Abstract: A speech synthesizer can execute speech content editing at high speed and generate speech content easily. The speech synthesizer includes a small speech element DB (101), a small speech element selection unit (102), a small speech element concatenation unit (103), a prosody modification unit (104), a large speech element DB (105), a correspondence DB (106) that associates the small speech element DB (101) with the large speech element DB (105), a speech element candidate obtainment unit (107), a large speech element selection unit (108), and a large speech element concatenation unit (109). By editing synthetic speech using the small speech element DB (101) and performing quality enhancement on an editing result using the large speech element DB (105), speech content can be generated easily on a mobile terminal.

Abstract: The voice synthesis device includes: an emotion input unit (202) which obtains an utterance mode of a voice waveform for which voice synthesis is to be performed; a prosody generation unit (205) which generate a prosody which is used when a language-processed text is uttered in the obtained utterance mode; a characteristic tone selection unit (203) which selects a characteristic tone based on the utterance mode, the characteristic tone is observed when the text is uttered in the obtained utterance mode: a characteristic tone temporal position estimation unit (604) which (i) judges whether or not each of phonemes included in a phonologic sequence of the text is to be uttered with the characteristic tone, based on the phonologic sequence, the characteristic tone, and the prosody, and (ii) decide a phoneme which is an utterance position where the text is uttered with the characteristic tone: and an element selection unit (606) and an element connection unit (209) which generates the voice waveform based on the p

Abstract: A strained-rough-voice conversion unit (10) is included in a voice conversion device that can generate a “strained rough” voice produced in a part of a speech when speaking forcefully with excitement, nervousness, anger, or emphasis and thereby richly express vocal expression such as anger, excitement, or an animated or lively way of speaking, using voice quality change. The strained-rough-voice conversion unit (10) includes: a strained phoneme position designation unit (11) designating a phoneme to be uttered as a “strained rough” voice in a speech; and an amplitude modulation unit (14) performing modulation including periodic amplitude fluctuation on a speech waveform.

Abstract: A voice synthesis device for generating synthetic voice having great freedom in voice quality and good sound quality from text data is provided.

Abstract: A language processing portion (31) analyzes a text from a dialogue processing section (20) and transforms the text to information on pronunciation and accent. A prosody generation portion (32) generates an intonation pattern according to a control signal from the dialogue processing section (20). A waveform DB (34) stores prerecorded waveform data together with pitch mark data imparted thereto. A waveform cutting portion (33) cuts desired pitch waveforms from the waveform DB (34). A phase operation portion (35) removes phase fluctuation by standardizing phase spectra of the pitch waveforms cut by the waveform cutting portion (33), and afterwards imparts phase fluctuation by diffusing only high phase components randomly according to the control signal from the dialogue processing section (20). The thus-produced pitch waveforms are placed at desired intervals and superimposed.

Abstract: A speech synthesis apparatus, which can embed unchangeable additional information into synthesized speech without causing a deterioration of speech quality and restriction by bands, includes a language processing unit which generates synthesized speech generation information necessary for generating synthesized speech in accordance with a language string, a prosody generating unit which generates prosody information of speech based on the synthesized speech generation information, and a waveform generating unit which synthesizes speech based on the prosody information, in which the prosody generating unit embed code information as watermark information in the prosody information of a segment having a predetermined time duration within a phoneme length including a phoneme boundary.

Abstract: A speech synthesizer that provides high-quality sound along with stable sound quality, including: a target parameter generation unit; a speech element DB; an element selection unit; a mixed parameter judgment unit which determines an optimum parameter combination of target parameters and speech elements; a parameter integration unit which integrates the parameters; and a waveform generation unit which generates synthetic speech. High-quality and stable synthetic speech is generated by combining, per parameter dimension, the parameters with stable sound quality generated by the target parameter generation unit with speech elements with high sound quality and a sense of true speech selected by the element selection unit.

Abstract: A speech synthesizer that provides high-quality sound along with stable sound quality, including: a target parameter generation unit; a speech element DB; an element selection unit; a mixed parameter judgment unit which determines an optimum parameter combination of target parameters and speech elements; a parameter integration unit which integrates the parameters; and a waveform generation unit which generates synthetic speech. High-quality and stable synthetic speech is generated by combining, per parameter dimension, the parameters with stable sound quality generated by the target parameter generation unit with speech elements with high sound quality and a sense of true speech selected by the element selection unit.

Abstract: A voice synthesis device for generating synthetic voice having great freedom in voice quality and good sound quality from text data is provided.

Abstract: A prosody generation apparatus capable of suppressing distortion that occurs when generating prosodic patterns and therefore generating a natural prosody is provided. A prosody changing point extraction unit in this apparatus extracts a prosody changing point located at the beginning and the ending of a sentence, the beginning and the ending of a breath group, an accent position and the like. A selection rule and a transformation rule of a prosodic pattern including the prosody changing point is generated by means of a statistical or learning technique and the thus generate rules are stored in a representative prosodic pattern selection rule table and a transformation rule table beforehand. A pattern selection unit selects a representative prosodic pattern from the representative prosodic pattern selection rule table according to the selection rule.

Abstract: To provide a speech synthesis method of reading out units of synthesized speech without fail and in an easy to understand manner, even when playback of the units of synthesized speech are simultaneously requested. The duration prediction unit predicts the playback duration of synthesized speech to be synthesized based on text. The time constraint satisfaction judgment unit judges whether a constraint condition concerning the playback timing of the synthesized speech is satisfied or not, based on the predicted playback duration. If it judged that the constraint condition is not satisfied, the content modification unit shifts the playback starting timing of the synthesized speech of the text forward or backward, and modifies the contents of the text indicating time and distance in accordance with the shifted time. The synthesized speech generation unit generates synthesized speech based on the text having the modified contents and plays it back.

Abstract: A prosody generation apparatus capable of suppressing distortion that occurs when generating prosodic patterns and therefore generating a natural prosody is provided. A prosody changing point extraction unit in this apparatus extracts a prosody changing point located at the beginning and the ending of a sentence, the beginning and the ending of a breath group, an accent position and the like. A selection rule and a transformation rule of a prosodic pattern including the prosody changing point is generated by means of a statistical or learning technique and the thus generate rules are stored in a representative prosodic pattern selection rule table and a transformation rule table beforehand. A pattern selection unit selects a representative prosodic pattern from the representative prosodic pattern selection rule table according to the selection rule.

Abstract: A broadcast receiving system includes a broadcast receiving part for receiving a broadcast in which additional information that corresponds to an object appearing in broadcast contents and that contains keyword information for specifying the object is broadcasted simultaneously with the broadcast contents; a recognition vocabulary generating section for generating a recognition vocabulary set in a manner corresponding to the additional information by using a synonym dictionary; a speech recognition section for performing the speech recognition of a voice uttered by a viewing person, and for thereby specifying keyword information corresponding to a recognition vocabulary set when a word recognized as the speech recognition result is contained in the recognition vocabulary set; and a displaying section for displaying additional information corresponding to the specified keyword information.

Abstract: An observation optical system is disclosed with which the Fresnel reflection at the surfaces of optical members can be reduced, the transmittance can be improved, and the surface reflection ghost that occur among a plurality of optical surfaces can be suppressed. The observation optical system of the present invention comprises a plurality of optical surfaces, and a fine periodic structure, with a period smaller than the wavelength of incident light, is provided at an effective optical region of at least one surface among the aforementioned plurality of optical surfaces.

Abstract: A broadcast system (10) includes a broadcast station (20) which broadcasts a program and a broadcast receiving apparatus (31a) which receives the program, wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus (31a) includes a microphone (32d) for marking a specific portion of the received program or an object that appears in the program, a voice recognition unit (107), a time/recognition result table storage unit (106), a transmission unit (108) which transmits tag history information indicating a history concerning the marking to the broadcast unit (20), a mobile terminal (40b) and the like, and the broadcast unit (20) includes an advertisement effect analysis unit (26) which performs an analysis for the program based on the tag history information transmitted from the broadcast receiving apparatus (31a), and a trend check program automatic generation/broadcast unit (27) which automatically generates a trench check program based on the result of the analysis.

Abstract: A speech synthesis apparatus, which can embed unchangeable additional information into synthesized speech without causing a deterioration of speech quality and restriction by bands, includes a language processing unit which generates synthesized speech generation information necessary for generating synthesized speech in accordance with a language string, a prosody generating unit which generates prosody information of speech based on the synthesized speech generation information, and a waveform generating unit which synthesizes speech based on the prosody information, in which the prosody generating unit embed code information as watermark information in the prosody information of a segment having a predetermined time duration within a phoneme length including a phoneme boundary.

Abstract: A language processing portion (31) analyzes a text from a dialogue processing section (20) and transforms the text to information on pronunciation and accent. A prosody generation portion (32) generates an intonation pattern according to a control signal from the dialogue processing section (20). A waveform DB (34) stores prerecorded waveform data together with pitch mark data imparted thereto. A waveform cutting portion (33) cuts desired pitch waveforms from the waveform DB (34). A phase operation portion (35) removes phase fluctuation by standardizing phase spectra of the pitch waveforms cut by the waveform cutting portion (33), and afterwards imparts phase fluctuation by diffusing only high phase components randomly according to the control signal from the dialogue processing section (20). The thus-produced pitch waveforms are placed at desired intervals and superimposed.

Abstract: A speech synthesis system for storing in advance a degree of modification of prosodic data in a prosodic data modifying rule apparatus, the degree of modification corresponding to an approximate cost and being stored as a modifying rule, a prosodic data retrieving section for retrieving a prosodic data stored corresponding to a key data for use in retrieval, the prosodic data retrieved according to a degree of matching between the input data and the key data, the degree of matching represented by the approximate cost, a modifying section for modifying the retrieved prosodic data based on the degree of matching and the modifying rule stored in the prosodic data modifying rule means, and an output section for outputting synthesized speech based on the input data and the modified prosodic data.

Abstract: A speech encoder (10) comprises a speech analyzing unit (110), a vocal-tract parameter discontinuous point detecting unit (120), a frame thinning unit (130), and a code generating unit (140). The frame-thinning unit (130) thins every other frames other than the frames including a phoneme boundary or adjoining a phoneme boundary if the frames are in a consonant section or thins one frame including a phoneme boundary or adjoining it one frame adjoining the thinned frame including a phoneme boundary or adjoining it and included in a vowel, syllabic nasal, or long vowel section, one frame including the time point of ½ of the time length of the phoneme section, one frame including a discontinuous point of a vocal-tract parameter, and one frame other than the one immediately after or before the thinned frame including a discontinuous point of a vocal-tract parameter, if the frames are in a vowel, syllabic nasal, or long vowel section.

Abstract: A viewfinder optical system includes an objective lens unit, an image inverting unit for converting an object image formed via the objective lens unit into a non-inverted erecting image, and an eyepiece lens unit for observing the non-inverted erecting image, wherein the image inverting unit comprises a first transparent body and a second transparent body which are disposed with an interval put therebetween, the second transparent body having only a function of transmitting a ray of light, and wherein the interval between the first transparent body and the second transparent body is not uniform.