Character information presentation device

• US 8,370,150 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toiyama, Keiichi, Kataoka, Mitsuteru, Yamamoto, Kohsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Abebe, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US12/669,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 704/260
• US Class Current: 704/260
• 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

The text information presentation device calculates an optimum readout speed on the basis of the content of text information being input, its arriving time, and its previous arriving time; speech-synthesizes text information being input, at the readout speed calculated; and outputs it as an audio signal, or alternatively controls the speed at which a video signal is output according to an output state of the speech synthesizing unit.

Claims

1. A text information presentation device comprising:

a memory storing time information on a text string;

a text information input unit accepting input of the text string;

a text string buffer that stores the text string and outputs an update notification signal when the text string is input to the text information input unit;

a standard speech-synthesis length calculating unit that reads the text string stored in the text string buffer and calculates time required to pronounce the text string at a given speed to output the time as a readout duration signal when receiving the update notification signal;

a control unit that calculates a readout speed ratio on a basis of the readout duration signal output from the standard speech-synthesis length calculating unit, time information on a text string stored in the text string buffer, and the time information on the text string stored in the memory, and output the readout speed ratio as a readout speed ratio signal; and

a speech synthesizing unit that issues a readout request to the text string buffer, and speech-synthesizes a text string input from the text string buffer on a basis of the readout speed ratio signal,

wherein the memory further stores a history of a given number of readout speed ratio signals, and

wherein the control unit calculates a readout speed ratio signal on a basis of a readout speed ratio signal calculated on a basis of the readout duration signal input from the standard speech-synthesis length calculating unit, the time information corresponding to the readout duration signal and having been read from the text string buffer, and the time information on the text string stored in the memory; and

the history of the given number of the readout speed ratio signals stored in the memory.

2. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein the time information on the text string stored in the memory is updated to the time information on the text string read from the text string buffer when the control unit calculates a readout speed ratio signal.

3. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein the time information on the text string stored in the memory is presentation time information associated with the text string having been input from the text string input unit.

4. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein the time information on the text string stored in the memory is presentation time information and erasing time information associated with the text string that has been input from the text string input unit.

5. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein, when the text string input from the text information input unit includes a word not present in the speech-synthesis length calculating unit, the text string is divided into a word present in the speech-synthesis length calculating unit and adds time information on the word having been divided.

6. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the readout speed ratio on a basis of the number of characters of the text string stored in the text string buffer.

7. The text information presentation device of claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the readout speed ratio on a basis of the number of words of the text string stored in the text string buffer.

8. The text information presentation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a video information input unit accepting input of video information;

a video buffer storing the video information having been input to the video information input unit; and

a video presenting unit that reads the video information from the video buffer, decodes the video information, and outputs the video information as a video signal,

wherein the control unit controls at least the video presenting unit and is connected to a user input unit from which a select signal is input, and

wherein,

when the select signal indicates selection of video information, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal while controlling speed at which the video signal is output under control of the control unit when the speech synthesizing unit has not completed outputting the audio signal synthesized on a basis of time required to pronounce at the given speed, and

when the select signal indicates selection of audio information, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal at regular speed while controlling speed at which the video signal is output under control of the control unit, and the speech synthesizing unit speech-synthesizes a text string input from the text string buffer on a basis of the readout speed ratio signal under control of the control unit.

9. The text information presentation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a video information input unit accepting input of video information;

a video buffer storing the video information having been input to the video information input unit; and

a video presenting unit that reads the video information from the video buffer, decodes the video information, and outputs the video information as a video signal,

wherein the control unit

controls at least the video presenting unit and the speech synthesizing unit and is connected to a user input unit from which a select signal is input,

and changes presenting speed depending on process of audio information or of video information on a basis of the select signal.

10. The text information presentation device of claim 8, wherein, when the speech synthesizing unit has not completed outputting the audio signal synthesized, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal in a nonmoving state under control of the control unit.

11. The text information presentation device of claim 8, wherein, when the speech synthesizing unit has not completed outputting the audio signal synthesized, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal by changing presenting speed of the video signal under control of the control unit.

12. The text information presentation device of claim 9, wherein, when the speech synthesizing unit has not completed outputting the audio signal synthesized, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal in a nonmoving state under control of the control unit.

13. The text information presentation device of claim 9, wherein, when the speech synthesizing unit has not completed outputting the audio signal synthesized, the video presenting unit outputs the video signal by changing presenting speed of the video signal under control of the control unit.