Abstract: A voice converting apparatus is constructed for converting an input voice into an output voice according to a target voice. In the apparatus, a storage section provisionally stores source data, which is associated to and extracted from the target voice. An analyzing section analyzes the input voice to extract therefrom a series of input data frames representing the input voice. A producing section produces a series of target data frames representing the target voice based on the source data, while aligning the target data frames with the input data frames to secure synchronization between the target data frames and the input data frames. A synthesizing section synthesizes the output voice according to the target data frames and the input data frames.

Abstract: A printer of the present invention provided with a scanner mounted to a printer main body includes control means for suppressing the scanning speed of the carriage during a reading operation of a document image by a scanner. With this structure, the printer of the present invention can perform an image forming operation at maximum speed and the time required for forming an image can be reduced while suppressing a reading inferior resulting from the vibrations generated from the image forming means by suppressing such vibrations.

Abstract: The bill validator disclosed is provided with a plurality of pathway selectors at a position nearer to the inlet than the outlet, wherein the selectors select the pathways in respective different phases for the pathways to form a cross between the plurality of pathway selectors in every pathway selection.

Abstract: A singing voice synthesizing apparatus comprises: a storage device that stores singing voice information for synthesizing a singing voice; a phoneme database that stores articulation data of a transition part including an articulation for a transition from one phoneme to another and stationary data of a long sound part including stationary part where one phoneme is stably pronounced; a selecting device that selects data in the phoneme database in accordance with the singing voice information; a first outputting device that outputs a characteristic parameter of the transition part by extracting the characteristic parameter of the transition part from the selected articulation data; and a second outputting device that obtains the articulation data before and after the stationary data of a long sound part selected by the selecting device, generates and outputs a characteristic parameter of the long sound part by interpolating the obtained data.

Abstract: An apparatus is constructed for converting an input voice signal into an output voice signal according to a target voice signal. In the apparatus, an input device provides the input voice signal composed of original sinusoidal components and original residual components other than the original sinusoidal components. An extracting device extracts original attribute data from at least the sinusoidal components of the input voice signal. The original attribute data is characteristic of the input voice signal. A synthesizing device synthesizes new attribute data based on both of the original attribute data derived from the input voice signal and target attribute data being characteristic of the target voice signal composed of target sinusoidal components and target residual components other than the sinusoidal components. The target attribute data is derived from at least the target sinusoidal components.

Abstract: An apparatus is constructed for converting an input voice signal into an output voice signal according to a target voice signal. In the apparatus, an input device provides the input voice signal composed of original sinusoidal components and original residual components other than the original sinusoidal components. An extracting device extracts original attribute data from at least the sinusoidal components of the input voice signal. The original attribute data is characteristic of the input voice signal. A synthesizing device synthesizes new attribute data based on both of the original attribute data derived from the input voice signal and target attribute data being characteristic of the target voice signal composed of target sinusoidal components and target residual components other than the sinusoidal components. The target attribute data is derived from at least the target sinusoidal components.

Abstract: An apparatus is constructed for converting an input voice signal into an output voice signal according to a target voice signal. In the apparatus, an input device provides the input voice signal composed of original sinusoidal components and original residual components other than the original sinusoidal components. An extracting device extracts original attribute data from at least the sinusoidal components of the input voice signal. The original attribute data is characteristic of the input voice signal. A synthesizing device synthesizes new attribute data based on both of the original attribute data derived from the input voice signal and target attribute data being characteristic of the target voice signal composed of target sinusoidal components and target residual components other than the sinusoidal components. The target attribute data is derived from at least the target sinusoidal components.

Abstract: A voice synthesizing apparatus comprises: a storage device that stores a first database storing a first parameter obtained by analyzing a voice and a second database storing a second parameter obtained by analyzing a voice with vibrato; an input device that inputs information for a voice to be synthesized; a generating device that generates a third parameter based on the first parameter read from the first database and the second parameter read from the second database in accordance with the input information; and a synthesizing device that synthesizes the voice in accordance with the third parameter. A very real vibrato effect can be added to a synthesized voice.

Abstract: A voice analyzing apparatus comprises: a first analyzer that analyzes a voice into harmonic components and inharmonic components: a second analyzer that analyzes a magnitude spectrum envelope of the harmonic components into a magnitude spectrum envelope of a vocal cord vibration waveform, resonances and a spectrum envelope of a difference of the magnitude spectrum envelope of the harmonic components from a sum of the magnitude spectrum envelope of the vocal cord vibration waveform and the resonances; and a memory that stores the inharmonic components, the magnitude spectrum envelope of the vocal cord vibration waveform, resonances and the spectrum envelope of the difference.

Abstract: A voice converter synthesizes an output voice signal from an input voice signal and a reference voice signal. In the voice converter, an analyzer device analyzes a plurality of sinusoidal wave components contained in the input voice signal to derive a parameter set of an original frequency and an original amplitude representing each sinusoidal wave component. A source device provides reference information characteristic of the reference voice signal. A modulator device modulates the parameter set of each sinusoidal wave component according to the reference information. A regenerator device operates according to each of the parameter sets as modulated to regenerate each of the sinusoidal wave components so that at least one of the frequency and the amplitude of each sinusoidal wave component as regenerated varies from original one, and mixes the regenerated sinusoidal wave components altogether to synthesize the output voice signal.

Abstract: A foldable boat has a hull divided into at least three sections; one of which includes at least one hull forming member. Each hull forming member has a bottom forming member with side forming members rotatably mounted thereon. Flexible members extend through the hull forming members and attach on the other remaining two sections of the hull. When the flexible members are pulled and fastened, the hull forming members are forced together thereby forming a hull. When the flexible members are not attached, the boat can be folded and transported easily. The side forming members are foldable flat against their respective bottom forming members and adjacent bottom forming members are foldable flat against each other to provide a compact folded configuration.

Abstract: A chorus apparatus is constructed for creating a chorus sound to accompany a vocal sound which is sung by a singer. In the chorus apparatus, a providing device provides music information including reference pitch information which indicates a regular variation of an actual pitch of the vocal sound and harmony pitch information which determines a harmony pitch of the chorus sound. A detecting device detects the actual pitch of the vocal sound containing the regular variation and an irregular fluctuation which overlaps the regular variation. A controlling device extracts the irregular fluctuation of the actual pitch from the vocal sound according to the reference pitch information, and modifies the harmony pitch information to impart thereto a desired fluctuation corresponding to the irregular fluctuation extracted from the vocal sound. A generating device operates according to the modified harmony pitch information for generating the chorus sound containing the desired fluctuation over the harmony pitch.

Abstract: An identification card comprises a card body formed from substantially unoriented heated crystallized polyethylene terephthalate resin, and is equipped to generate a recognizable identification signal. A concave portion may be formed on one side of the card body to accommodate, for example, magnetic memory media, to generate the identification signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to a bill receiving/dispensing apparatus applied to a vending machine and a money changing machine which can house and store bills inserted by users and return a desired number of bills. Provision of a reversing roller (10) makes it possible to ensure that in paying out a bill (1) only a single bill is paid out at a time from a plurality of bills (3) overlaid one on another in a bill storing device (2).