Systems and methods for voice synthesis

A voice synthesis method employed via a network between a service provider, who maintains voice characteristic data for multiple speakers, and a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

• the service provider furnishing a list of the multiple speakers via the network to a remote user;
• the customer transmitting to the service provider, via the network, an identity of a speaker that has been selected from the list, and text data for which voice synthesis is to be performed;
• and
• the service provider employing the voice characteristic data for the speaker selected by the customer to perform the voice synthesis using the text data.

A server, which performs voice synthesis in accordance with a request received from a customer connected across a network, comprising:

• a voice characteristic data storage unit which stores voice characteristic data obtained by analyzing voices of speakers;
• a request acceptance unit which accepts, via the network, a request from the customer that includes text data input by the customer and a speaker selected by the customer;
• and
• a voice synthesis data generator which, in accordance with the request received from the customer by the request acceptance unit, performs voice synthesis of the text data based on the voice characteristic data of the selected speaker that are stored in the voice characteristic data storage unit.

A storage device, on which a computer readable program is stored, that permits the computer to perform:

• a process for accepting a request from a remote user to generate voice synthesis data;
• a process for, in accordance with the request, generating and outputting a transaction number;
• and
• a process for, upon the receipt of the transaction number, outputting voice synthesis data that are consonant with the request.

A program transmission apparatus comprising:

• a storage device which stores a program permitting a computer to perform;
• a first processor which outputs, to a customer, a list of multiple sets of voice characteristic data stored in the computer;
• a second processor which outputs, to the customer, voice synthesis data that are obtained by employing voice characteristic data selected from the list by the customer to perform voice synthesis using text data entered by the customer;
• and
• a transmitter which reads the program from the storage device and transmits the program.

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for voice synthesis, said method comprising the steps of:

• the service provider furnishing a list of the multiple speakers via the network to a remote user;
• the customer transmitting to the service provider, via the network, an identity of a speaker that has been selected from the list, and text data for which voice synthesis is to be performed;
• and
• the service provider employing the voice characteristic data for the speaker selected by the customer to perform the voice synthesis using the text data.