Text-to-speech device, speech output device, speech output system, text-to-speech methods, and speech output method
First Claim
1. An audio read-out device connected via a network to an audio output device that outputs a read-out audio signal, the audio read-out device comprising:
- an audio signal generator configured to generate the read-out audio signal from text information;
a first information receiver configured to receive audio output enablement information from the audio output device via the network;
a first information transmitter configured to transmit the read-out audio signal generated by the audio signal generator, to the audio output device via the network;
a first controller configured to, when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled, cause the first information transmitter to wait to transmit the read-out audio signal until the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, and to, when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, cause the first information transmitter to transmit the read-out audio signal; and
a mixed audio signal generator configured to mix the read-out audio signal generated by the audio signal generator and a broadcast audio signal to generate a mixed audio signal;
wherein;
the first information transmitter outputs to the audio output device the mixed audio signal generated by the mixed audio signal generator, andwhen the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal composed of the broadcast audio signal and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal until the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled; and
when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing the read-out audio signal and the broadcast audio signal, and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An audio read-out device comprises an audio signal generator, a first information receiver, a first information transmitter, a first controller, and a mixed audio signal generator, and when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal composed of a broadcast audio signal and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal until the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled; and when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing a read-out audio signal and a broadcast audio signal, and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal.
8 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An audio read-out device connected via a network to an audio output device that outputs a read-out audio signal, the audio read-out device comprising:
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an audio signal generator configured to generate the read-out audio signal from text information; a first information receiver configured to receive audio output enablement information from the audio output device via the network; a first information transmitter configured to transmit the read-out audio signal generated by the audio signal generator, to the audio output device via the network; a first controller configured to, when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled, cause the first information transmitter to wait to transmit the read-out audio signal until the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, and to, when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, cause the first information transmitter to transmit the read-out audio signal; and a mixed audio signal generator configured to mix the read-out audio signal generated by the audio signal generator and a broadcast audio signal to generate a mixed audio signal;
wherein;the first information transmitter outputs to the audio output device the mixed audio signal generated by the mixed audio signal generator, and when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal composed of the broadcast audio signal and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal until the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled; and
when the first information receiver receives audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled, the first controller causes the mixed audio signal generator to generate a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing the read-out audio signal and the broadcast audio signal, and causes the first information transmitter to transmit the mixed audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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2. (canceled)
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4. An audio output device connected via a network to an audio read-out device that outputs a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing a read-out audio signal and a broadcast audio signal, the audio output device comprising:
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an audio signal input stage configured to receive the mixed audio signal from the audio read-out device; a second information receiver configured to receive an audio-status acquisition request from the audio read-out device; a second information transmitter configured to transmit audio output enablement information to the audio read-out device; a decoder configured to decode the mixed audio signal received by the audio signal input stage; an audio output stage configured to output the mixed audio signal decoded by the decoder; and a second controller configured to, when the second information receiver receives the audio-status acquisition request, generate the audio output enablement information in accordance with whether the decoder is capable of decoding the mixed audio signal, and cause the second information transmitter to transmit the audio output enablement information, and configured to control output of the mixed audio signal by the audio output stage in accordance with the audio output enablement information.
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5. An audio read-out device connected via a network to an audio output device that outputs a read-out audio signal, the audio read-out device comprising:
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a first information transmitter configured to transmit text information and a read-out status notification request to the audio output device via the network; a first information receiver configured to receive a read-out status notification response from the audio output device via the network; and a first controller configured to cause the first information transmitter to continue to transmit the text information until the first information receiver receives the read-out status notification response indicating text information reception, and to cause the first information transmitter to continue to transmit the read-out status notification request until the first information receiver receives the read-out status notification response indicating read-out completion.
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6. An audio output device connected via a network to an audio read-out device that outputs text information, the audio output device comprising:
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an audio signal input stage configured to receive a broadcast audio signal; a second information receiver configured to receive the text information and a read-out status notification request from the audio read-out device via the network; a second information transmitter configured to transmit a read-out status notification response to the audio read-out device via the network; a decoder configured to decode the broadcast audio signal received by the audio signal input stage; an audio signal generator configured to generate a read-out audio signal from the text information received by the second information receiver; a mixed audio signal generator configured to mix the broadcast audio signal decoded by the decoder and the read-out audio signal generated by the audio signal generator, to generate a mixed audio signal; an audio output stage configured to output the mixed audio signal generated by the mixed audio signal generator; and a second controller configured to cause the second information transmitter to transmit the read-out status notification response indicating text information reception when reception of the text information is completed if the second information receiver has received the read-out status notification request, and to cause the second information transmitter to transmit the read-out status notification response indicating read-out completion when the audio output stage completes output of the read-out audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9-10. -10. (canceled)
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11. An audio read-out method in an audio read-out device connected via a network to an audio output device that outputs a read-out audio signal, the audio read-out method comprising:
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a first generation step of generating the read-out audio signal from text information; a reception step of receiving audio output enablement information from the audio output device via the network; a transmission step of transmitting the generated read-out audio signal to the audio output device via the network; a control step of causing the transmission step to wait to transmit the read-out audio signal until audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled is received, when audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled is received in the reception step, and causing the transmission step to transmit the read-out audio signal when audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled is received in the reception step; and a second generation step of mixing the read-out audio signal generated in the first generation step and a broadcast audio signal to generate a mixed audio signal;
wherein;in the transmission step, the mixed audio signal generated in the second generation step is outputted to the audio output device, and in the control step, when audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is disabled is received in the reception step, the second generation step is caused to generate a mixed audio signal composed of the broadcast audio signal and the transmission step is caused to transmit the mixed audio signal until audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled is received; and
when audio output enablement information indicating that audio output is enabled is received in the reception step, the second generation step is caused to generate a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing the read-out audio signal and the broadcast audio signal, and the transmission step is caused to transmit the mixed audio signal.
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12. An audio output method in an audio output device connected via a network to an audio read-out device that outputs a mixed audio signal obtained by mixing a read-out audio signal and a broadcast audio signal, the audio output method comprising:
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a first reception step of receiving the mixed audio signal from the audio read-out device; a second reception step of receiving an audio-status acquisition request from the audio read-out device; a transmission step of transmitting audio output enablement information to the audio read-out device; a decoding step of decoding the received mixed audio signal; an audio output step of outputting the decoded mixed audio signal; and a control step of, when the audio-status acquisition request is received in the second reception step, generating the audio output enablement information in accordance with whether the decoding step is capable of decoding the mixed audio signal, and causing the transmission step to transmit the audio output enablement information, and of controlling output of the mixed audio signal in the audio output step in accordance with the audio output enablement information.
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13. An audio read-out method in an audio read-out device connected via a network to an audio output device that outputs a read-out audio signal, the audio read-out method comprising:
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a step of transmitting text information to the audio output device via the network; a transmission step of transmitting text information and a read-out status notification request to the audio output device via the network; a reception step of receiving a read-out status notification response from the audio output device via the network; and a control step of causing the transmission step to continue to transmit the text information until the reception step receives the read-out status notification response indicating text information reception, and causing the transmission step to continue to transmit the read-out status notification request until the reception step receives the read-out status notification response indicating read-out completion.
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14. An audio output method in an audio output device connected via a network to an audio read-out device that outputs text information, the audio output method comprising:
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a first reception step of receiving a broadcast audio signal; a second reception step of receiving the text information and a read-out status notification request from the audio read-out device via the network; a transmission step of transmitting a read-out status notification response to the audio read-out device via the network; a decoding step of decoding the received broadcast text signal; a first generation step of generating a read-out audio signal from the received character information; a second generation step of mixing the decoded broadcast audio signal and the generated read-out audio signal to generate a mixed audio signal; an audio output step of outputting the generated mixed audio signal; and a control step of causing the transmission step to transmit the read-out status notification response indicating text information reception when reception of the character information is completed if the second reception step receives the read-out status notification request, and causing the transmission step to transmit the read-out status notification response indicating reading-out completion when the audio output step completes output of the read-out audio signal.
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Specification