in said speech segment storage unit and information regarding appropriateness thereof, such storing to be based upon a user'"'"'s appropriate/inappropriate judgment received at said acceptance/rejection judgment accepting unit.

4. A speech synthesis method wherein synthesis parameters necessary for speech synthesis are input, and a speech segment combination matching said synthesis parameters is selected from a speech segment inventory and concatenated, thereby generating and outputting a speech waveform for said synthesis parameters, the method comprising:

storing said speech segment;

storing speech segment selection information with respect to a given speech unit sequence, wherein storing speech segment selection information includes correlating with the speech unit sequence information regarding appropriateness of a combination of speech segment data to be selected from among a plurality of speech segment data stored as speech segment selection information, synthesizing the speech unit sequence, and storing speech segment selection information;

selecting a speech segment combination that is most appropriate for said synthesis parameters based on stored speech segment selection information; and

generating and outputting speech waveform data based on the selected speech segment combination.

5. A speech synthesis method according to claim 4, further comprising:

creating with respect to a given synthesis target speech unit sequence a potential speech segment combination constituted by stored speech segment;

accepting a user'"'"'s judgment of appropriate/inappropriate with respect to the potential speech segment combination created using stored speech segment; and

storing speech segment selection information including said speech segment combination and information regarding appropriateness thereof, based upon a user'"'"'s appropriate/inappropriate judgment.

6. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for causing a processor to execute a speech synthesis method, wherein synthesis parameters necessary for speech synthesis are input, and a speech segment combination matching said synthesis parameters is selected from a speech segment inventory and concatenated, thereby generating and outputting a speech waveform for said synthesis parameters, the method comprising:

storing said speech segment;

storing speech segment selection information with respect to a given speech unit sequence, wherein storing speech segment selection information includes correlating with the speech unit sequence information regarding appropriateness of a combination of speech segment data to be selected from among a plurality of speech segment data stored as speech segment selection information, synthesizing the speech unit sequence, and storing speech segment selection information;

selecting a speech segment combination that is most appropriate for said synthesis parameters based on stored speech segment selection information; and

generating and outputting speech waveform data based on said speech segment combination.