Text to speech apparatus and method and information providing system using the same

An information providing system, comprising:

• an information center that transmits various information including at least one text sentence to be read out, the information center including a first memory section in which a plurality of defined clause patterns are stored and specifying one of the defined clause patterns stored in the first memory section in a case where at least the one of the defined clause patterns is included in the text sentence to be read out;
• and
• at least one information terminal that receives the various information including the text sentence from the information terminal, the information terminal including:
• a second memory section in which a plurality of speech prosody patterns are stored, each speech prosody pattern being preset to correspond to one of the defined clause patterns and to reproduce the corresponding one of the defined clause patterns in a natural intonation speech sound;
• and a text speech section that carries out a read out of at least one text sentence in accordance with one of the speech prosody patterns when at least the one of the defined clause patterns is present in the text sentence received therein to be read out.

A text to speech apparatus, comprising;

• first memory means for storing a plurality of defined clause patterns therein;
• second memory means for storing a plurality of speech prosody patterns, each speech prosody pattern being preset to correspond to one of the defined clause patterns and to reproduce the corresponding one of the defined clause patterns in a natural intonation speech sound;
• and
• text speech means for carrying out a read out of at least one text sentence in accordance with one of the speech prosody patterns which corresponds to one of the defined clause patterns when at least the one of the defined clause patterns is present in the text sentence to be read out.

A text to speech method, comprising;

• storing a plurality of defined clause patterns;
• storing a plurality of speech prosody patterns, each speech prosody pattern being preset to correspond to one of the defined clause patterns and to reproduce the corresponding one of the defined clause patterns in a natural intonation speech sound;
• and
• carrying out a read out of at least one text sentence in accordance with one of the speech prosody patterns which corresponds to one of the defined clause patterns when at least the one of the defined clause patterns is present in the text sentence to be read out.