Variable voice rate apparatus and variable voice rate method

• US 7,373,299 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ariu, Masahide, Momosaki, Kohei, Nagae, Hisayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Huyen X.
• Application Number:
  US10/743,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 704/235, 704/260, 704/258, 704/270, 704/243, 704/266, 704/261, 704/276, 704/267, 704/231, 704/278
• US Class Current: 704/267
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/0135 Voice conversion or morphing

Abstract

A variable voice rate apparatus to control a reproduction rate of voice, includes a voice data generation unit configured to generate voice data from the voice, a text data generation unit configured to generate text data indicating a content of the voice data, a division information generation unit configured to generate division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form, a reproduction information generation unit configured to generate reproduction information set for each of the linguistic units, and a voice reproduction controller which controls reproduction of each of the linguistic units, based on the reproduction information and the division information.

Claims

1. A variable voice rate apparatus to control a reproduction rate of voice, comprising:

a voice data generation unit configured to generate voice data from the voice;

a text data generation unit configured to generate text data indicating a content of the voice data, based on the generated voice data;

a division information generation unit configured to generate division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form;

a reproduction information generation unit configured to generate, as reproduction information concerning reproduction control of the voice for each of linguistic units, information indicating a probability with which preset ones of the linguistic units are combined in a preset order; and

a voice reproduction controller which selects, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the reproduction information and the division information, and controls reproduction of the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

2. The variable voice rate apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect each time for reproducing each of the linguistic units,

wherein the voice reproduction controller selects, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the reproduction information and the division information, a total time for reproducing the linguistic units being not more than a preset time, and controls reproduction of the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

3. A variable voice rate apparatus to control a reproduction rate of voice, comprising:

a voice data generation unit configured to generate voice data from the voice;

a text data generation unit configured to generate text data indicating a content of the voice data, based on the generated voice data;

a division information generation unit configured to generate division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form;

a reproduction information generation unit configured to generate, as reproduction information concerning reproduction control of the voice for each of linguistic units, information indicating a probability with which preset ones of the linguistic units are combined in a preset order;

a first storage which stores the reproduction information; and

a voice reproduction controller which selects, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the stored reproduction information and the division information, and controls reproduction of the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

4. The variable voice rate apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect each time for reproducing each of the linguistic units,

wherein

the voice reproduction controller selects, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the stored reproduction information and the division information, a total time for reproducing the linguistic units being not more than a preset time, and controls reproduction of the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

5. A variable voice rate apparatus to control a reproduction rate of voice, comprising:

a voice data generation unit configured to generate voice data from the voice;

a text data generation unit configured to generate text data indicating a content of the voice data, based on the generated voice data;

a division information generation unit configured to generate division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form;

a reproduction information generation unit configured to generate, as reproduction information concerning reproduction control of the voice for each of linguistic units, information indicating a probability with which preset ones of the linguistic units are combined in a preset order;

a first storage which stores the reproduction information;

a second storage which stores the voice data and the division information; and

a voice signal selection unit configured to select, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the stored reproduction information and the stored division information, and generates a voice signal, based on the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

6. The variable voice rate apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect each time for reproducing each of the linguistic units,

wherein the voice signal selection unit selects, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than the preset value, based on the stored reproduction information and the stored division information, a total time for reproducing the linguistic units being not more than a preset time, and generates a voice signal, based on the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.

7. A variable voice rate method of controlling a reproduction rate of voice, comprising:

generating voice data from the voice;

generating text data indicating a content of the voice data, based on the generated voice data;

generating division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form;

generating, as reproduction information concerning reproduction control of the voice for each of linguistic units, information indicating a probability with which preset ones of the linguistic units are combined in a preset order;

selecting, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the reproduction information and the division information; and

controlling reproduction of the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.