Storage medium storing pronunciation evaluating program, pronunciation evaluating apparatus and pronunciation evaluating method

• US 8,346,552 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Abe, Tomokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Neway, Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US12/691,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 704246-250
• US Class Current: 704/247
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use

Abstract

A game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU evaluates a pronunciation of a user with respect to an original sentence (ES). First, envelops as to a volume of a voice of the original sentence (ES) and a volume of a voice of the user are taken, and the average values of the volumes are made uniform. When the volumes are made uniform to each other, a degree of similarity (scoreA) of distributions of local solutions when the volumes are equal to or more than the average values, a degree of similarity (scoreB) of distributions (timing of concaves/convexes of the waveform) of values of the high or low level indicating whether or not the volume is equal to or more than a value multiplying the average value by a predetermined value, and a degree of similarity (scoreC) of dispersion values (dispersion of concaves/convexes of the waveform) of the envelopes are evaluated by utilizing the respective envelopes. On the basis of these degree of similarities (scoreA, scoreB, scoreC), the rhythm of the pronunciation by the user is evaluate.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a pronunciation evaluating program,

the pronunciation evaluating program, when executed, causing a computer of an information processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a voice input pronounced by a user;

calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a first dispersion value of a change of the volume of the voice input and a second dispersion value set in advance; and

evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

2. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the second timing is a timing when the volume of the model voice is larger than a second predetermined value in association with the first predetermined value.

3. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the second dispersion value is a dispersion value of a change of the volume of the model voice.

4. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the evaluating evaluates the degree of similarity on the basis of the first evaluation value by which a first coefficient is multiplied and the second evaluation value by which a second coefficient is multiplied.

5. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein

when a length of the model voice is equal to or more than a certain period of time, the first coefficient is set to a value larger than when the length of the model voice is less than the certain period of time.

6. The storage medium according to claim 4, wherein

when the length of the model voice is equal to or more than the certain period of time, the first coefficient is set to a value larger than the second coefficient, and when the length of the model voice is less than the certain period of time, the first coefficient and the second coefficient are set to a same value.

7. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating a third evaluation value on the basis of a user voice level judging list indicating the volume of the voice input is equal to or more than a second predetermined value or less than the second predetermined value and a model voice level judging list set in advance, and

the evaluating evaluates the degree of similarity of the pronunciation of the user with respect to the model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value, the second evaluation value and the third evaluation value.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

the model voice level list indicates whether the volume of the model voice is equal to or more than a third predetermined value in association with the second predetermined value or less than the third predetermined value.

9. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein

the evaluating evaluates the degree of similarity on the basis of the first evaluation value by which a first coefficient is multiplied, the second evaluation value by which a second coefficient is multiplied and the third evaluation value by which a third coefficient is multiplied.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein

when a length of the model voice is less than a certain period of time, the third coefficient is set to a value larger than when the length of the model voice is equal to or more than the certain period of time.

11. The storage medium according to claim 9, wherein

when the length of the model voice is less than a certain period of time, the third coefficient is set to a value larger than the first coefficient and the second coefficient.

12. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

performing a correction such that the evaluating is lowered when the volume of the voice input does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

13. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein,

in a case that a period during which the volume of the voice input is larger than the first predetermined value is equal to or more than a fixed period of time, a first evaluation value is calculated on the basis of the first timing when the volume of the voice is larger than the first predetermined value and the second timing.

14. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the first evaluation value is calculated on the basis of the first timing for which a time displacement is not performed and the second timing, and, on the basis of each first timing displaced for each predetermined time interval and the second timing, the first evaluation value is calculated for each first timing, and one first evaluation value indicating a maximum evaluation result is selected out of the first evaluation values.

15. The storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

when the first number of first timings and the second number of second timings are different, the first evaluation value is calculated by making uniform to the fewer one out of the first number of first timings and the second number of second timings.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing a pronunciation evaluating program,

the pronunciation evaluating program, when executed, causing a computer of an information processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a voice input pronounced by a user;

calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a user voice level judging list indicating whether the volume of the voice input is equal to or more than a second predetermined value or is less than the second predetermined value and a model voice level judging list set in advance; and

evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

17. A pronunciation evaluating apparatus, comprising:

a voice input for receiving a voice input pronounced by a user;

a first evaluation value calculator for calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

a second evaluation value calculator for calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a first dispersion value of a change of the volume of the voice input and a second dispersion value set in advance; and

a pronunciation evaluator for evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

18. A pronunciation evaluating apparatus comprising:

a voice input for receiving a voice input pronounced by a user;

a first evaluation value calculator for calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

a second evaluation value calculator for calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a user voice level judging list indicating whether the volume of the voice input is equal to or more than a second predetermined value or is less than the second predetermined value and a model voice level judging list set in advance; and

a pronunciation evaluator for evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

19. A pronunciation evaluating method comprising:

(a) receiving a voice input pronounced by a user,

(b) calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance,

(c) calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a first dispersion value of a change of the volume of the voice input and a second dispersion value set in advance, and

(d) evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

20. A pronunciation evaluating method comprising:

(a) receiving a voice input pronounced by a user,

(b) calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance,

(c) calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a user voice level judging list indicating whether the volume of the voice input is equal to or more than a second predetermined value or is less than a second predetermined value and a model voice level judging list set in advance, and

(d) evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

21. A pronunciation evaluating apparatus comprising:

a microphone for receiving a voice input from a user;

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a first dispersion value of a change of the volume of the voice input and a second dispersion value set in advance; and

evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.

22. A pronunciation evaluating apparatus comprising:

a microphone for receiving a voice input from a user;

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed, causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

calculating a first evaluation value on the basis of a first timing when a volume of the voice input is larger than a first predetermined value and a second timing set in advance;

calculating a second evaluation value on the basis of a user voice level judging list indicating whether the volume of the voice input is equal to or more than a second predetermined value or is less than the second predetermined value and a model voice level judging list set in advance; and

evaluating a degree of similarity of a pronunciation of the user with respect to a model voice on the basis of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value.