Speech output apparatus, speech output method, and program

• US 7,203,647 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirota, Makoto, Kuboyama, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han; Qi
• Application Number:
  US10/216,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/268, 704/278
• US Class Current: 704/258
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A speech output apparatus is disclosed, which can allow the user to easily catch synthetic speech when the synthetic speech is output upon being superposed on a music output. The apparatus output can output a music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information such as an e-mail and is superposed on the music. When the synthetic speech is output to be superposed on the music during output, the apparatus gradually decreases a tone volume of the music.

Claims

1. A speech output apparatus comprising:

output means which can output music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music; and

control means for controlling a tone volume of the music to be output,

wherein said control means gradually decreases the tone volume of tones of the music that belong to a frequency band that includes most frequencies of human voices, when the synthetic speech is output to be superposed on the music during output.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means gradually decreases the tone volume of the tones of the music to a predetermined tone volume.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined tone volume is determined based on an average value of powers associated with the tones of the music to be output.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the synthetic speech is output to be superposed on the music after the tone volume of the tones of the music is reduced to the predetermined tone volume.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means resumes the tone volume of the tones of the music after the synthetic speech is output.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for converting character data contained in the information into synthetic speech data.

7. A speech output method comprising:

an output step of outputting music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music; and

a step of gradually decreasing a tone volume of tones of the music that belong to a frequency band that includes most frequencies of human voices, when the synthetic speech is output to be superposed on the music during output.

8. A computer readable medium storing a program comprising code for performing the following steps:

a step of outputting music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music; and

a step of gradually decreasing a tone volume of tones of the music that belong to a frequency band that includes most frequencies of human voices, when the synthetic speech is output to be superposed on the music during output.

9. A speech output apparatus comprising:

output means which can output music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music;

determining means for determining whether the music includes a female singing voice or a male singing voice; and

setting means for setting a voice quality of the synthetic speech in accordance with the music to be outputs,

wherein said setting means sets the synthetic speech to have male voice quality when the music to be output includes a female singing voice, and sets the synthetic speech to have female voice quality when the music to be output includes a male singing voice.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said setting means sets a fundamental frequency of the synthetic speech.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for converting character data contained in the information into synthetic speech data.

12. A speech output method comprising:

an output step of outputting music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music;

a determining step of determining whether the music includes a female singing voice or a male singing voice; and

a setting step of setting a voice quality of the synthetic speech in accordance with the music to be output,

wherein in said setting step, the synthetic speech is set to have male voice quality when the music to be output includes a female singing voice, and the synthetic speech is set to have female voice quality when the music to be output includes a male singing voice.

13. A computer readable medium storing a program comprising code for performing the following steps:

an output step of outputting music and synthetic speech that indicates contents of information and is superposed on the music;

a determining step of determining whether the music includes a female singing voice or a male singing voice; and

a setting step of setting voice quality of the synthetic speech in accordance with the music to be output,

wherein in said setting step, the synthetic speech is set to have male voice quality when the music to be output includes a female singing voice, and the synthetic speech is set to have female voice quality when the music to be output includes a male singing voice.