Speech synthesis system and prosodic control method in the speech synthesis system
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsNobuo Nukaga, Yoshinori Kitahara, Keiko Fujita, Haru Ando, Shunichi Yajima
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Abstract
A prosodic parameter for an input text is computed by storing a sentence of vocalized speech in a speech corpus memory, searching for a stored text having a similar prosody to an input text as a key to the speech corpus and modifying the prosodic parameter based upon the search results. Because a plurality of prosodic parameters are handled as a linking data, a synthesized sound similar to natural speech having a natural intonation and prosody is produced.
Claims20
A prosodic control method, used in speech synthesis for computing prosodic parameters for input text data and producing synthesized speech by using the computed prosodic parameter, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a speech corpus storing a plurality of sets of prosodic parameters, each set based on human vocalization of plural word text data, and a plurality of sample text data sets respectively associated with the sets of prosodic parameters;
- comparing the input text data as a set of words with the plurality of sample text data sets stored in the speech corpus sequentially;
- selecting a similar prosody sample text data set from the speech corpus based upon the results of the step of comparing;
- acquiring prosodic parameters for any non-matched portions between the selected text data set and the input text data set;
- and
- computing each prosodic parameter for a matched portion between the selected text data set and the input text data set, and computing each prosodic parameter for any non-matched portion.
A speech synthesis system, comprising:
- a speech corpus memory;
- a speech corpus search portion for searching for a matched text data set of words having a similar prosody to an input text data set of words from the speech corpus memory by analyzing the input text data set of words;
- a fundamental frequency processing module for setting a search result in said speech corpus search portion as an input and computing a prosodic parameter of non-matched portions of the set of the search result;
- and
- a synthesis module for producing synthesized speech data by using said prosodic parameter.
A speech synthesis system, comprising:
- means for providing a speech corpus storing a plurality of sets of prosodic parameters, each set based on human vocalization of plural word text data, and a plurality of sample text data sets respectively associated with the sets of prosodic parameters;
- means for comparing the input text data as a set of words with the plurality of sample text data sets stored in the speech corpus;
- means for selecting a best matched sample text data set from the speech corpus;
- means for acquiring prosodic parameters for any non-matched portions between the selected text data set and the input text data set;
- means for computing each prosodic parameter for a matched portion between the selected text data set and the input text data set, and computing each prosodic parameter for any non-matched portion;
- and
- wherein in said speech corpus search portion, each text data set is divided into words and a morphological analysis result of a structured parameter sequence including a notation, a read, a part of speech and an accent information for each word.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.