JPH03282945A - Device for forming image information with voice - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently form image information with voice by inputting voice data consisting of an explanation based upon a certain language as character codes at first and then converting the codes into the voice data by a voice synthesizing part. CONSTITUTION:When an operator inputs a required explanation sentence from a keyboard in a word processor 21 or a personal computer 22 as character codes, the inputted character codes are sent to the voice synthesizing part 40 or an image processing part 30, and when necessary, stored in an image storing part 31 or a voice storing part 41. On the other hand, display image data or moving image data for one screen are edited and formed from the inputted image data or moving image data based upon the character codes. While observing the display screen, the operator applies an editing command to an image processing part 30, reads out necessary image data from the storage part 31 to allocate it. Consequently, image information with voice can be efficiently formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating image information with audio, and particularly to an apparatus for generating image information with audio suitable for reproduction by a VTR device.

[Conventional technology]

As an information transmission medium, images and sounds are the most basic elements, and VTR devices that provide these at the same time have become widespread in every household. In devices that handle such image information with audio, image data and audio data are generally processed in separate systems. A video camera is a typical device that generates image information with audio for VTR devices, but image data is generated by photographing the subject, and audio data is generated by recording audio. are doing. In addition, image data can be generated using a convenience store graphics system or captured using a scanner, and audio data can be recorded in advance. It is also possible to use audio tapes or compact discs played back.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional image information generation device with audio,
If a verbal explanation is required as audio data, it is necessary to have the anallancer read the explanation and record it. However, when providing image information with audio on a commercial basis, the explanatory text must be read out loud by a highly skilled anallancer, which increases labor costs.
There is a problem that the work becomes complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio-accompanied image information generation device that can reduce costs and improve workability when verbal explanations are used as audio data.

[Means to solve the problem]

(1) The first invention of the present application is an image information generation device with sound, which includes an image input device for inputting image data, a character input device for inputting character codes, and a system for generating information for one screen based on the input image data. an image processing unit that prepares display image data;
Based on the input character code, a voice synthesis section prepares voice data corresponding to this character code, one screen worth of display image data prepared by the image processing section, and voice data prepared by the voice synthesis section. , and an output device that outputs , in association with each other.

(2) The second invention of the present application is an image information generation device with audio, which includes an image input device for inputting image data, a character input device for inputting character codes, and a method for generating moving image image data based on the input image data. An image processing unit that prepares audio data based on the input character code, an audio synthesis unit that prepares audio data corresponding to this character code, and an audio synthesis unit that prepares the video image data prepared by the image processing unit and the audio data that corresponds to the input character code. and an output device that outputs the audio data in association with each other.

(3) A third invention of the present application provides, in the apparatus according to the first or second invention described above, an image storage unit connected to the image processing unit and capable of holding image data in the form of a database, and a voice synthesis unit. The apparatus further includes an audio storage section that is connected to the audio storage section and can hold audio data in the form of a database, so that the image processing section and the audio synthesis section can prepare data using the database.

[For production]

According to the audio-accompanied image information generation device according to the present invention, audio data consisting of a verbal explanation can be initially input as a character code. That is, the operator only has to input the explanatory text in language as a character code using a word processor or the like.

The input character code is converted into voice data in the voice synthesis section. Therefore, there is no need for a skilled anallancer to perform the reading as in the conventional apparatus, and it is possible to reduce costs and improve workability in generating audio-accompanied image information.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments. 1st
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the audio-accompanied image information generation device of the present invention. Here, a video camera 11, a VTR device 12, a computer graphics system 13, and a scanner device 14 are connected to the image input unit 10 as devices for inputting image data.

The video camera 11 can input image data by photographing a subject, and the VTR device 12 can input this image data by playing back prerecorded image data. The computer graphics system 13 can input figures, graphs, etc. created on the screen according to an operator's instructions as image data. Further, the scanner device 14
By decomposing a document on which an image to be input is drawn into a set of minute pixel data, this can be input as image data. The image data input in this way is sent from the image input section 10 to the image processing section 30,
If necessary, it is stored in the image storage section 31. The device of this embodiment can handle both still images and moving images as image data.

On the other hand, a word processor 21 and a personal computer 22 are connected to the character input section 20 as devices for inputting character codes. The operator can input a desired explanatory text as a character code from the keyboard of these devices. The input character code is sent to the speech synthesis section 40 or the image processing section 30, and is stored in the image storage section 31 or the audio storage section 41 if necessary.

The image processing section 30 has a display device, and has a function of editing and generating one screen's worth of display image data or video image data based on the captured image data or character code. While looking at the display screen of the display device, the operator gives instructions for editing to the image processing section 30, reads out the necessary image data from the image storage section 31, and displays the desired display area. Processing to allocate this read image data can be performed within the process. At this time, the image data to be allocated can be subjected to trimming, compositing, enlargement, or reduction processing. Further, processing such as changing the gradation or number of colors of the image may be performed, or processing may be performed to move the layout position. The image storage unit 31 has a function of storing image data of both still images and moving images, and is composed of an optical disk device or the like. These image data are stored in the storage unit 31 in the form of a database. Therefore, the operator can read desired image data from this database and perform various processing on it. For example, it is possible to perform processing such as reading a moving image and a still image from a database and superimposing the still image on the moving image.

Furthermore, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the image processing section 30 also has a function of generating a character image based on the character code taken in from the character input section 20. In the image processing unit 30, character fonts for various fonts of each character code are prepared, and when the operator specifies the layout position, font, size, etc. for a series of input character codes, the character fonts are displayed as specified. A character image is generated. Note that this character image may have a fairly low resolution if it is used for reproduction on a general television display.

The display image data or video image data for one screen prepared in this way is transferred to the output unit 50. Alternatively, if necessary, a predetermined file name may be added and registered in the database in the storage unit 31. In this case, you can search and read this data at any time later by specifying the file name.

The feature of this device is that the voice synthesis section 40 generates voice data. The speech synthesis section 40 has a function of generating speech data corresponding to the input character code based on the input character code.

That is, it performs syntax analysis on a given set of character codes, recognizes the correct phonetic sounds for this set of character codes, and artificially synthesizes the speech that corresponds to the correct phonetic sounds. Techniques for synthesizing speech from such character codes are disclosed, for example, in Nikkei Byte magazine, July 1988 issue, pages 201 to 213, and therefore will not be described here. The device of this example uses the text-to-speech software "
This speech synthesis is performed using "Discourse-100". The audio data synthesized in this way is transferred to the output section 50. Alternatively, if necessary, a predetermined file name may be added and registered in the audio storage section 41 in the form of a database. In this case, this data can be searched and read at any time by specifying the file name.

Now, the output unit 50 outputs the image data and audio data obtained in this way. Since the image data is output as a television signal (NTSC system), by connecting the output section 50 to a VTR device, the generated image data and audio data can be recorded and recorded. If the image data and audio data to be output are registered in advance in the output section 50, it is possible to automatically output them in accordance with the program guide. Further, if this device is used in a broadcasting station and a transmitter is used as the output unit 50, the generated image data and audio data can be directly superimposed on a carrier wave and transmitted as radio waves. In particular, satellite communications are expected to become widely available in the future as an information transmission system that can be used by general businesses. Since this device can efficiently generate image information with audio, it will find great utility as a transmitting station for satellite communications by various companies.

Next, the process of generating audio-accompanied image information using this device will be explained using a specific example. First, the operator
It is assumed that a map of Europe is photographed by a video camera 11 to obtain still image data as shown in FIG. 2, and that still image data consisting of a graph as shown in FIG. I will assume that you have obtained it. These image data are provided from the image input section 10 to the image processing section 30 and are temporarily stored in the storage section 31. On the other hand, it is assumed that the operator inputs character codes (for example, JIs Kanji codes) corresponding to explanatory text 1 and explanatory text 2 as shown in FIG. 4 from the word processor 21. At this time, the operator adds an identifier to each explanatory text indicating that explanatory text 1 is for an image and explanatory text 2 is for a phonetic text. Using this identifier, the character code for the image is given to the image processing section 30 and temporarily stored in the storage section 31, and the character code for phonetic sound is given to the speech synthesis section 40 and temporarily stored in the storage section 41.

In addition to this, the operator can input various still image data, video image data, or character codes for images and store them in the storage unit 31, and can also input various phonetic character codes. It can be input and stored in the storage unit 41. Once the input work has been completed, the image processing section 30 performs a process of creating display image data for one screen in this embodiment. In this example, it is assumed that the operator has created display image data 60 for one screen as shown in FIG. That is, the image data shown in FIG. 2 is trimmed, enlarged, and laid out to create a partial image 61, the image data shown in FIG. For the input explanatory text 1, a partial image 63 is created by specifying the font and size. The image data 60 created in this manner is registered in the storage unit 31 with a file name such as "Italian Furniture" added thereto.

Subsequently, the speech synthesis section 40 performs speech synthesis work. That is, in this example, the operator reads explanatory text 2 from storage section 41 and gives an instruction to speech synthesis section 40 to perform speech synthesis based on this. As a result, the speech synthesis unit 40 synthesizes speech data that correctly pronounces the explanatory sentence "As you can see in the graph, we are following the path...".

The audio data synthesized in this manner is also registered in the storage unit 41 with the file name "Italian Furniture" added thereto.

In this way, the operator can register multiple sets of image data and audio data in each storage section 31, 41. Finally, if the necessary files are searched and read from each storage section 31, 41 and sent to the output section 50, the generated image information with sound will be output. If this is output using satellite communication, each receiving station will receive a still image like the one shown in Figure 5.
・・・・・・－I am on my way. ” is played.

In this manner, according to the present device, image information with audio can be created solely by the operator's work, and a skilled anallancer who reads out explanatory text is not required. Therefore, it is possible to reduce production costs and improve work efficiency.

In addition, although the above-mentioned Example showed the example using a still image as image data, the apparatus of this invention can handle both a moving image and a still image. In the case of a moving image, it is preferable to associate the image and the audio using a time code recorded in the image data for the moving image. In addition, in the device shown in Figure 1, the arrows are drawn to indicate that data transmission between each block is done through online connections, but this is done through offline connections using floppy disks, video tapes, etc. It doesn't matter if you do it like this. In short, the main point of the present invention is that when generating image information with audio, audio data is input as a character code,
The point is that audio data is synthesized based on this character code, and various implementations are possible as long as the main point is not departed from.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the audio-accompanied image information generation device according to the present invention, the audio data consisting of a verbal explanation is first input as a character code, and this is converted into audio data in the audio synthesis section. Unlike conventional devices, there is no need for reading by a skilled anallancer, and it is possible to reduce costs and improve workability when generating image information with audio.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of an audio-accompanied image information generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image input by a video camera of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image input into the computer graphics system of the device shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a character string input into the word processor of the device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an image processing of the device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display image for one screen created by the department.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An image input device for inputting image data, a character input device for inputting character codes, an image processing unit for preparing display image data for one screen based on the inputted image data, and an image processing unit for preparing display image data for one screen based on the inputted image data; a voice synthesis unit that prepares voice data corresponding to the character code based on the character code; one screen worth of display image data prepared by the image processing unit; and voice data prepared by the voice synthesis unit. , an output device that outputs , in association with each other. (2) an image input device for inputting image data; a character input device for inputting a character code; an image processing unit for preparing video image data based on the inputted image data; Based on this character code, a voice synthesis section prepares voice data corresponding to this character code, and the video image data prepared by the image processing section and the voice data prepared by the voice synthesis section are output in association with each other. An image information generation device with audio, comprising: an output device for generating sound; (3) The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an image storage unit connected to the image processing unit and capable of storing image data in a database format; and an image storage unit connected to the audio synthesis unit and capable of storing audio data in a database format. further comprising: a storage unit for audio that can be held in the image processing unit and the audio synthesis unit;
An image information generating device with audio, characterized in that data can be prepared using the database.