Voice-generating/document making apparatus voice-generating/document making method and computer-readable medium for storing therein a program having a computer execute voice-generating/document making sequence

A voice-generating document making apparatus comprising:

• a talking way data storing means for storing therein talking way data comprising character string information comprising words, clauses, or sentences;
• phoneme string information comprising phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information;
• a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information;
• pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a relative volume of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a character string input means for inputting character strings each comprising one of a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a retrieving means for retrieving groups, each having the same character string information as said character string from said talking way data storing means, by using a character string inputted from said character string input means;
• a voice tone data storing means for storing therein a plurality of voice tone data each for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a voice synthesizing means for successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved by said retrieving means and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, and pitch information and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as one of said plurality of voice tone data stored in said voice tone data storing means;
• a voice selecting means for selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized by said voice synthesizing means;
• and
• a voice-generating document storing means for storing therein the talking way data corresponding to the voice selected by said voice selecting means as a voice-generating document as a voice-generating document in correlation to the character string inputted from said character string input means.

A voice-generating document making apparatus comprising:

• a talking way data storing means for storing therein talking way data comprising character string information comprising words, clauses, or sentences;
• phoneme string information comprising of phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information;
• a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information, pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a volume of each phoneme in said phoneme string information for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a character string input means for inputting character strings each comprising one of a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a retrieving means for retrieving groups, each having the same character string information as said character string from said talking way data storing means, by using a character string inputted from said character string input means;
• a voice tone data storing means for storing therein a plurality of voice tone data each for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a voice tone data specifying means for specifying one of the voice tone data stored in said voice tone data storing means;
• a voice synthesizing means for successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved by said retrieving means and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, and pitch information and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified by said voice tone data specifying means;
• a voice selecting means for selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized by said voice synthesizing means;
• and
• a voice-generating document storing means for storing therein the talking way data and the voice tone data as a voice-generating document each corresponding to the voice selected by said voice selecting means in correlation to the character string inputted from said character string input means.

A voice-generating document making apparatus comprising:

• a talking way data storing means for storing therein talking way data comprising character string information consisting of words, clauses, or sentences;
• phoneme string information comprising phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information;
• a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information;
• pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a relative volume of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a character string input means for inputting character strings each comprising one of a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a retrieving means for retrieving groups, each having the same character string information as said character string from said talking way data storing means, by using a character string inputted from said character string input means;
• a voice tone data storing means for storing therein a plurality of voice tone data each for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a voice tone data specifying means for specifying one of the voice tone data stored in said voice tone data storing means;
• a voice synthesizing means for successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved by said retrieving means and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, and pitch information and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified by said voice tone data specifying means;
• a voice selecting means for selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized by said voice synthesizing means;
• and
• a voice-generating document storing means for storing therein the talking way data and the voice tone data as a voice-generating document each corresponding to the voice selected by said voice selecting means in correlation to the character string inputted from said character string input means.

A voice-generating document making method comprising:

• inputting character strings each constituting a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• retrieving a group having the same character string information as the character string inputted in said inputting activity by consulting a database storing therein talking way data comprising character string information consisting of words, clauses, or sentences, phoneme string information consisting of phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information, a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information, pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time, and velocity information for specifying a volume of each phoneme in said phoneme string information for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• specifying voice tone data for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved in said retrieving activity and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, a duration length, pitch information, and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified in said specifying activity;
• selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized in said reading out activity;
• and
• storing the talking way data corresponding to the voice selected in said selecting activity as a voice-generating document in correlation to the character string inputted by said inputting activity.

A voice-generating document making method comprising:

• a first step of inputting character strings each constituting a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a second step of retrieving a group having the same character string information as the character string inputted in said first step by referring to a database storing therein talking way data comprising character string information consisting of words, clauses, or sentences, phoneme string information consisting of phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information, a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information, pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a relative volume of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a third step of specifying voice tone data for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a fourth step of successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved in said second step and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, and pitch information and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified in said third step;
• a fifth step of selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized in said fourth step;
• and
• a sixth step of storing therein the talking way data corresponding to the voice selected in said fifth step as a voice-generating document in correlation to the character string inputted in said first step.

A computer-readable medium from which a computer can read out a program enabling execution by the program of a sequence for making a voice-generating document used in the computer-readable medium;

• wherein said storage medium stores therein a program comprising:
• a first sequence for inputting character strings each constituting a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a second sequence for retrieving a group having the same character string information as the character string inputted in said first sequence by referring to a database storing therein talking way data comprising character string information consisting of words, clauses, or sentences, phoneme string information consisting of phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information, a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information, pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a volume of each phoneme in said phoneme string information for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a third sequence for specifying voice tone data for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a fourth sequence for successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved in said second sequence and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, pitch information, and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified in said third sequence;
• a fifth sequence for selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized in said fourth sequence;
• and
• a sixth sequence for storing therein the talking way data corresponding to the voice selected in said fifth sequence as a voice-generating document in correlation to the character string inputted in said first sequence.

A computer-readable medium from which a computer can read out a program enabling execution by the program of a sequence for making voice-generating documents used in the storage medium;

• wherein said computer-readable medium stores therein a program comprising:
• a first sequence for inputting character strings each constituting a word, a clause, or a sentence;
• a second sequence for retrieving a group having the same character string information as the character string inputted in said first sequence by referring to a database storing therein talking way data comprising character string information consisting of words, clauses, or sentences, phoneme string information consisting of phonemes each corresponding to a character in said character string information, a length of duration of each phoneme in said phoneme string information, pitch information for specifying a relative pitch of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time;
• and velocity information for specifying a relative volume of said phoneme string information at an arbitrary point of time for each group of talking way data having the same character string information according to character string information in said talking way data;
• a third sequence for specifying voice tone data for adding a voice tone to a voice to be synthesized;
• a fourth sequence for successively reading out talking way data in the groups retrieved in said second sequence and synthesizing a voice by using the phoneme string information, duration length, pitch information, and velocity information in the talking way data read out as well as voice tone data specified in said third sequence;
• a fifth sequence for selecting a desired voice from voices synthesized in said fourth sequence;
• and
• a sixth sequence for storing therein the talking way data corresponding to the voice selected in said fifth sequence as a voice-generating document in correlation to the character string inputted in said first sequence.

A voice-generating document-making apparatus comprising:

• a display means to display a voice-generating document stored in a memory,
• means for specifying an arbitrary character string of said displayed voice-generating document, said character string having corresponding talking way data and voice tone data stored in said memory;
• means for changing said specified character string by changing said talking way data and voice tone data in cooperation with said display, said means for changing further comprising means individually for specifying voice tone data, duration length data, phoneme string data, pitch data and velocity information;
• means for selecting a voice by using said changed character string;
• and
• means for synthesizing with data from said memory said selected voice.

A voice-generating document-making apparatus comprising:

• a display means to display a voice-generating document stored in a memory,
• means for specifying an arbitrary character string of said displayed voice-generating document, said character string having corresponding talking way data and voice tone data stored in said memory;
• means for reinputting said specified character string for changing said talking way data and voice tone data in cooperation with said display, said means for reinputting further comprising means for individually specifying voice tone data, duration length data, phoneme string data, pitch data and velocity information;
• means for selecting a voice by using said reinputted character string;
• and
• means for synthesizing said selected voice.