Speech information processing method and apparatus and storage meidum

• US 20010032080A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukada, Toshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,778,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/258
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/10 Prosody rules derived from text; Stress or intonation

Abstract

A speech information processing apparatus which sets the duration of phonological series with accuracy, and sets a natural phoneme duration in accordance with phonemic/linguistic environment. For this purpose, the duration of predetermined unit of phonological series is obtained based on a duration model for entire segment (S302). Then duration of each of phonemes constructing the phonological series is obtained based on the duration model for the entire segment (S303). Then duration of each phoneme is set based on the duration of the phonological series and the duration of each phoneme (S304).

Claims

1. A speech information processing method comprising:

a step of obtaining a duration of a predetermined unit of phonological series based on a duration model for an entire segment;

a step of obtaining a duration of each or phonemes constructing said phonological series based on a duration model for a partial segment;

a setting step of setting a duration of each of said phonemes based on said duration of the phonological series and said duration of each of said phonemes; and

a speech synthesis step of synthesizing speech based on said duration of each of said phonemes set at said setting step.

2. The speech information processing method according to

claim 1

, wherein said partial segment comprises at least any one of a phoneme, a syllable and a mora, and wherein said entire segment comprises at least any one of an accent phrase, a word and a phrase.

3. The speech information processing method according to

claim 1

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is obtained by modeling based on a ratio between said duration of said entire segment and said average duration of said entire segment.

4. The speech information processing method according to

claim 1

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is obtained by modeling based on a difference between said duration of said entire segment and said average duration of said entire segment.

5. The speech information processing method according to

claim 1

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is a model obtained by modeling by a multiple linear regression model.

6. A computer-readable storage medium holding a program for executing the speech information processing method in

claim 1

.

7. A speech information processing apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a duration of a predetermined unit of phonological series based on a duration model for an entire segment;

means for obtaining a duration of each or phonemes constructing said phonological series based on a duration model for a partial segment;

setting means for setting a duration of each of said phonemes based on said duration of the phonological series and said duration of each of said phonemes; and

speech synthesis means for synthesizing speech based on said duration of each of said phonemes set by said setting means.

8. The speech information processing apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said partial segment comprises at least any one of a phoneme, a syllable and a mora, and wherein said entire segment comprises at least any one of an accent phrase, a word and a phrase.

9. The speech information processing apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is obtained by modeling based on a ratio between said duration of said entire segment and said average duration of said entire segment.

10. The speech information processing apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is obtained by modeling based on a difference between said duration of said entire segment and said average duration of said entire segment.

11. The speech information processing apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein said duration model for said entire segment is a model obtained by modeling by a multiple linear regression model.