Speech synthesis apparatus, speech synthesis method, speech synthesis program, portable information terminal, and speech synthesis system
First Claim
1. A speech synthesis apparatus comprising:
- a receiver that receives an e-mail as a text content item;
a memory that stores the text content item to be converted into speech;
a content selection unit that selects the text content item to be converted into speech based on a vocal command from a user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud;
a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender;
a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted;
a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts the text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and
a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A speech synthesis apparatus includes a content selection unit that selects a text content item to be converted into speech; a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text and adds text data of the text to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts the text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit.
31 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A speech synthesis apparatus comprising:
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a receiver that receives an e-mail as a text content item; a memory that stores the text content item to be converted into speech; a content selection unit that selects the text content item to be converted into speech based on a vocal command from a user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts the text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 14, 15, 16)
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5. A speech synthesis method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an e-mail as a text content item; selecting the text content item to be converted into speech, the text content item being selected by a content selection unit based on a vocal command from a user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; selecting related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit, the related information being selected by a related information selection unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender; converting the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adding text data of the text phrase to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit, the conversion and addition being performed by a data addition unit, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted; converting text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal, the conversion being performed by a text-to-speech conversion unit; and outputting the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit, the speech signal being output by a speech output unit. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a speech synthesis program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to function as:
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a receiver that receives an e-mail as a text content item; a content selection unit that selects the text content item to be converted into speech based on a vocal command from a user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A portable information terminal comprising:
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a receiver that receives an e-mail as a text content item; a command input unit that obtains a vocal command input by a user; a content selection unit that selects the text content item to be converted into speech in accordance with the command input by the user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A speech synthesis system comprising:
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a receiver that receives an e-mail as a text content item; a selection and addition apparatus that selects the text content item to be converted into speech in accordance with a vocal command input by a user, selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the selected text content item, converts the selected related information into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the selected text content item in accordance with the command input by the user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; a text-to-speech conversion apparatus that converts the text data supplied from the selection and addition apparatus into a speech signal; and a speech output apparatus that outputs, into the air, speech corresponding to the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion apparatus, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender, and wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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17. A speech synthesis apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a network interface unit that receives an e-mail as a text content item to be converted into speech from an external device; a command input unit that obtains a vocal command input by a user; a content selection unit that selects the text content item to be converted into speech in accordance with the command input by the user in which the user commands that the received e-mail be read aloud; a related information selection unit, implemented by the processor, that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item received by the network interface unit, wherein the related information includes at least identification of a sender of the e-mail, and wherein when the name of the sender is locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the name of the sender is used as the identification of the sender, and when the name of the sender is not locally stored in association with an e-mail address of the sender prior to receipt of the e-mail, the e-mail address is used as the identification of the sender; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text by inserting the related information into a predetermined type of phrase to form a text phrase, and adds text data of the text phrase to text data of the received text content item, wherein the predetermined type of phrase includes at least one predetermined location within the phrase at which the identification of the sender of the e-mail is inserted; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts the text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that audibly outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit.
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Specification