Speech-synthesis device having user dictionary control

• US 8,234,117 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakao, Muneki
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Jialong
• Application Number:
  US11/689,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 704258-269, 704/270
• US Class Current: 704/258
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination

Abstract

In a speech-synthesis device, it is possible to determine whether or not a user dictionary that supports processing for reading aloud a specific phrase associated with specific reading should be used. The speech-synthesis device includes a speech-synthesis unit configured to perform read-aloud processing, a user dictionary provided to support processing for reading aloud a specific phrase associated with specific reading, and a control unit that includes a plurality of functions achieved by using information about the read-aloud processing, that determines whether or not the user dictionary should be used according to which of the functions is used so as to perform the read-aloud processing, and that makes the speech-synthesis unit perform the read-aloud processing.

Claims

1. A speech-synthesis device, comprising:

a speech-synthesis unit configured to perform read-aloud processing;

a user dictionary provided to register read-aloud information corresponding to a specific phrase for the speech-synthesis unit according to a user instruction, wherein the user dictionary is configured to be used commonly by a plurality of communication partner selection functions that can register name information corresponding to a name of a communication partner; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether the user dictionary is to be used in a case where any one of a plurality of functions using the read-aloud processing by the speech-synthesis unit is selected,

wherein the determination unit determines that the user dictionary is to be used in a case where a communication partner selection function is selected and

determines that the user dictionary is not to be used in a case where a predetermined function other than the communication partner selection function is selected, and

wherein, in a case where any one of the plurality of communication partner selection functions is executed and the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information is performed by the speech-synthesis unit, whatever communication partner selection function is executed from among the plurality of communication partner selection functions, the speech-synthesis unit performs the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information by using the user dictionary when the name of the communication partner is read-aloud.

2. The speech-synthesis device according to claim 1, wherein the speech-synthesis unit has a mode of operating by using a combination of at least two dictionaries, and wherein the mode can be selected from at least one speech-synthesis function of calling up speech-synthesis processing.

3. The speech-synthesis device according to claim 1, wherein the speech-synthesis unit has two modes including a mode of performing the read-aloud processing by using the user dictionary and a mode of performing the read-aloud processing without using the user dictionary, and wherein each of the two modes can be selected from the plurality of functions.

4. The speech-synthesis device according to claim 1, wherein when a mail function is selected as the communication partner selection function, the speech-synthesis unit performs the read-aloud processing so that mail distributed from a mail address registered with the speech-synthesis device in advance is read aloud by using the user dictionary and mail distributed from a mail address that is not registered with the speech-synthesis device is read aloud without using the user dictionary.

5. The speech-synthesis device according to claim 1, wherein when at least one of a phone-call-reception function and a phone-directory function is selected as the communication partner selection function, the speech-synthesis unit performs the read-aloud processing for a phone call by using the user dictionary when a phone number of the phone call is registered with the speech-synthesis device in advance, and performs the read-aloud processing for the phone call without using the user dictionary when the phone number of the phone call is not registered with the speech-synthesis device in advance.

6. A method of controlling a speech-synthesis device using a user dictionary provided to register read-aloud information corresponding to a specific phrase for read-aloud processing according to a user instruction, the method comprising:

determining whether the user dictionary is to be used in a case where any one of a plurality of functions using the read-aloud processing is selected; and

performing the read-aloud processing, in a case where a communication partner selection function, that can register name information corresponding to a name of a communication partner, is selected, by using the user dictionary according to a determining result and

performing the read-aloud processing, in a case where a predetermined function other than the communication partner selection function is selected, without using the user dictionary according to the determining result

wherein, the user dictionary is able to be used commonly by a plurality of the communication partner selection functions, and

wherein, in a case where any one of the plurality of communication partner selection functions is executed and the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information is performed, whatever communication partner selection function is executed from among the plurality of communication partner selection functions, the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information is performed by using the user dictionary when the name of the communication partner is read-aloud.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for controlling a speech-synthesis device using a user dictionary provided to register read-aloud information corresponding to a specific phrase for speech-synthesis processing according to a user instruction, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the user dictionary is to be used in a case where any one of a plurality of functions using the read-aloud processing is selected; and

computer-executable instructions for performing the read-aloud processing, in a case where a communication partner selection function, that can register name information corresponding to a name of a communication information partner, is selected, by using the user dictionary according to a determining result and

performing the read-aloud processing, in a case where a predetermined function other than the communication partner selection function is selected, without using the user dictionary according to the determining result

wherein, the user dictionary is able to be used commonly by a plurality of the communication partner selection functions, and

wherein, in a case where any one of the plurality of communication partner selection functions is executed and the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information is performed, whatever communication partner selection function is executed from among the plurality of communication partner selection functions, the read-aloud processing corresponding to the name information is performed by using the user dictionary when the name of the communication partner is read-aloud.