Information processing apparatus and information processing method for determining whether text information of an obtained item should be subject to speech synthesis by comparing words in another obtained item to registered words

• US 7,813,930 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuboyama, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick; Michael N
• Application Number:
  US11/611,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/027 Concept to speech synthesisers; Generation of natural phrases from machine-based concepts generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text G10L13/08

Abstract

Information including a first item and a second item is obtained and the first item of the obtained information is compared with registered words. A determination is made as to whether or not text information of the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis. If the second item is determined not to be subjected to the speech synthesis, an item other than the second item is synthesized into speech, whereas if the second item is determined to be subjected to the speech synthesis, at least the second item is synthesized into speech.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain information including a first item and a second item;

a storing unit configured to store a registered word;

an analyzing unit configured to perform a morphological analysis of the first item, and to obtain one word or a plurality of words included in the first item;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a rate of obtained words that match the registered words;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis by comparing the rate acquired by the acquiring unit to a prescribed value, wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is equal to or higher than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis, and wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is lower than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis; and

a speech-synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the first item into speech when the determining unit determines that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis, and to synthesize both the first item and the second item into speech when the determining unit determines that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is broadcast program information, the first item is a title of a program, and the second item is a subtitle of the program.

3. An information processing method, comprising:

obtaining information including a first item and a second item;

storing a registered word;

performing a morphological analysis of the first item to obtain at least one word included in the first item;

acquiring an acquired number that represents the number of obtained words that match stored registered words;

determining whether the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis by comparing the acquired number to a prescribed value, wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is equal to or higher than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis, and wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is lower than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis; and

synthesizing the first item into speech when it is determined that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis, and synthesizing both the first item and the second item into speech when it is determined that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis.

4. A storage medium for storing a program configured to cause a computer to realize the information processing method according to claim 3 by executing the program.

5. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain information including a first item and a second item;

a storing unit configured to store a registered word;

an analyzing unit configured to perform a morphological analysis of the first item to obtain at least one word included in the first item;

an acquiring unit configured to acquire an acquired number that represents the number of obtained words that match stored registered words;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis by comparing the acquired number to a prescribed value, wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is equal to or higher than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis, and wherein if a plurality of words are included in the first item and the rate is lower than the prescribed value, the determining unit determines that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis; and

a speech-synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the first item into speech when the determining unit determines that the second item is not to be subjected to speech synthesis, and to synthesize both the first item and the second item into speech when the determining unit determines that the second item is to be subjected to speech synthesis.