Playback apparatus, setting apparatus, playback method, and program

• US 9,728,201 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kitatani, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hang, Vu B
• Application Number:
  US14/437,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20150243294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 704270, 704201, 704231, 704260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/005 Language recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2013/105 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/043 by changing speed
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/057 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A playback apparatus includes: an acquiring unit that acquires auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice; an analyzing unit that analyzes the auditory language data to output an analysis result; a setting unit that sets at least a portion of the auditory language data to a control portion to be played back at a set playback speed, based on the analysis result; and a voice playback unit that plays back the control portion as a spoken voice at the set playback speed.

Claims

1. A playback apparatus comprising:

an application execution unit configured to connect to a site to acquire auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice;

an analyzing unit configured to determine a type of the auditory language data based on a type of the site to output an analysis result;

a setting unit configured to set a unit positioned at an end of a sentence included in the auditory language data to a control portion that is played back at a lower speed than a part of the sentence not at the end of the sentence in a case in which it has been determined that the application execution unit is connected to a social network service (SNS) site based on the analysis result; and

a voice playback unit configured to play back the control portion as a spoken voice at a set playback speed.

2. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect a user instruction of a playback speed,

wherein the voice playback unit is further configured to play back a portion of the auditory language data not set to the control portion at a playback speed corresponding to the user instruction.

3. The playback apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the instruction detecting unit is further configured to detect a playback speed reduction instruction instructing a reduction of the playback speed as a user instruction, while the auditory language data is being played back at a first playback speed,

the voice playback unit is further configured to wind back the playback position of the auditory language data in a response to the playback speed reduction instruction, and

the voice playback unit is further configured to play back the auditory language data from the wound back playback position at a second playback speed that is slower than the first playback speed.

4. The playback apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the auditory language data comprises a plurality of units including a first unit,

the instruction detecting unit is further configured to detect a speed reduction instruction that instructs a reduction of playback speed as a user instruction while the first unit is being played back at a first playback speed, and

the voice playback unit is further configured to play back the auditory language data from a beginning of the first unit at a second playback speed that is slower than the first playback speed, in a response to the speed reduction instruction.

5. The playback apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the auditory language data comprises a plurality of units including a first unit;

the instruction detecting unit is further configured to detect a speed reduction instruction that instructs a reduction of playback speed as a user instruction while the first unit is being played back at a first playback speed, and

the voice playback unit is further configured to play back the auditory language data from a playback position that is earlier than a beginning of the first unit at a second playback speed that is slower than the first playback speed, in a response to the speed reduction instruction.

6. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voice playback unit is further configured to increase playback sound volume of the control portion.

7. The playback apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display the auditory language data by text in a scrollable manner;

wherein the detecting unit is further configured to detect a scroll operation with respect to the auditory language data displayed by the display unit as a user instruction of the playback speed.

8. The playback apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display unit is further configured to perform scrolling of display so as to display by text a portion of the auditory language data that the voice playback unit is playing back.

12. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing unit is further configured to determine that the auditory language data is a social network service (SNS) posting in a case in which the application execution unit is connecting to an SNS site.

13. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing unit is further configured to determine that the auditory language data is a newspaper article in a case in which the application execution unit is connecting to a site for viewing a newspaper article.

14. The playback apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the setting unit is further configured to set a unit positioned around a middle of a sentence to the control portion, in a case in which the auditory language data has been determined to be a newspaper article.

15. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing unit is further configured to determine that the auditory language data is a webpage in a case in which the application execution unit is connecting to a website other than an social network service (SNS) and an article.

16. The playback apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the setting unit is further configured to set a title to the control portion, in a case in which the auditory language data has been determined to be a webpage.

9. A setting apparatus comprising:

an application execution unit configured to connect to a site to acquire auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice;

an analyzing unit configured to determine a type of the auditory language data based on a type of the site to output an analysis result; and

a setting unit configured to set a unit positioned at an end of a sentence included in the auditory language data to a control portion that is played back at a lower speed than a part of the sentence not at the end of the sentence in a case in which it has been determined that the application execution unit is connecting to a social network service (SNS) site based on the analysis result.

10. A playback method, executed by at least one processor, comprising:

connecting to a site to acquire auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice;

determining a type of the auditory language data based on a type of the site to output an analysis result;

setting a unit positioned at an end of a sentence included in the auditory language data to a control portion that is played back at a lower speed than a part of the sentence not at the end of the sentence in a case in which it has been determined that the application execution unit is connecting to a social network service (SNS) site based on the analysis result; and

playing back the control portion as a spoken voice at the set playback speed.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing program that causes a computer to execute:

connecting to a site to acquire auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice;

determining a type of the auditory language data based on a type of the site to output an analysis result;

setting a unit positioned at an end of a sentence included in the auditory language data to a control portion that is played back at a lower speed than a part of the sentence not at the end of the sentence in a case in which it has been determined that application execution unit is connecting to a social network service (SNS) site based on the analysis result; and

playing back the control portion as a spoken voice at the set playback speed.